Eighth grade science in the four categories of Wisconsin's Forward Exam blueprint, written to the middle school standards.
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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Bank checked October 14, 2026.
The real test: Forward Exam science, grade 8
Questions
40
Questions and points
40 scored questions worth 40 points, plus 5 field test questions: 45 in all.
Sessions
Three, with 15 questions each. Sessions 1 and 2 have 3 scenarios and session 3 has 4; each scenario is followed by 3 or 4 questions.
Time
Untimed. The suggested time, for scheduling only, is 35 minutes a session.
Points by category
Life Science, Physical Science, Earth and Space Science, Engineering: 8 to 12 points each. Engineering sits inside 3 or 4 sets of the others or stands alone.
Question kinds
Multiple-choice, technology-enhanced and two-part evidence-based selected-response questions.
Results
Four performance levels: Developing, Approaching, Meeting and Advanced. In grade 8 science the scale runs from 480 to 945, and Meeting is 695 to 736.
A plant stores energy in the sugar it makes. Where did that energy come from?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.LS1.C.m (Life Science)
A study of one prairie counts 400 rabbits in a wet year, when grass is plentiful, and 150 in a drought year, when grass is scarce. Nothing else changed. What does the data support?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.LS2.A.m (Life Science)
Beetles on a dark lava field are either dark or tan, and birds find the tan ones more easily. Of every 100 beetles counted, 30 are dark in year 1 and 75 are dark in year 20. Which explanation does the evidence support best?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.LS4.B.m (Life Science)
The forelimbs of cats and dogs are built alike. Biologists call a likeness of this kind a homology. What is a homology evidence of?UC Museum of Paleontology, Understanding Evolution: Homologies; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.LS4.A.m (Life Science)
In a forest food web, which group returns the matter in dead leaves and animals to the soil, where plants can use it again?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.LS2.B.m (Life Science)
Show all 40 questions (35 more)
Life Science, continued
Some plants can reproduce two ways: asexually, from one parent, or sexually, from two parents. Which offspring show more genetic variation, and why?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.LS3.B.m (Life Science)
Two cuttings from one plant have the same genes. One grows in full sun and reaches 40 centimeters. The other grows in deep shade and reaches 15 centimeters. What best explains the difference?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.LS1.B.m (Life Science)
What is a mutation?National Human Genome Research Institute, Talking Glossary: Mutation; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.LS3.B.m (Life Science)
Which list puts the levels of organization in the human body in order, from simplest to most complex?National Cancer Institute, SEER Training Modules: Body Functions and Life Process; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.LS1.A.m (Life Science)
Zebra mussels are native to the Black, Caspian and Azov Seas, but they are now established in all of the Great Lakes. What is the most likely result of adding a new species to a lake ecosystem?U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species: zebra mussel fact sheet; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.LS2.C.m (Life Science)
Physical Science 11
A book is moved from the bottom shelf of a bookcase to the top shelf. What happens to its gravitational potential energy?U.S. Energy Information Administration, Forms of energy; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.PS3.A.m (Physical Science)
A hockey player pushes off the boards of a rink with a force of 60 newtons. What force do the boards exert on the player?NASA Glenn Research Center, Newton's Laws of Motion; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.PS2.A.m (Physical Science)
A student records properties before and after heating a substance. Before: a white powder that dissolves in water. After: a black solid that does not dissolve, and a gas that was given off. What claim does the data support?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.PS1.B.m (Physical Science)
An alarm bell rings inside a jar. As the air is pumped out, the sound fades away, though the bell can still be seen ringing. What does this show?NASA Science, Anatomy of an Electromagnetic Wave; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.PS4.A.m (Physical Science)
Density is mass divided by volume. An unknown metal cube has a mass of 54 grams and a volume of 20 cubic centimeters. A table lists densities in grams per cubic centimeter: metal W 2.7, metal X 7.9, metal Y 8.9, metal Z 11.3. Which metal is the cube?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.PS1.A.m (Physical Science)
Four carts roll across a floor. Cart 1: 2 kilograms at 1 meter per second. Cart 2: 2 kilograms at 3 meters per second. Cart 3: 6 kilograms at 3 meters per second. Cart 4: 6 kilograms at 1 meter per second. Which cart has the most kinetic energy?U.S. Energy Information Administration, Forms of energy; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.PS3.A.m (Physical Science)
