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

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Questions

Primary 3 Science SA2 Examination 2026 (Version 3)

TuitionGoWhere Assessment Paper

Duration: 75 minutes
Total Marks: 100
Name: _________________________ Class: _______ Date: _______

Section A: Multiple Choice Questions (25 marks)

Choose the correct answer and write the letter (A, B, C, or D) in the brackets provided. Each question is worth 1 mark.

1. Which of the following statements about living things is TRUE?

(A) All living things can move from one place to another
(B) All living things are made up of cells
(C) All living things live on land
(D) All living things are green in colour

( )

2. Study the Venn diagram below:

    Living Things          Non-Living Things
   ┌───────────┐          ┌───────────┐
   │ Responds  │          │ Does not  │
   │ to        │          │ need food │
   │ changes   │          │           │
   └───────────┘          └───────────┘

Which organism would belong in the "Living Things" circle?

(A) Plastic toy
(B) Wooden chair
(C) Hibiscus plant
(D) Marble stone

( )

3. A dead leaf that fell from a tree is:

(A) Living because it came from a living plant
(B) Non-living because it cannot grow or reproduce
(C) Living because it is made of plant cells
(D) Non-living because it is brown in colour

( )

4. Which property makes metal suitable for making cooking pots?

(A) It is transparent
(B) It is flexible
(C) It is a good conductor of heat
(D) It floats on water

( )

5. A student tested four materials by dropping water on them. The table shows the results:

Material	What happened to water
Sponge	Absorbed the water
Plastic sheet	Water stayed on top
Cotton cloth	Absorbed the water
Aluminium foil	Water stayed on top

Which materials are waterproof?

(A) Sponge and cotton cloth
(B) Plastic sheet and aluminium foil
(C) Sponge and plastic sheet
(D) Cotton cloth and aluminium foil

( )

6. What is the MAIN difference between complete and incomplete metamorphosis?

(A) Complete metamorphosis takes a longer time
(B) Complete metamorphosis has a pupa stage
(C) Incomplete metamorphosis has more stages
(D) Incomplete metamorphosis only happens in water

( )

7. Which of the following shows animals that ALL go through complete metamorphosis?

(A) Butterfly, beetle, grasshopper
(B) Mosquito, butterfly, beetle
(C) Cockroach, mosquito, butterfly
(D) Grasshopper, cockroach, beetle

( )

8. A caterpillar eats leaves almost non-stop. Why does it need to eat so much?

(A) Because it is bored
(B) To store energy for the pupa stage when it cannot eat
(C) Because leaves have no nutrients
(D) To produce silk thread

( )

9. Which statement about seed dispersal is TRUE?

(A) All seeds are dispersed by wind
(B) Seed dispersal helps seeds land far from the parent plant
(C) Seeds do not need to be dispersed
(D) Only fruits can be dispersed

( )

10. What do plants absorb from the air to make food?

(A) Oxygen
(B) Nitrogen
(C) Carbon dioxide
(D) Water vapour

( )

11. A plant's leaves start turning yellow. What is the MOST likely reason?

(A) The plant is getting too much sunlight
(B) The plant is not getting enough water or sunlight
(C) The plant has too many leaves
(D) The plant is growing too fast

( )

12. Which part of the flower develops into a fruit?

(A) Petal
(B) Sepal
(C) Ovary
(D) Stamen

( )

13. A student covered a leaf with black paper for one week. What would happen to that leaf?

(A) It would grow bigger
(B) It would turn green
(C) It would turn yellow or pale
(D) It would fall off immediately

( )

14. Which of the following pairs correctly matches a sense organ with what it detects?

(A) Eyes - sound
(B) Nose - texture
(C) Ears - vibrations
(D) Tongue - temperature

( )

15. Grandma cannot see clearly when reading. Which sense organ is affected?

(A) Ears
(B) Eyes
(C) Nose
(D) Tongue

( )

16. Which of the following food combinations shows a balanced meal?

(A) Rice, fish, vegetables, and fruit
(B) Candy, chips, and soda
(C) Only bread and butter
(D) Ice cream and cake

