Grade 8 science in the three equal domains of NJSLA-Science, the test that replaced NJ ASK.
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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the New Jersey Department of Education. Bank checked October 13, 2026.
The real test: NJSLA-Science in grade 8
Who takes it
Students in grade 8. The science test is also given in grades 5 and 11.
Units and time
4 units of 45 minutes each, 180 minutes in all.
Blueprint
The same number of items is targeted for physical science, life science and Earth and space science, and within each for three groups of practices: Investigatin
Item types
Multiple choice with four answer choices, technology-enhanced items and typed constructed responses, in clusters of 2 to 5 items about one phenomenon.
Format
A fixed-form test. Each item is based on one core idea, one science and engineering practice and one crosscutting concept.
Scores
Four performance levels: Below Proficient, Near Proficient, Proficient and Advanced Proficiency.
A 1,200-kilogram car and a 300-kilogram cart collide. During the collision, the cart pushes on the car with a force of 2,000 newtons. With what force does the car push on the cart?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-PS2-1, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
A beam of light strikes three materials. It passes through clear glass, bounces off a mirror, and warms a black cloth without passing through it. Which row describes what happens to the light?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-PS4-2, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
A model shows the particles of a pure substance vibrating in fixed positions. Thermal energy is added until the particles slide past one another while staying in contact. Which change does the model show?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-PS1-4, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
Show all 42 questions (39 more)
Physical science, continued
A song is sent many times over the same noisy line, once as an analog signal and once as a digitized signal. Each analog copy has more hiss than the last. The digitized copies all match the original. Which claim does this support?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-PS4-3, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
A student builds two models. Model 1 is one large ball joined to two small balls. Model 2 has two kinds of balls in a pattern that repeats in every direction. What does Model 2 represent?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-PS1-1, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
A student heats 100 grams of water and 200 grams of water on identical burners for the same time. The 100-gram sample warms by 20°C and the 200-gram sample by 10°C. What do the data show?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-PS3-4, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
A student holds a magnet near a steel paper clip that hangs from a thread. The clip swings toward the magnet before the two touch. What is this evidence of?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-PS2-5, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
A student wants evidence that the change in a cart's motion depends on the mass of the cart. Which plan gives that evidence?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-PS2-2, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
A table lists the gravitational force between pairs of objects that are the same distance apart. In every row the objects pull toward each other, and the force is larger when either mass is larger. Which claim do the data support?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-PS2-4, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
In a sealed flask, 12 grams of one substance react completely with 32 grams of another. No matter enters or leaves the flask. What is the total mass of the products?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-PS1-5, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
One cart is tested at three speeds. At 1 meter per second it has 1 joule of kinetic energy, at 2 meters per second 4 joules, and at 3 meters per second 9 joules. What happens to its kinetic energy when its speed doubles?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-PS3-1, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
Substance R is a gray solid that melts at 650°C and has a density of 1.7 g/cm³. After it is heated in air, a white powder is left that melts above 2,000°C and has a density of 3.6 g/cm³. Which conclusion do the data support?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-PS1-2, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
Three carts move at the same speed. A graph shows their kinetic energy: the 2-kilogram cart has 4 joules, the 4-kilogram cart 8 joules and the 6-kilogram cart 12 joules. Which relationship does the graph show?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-PS3-1, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
Two water waves have the same wavelength. Wave A has an amplitude of 1 centimeter, and Wave B has an amplitude of 3 centimeters. Which statement is supported by a simple wave model?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-PS4-1, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
Life science 14
A forest study counts deer after each acorn season. After two seasons with plenty of acorns, the counts were 120 and 135. After two seasons with few acorns, the counts were 80 and 70. What do the data provide evidence for?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-LS2-1, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
A model follows food molecules after an animal eats. What does the model show happening to the food inside the animal?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-LS1-7, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
A mutation changes a gene, and the protein it codes for changes slightly. The organism survives and reproduces exactly as well as before. How is this mutation described?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-LS3-1, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
A population of 200 fish has a spotted trait in 20% of its members. Many generations later the population is 500 fish, and 60% have the trait. How many fish have the trait now?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-LS4-6, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
A student hears a bell and turns toward the door. Which sequence explains the behavior?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-LS1-8, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
A town wants to slow soil erosion on a stream bank, keep habitat for wildlife and spend little money. A concrete wall stops erosion, removes habitat and costs a lot. Native shrubs slow erosion, add habitat and cost little. Which choice best meets the criteria?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-LS2-5, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
After a dam is built, a river slows and its water warms. Counts of a cold-water trout fall from 400 to 90, while counts of a warm-water fish rise from 50 to 300. Which argument does the evidence support?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-LS2-4, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
Beetles in a field with dark soil are either dark or light in color, and the color is inherited. Birds find and eat the light beetles more easily. Which explanation predicts what happens over many generations?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-LS4-4, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
In a forest, hawks and owls hunt the same mice. In a desert, two kinds of lizards eat the same insects. Which pattern of interaction do both ecosystems show?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-LS2-2, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
In a model of a cell, which part surrounds the cell and controls which materials pass in and out?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-LS1-2, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
In a model organism, allele B gives black fur and allele b gives white fur. Each parent has the alleles Bb and passes one of them, at random, to each offspring. What fraction of the offspring is expected to receive bb?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-LS3-2, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
