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Primary 3 Science Semestral Assessment 2 (End of Year) Paper 2

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Questions

TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper - Science Primary 3

TuitionGoWhere Exam Practice (AI)

Subject: Science
Level: Primary 3
Paper: SA2 (Semestral Assessment 2) - Version 2
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Marks: 60

Name: ________________________
Class: Primary 3 _______
Date: ________________________

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

Do not turn over this page until you are told to do so.
Follow all instructions carefully.
Answer all questions.
For Section A, shade your answers on the Optical Answer Sheet (OAS) provided.
For Section B, write your answers in the spaces provided.
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.

SECTION A: Multiple-Choice Questions (28 marks)

For each question from 1 to 14, four options are given. Choose the correct answer and shade the correct oval (1, 2, 3, or 4) on the Optical Answer Sheet. Each question carries 2 marks.

Question 1

Which of the following groups contains only living things? [2]

Mushroom, moss, fern
Robot, car, aeroplane
Cloud, river, stone
Shadow, reflection, echo

Question 2

Study the classification table below.

Group X	Group Y
Bacteria	Mould
Yeast	Mushroom

What is a suitable heading for Group X and Group Y? [2]

Group X	Group Y
(1) Fungi	Bacteria
(2) Bacteria	Fungi
(3) Plants	Animals
(4) Animals	Plants

Question 3

Four pupils made the following statements about living things.

Ali: All living things can move from place to place.
Bala: All living things reproduce.
Cindy: All living things need air, food, and water.
Devi: All living things grow.

Which two pupils made correct statements? [2]

Ali and Bala
Ali and Cindy
Bala and Cindy
Bala and Devi

Question 4

<image_placeholder> id: Q4-fig1 type: diagram linked_question: Q4 description: A flowchart with three decision boxes and four end boxes. Start box: "Does it need air, food, and water?" Yes arrow leads to "Does it grow?" Yes arrow leads to "Does it reproduce?" Yes arrow leads to "Living Thing". No arrows from each decision lead to "Non-living Thing". labels: Decision boxes: "Needs air, food, water?", "Grows?", "Reproduces?"; End boxes: "Living Thing", "Non-living Thing" values: None must_show: Clear flowchart structure with yes/no branches, three characteristics tested in sequence </image_placeholder>

The flowchart above is used to classify things into living and non-living. Which of the following would be classified as a "Living Thing" at the end of the flowchart? [2]

A crystal that grows bigger in a solution
A robot that moves and responds to voice commands
A seed that germinates and grows into a plant
A balloon that expands when air is blown into it

Question 5

Which of the following is a characteristic of fungi but NOT of bacteria? [2]

Reproduces by spores
Can only be seen under a microscope
Does not make its own food
Is a living thing

Question 6

Study the table below.

Organism	Makes its own food	Reproduces by spores	Has flowers
P	No	Yes	No
Q	Yes	No	Yes
R	No	Yes	No

Which of the following correctly identifies organisms P, Q, and R? [2]

P	Q	R
(1) Mould	Rose plant	Yeast
(2) Yeast	Rose plant	Mushroom
(3) Mushroom	Fern	Bacteria
(4) Bacteria	Moss	Mould

Question 7

Ahmad placed a potted plant in a dark cupboard for one week. He watered it daily. After one week, he observed that the plant had turned yellow and wilted.

Which characteristic of living things does this experiment show? [2]

Living things respond to changes.
Living things need air to survive.
Living things need food to survive.
Living things reproduce.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about microorganisms is correct? [2]

All microorganisms are harmful.
All microorganisms can be seen with the naked eye.
Yeast is a microorganism used in making bread.
Bacteria are larger than fungi.

Question 9

<image_placeholder> id: Q9-fig1 type: diagram linked_question: Q9 description: Four organisms labelled A, B, C, D. A: A green plant with flowers. B: A mushroom growing on a log. C: A goldfish in a bowl. D: A piece of bread with green mould patches. labels: A: Flowering plant; B: Mushroom; C: Goldfish; D: Bread mould values: None must_show: Clear illustrations of four distinct organisms representing different groups </image_placeholder>

The diagram above shows four organisms. Which two organisms belong to the same group? [2]

A and B
B and D
C and D
A and C

Question 10

Siti observed an organism. It has the following characteristics:

It cannot make its own food.
It reproduces by spores.
It feeds on dead or decaying matter.

Which group does this organism most likely belong to? [2]

Bacteria
Fungi
Plants
Animals

Question 11

Which of the following shows the correct order of classification from the broadest group to the most specific? [2]

Living Things → Plants → Flowering Plants → Rose
Rose → Flowering Plants → Plants → Living Things
Plants → Living Things → Flowering Plants → Rose
Flowering Plants → Rose → Plants → Living Things

Question 12

Study the classification chart below.

