Testlet 206: Biological structures and processes 20
A body system senses that its temperature has risen above the usual range and sets off changes that bring it back down. Which mechanism does this show?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS1.A. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 4
A family condition is traced to a variant in mitochondrial DNA. From whom is such a variant generally inherited?NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms, "Mitochondria". Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 2
A gland cell makes large amounts of protein for export from the cell. Which structure would be especially plentiful in it?NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms, "Endoplasmic Reticulum (Rough)". Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 2
A human body cell with 46 chromosomes divides by mitosis. What is the result?MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), How do cells divide?. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 4
Show all 50 questions (46 more)
Testlet 206: Biological structures and processes, continued
A mammal keeps a steady body temperature on a cold day while losing heat to the air. Which process releases the energy that makes this possible?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS1.C. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 3
A muscle cell runs short of oxygen during a sprint. How does anaerobic cellular respiration compare with the aerobic kind?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS1.C. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 3
A seedling grows into a tree with a large dry mass, and students say the mass came mostly from the soil. Where does the carbon in the sugars a plant makes come from?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS1.C. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 3
A stream sample has a pH of 4 and a lake sample has a pH of 6. How does the acidity of the stream compare with that of the lake?USGS Water Science School, pH and Water. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 1
A student writes that an enzyme is used up each time it speeds a reaction, so a cell has to replace it after every reaction. What is the error?NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms, "Enzyme". Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 1
A unit on body organization moves from cells to tissues, organs and organ systems. Which idea about multicellular organisms does that sequence teach?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS1.A. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 2
The cell cycle is described in the stages G1, S, G2 and M. In which stage does the cell copy all of its DNA?NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms, "Cell Cycle". Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 4
The cells of an early embryo receive identical genetic material by mitosis, yet they come to develop differently. What causes this differentiation?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS1.B. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 4
How do embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells differ?NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms, "Stem Cell". Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 2
In a neuron, which part receives messages for the cell and which part sends messages from it?National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Brain Basics: The Life and Death of a Neuron. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 4
Thymine makes up 20% of the bases in a sample of double-stranded DNA. What percent of the bases is cytosine?NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms, "Base Pair". Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 1
Water molecules at the surface of a drop pull on one another, so the drop holds a rounded shape. Which property of water is this?USGS Water Science School, Adhesion and Cohesion of Water. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 1
Which bond links amino acids into the chain that makes up a protein?NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms, "Peptide". Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 1
Which statement about the plasma membrane is accurate?NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms, "Plasma Membrane (Cell Membrane)". Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 2
Which statement describes aerobic cellular respiration?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS1.C. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 3
Which summary of photosynthesis is correct?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS1.C. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 206, objective 3
Testlet 207: Ecosystem dynamics 15
A class asks why so many animals live in flocks, schools or herds even though the members must share food. Which explanation fits the core ideas of life science?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS2.D. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 207, objective 1
A deer population on an island grows quickly and then levels off near a steady number. What does that steady number represent?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS2.A. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 207, objective 1
A small organism lives on a larger host and gains a benefit from it, while the host is not harmed. How is the small organism described?NOAA Ocean Exploration, Ocean Fact: What is symbiosis?. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 207, objective 1
A storm fells trees in part of a forest, and within some years the area again holds much the same kinds and numbers of organisms. What does this show?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS2.C. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 207, objective 1
A student says that energy is destroyed at each step of a food chain. Which correction fits the core ideas of life science?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS2.B. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 207, objective 2
About 78% of air is nitrogen gas, yet a shortage of nitrogen often limits plant growth. Why?USGS Water Science School, Nitrogen and Water. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 207, objective 2
By which process do plants move carbon from the atmosphere into the biosphere?NOAA Education, Carbon cycle. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 207, objective 2
Chemosynthetic bacteria live inside animals at hydrothermal vents. The animals support the bacteria, and the bacteria provide the animals with food. What kind of relationship is this?NOAA Ocean Exploration, Ocean Fact: What is symbiosis?. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 207, objective 1
In a marine food web, phytoplankton are eaten by krill, krill by cod, and cod by seals. Which organism is the secondary consumer?NOAA Education, Aquatic food webs. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 207, objective 2
Sea otters eat sea urchins, and sea urchins eat kelp. Otters are removed from a stretch of coast. What does a trophic cascade predict there?NOAA Education, Aquatic food webs. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 207, objective 1
Two lizard species on one island eat the same insects, and the insects grow scarce in each dry season. Which interaction holds down the growth of both populations?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS2.A. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 207, objective 1
What do bacteria and fungi do with the remains that scavengers and detritivores leave behind?NOAA Education, Aquatic food webs. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 207, objective 2