( )

17. What protects the brain from injury?

(A) Skin
(B) Skull
(C) Muscles
(D) Heart

( )

18. A person exercises regularly. Which body system becomes stronger?

(A) Only the muscular system
(B) Only the skeletal system
(C) Both the muscular and skeletal systems
(D) Only the digestive system

( )

19. Which of the following is made of a magnetic material?

(A) Brass key
(B) Copper coin
(C) Nickel coin
(D) Aluminium can

( )

20. A magnet is placed on a table. An iron nail placed 1 cm away is attracted. When the nail is moved to 5 cm away, it is not attracted. This shows that:

(A) The nail is no longer magnetic
(B) Magnetic force decreases with distance
(C) The magnet is broken
(D) Iron is not always magnetic

( )

21. Look at the diagram:

      String
        |
        |
   ┌────┴────┐
   │ N     S │  (Bar magnet hanging freely)
   └─────────┘

Which direction will the N pole point?

(A) Towards the ceiling
(B) Towards the floor
(C) Towards Earth's geographic North
(D) Towards Earth's geographic South

( )

22. Which statement about magnetic poles is CORRECT?

(A) All magnets have only one pole
(B) The North pole of a magnet points to Earth's magnetic South pole
(C) Like poles attract each other
(D) A magnet can have only a North pole and no South pole

( )

23. Magnets are used in all of the following EXCEPT:

(A) Compass
(B) Refrigerator door
(C) Glass window
(D) Electric motor

( )

24. A student placed a magnet near different objects. Which object would be attracted?

(A) Wooden ruler
(B) Plastic spoon
(C) Steel fork
(D) Glass marble

( )

25. What happens when you cut a bar magnet in half?

(A) You get one piece with only North pole and one with only South pole
(B) Both pieces lose their magnetism
(C) Each piece becomes a complete magnet with both North and South poles
(D) The pieces attract each other and join back together

( )

Section B: Short Answer Questions (45 marks)

Answer all questions in the spaces provided.

26. (4 marks) Study the classification chart below:

                    Things
                      │
         ┌────────────┴────────────┐
      Living                    Non-Living
         │                          │
    ┌────┴────┐               ┌────┴────┐
   [A]       [B]             [C]       [D]
  Bird      Fern           Stone     Water

(a) Give ONE characteristic that both the bird and the fern share that makes them living things. (2m)

(b) Explain why water is classified as non-living even though living things need it to survive. (2m)

27. (4 marks) The table shows materials and their properties:

Material	Conducts heat	Conducts electricity	Flexible
Copper	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rubber	No	No	Yes
Wood	No	No	No
Iron	Yes	Yes	No

(a) Why are electrical wires made of copper covered with rubber? (2m)

(b) A chef needs to choose a material for a pot handle. Which material from the table should NOT be used? Why? (2m)

28. (5 marks) Study the life cycle diagrams below:

Life Cycle X:

Egg → Wriggler → Tumbler → Adult (flying insect)

Life Cycle Y:

Egg → Nymph → Bigger Nymph → Adult (jumping insect)

(a) Which life cycle shows complete metamorphosis? How do you know? (2m)

(b) What are the animals in Life Cycle X and Life Cycle Y likely to be? (2m)

Life Cycle X: _______________________

Life Cycle Y: _______________________

29. (4 marks) A bean seed germinates and grows into a bean plant.