<image_placeholder> id: Q12-fig1 type: diagram linked_question: Q12 description: A classification chart. Top box: "Living Things". Two branches: "Plants" and "Animals". Under Plants: "Flowering" and "Non-flowering". Under Flowering: "Rose", "Hibiscus". Under Non-flowering: "Fern", "Moss". Under Animals: "Mammals", "Birds", "Fish", "Insects", "Reptiles", "Amphibians". Examples under each animal group. labels: All group names and example organisms values: None must_show: Complete hierarchy with all branches and examples clearly visible </image_placeholder>

Based on the chart, which of the following statements is correct? [2]

A fern is a flowering plant.
A whale is a fish.
A bat is a mammal.
A penguin is a mammal.

Question 13

Four objects are classified in the table below.

Object	Needs air, food, water	Grows	Reproduces	Responds to changes
W	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
X	No	No	No	No
Y	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Z	No	Yes	No	No

Which object is a living thing? [2]

Question 14

Why is a virus considered non-living by some scientists? [2]

It cannot reproduce on its own.
It does not respond to changes.
It does not need air, food, or water.
All of the above.

SECTION B: Open-Ended Questions (32 marks)

Write your answers in the spaces provided. The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.

Question 15

The diagram below shows three organisms.

<image_placeholder> id: Q15-fig1 type: diagram linked_question: Q15 description: Three organisms side by side. Organism A: A fern plant with fronds. Organism B: A mushroom with cap and stem. Organism C: A butterfly with wings spread. labels: A: Fern; B: Mushroom; C: Butterfly values: None must_show: Clear distinguishing features of each organism </image_placeholder>

(a) Classify each organism into the correct group: Plant, Fungi, or Animal. [3]

Organism A: ________________________
Organism B: ________________________
Organism C: ________________________

(b) State one characteristic of Organism B that is different from Organism A. [1]

Question 16

John conducted an experiment to find out if mould needs moisture to grow. He set up two set-ups as shown below.

<image_placeholder> id: Q16-fig1 type: experimental_setup linked_question: Q16 description: Two identical slices of bread in sealed transparent bags. Set-up P: Bread with 5 ml of water added. Set-up Q: Bread with no water added. Both placed in a warm dark place for 5 days. labels: Set-up P: "Bread + 5 ml water"; Set-up Q: "Bread only (dry)"; Both: "Sealed bag", "Warm dark place", "5 days" values: 5 ml water, 5 days must_show: Two bags side by side, clear labels showing water vs no water, sealed condition </image_placeholder>

(a) What is the aim of John's experiment? [1]

(b) Which variable did John change (independent variable)? [1]

(d) State two variables that John must keep the same to ensure a fair test. [2]

(e) After 5 days, green patches appeared on the bread in Set-up P but not in Set-up Q. What conclusion can John draw? [1]

Question 17

The table below shows the characteristics of four organisms, P, Q, R, and S. A tick (✓) means the organism has the characteristic.

Characteristic	P	Q	R	S
Makes its own food	✓	✗	✗	✗
Reproduces by spores	✗	✓	✓	✗
Has flowers	✓	✗	✗	✗
Feeds on dead matter	✗	✓	✗	✗

(a) Which organism(s) is/are plant(s)? [1]

(b) Which organism is a fungus? [1]

(d) State one difference between Organism P and Organism Q. [1]

Question 18

Study the flowchart below.

<image_placeholder> id: Q18-fig1 type: diagram linked_question: Q18 description: Flowchart for classifying living things. Start: "Living Thing". Q1: "Does it make its own food?" Yes → "Plant". No → Q2: "Does it reproduce by spores?" Yes → Q3: "Does it feed on dead/decaying matter?" Yes → "Fungi". No → "Bacteria". No (from Q2) → "Animal". labels: All decision questions and group labels values: None must_show: Complete flowchart with all decision nodes and endpoints </image_placeholder>

(a) Using the flowchart, classify the following organisms. Write "Plant", "Fungi", "Bacteria", or "Animal" in the blanks. [3]

(i) Yeast: ________________________
(ii) Moss: ________________________
(iii) Earthworm: ________________________

(b) State one characteristic of bacteria that is different from fungi. [1]

Question 19

Mei Ling found an unknown organism in the school garden. She observed that:

It is green in colour.
It is attached to the soil.
It reproduces by spores.
It does not have flowers.

(a) Based on the observations, which group does this organism most likely belong to? [1]

(b) Give a reason for your answer in (a). [1]

Question 20

The diagram below shows a classification chart for living things.