What happens to the chemical elements in the molecules of organisms as they move through a food web?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS2.B. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 207, objective 2
Which measure is often used to judge the health of an ecosystem?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS2.C. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 207, objective 1
Which reservoir holds about 50 times more carbon than the atmosphere and can store it for centuries at depth?NOAA Education, Carbon cycle. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 207, objective 2
Testlet 208: Heredity, evolution, and diversity 15
A father has an X-linked recessive condition. Which statement about his children is correct?MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), What are the different ways a genetic condition can be inherited?. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 208, objective 2
A fishing fleet takes cod from a bay faster than the population can replace itself. Which of the adverse human impacts on biodiversity named in the core ideas is this?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS4.D. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 208, objective 1
A gene variant arises in one skin cell during a person's life. Can that variant be passed to the person's children?MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), How are gene variants involved in evolution?. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 208, objective 2
A mussel carried in the ballast water of ships spreads through a lake, where it is not native, and harms the native species. Which term applies to the mussel?NOAA National Ocean Service, Ocean Facts: What is an invasive species?. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 208, objective 1
A person inherits one A allele and one B allele of the blood type gene and has type AB blood. What does this illustrate?NHGRI Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms, "Codominance". Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 208, objective 2
The Endangered Species Act defines a species that is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future. What is such a species called?Endangered Species Act of 1973, section 3 (definitions), as published by NOAA Fisheries. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 208, objective 1
Fertilizer runoff enriches an estuary with nutrients. Which chain of events describes eutrophication?NOAA National Ocean Service, Ocean Facts: What is eutrophication?. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 208, objective 1
How can the branching that produced the many lines of descent among living things be inferred?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS4.A. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 208, objective 3
Mercury that reaches a lake is changed by microorganisms into methylmercury, which builds up in fish. In which fish are the highest concentrations generally found?U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, How People are Exposed to Mercury. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 208, objective 1
Natural selection results from four factors. Three are the potential of a species to increase in number, genetic variation from mutation and sexual reproduction, and the proliferation of the organisms better able to survive and reproduce. Which factor is missing?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS4.C. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 208, objective 3
Two plants with the same genes grow to different heights, one in rich soil and one in poor soil. Which core idea does this support?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS3.B. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 208, objective 2
Two populations of one species stay separated for a very long time and evolve into separate species. What is the process of their remaining separated called?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS4.C. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 208, objective 3
Under which condition can natural selection act on a trait in a population?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS4.B. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 208, objective 3
Which statement about the DNA of an organism is accurate?National Research Council, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012), chapter 6, core idea LS3.A. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 208, objective 2
Which statement describes evolution correctly?MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine), How are gene variants involved in evolution?. Written to GACE Biology (710) testlet 208, objective 3
How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the objectives of the GACE Biology (6–12) assessment, test code 710, as its Assessment Design and Framework prints them on the GACE website of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and Evaluation Systems, Pearson (https://www.gace.es.pearson.com/studyguide/framework/710 and https://www.gace.es.pearson.com/test/710, read 2026-10-07): testlet 206 Biological Structures and Processes, about 40 selected-response questions in 60 minutes, four objectives of 25% each; testlet 207 Ecosystem Dynamics, about 30 in 45 minutes, two objectives of 50% each; testlet 208 Heredity, Evolution, and Diversity, about 30 in 45 minutes, three objectives of a third each. This bank holds 20, 15 and 15. Every fact was read on 2026-10-07 in the public page named under its question (NHGRI, MedlinePlus Genetics, NINDS, USGS, NOAA, EPA, and chapter 6 of the National Research Council Framework for K-12 Science Education, whose core ideas the objectives are aligned to). Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.
How it works
This free GACE Biology practice test has 50 questions of our own, spread 20, 15 and 15 like the three testlets of the Biology (6–12) assessment. It is unofficial and not affiliated with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission or Pearson.
Read the full guide
What the test covers
Biology (6–12), test code 710, has three testlets: Biological Structures and Processes (about 40 questions), Ecosystem Dynamics (about 30) and Heredity, Evolution, and Diversity (about 30), by the framework at gace.es.pearson.com read October 7, 2026.
Timing
The real testlets allow 60, 45 and 45 minutes, a minute and a half a question. Exam mode keeps that pace: the 50 questions here in 75 minutes.
Where the answers come from
Each explanation names the public page its fact was read in: the NHGRI genetics glossary, MedlinePlus Genetics, NINDS, USGS, NOAA, EPA, or the National Research Council framework whose core ideas the objectives are aligned to.
The objectives are tied to the life science core ideas LS1 to LS4, which makes that framework a good study map.
Questions and answers
Is this free GACE Biology practice test the real exam?
No. All 50 questions were written for this site from the published objectives of the Biology assessment. None repeats or rewords a real question or a sample question of the GACE study guide, and a result here does not forecast your real score.
How many questions are on the GACE Biology test?
100 selected-response questions in all. Testing time is 2 hours and 30 minutes, plus 15 minutes per session for a tutorial and a nondisclosure agreement.
What is a passing score on the GACE Biology?
A cumulative score of at least 220, on a scale of 100 to 300, and you must also meet a minimum score, called the floor, on each testlet. This page gives the number right only, because it cannot be converted to that scale.
Can you take the GACE Biology testlets separately?
Yes. In one session you may register for any combination of the testlets. Each scored testlet is banked toward your cumulative score, and if you have not passed you can choose which testlets to retake.