     Day 1        Day 5        Day 10       Day 20
      ●          ●⟋           🌱           🌿🌸
     Seed      Seed with    Seedling    Adult plant
               root                     with flowers

(a) What conditions does the seed need to germinate? Name TWO. (2m)

(b) After the adult plant produces flowers, what is the next stage in the life cycle? Explain how this continues the life cycle. (2m)

30. (5 marks) Look at the diagram of photosynthesis:

                    ☀️ (Sunlight)
                      ↓
    Carbon dioxide → [LEAF] → Oxygen
         ↑               ↓
      (from air)    (released to air)
         
         ↑
    Water (from soil through roots and stem)
    
    Food (glucose) is made and stored

(a) Write the word equation for photosynthesis. (2m)

(b) Why is photosynthesis important for humans and animals? (2m)

31. (4 marks) An experiment was set up to test what plants need to grow:

Setup	Sunlight	Water	Soil
A	Yes	Yes	Yes
B	Yes	No	Yes
C	No	Yes	Yes
D	Yes	Yes	Cotton (no soil)

After 2 weeks:

Setup A: Healthy green plant, 20 cm tall
Setup B: Plant died
Setup C: Pale yellow plant, 5 cm tall
Setup D: Weak plant, 12 cm tall, pale green

(a) Why did the plant in Setup B die? (1m)

(b) Compare Setup A and Setup C. What does this tell us about plants? (2m)

32. (5 marks) Read the scenario:

Sam went to the food court. He could smell the delicious chicken rice from far away. He saw that the queue was long. He heard the hawker calling out "chicken rice!" He tasted the food and found it was hot and spicy.

Fill in the table to identify Sam's senses:

What Sam experienced	Sense organ used	Sense
Smelled chicken rice
Saw the long queue
Heard the hawker calling
Tasted the food
Felt the food was hot

33. (4 marks) Look at the health survey results:

Student	Hours of sleep	Exercise	Diet	Health rating
Ali	9 hours	Daily	Balanced	Excellent
Ben	5 hours	None	Fast food	Poor
Cathy	8 hours	3x week	Balanced	Good

(a) Compare Ali and Ben. Give TWO reasons why Ali has better health. (2m)

(b) What advice would you give to Ben to improve his health? Give TWO suggestions. (2m)

34. (5 marks) Study the experiment:

Experiment: Testing magnet strength at different distances

Distance from magnet	Number of paper clips picked up
0 cm (touching)	20
1 cm	15
2 cm	10
3 cm	5
4 cm	0

(a) Describe the relationship between distance and the number of paper clips picked up. (2m)

(b) What can you conclude about magnetic force from this experiment? (2m)

35. (5 marks) Marcus has a box of mixed objects:

Iron nails
Copper coins
Steel paper clips
Wooden beads
Plastic buttons
Aluminium foil pieces

(a) Which objects can Marcus separate using a magnet? (2m)

(b) Why won't the copper coins be attracted to the magnet even though copper is a metal? (2m)

Section C: Word Problems (30 marks)

Answer all questions with detailed explanations.

36. (8 marks) Science Investigation: Material Testing

Students tested materials to find the best one for making a reusable water bottle:

Material	Waterproof	Strong	Light	Safe for food	Cost
Glass	Yes	Medium	No (heavy)	Yes	Medium
Metal (steel)	Yes	Yes	No (heavy)	Yes	High
Plastic	Yes	Medium	Yes	Yes	Low
Paper	No	No	Yes	No	Low
Ceramic	Yes	No (brittle)	No	Yes	Medium

(a) Based on the table, which material would be BEST for making a reusable water bottle that students carry to school? Give FOUR reasons for your choice. (4m)

(b) Why would glass NOT be the best choice for a school water bottle? Give TWO reasons. (2m)

37. (8 marks) Life Cycle Investigation

Scientists observed insects at a pond and recorded their observations:

Insect A (Dragonfly):

Eggs laid in water
Nymphs live in water and hunt small water creatures
Nymphs look like small adults but without wings
Adult emerges with wings and lives on land/air

Insect B (Mosquito):

Eggs laid on water surface
Larvae (wrigglers) live in water and breathe through tubes
Pupae (tumblers) do not eat
Adults emerge and females bite animals

(a) Complete the table comparing the two insects: (3m)

Feature	Dragonfly	Mosquito
Type of metamorphosis
Number of life stages
Does the young look like the adult?