<image_placeholder> id: Q20-fig1 type: diagram linked_question: Q20 description: Classification chart with missing labels. Top: "Living Things". Two main branches: [Blank A] and [Blank B]. Under Blank A: "Flowering" and "Non-flowering". Under Blank B: Six groups including "Mammals", "Birds", "Fish", "Insects", "Reptiles", "Amphibians". Examples under each. labels: Blank A, Blank B, all sub-groups and examples values: None must_show: Clear chart structure with two main blanks at first level, all sub-categories filled </image_placeholder>

(a) Fill in the two missing main groups at Blank A and Blank B. [2]

Blank A: ________________________
Blank B: ________________________

(b) The chart shows "Mammals" as a group under Blank B. State two characteristics of mammals. [2]

END OF PAPER
Total Marks: 60

Answers

TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper - Science Primary 3

SA2 (Semestral Assessment 2) - Version 2 - Answer Key

Subject: Science
Level: Primary 3
Paper: SA2 Version 2
Total Marks: 60

SECTION A: Multiple-Choice Questions (28 marks)

Question 1

Answer: 1
Marks: 2

Explanation:
Mushroom, moss, and fern are all living things. Mushrooms are fungi, mosses are non-flowering plants, and ferns are non-flowering plants. All three need air, food, and water, grow, and reproduce.

Option 2: Robot, car, aeroplane are man-made non-living things.
Option 3: Cloud, river, stone are natural non-living things.
Option 4: Shadow, reflection, echo are optical phenomena, not living things.

Question 2

Answer: 2
Marks: 2

Explanation:
Group X contains Bacteria and Yeast. Group Y contains Mould and Mushroom.

Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms.
Yeast is a single-celled fungus.
Mould and Mushroom are multi-cellular fungi.
However, in the Primary 3 syllabus, Yeast is classified under Fungi (along with mould and mushroom), while Bacteria form their own separate group. Therefore, Group X = Bacteria, Group Y = Fungi.

Common mistake: Some students think yeast is bacteria because both are microscopic. Remember: Yeast is a fungus!

Question 3

Answer: 3
Marks: 2

Explanation:

Ali (Incorrect): Not all living things move from place to place. Plants are living but do not move from place to place (they move parts like leaves/flowers but not locomotion).
Bala (Correct): All living things reproduce (have young). This is a key characteristic.
Cindy (Correct): All living things need air, food, and water to survive. This is a key characteristic.
Devi (Incorrect): "Grow" alone is not sufficient - non-living things like crystals can "grow" (increase in size by adding material), and balloons expand. Living things grow by cell division.

Question 4

Answer: 3
Marks: 2

Explanation:
The flowchart tests three characteristics in sequence: needs air/food/water → grows → reproduces.

Option 1 (Crystal): Grows by adding material (not cell division), does not need air/food/water, does not reproduce. → Non-living
Option 2 (Robot): Moves and responds but does not grow (by cell division), does not reproduce, does not need food/air/water. → Non-living
Option 3 (Seed): Needs air/food/water (stored food, absorbs water, respires), grows (germinates), reproduces (will become plant that makes seeds). → Living Thing
Option 4 (Balloon): Expands physically, no biological processes. → Non-living

Question 5

Answer: 1
Marks: 2

Explanation:

Option 1 (Correct): Fungi (mould, yeast, mushroom) reproduce by spores. Bacteria reproduce by binary fission (splitting), not spores.
Option 2: Both bacteria and most fungi (yeast, mould spores) are microscopic.
Option 3: Both fungi and bacteria cannot make their own food (they are decomposers/parasites).
Option 4: Both are living things.

Question 6

Answer: 2
Marks: 2

Explanation:
Analysing the table:

Organism P: No food making, reproduces by spores, no flowers → Fungus (Yeast or Mould/Mushroom)
Organism Q: Makes food, no spores, has flowers → Flowering Plant (Rose plant)
Organism R: No food making, reproduces by spores, no flowers → Fungus (Mushroom or Mould)

Option 2: P = Yeast (fungus), Q = Rose plant (flowering plant), R = Mushroom (fungus) ✓
Option 1: P = Mould, R = Yeast - both fungi but yeast is single-celled, mould is multi-celled; both possible but Q is correct
Option 3: Q = Fern (non-flowering, no flowers) ✗
Option 4: P = Bacteria (reproduces by binary fission, not spores) ✗

Question 7

Answer: 1
Marks: 2

Explanation:
The plant in the dark cupboard turned yellow and wilted because it could not photosynthesise (make food) without light. It responded to the change in environment (lack of light) by showing signs of distress. This demonstrates living things respond to changes in their environment.

