Primary 3 Science Weighted Assessment 1 (Term 1) Paper 5

TUITIONGOWHERE PRIMARY SCHOOL (AI)

WEIGHTED ASSESSMENT 1 EXAMINATION 2026

PRIMARY 3 SCIENCE (VERSION 5)

Duration: 45 minutes
Total Marks: 50

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INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS

1. Do not turn over this page until you are told to do so.
2. Answer all questions.
3. Write your answers clearly in the spaces provided.

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Name: _________________________ ( )
Class: Primary 3 ( )
Date: _________________________

Section	Marks
A (MCQ)	/20
B (Short Answer)	/18
C (Application)	/12
Total	/50

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Section A: Multiple Choice Questions (20 marks)

Choose the best answer and write 1, 2, 3 or 4 in the brackets. Each question carries 2 marks.

1. Fire can move and needs air. Why is fire NOT a living thing? (2 marks)

1. It is too hot
2. It is orange in color
3. It cannot grow and reproduce on its own
4. It makes light

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2. Which of these is TRUE about all living things? (2 marks)

1. They all have eyes
2. They all live in water
3. They all respond to their surroundings
4. They all eat plants

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3. Which animal can live both on land and in water? (2 marks)

1. Shark
2. Eagle
3. Toad
4. Snake

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4. Snakes and lizards belong to the same group because they both have: (2 marks)

1. Feathers
2. Moist skin
3. Dry scales
4. Fins

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5. A curtain that blocks all light from coming through is made of _________ material. (2 marks)

1. Transparent
2. Translucent
3. Opaque
4. Elastic

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6. Tissue paper soaks up water quickly. This property is called: (2 marks)

1. Flexibility
2. Transparency
3. Absorbency
4. Hardness

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7. Which of these is made from a living thing? (2 marks)

1. Cement
2. Glass
3. Honey
4. Steel

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8. Why are car tyres made of rubber? (2 marks)

1. Rubber is very hard
2. Rubber is transparent
3. Rubber is flexible and can grip the road
4. Rubber is brittle

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9. A caterpillar changes into a butterfly. This change is called: (2 marks)

1. Growing up
2. Metamorphosis
3. Reproduction
4. Adaptation

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10. Which life cycle has ONLY 3 stages? (2 marks)

1. Butterfly
2. Mosquito
3. Grasshopper
4. Beetle

( )

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Section B: Short Answer Questions (18 marks)

Answer the questions clearly.

11. A student said: "Crystals are living things because they can grow bigger." (4 marks)

a) Is the student correct? _____________

b) Give TWO reasons to support your answer:

Reason 1: _____________________________________________

Reason 2: _____________________________________________

12. Classify these animals based on how they breathe: (4 marks)

[Dolphin, Catfish, Sparrow, Salamander, Crab]

Breathe with LUNGS	Breathe with GILLS
_________________	_________________
_________________	_________________
_________________

13. Choose the best material for each use from the word bank: (4 marks)

Word bank: Glass, Steel, Rubber, Cotton

a) Window panes: _____________ because _____________

b) Bridge structure: _____________ because _____________

14. Look at these materials: [Bamboo, Styrofoam, Brick, Silk] (3 marks)

a) Which is the LIGHTEST material? _____________

b) Which is the HEAVIEST material? _____________

c) Which TWO are natural materials? _____________ and _____________

15. Draw arrows to complete this mealworm life cycle, then answer the question: (3 marks)

Stages: Egg, Larva (Mealworm), Pupa, Adult Beetle

Write the life cycle in order:

_____________ → _____________ → _____________ → _____________

How many stages are there? _______

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Section C: Application Questions (12 marks)

Use your knowledge to answer these questions.

16. Siti found a strange object. She observed: (4 marks)

• It does not move
• It does not eat
• It grew bigger over 2 weeks
• It produced small round things

a) Is this object most likely living or non-living? Why? (2 marks)

Answer: _____________________________________________

Reason: _____________________________________________

b) What could this object be? Why? (2 marks)

Object: _____________________________________________

Reason: _____________________________________________

17. A camping company needs materials for a tent. Requirements: lightweight, waterproof, strong. (4 marks)

Available: Nylon fabric, Paper, Glass, Wood

a) Which material is BEST for the tent? Give TWO reasons. (2 marks)

Material: _____________

Reason 1: _____________________________________________

Reason 2: _____________________________________________

b) Why would GLASS be a poor choice for a tent? (2 marks)

Reason 1: _____________________________________________

Reason 2: _____________________________________________

18. Compare these two life cycles: (4 marks)

Life Cycle A: Egg → Nymph → Adult Cricket Life Cycle B: Egg → Caterpillar → Pupa → Butterfly

a) Which life cycle shows COMPLETE metamorphosis? _____________

b) How many stages does Life Cycle A have? _____________

c) What is the main difference between a nymph and a caterpillar? (2 marks)

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~ End of Paper ~

TUITIONGOWHERE PRIMARY SCHOOL (AI)

WEIGHTED ASSESSMENT 1 EXAMINATION 2026

PRIMARY 3 SCIENCE (VERSION 5) - ANSWER KEY

Duration: 45 minutes
Total Marks: 50

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Section A: Multiple Choice Questions (20 marks)

Each question carries 2 marks.