(b) Both insects lay eggs in water. What advantage does this give the young? (2m)

(d) How can people reduce the number of mosquitoes? Explain using what you know about their life cycle. (2m)

38. (7 marks) Plant Investigation

A class conducted an experiment on photosynthesis:

Setup: Three similar plants in pots

Plant	Condition	Result after 1 week
Plant 1	Kept in sunlight, watered normally	Healthy, dark green leaves
Plant 2	Kept in sunlight, NOT watered	Wilted, some brown leaves
Plant 3	Kept in dark room, watered normally	Alive but pale yellow leaves

(a) Why did Plant 1 remain healthy while Plant 3 became yellow? (2m)

(b) Plant 3 was still alive after 1 week in the dark. How did it survive without making new food? (2m)

(d) If Plant 3 was kept in the dark for 1 more month, predict what would happen. (1m)

39. (7 marks) Magnet Challenge

A group designed a magnetic fishing game. They attached magnets to fishing rods and made "fish" from different materials:

Fish	Material	Attracted to magnet?	Points
Red fish	Iron	Yes	10
Blue fish	Plastic	No	N/A
Green fish	Steel	Yes	10
Yellow fish	Aluminium	No	N/A
Orange fish	Copper	No	N/A

(a) Why can only some fish be caught with the magnetic fishing rod? (2m)

(b) The students found that they could catch the red fish through a plastic sheet but not through a steel sheet. Explain why. (2m)

(d) In the game, both red and green fish give 10 points. If the magnet on the fishing rod is weak, which fish would be easier to catch - a small red fish or a large red fish? Explain. (2m)

END OF PAPER

This paper covers all P3 Science topics: Diversity, Life Cycles, Plant Systems, Human Systems, and Magnets.

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Answers

Primary 3 Science SA2 Examination 2026 (Version 3) - Answer Key

TuitionGoWhere Assessment Paper

Duration: 75 minutes
Total Marks: 100

Section A: Multiple Choice Questions (25 marks)

1 mark each

Q	Answer	Explanation
1	(B)	All living things are made up of cells. Not all can move from place to place (plants), not all live on land (fish), and not all are green.
2	(C)	Hibiscus plant is living - it responds to changes, needs food (makes its own), grows, and reproduces.
3	(B)	A dead leaf is non-living because it can no longer grow, reproduce, or carry out life processes.
4	(C)	Metal is a good conductor of heat, allowing heat to transfer efficiently for cooking.
5	(B)	Plastic sheet and aluminium foil are waterproof - water stayed on top and didn't soak through.
6	(B)	Complete metamorphosis has a pupa stage; incomplete metamorphosis does not.
7	(B)	Mosquito, butterfly, and beetle all go through complete metamorphosis (egg-larva-pupa-adult).
8	(B)	Caterpillars eat a lot to store energy for the pupa stage when they cannot eat.
9	(B)	Seed dispersal helps seeds land far from the parent plant, reducing competition for resources.
10	(C)	Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air for photosynthesis.
11	(B)	Yellow leaves usually indicate lack of water or sunlight needed for making chlorophyll.
12	(C)	The ovary (part of the pistil) develops into a fruit after fertilization.
13	(C)	Without light, the leaf cannot make chlorophyll and will turn yellow or pale.
14	(C)	Ears detect vibrations (sound). Eyes detect light, nose detects smell, tongue detects taste.
15	(B)	Eyes are used for seeing/reading.
16	(A)	A balanced meal includes carbohydrates, protein, vegetables, and fruit.
17	(B)	The skull (part of skeletal system) protects the brain.
18	(C)	Regular exercise strengthens both the muscular and skeletal systems.
19	(C)	Nickel is a magnetic material. Brass, copper, and aluminium are not magnetic.
20	(B)	Magnetic force decreases with distance - the nail was only attracted when close.
21	(C)	A freely suspended magnet's N pole points towards Earth's geographic North.
22	(B)	Earth's geographic North pole is actually a magnetic South pole, which attracts the magnet's North pole.
23	(C)	Glass windows do not use magnets. Compasses, refrigerators, and motors all use magnets.
24	(C)	Steel fork is magnetic; wood, plastic, and glass are not.
25	(C)	When a magnet is cut, each piece becomes a complete magnet with both N and S poles.