Option 2: The plant had air in the cupboard.
Option 3: Plants make their own food; they don't "need food" from outside.
Option 4: Reproduction was not observed in one week.

Question 8

Answer: 3
Marks: 2

Explanation:

Option 1: False. Many microorganisms are useful (yeast in bread, bacteria in yoghurt, decomposers).
Option 2: False. Most microorganisms are microscopic; only some fungi (mushrooms, mould colonies) are visible.
Option 3 (Correct): Yeast is a fungus (microorganism) used in baking bread - it ferments sugar to produce carbon dioxide, making bread rise.
Option 4: False. Bacteria are generally smaller than fungi (yeast cells are larger than bacterial cells).

Question 9

Answer: 2
Marks: 2

Explanation:

A: Flowering plant (Plant kingdom)
B: Mushroom (Fungi kingdom)
C: Goldfish (Animal kingdom)
D: Bread mould (Fungi kingdom)

B and D are both fungi - they belong to the same group.

Question 10

Answer: 2
Marks: 2

Explanation:
The three characteristics describe fungi:

Cannot make own food (heterotrophic) - true for fungi and animals
Reproduces by spores - true for fungi (and some plants like ferns, but ferns make food)
Feeds on dead/decaying matter (saprotrophic) - typical of fungi (mould, yeast, mushrooms)

Bacteria also decompose but reproduce by binary fission. Animals don't reproduce by spores. Plants make their own food.

Question 11

Answer: 1
Marks: 2

Explanation:
Classification goes from broadest (most general) to most specific:
Living Things → Plants → Flowering Plants → Rose
This is the correct hierarchical order. The other options reverse the order or mix up the hierarchy.

Question 12

Answer: 3
Marks: 2

Explanation:
From the classification chart:

Option 1: Fern is a non-flowering plant, not a flowering plant. ✗
Option 2: Whale is a mammal (breathes air, has hair, gives birth to live young, feeds milk), not a fish. ✗
Option 3 (Correct): Bat is a mammal (only flying mammal). ✓
Option 4: Penguin is a bird (has feathers, lays eggs, wings as flippers), not a mammal. ✗

Question 13

Answer: 1
Marks: 2

Explanation:
A living thing must have ALL characteristics: needs air/food/water, grows, reproduces, responds to changes.

W: Yes to all four → Living thing ✓
X: No to all → Non-living
Y: Does not reproduce → Not a living thing (e.g., a sterile hybrid or individual that cannot reproduce)
Z: Grows but no air/food/water, no reproduction, no response → Non-living (e.g., crystal, balloon)

Question 14

Answer: 4
Marks: 2

Explanation:
Viruses are considered non-living by many scientists because:

Cannot reproduce on their own - they need a host cell to replicate.
Do not respond to changes - no metabolism, no irritability.
Do not need air, food, or water - no metabolic processes.
All three statements are correct, making Option 4 the best answer.

SECTION B: Open-Ended Questions (32 marks)

Question 15

(a) [3 marks - 1 mark each]

Organism A: Plant (Fern is a non-flowering plant)
Organism B: Fungi (Mushroom is a fungus)
Organism C: Animal (Butterfly is an insect, which is an animal)

(b) [1 mark]
Any one:

Organism B (mushroom) cannot make its own food / feeds on dead decaying matter, while Organism A (fern) makes its own food through photosynthesis.
Organism B reproduces by spores, while Organism A (fern) also reproduces by spores but is a plant. Better answer focuses on nutrition.
Organism B is a fungus, Organism A is a plant.

Acceptable answer: "Mushroom cannot make its own food but fern can." or "Mushroom feeds on dead matter, fern makes food."

(c) [1 mark]
Any one characteristic of animals:

Animals cannot make their own food (they eat plants or other animals).
Animals move from place to place (locomotion).
Animals respond quickly to changes.
Most animals reproduce by laying eggs or giving birth to live young.

Acceptable answer: "Animals cannot make their own food." or "Animals move from place to place."

Question 16

(a) [1 mark]
Aim: To find out if moisture (water) is needed for mould to grow on bread.
Must mention both the changed variable (moisture) and measured outcome (mould growth).

(b) [1 mark]
Independent variable (changed): Presence / amount of water (moisture) on the bread.
Or: "Whether water is added to the bread."

(c) [1 mark]
Dependent variable (measured): Amount / presence of mould growth on the bread (after 5 days).
Or: "Whether green patches appear on the bread."