Question	Answer	Explanation
1	(3)	Fire cannot grow and reproduce on its own - it needs fuel to spread. Living things can grow and reproduce independently. Being hot or making light does not determine if something is living.
2	(3)	All living things respond to their surroundings (stimuli). Not all living things have eyes (plants don't), live in water, or eat plants (carnivores eat meat).
3	(3)	Toads are amphibians - they can live both on land and in water. Sharks are fish (water only), eagles are birds (air/land), snakes are reptiles (mainly land).
4	(3)	Snakes and lizards are both reptiles with dry scales. Birds have feathers, amphibians have moist skin, fish have fins and wet scales.
5	(3)	Opaque materials block all light. Blackout curtains are made of opaque material to prevent light from passing through.
6	(3)	Absorbency is the ability to soak up and hold liquids. Tissue paper is absorbent because it has many tiny spaces that trap water.
7	(3)	Honey is made by bees (living things). Cement, glass, and steel are all man-made materials from non-living sources.
8	(3)	Rubber is flexible (can change shape over bumps) and has good grip on road surfaces. It's not hard, transparent, or brittle.
9	(2)	Metamorphosis is the process of transformation from one form to another (caterpillar to butterfly). It involves major body changes.
10	(3)	Grasshopper has 3 stages (Egg → Nymph → Adult) - incomplete metamorphosis. Butterfly, mosquito, and beetle all have 4 stages.

Section A Total: /20

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Section B: Short Answer Questions (18 marks)

11. A student said: "Crystals are living things because they can grow bigger." (4 marks)

a) Is the student correct? No (1 mark)

b) Give TWO reasons to support your answer:

Reason 1: Crystals do not need food, water, or air to survive. (1.5 marks)

Reason 2: Crystals cannot reproduce / have babies / make more crystals on their own. OR Crystals do not respond to changes in their environment. (1.5 marks)

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12. Classify these animals based on how they breathe: (4 marks)

[Dolphin, Catfish, Sparrow, Salamander, Crab]

Breathe with LUNGS	Breathe with GILLS
Dolphin	Catfish
Sparrow	Crab
Salamander (adult)

(1 mark for each correct answer)

Note: Adult salamanders breathe with lungs; some also breathe through skin. Crabs breathe with gills.

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13. Choose the best material for each use from the word bank: (4 marks)

a) Window panes: Glass because it is transparent / allows light to pass through / we can see through it (2 marks)

b) Bridge structure: Steel because it is strong / hard / can support heavy loads / durable (2 marks)

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14. Look at these materials: [Bamboo, Styrofoam, Brick, Silk] (3 marks)

a) Which is the LIGHTEST material? Styrofoam (0.5 mark)

b) Which is the HEAVIEST material? Brick (0.5 mark)

c) Which TWO are natural materials? Bamboo and Silk (2 marks)

Note: Bamboo comes from bamboo plants, Silk comes from silkworms. Styrofoam is man-made plastic, Brick is man-made from clay.

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15. Draw arrows to complete this mealworm life cycle: (3 marks)

Write the life cycle in order:

Egg → Larva (Mealworm) → Pupa → Adult Beetle (2 marks)

How many stages are there? 4 (1 mark)

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Section B Total: /18

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Section C: Application Questions (12 marks)

16. Siti found a strange object. (4 marks)

a) Is this object most likely living or non-living? Why? (2 marks)

Answer: Living (1 mark)

Reason: It grew bigger over 2 weeks (growth) and produced small round things (reproduction/seeds/spores). These are characteristics of living things. (1 mark)

b) What could this object be? Why? (2 marks)

Object: A plant / mushroom / fungus / mould (1 mark)

Reason: It does not move or eat (like animals), but it grows and reproduces. Plants and fungi can grow and produce seeds/spores without moving. (1 mark)

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17. A camping company needs materials for a tent. (4 marks)

a) Which material is BEST for the tent? Give TWO reasons. (2 marks)

Material: Nylon fabric (0.5 mark)

Reason 1: Nylon is lightweight / easy to carry when camping (0.5 mark)

Reason 2: Nylon is waterproof / keeps rain out OR Nylon is strong / durable / won't tear easily (0.5 mark)

b) Why would GLASS be a poor choice for a tent? (2 marks)

Reason 1: Glass is heavy / difficult to carry (1 mark)

Reason 2: Glass is brittle / breaks easily / dangerous if broken / not flexible (1 mark)

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18. Compare these two life cycles: (4 marks)

Life Cycle A: Egg → Nymph → Adult Cricket Life Cycle B: Egg → Caterpillar → Pupa → Butterfly

a) Which life cycle shows COMPLETE metamorphosis? Life Cycle B (1 mark)

b) How many stages does Life Cycle A have? 3 stages (1 mark)

c) What is the main difference between a nymph and a caterpillar? (2 marks)

Answer: A nymph looks similar to the adult (just smaller, no wings yet), while a caterpillar looks completely different from the adult butterfly. (1 mark)

The nymph gradually changes into an adult, while the caterpillar must go through a pupa stage where its whole body transforms. (1 mark)

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Section C Total: /12

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Marking Summary

Section	Maximum Marks	Marks Obtained
A (MCQ)	20
B (Short Answer)	18
C (Application)	12
Total	50

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~ End of Answer Key ~