Section B: Short Answer Questions (45 marks)

26. (4 marks)

(a) Characteristic shared by bird and fern: (2m)

Both need food/nutrients to survive
Both can reproduce
Both can grow
Both are made of cells
Both respond to changes in the environment (Accept any 1 valid characteristic for 2m)

(b) Water is classified as non-living because: (2m)

It does not need food to survive (1m)
It cannot grow or reproduce (1m)
It is not made of cells
It does not respond to changes in the environment

27. (4 marks)

(a) Electrical wires are made of copper covered with rubber because: (2m)

Copper conducts electricity, allowing current to flow through the wire (1m)
Rubber does NOT conduct electricity, preventing electric shock (1m)
Rubber acts as an insulator to keep the electricity inside the wire

(b) Material that should NOT be used for a pot handle: (2m)

Copper or Iron should NOT be used (1m)
Because they conduct heat, which would make the handle too hot to hold and burn the chef's hand (1m)

28. (5 marks)

(a) Life Cycle X shows complete metamorphosis: (2m)

It has 4 distinct stages: egg, wriggler (larva), tumbler (pupa), and adult (1m)
There is a pupa (tumbler) stage (1m)

(b) Animals in the life cycles: (2m)

Life Cycle X: Mosquito (1m)
Life Cycle Y: Grasshopper (1m)

The larvae and pupae need water to survive and develop
The adult has wings and needs to fly to mate and find food

29. (4 marks)

(a) Two conditions needed for seed germination: (2m)

Water (1m)
Warmth/suitable temperature (1m)
Air/oxygen (Any 2 for 2m)

(b) After flowers, the next stage is: (2m)

The flowers are pollinated and form fruits with seeds inside (1m)
The seeds are dispersed and can germinate to grow into new plants, continuing the life cycle (1m)

30. (5 marks)

(a) Word equation for photosynthesis: (2m)

Water + Carbon dioxide → (Sunlight + Chlorophyll) → Food (glucose) + Oxygen
OR: Carbon dioxide + Water → Glucose + Oxygen (in the presence of sunlight) (Award 2m for correct equation showing inputs and outputs)

(b) Photosynthesis is important for humans and animals because: (2m)

Plants produce oxygen which humans and animals need to breathe (1m)
Plants produce food (glucose) which is the source of food for animals and humans (1m)

The plant cannot absorb carbon dioxide or release oxygen
The plant cannot carry out photosynthesis properly and will weaken/die

31. (4 marks)

(a) The plant in Setup B died because: (1m)

It did not receive water, which is essential for the plant's survival and growth

(b) Comparing Setup A and Setup C: (2m)

Setup A (with sunlight) grew tall and green, while Setup C (no sunlight) was pale and short (1m)
This tells us that plants need sunlight to grow properly and to make chlorophyll (green colour) (1m)

Soil provides minerals/nutrients that cotton does not provide
The plant lacked the nutrients it needed for healthy growth

32. (5 marks - 1m for each correct row)

What Sam experienced	Sense organ used	Sense
Smelled chicken rice	Nose	Smell
Saw the long queue	Eyes	Sight
Heard the hawker calling	Ears	Hearing
Tasted the food	Tongue	Taste
Felt the food was hot	Skin	Touch

33. (4 marks)

(a) Two reasons why Ali has better health than Ben: (2m)

Ali sleeps 9 hours while Ben only sleeps 5 hours (enough sleep is important) (1m)
Ali exercises daily while Ben does not exercise (1m)
Ali eats a balanced diet while Ben eats fast food

(b) Two suggestions for Ben to improve his health: (2m)

Sleep more (8-10 hours per night) (1m)
Exercise regularly (1m)
Eat a balanced diet instead of fast food
Reduce junk food intake (Any 2 for 2m)

34. (5 marks)

(a) Relationship between distance and paper clips: (2m)

As the distance increases, the number of paper clips picked up decreases (1m)
When the magnet is far away (4 cm), no paper clips are picked up (1m)