(d) [2 marks - 1 mark each, any two]
Control variables (kept same):

Type / size / brand of bread
Temperature of surroundings (warm dark place)
Duration of experiment (5 days)
Sealed bag condition (air supply)
Light conditions (dark place)
Initial mould spore exposure (same environment)

(e) [1 mark]
Conclusion: Mould needs moisture (water) to grow.
Or: "Mould grows on moist bread but not on dry bread."

Question 17

(a) [1 mark]
Organism P (Only P makes its own food and has flowers → flowering plant)

(b) [1 mark]
Organism Q (Reproduces by spores, feeds on dead matter, cannot make food → fungus/mould)

(c) [1 mark]
Organism R could be: Bacteria (or a non-decay-feeding spore-producer like some parasitic fungi, but at P3 level: Bacteria)
Reasoning: Bacteria reproduce by binary fission (not spores in strict sense, but some form spores). At P3, "reproduces by spores" for bacteria is sometimes simplified. Better: "A bacterium" or "Bacteria".
Alternative acceptable: Fern (plant that reproduces by spores but makes food) - but R cannot make food (✗ in row 1). So R is likely Bacteria (decomposer but not saprotrophic like fungi) or a parasitic fungus.
Expected P3 answer: Bacteria

(d) [1 mark]
Any one difference:

P makes its own food (photosynthesis), Q cannot make its own food (feeds on dead matter).
P has flowers, Q does not have flowers.
P reproduces by seeds, Q reproduces by spores.
P is a plant, Q is a fungus.

Question 18

(a) [3 marks - 1 mark each]
Using the flowchart:

Yeast: Does not make food → reproduces by spores (budding/spores) → feeds on dead/decaying matter (sugar) → Fungi
Moss: Makes its own food (photosynthesis) → Plant
Earthworm: Does not make food → does not reproduce by spores (lays eggs/cocoons) → Animal

(b) [1 mark]
Any one difference:

Bacteria are single-celled (unicellular), while fungi can be single-celled (yeast) or multi-cellular (mould, mushroom).
Bacteria reproduce by binary fission (splitting), fungi reproduce by spores.
Bacteria do not have a nucleus (prokaryotes), fungi have a nucleus (eukaryotes). Advanced but acceptable.
Bacteria are smaller than fungi.

Expected P3 answer: "Bacteria are single-celled but fungi can be multi-cellular." or "Bacteria reproduce by splitting, fungi by spores."

Question 19

(a) [1 mark]
Non-flowering plant (or Plant - Non-flowering or Fern/Moss group)
Green + attached to soil + reproduces by spores + no flowers = non-flowering plant (fern or moss)

(b) [1 mark]
Reason: It is green and attached to soil (suggests it makes its own food/photosynthesises like a plant), but it reproduces by spores and does not have flowers, which are characteristics of non-flowering plants.
Key points: Makes food (implied by green), reproduces by spores, no flowers.

(c) [1 mark]
Any one difference:

Non-flowering plants reproduce by spores; flowering plants reproduce by seeds (from flowers).
Non-flowering plants do not have flowers; flowering plants have flowers.
Non-flowering plants do not produce fruits; flowering plants produce fruits containing seeds.

Question 20

(a) [2 marks - 1 mark each]

Blank A: Plants
Blank B: Animals

(b) [2 marks - 1 mark each, any two]
Characteristics of mammals:

Give birth to live young (do not lay eggs, except platypus/echidna - not required at P3).
Feed their young with milk (from mammary glands).
Have hair or fur on their bodies.
Breathe with lungs (air-breathing).
Warm-blooded (constant body temperature).

(c) [2 marks]
No, I do not agree.
Explanation: A whale is a mammal, not a fish. Although it lives in water and has fins, it:

Breathes air using lungs (must surface to breathe), not gills.
Gives birth to live young and feeds them milk.
Has hair (some whiskers at birth).
Is warm-blooded.
Fish have gills, lay eggs (mostly), are cold-blooded, and have scales.

Mark breakdown: 1 mark for "No/Disagree", 1 mark for correct explanation with at least one mammalian characteristic.

MARKING NOTES FOR TEACHERS

Section A: Each question 2 marks. No half marks. Total 28 marks.
Section B: Marks as indicated. Award marks for key concepts/keywords.
Spelling: Accept phonetic spelling for scientific terms (e.g., "fungi" / "funji", "mammal" / "mamal").
Flowchart questions: Follow the student's logic if flowchart interpretation is consistent.
Experimental questions: Must identify variables correctly (changed, measured, kept same).
Classification: Primary 3 level expects broad groups: Plants, Animals, Fungi, Bacteria. Sub-groups: Flowering/Non-flowering plants; Mammals, Birds, Fish, Insects, Reptiles, Amphibians.

Total: 60 marks