Rock layers in a cliff have never been disturbed. The bottom layer holds only fossil shells, the middle layer holds fossil fish, and the top layer holds fossil land plants. What can be inferred?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-LS4-1, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
To test the idea that living things are made of cells, a student looks at four samples under a microscope. Which sample should show no cells?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-LS1-1, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
Which statement describes the role of photosynthesis in a plant?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-LS1-6, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
Earth and space science 14
A map shows that deposits of a metal ore are found only near places where volcanoes were active long ago. What does the map give evidence for?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-ESS3-1, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
A model shows rock being weathered into sediment, sediment forming new rock, and rock melting and crystallizing again. Which two sources of energy drive this cycling of Earth's materials?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-ESS2-1, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
A river cuts a canyon over a very long time. On one day, a landslide reshapes a hillside in minutes. What do the two events show about the processes that change Earth's surface?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-ESS2-2, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
A town grows from 10,000 people to 20,000 people. Over the same years, water use rises from 300 liters to 400 liters per person each day. How does the town's total daily water use change?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-ESS3-4, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
A weather station records high air pressure and clear skies on Monday, falling pressure and clouds on Tuesday, and low pressure with rain on Wednesday. Which explanation fits the data?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-ESS2-5, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
Data cards give the widths of two objects in the solar system. Object 1 is 10,000 kilometers wide. Object 2 is 120,000 kilometers wide. In a scale model, Object 1 is a ball 2 centimeters wide. How wide is the ball for Object 2?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-ESS1-3, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
Graphs show that the global average temperature and the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere both rose over the past century. Which question best helps clarify the evidence for what caused the change?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-ESS3-5, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
In a model of Earth's orbit, the axis stays tilted in the same direction all year. In June the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun. What does the model explain about June in the Northern Hemisphere?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-ESS1-1, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
In a model of the Earth-sun-moon system, the moon passes between the sun and Earth, and the moon's shadow falls on part of Earth. What does the model show?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-ESS1-1; the alignment of a solar eclipse as described in Types of Solar Eclipses, NASA Science
In a model of the water cycle, water evaporates from the ocean, falls as rain on a mountain and runs downhill in rivers. What drives the evaporation, and what pulls the water downhill?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-ESS2-4, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
In rock strata that have never been disturbed, layer A lies under layer B. A fossil is found in each layer. What can a scientist conclude from the layers alone?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-ESS1-4, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
Maps show the same fossil land animal and matching rock types on the facing coasts of two continents that an ocean now separates. The two coastlines also fit together like puzzle pieces. What is this evidence of?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-ESS2-3, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
Scientists study data on natural hazards to forecast future events. According to New Jersey's science standards, which hazard happens suddenly, with no notice, and is not yet predictable?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-ESS3-2, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
Two cities lie at the same latitude. The coastal city averages 22°C in summer and 10°C in winter. The inland city averages 30°C in summer and −2°C in winter. Which explanation fits the data?New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (2026), MS-ESS2-6, with the core idea and clarification statement printed with it in the 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document
How this list was compiled: Outline: NJSLA-Science Overview Presentation, blueprint of targeted items (New Jersey Department of Education), https://www.nj.gov/education/assessment/adaptive/docs/NJSLA-S%20Overview%20Presentation.pdf, linked from the department's NJSLA-S page, https://www.nj.gov/education/assessment/adaptive/, read 2026-10-13. Each question names the grades 6 to 8 performance expectation it practices in the 2026 New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science, https://www.nj.gov/education/standards/science/2026/ms/, read 2026-10-13. The science fact in an answer is one stated in that performance expectation, in the disciplinary core ideas and clarification statements printed with it in the department's 2020 NJSLS-Science K-12 document, https://www.nj.gov/education/standards/science/Docs/NJSLS-Science_K-12.pdf, read 2026-10-13, or is read from the data in the question. One question on eclipses also rests on Types of Solar Eclipses, NASA Science, https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/types/, read 2026-10-13. Arithmetic in a question was worked a second time. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site. Nothing is copied or reworded from an NJSLA-Science or NJ ASK test, a released or sample item, or another practice test. No released or sample item was read.
How it works
New Jersey's eighth grade science test is now the NJSLA-Science, not the NJ ASK, and these 42 questions follow its blueprint. Unofficial, and not affiliated with the New Jersey Department of Education.
Read the full guide
What grade 8 NJSLA-Science covers
The blueprint targets the same number of items for three domains, so each has 14 questions here. Physical science: particles, chemical reactions, forces and fields, kinetic energy, waves and signals. Life science: cells, photosynthesis, ecosystems, heredity and natural selection. Earth and space science: seasons and eclipses, rock strata, plate motions, the water cycle, weather, resources and climate. The grade 8 test assesses the grades 6 to 8 standards.
NJASK grade 8 science practice test, or NJSLA?
The state describes the NJ ASK as a test that emphasized memorizing content. The NJSLA-Science asks students to apply science: plan an investigation, read a data table or a model, weigh an argument. So most questions here start from data, and each answer names its standard.
Read the numbers in a question before the choices. On most questions the answer is the conclusion the data support, not a fact to recall.
Questions and answers
Is the NJ ASK science test still given in 8th grade?
No. The New Jersey Department of Education calls the NJ ASK the prior assessment. Its science test for grades 5, 8 and 11 is the NJSLA-Science, field tested in 2018 and first given as an operational test in 2019.
How long is the 8th grade NJSLA science test?
Four units of 45 minutes each, 180 minutes of testing in all, according to the state's unit testing times. Grade 5 has the same four units of 45 minutes, and grade 11 has four units of 60 minutes.
What kinds of questions are on the NJSLA science test?
Multiple choice with four answer choices, technology-enhanced items such as graphing and drag-and-drop, and constructed responses that students type. Items come in clusters of 2 to 5 about one phenomenon, each scored on its own.
How is the 8th grade NJSLA science test scored?
Results are reported in four performance levels: Below Proficient, Near Proficient, Proficient and Advanced Proficiency. The state says the NJSLA-Science is not a graduation assessment requirement. A percent on this page is not a performance level.