(b) Conclusion about magnetic force: (2m)

Magnetic force decreases as distance increases (1m)
Magnetic force has a limited range - beyond a certain distance, it cannot attract objects (1m)

About 7-8 paper clips would be picked up
This is between 10 (at 2 cm) and 5 (at 3 cm), following the decreasing pattern

35. (5 marks)

(a) Objects Marcus can separate using a magnet: (2m)

Iron nails (1m)
Steel paper clips (1m)

(b) Copper coins are not attracted even though copper is a metal because: (2m)

Not all metals are magnetic (1m)
Only iron, steel, nickel, and cobalt are magnetic materials; copper is not one of them (1m)

Move the magnet through or over the mixture of objects; the magnetic objects (iron nails and steel paper clips) will stick to the magnet

Section C: Word Problems (30 marks)

36. (8 marks)

(a) Plastic would be best for a reusable school water bottle: (4m)

It is waterproof - will not leak (1m)
It is light - easy to carry in school bag (1m)
It is safe for food - can hold drinking water (1m)
It is low cost - affordable (1m)

(b) Glass would NOT be the best choice because: (2m)

It is heavy - difficult to carry (1m)
It can break easily if dropped - dangerous for students (1m)

Metal can be made into insulated containers (like vacuum flasks) (1m)
Metal retains heat better and can be designed for thermal insulation (1m)

37. (8 marks)

(a) Completed comparison table: (3m)

Feature	Dragonfly	Mosquito
Type of metamorphosis	Incomplete	Complete
Number of life stages	3 (egg, nymph, adult)	4 (egg, larva, pupa, adult)
Does the young look like the adult?	Yes (without wings)	No (looks very different)

(b) Advantage of laying eggs in water: (2m)

Water provides a safe habitat for the young to develop (1m)
There is food available in water for the larvae/nymphs to eat (1m)
Water protects eggs and young from land predators

It uses energy stored during the larva stage
The caterpillar/larva ate a lot and stored energy for this stage

(d) How to reduce mosquitoes: (2m)

Remove stagnant water where mosquitoes lay eggs (1m)
This prevents the eggs from hatching and larvae from developing into adults (1m)

38. (7 marks)

(a) Plant 1 remained healthy while Plant 3 became yellow because: (2m)

Plant 1 had sunlight and could carry out photosynthesis to make food and chlorophyll (1m)
Plant 3 had no sunlight, could not make food or chlorophyll, so its leaves turned yellow (1m)

(b) How Plant 3 survived one week without making new food: (2m)

It used the food (glucose/starch) that was already stored in the plant (1m)
Plants can store food from previous photosynthesis (1m)

Plant 2 had no water (1m)
Water keeps plant cells firm and turgid; without water, the cells become soft and the plant wilts (1m)
Water is also needed for photosynthesis and transporting nutrients

(d) Prediction for Plant 3 after 1 more month in the dark: (1m)

The plant would die because it would run out of stored food

39. (7 marks)

(a) Why only some fish can be caught with the magnetic fishing rod: (2m)

Only the fish made of magnetic materials (iron and steel) can be caught (1m)
Plastic, aluminium, and copper are not magnetic and are not attracted to magnets (1m)

(b) Could catch through plastic but not steel sheet: (2m)

Magnetic force can pass through non-magnetic materials like plastic (1m)
Steel is magnetic and blocks/absorbs the magnetic force, preventing it from reaching the fish (1m)

Attach a piece of iron or steel to the plastic fish (e.g., a paper clip or small metal piece)

(d) Which fish would be easier to catch with a weak magnet: (2m)

A small red fish would be easier to catch (1m)
A smaller, lighter fish requires less magnetic force to lift; a weak magnet may not have enough force to lift a heavy fish (1m)

Mark Summary

Section	Maximum Marks
Section A: MCQ	25
Section B: Short Answer	45
Section C: Word Problems	30
Total	100

Answer Key for TuitionGoWhere P3 Science SA2 2026 Version 3