Light hits a very smooth mirror and almost all of it bounces off. What is this behavior of light called?NASA Science, Wave Behaviors; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.PS4.B.m (Physical Science)
The same push is given to an empty shopping cart and to a cart loaded with groceries. Which cart speeds up more, and why?NASA Glenn Research Center, Newton's Laws of Motion; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.PS2.A.m (Physical Science)
The starting substances of a chemical reaction contain 1 carbon atom, 4 hydrogen atoms and 4 oxygen atoms in all. How many oxygen atoms are in the products?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.PS1.B.m (Physical Science)
Two teams pull on a rope. One pulls left with 500 newtons and the other pulls right with 500 newtons, and the rope is not moving. What happens if nothing changes?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.PS2.A.m (Physical Science)
Which change would make the pull of gravity between two objects stronger?NASA Space Place, What Is Gravity?; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.PS2.B.m (Physical Science)
Earth and Space Science 10
A geologist maps two parts of Wisconsin. One has a long ridge of rock debris and many lakes and wetlands. The other has none of these. What are the features of the first area evidence of?Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, Ice Age Geology; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ESS1.C.m (Earth and Space Science)
A map marks every earthquake recorded in a region over 100 years. Nearly all of the marks lie along one long, narrow line. How should people in the region use this pattern?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ESS3.B.m (Earth and Space Science)
During a lunar eclipse, a full moon fades as a shadow covers it. What is blocking the Sun's light?NASA Space Place, Lunar Eclipses and Solar Eclipses; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ESS1.B.m (Earth and Space Science)
How do ocean currents affect Earth's climate?NOAA Ocean Exploration, How does the ocean affect climate and weather on land?; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ESS2.D.m (Earth and Space Science)
Identical fossil species are found on the facing coasts of South America and Africa, which an ocean now separates, and the two coastlines fit like puzzle pieces. What does this evidence support?U.S. Geological Survey, This Dynamic Earth: Historical perspective; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ESS2.B.m (Earth and Space Science)
In an undisturbed cliff, a layer of volcanic ash lies above a layer with fish fossils and below a layer with fern fossils. What is the order of events, oldest first?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ESS1.C.m (Earth and Space Science)
Near the poles, sea ice forms and leaves its salt behind in the water around it. What happens to that very cold, salty water?NOAA National Ocean Service, Currents Tutorial: Thermohaline Circulation; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ESS2.C.m (Earth and Space Science)
The Sun always lights half of the Moon. Why does the Moon seem to change shape over about a month?NASA Science, Moon Phases; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ESS1.B.m (Earth and Space Science)
Which human activity adds carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere?U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Overview of Greenhouse Gases; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ESS3.D.m (Earth and Space Science)
Wisconsin has winter in January. Which statement explains why?NASA Space Place, What Causes the Seasons?; Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ESS1.B.m (Earth and Space Science)
Engineering 9
A new dam gives a town electricity and a lake for boating, but fish can no longer swim upstream to lay their eggs. What does this example show about technology?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ETS2.B.m (Engineering)
A student says, "If these plants get more light, they will grow taller." The class can test the statement with an experiment. What is the statement?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ETS3.C.m (Engineering)
A team designing a solar phone charger notes that a solar panel cannot give out more energy than the sunlight that falls on it. What kind of design information is this?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ETS1.A.m (Engineering)
A team scores three flood barrier designs from 1 to 5 on each criterion. Design A: strength 5, cost 2, ease of setup 2. Design B: strength 4, cost 4, ease of setup 4. Design C: strength 2, cost 5, ease of setup 3. If the criteria count equally, which design meets them best?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ETS1.B.m (Engineering)
A team tests a prototype wind turbine blade, changes its shape, tests it again, and repeats the cycle six times. Each round the blade makes a little more electricity. What is this process called?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ETS1.C.m (Engineering)
Before building a full-size bridge, engineers load a small model of it until it fails. Why test a model?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ETS1.B.m (Engineering)
Four teams write down the problem they will solve. Which statement defines the criteria and constraints most precisely?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ETS1.A.m (Engineering)
Three water bottle designs are tested. Design 1 keeps water cold longest but leaks. Design 2 never leaks but dents easily. Design 3 resists dents but warms quickly. What should the team do next?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ETS1.C.m (Engineering)
Which question is an engineering question and not a science question?Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), SCI.ETS3.B.m (Engineering)
How this list was compiled: Outline: Forward Science Exam Blueprint, Grades 4 and 8, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, https://dpi.wi.gov/media/26844/download?inline, and Wisconsin Forward Exam 2026 Test Designs, https://dpi.wi.gov/media/26486/download?inline, both linked from Forward Exam Resources, https://dpi.wi.gov/assessment/forward/resources, read 2026-10-14: the reporting categories, their score points and the number of questions. Each question names the middle school performance indicator it practices in the Wisconsin Standards for Science (2017), https://dpi.wi.gov/media/28493/download?inline, read 2026-10-14; the grade 8 Performance Level Descriptors for science, https://dpi.wi.gov/media/26897/download?inline, were read the same day to see what the grade 8 test reports on. The fact in an answer is one the indicator gives, or is worked out from the data in the question. 19 of the 40 questions also rest on a public page named under the answer, each opened 2026-10-14: National Cancer Institute, SEER Training Modules: Body Functions and Life Process; U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species: zebra mussel fact sheet; National Human Genome Research Institute, Talking Glossary: Mutation; UC Museum of Paleontology, Understanding Evolution: Homologies; NASA Glenn Research Center, Newton's Laws of Motion; NASA Space Place, What Is Gravity?; U.S. Energy Information Administration, Forms of energy; NASA Science, Anatomy of an Electromagnetic Wave; NASA Science, Wave Behaviors; NASA Space Place, Lunar Eclipses and Solar Eclipses; NASA Science, Moon Phases; NASA Space Place, What Causes the Seasons?; Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, Ice Age Geology; U.S. Geological Survey, This Dynamic Earth: Historical perspective; NOAA National Ocean Service, Currents Tutorial: Thermohaline Circulation; NOAA Ocean Exploration, How does the ocean affect climate and weather on land?; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Overview of Greenhouse Gases. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site. Nothing is copied or reworded from a Forward Exam, the department's practice test, a sample item, a workbook or another practice test. The department's grade 8 science practice test was not read.
How it works
Forty questions of our own for the grade 8 science section of the Wisconsin Forward Exam, the same number the real test scores. This unofficial page is not affiliated with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, which gives the exam.
Read the full guide
What the grade 8 Forward Exam asks in science
Life Science, Physical Science, Earth and Space Science and Engineering each carry 8 to 12 of the 40 points. Eighth graders are tested on the middle school indicators of the Wisconsin Standards for Science: cells, genes and natural selection; atoms, forces, energy and waves; eclipses, rock layers, plate movement, ocean currents and natural hazards.
Engineering counts as much as each science
Wisconsin has three engineering standards, and one of them, on the nature of science and engineering, was developed in the state. Its questions here ask you to tell a hypothesis from a theory and a science question from an engineering one. The rest cover precise criteria, scoring designs against them and combining the best parts of several.
Engineering has no scenarios of its own on the real test. Expect a design question inside a life, physical or earth science set.
Questions and answers
How many questions are on the 8th grade Forward Exam science test?
45, split evenly over three sessions. 40 of them are scored, one point each. The remaining 5 are field test questions, which do not count toward a student's score.
Is the Forward Exam science test timed?
No. The department describes the Forward Exam as an untimed test. So that schools can plan a schedule, it suggests 35 minutes for each of the three science sessions.
What is a Meeting score on the 8th grade Forward Exam in science?
695 to 736. The grade 8 science scale runs from 480 to 945: Developing is 480 to 652, Approaching is 653 to 694, and Advanced is 737 and up.
Does Wisconsin publish a grade 8 Forward Exam science practice test?
Yes. The department's Forward Exam practice test page lists Science Grade 8, and the box under the questions links to it. The 40 questions on this page are different ones.