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Primary 5 Science Life Cycles Quiz

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Primary 5 Science From Real Exams Generated by Ox Alpha Updated 2026-08-27

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Questions

Primary 5 Science Quiz - Life Cycles

Name: ______________________ Class: ________ Date: ______________ Score: ________ / 55

Subject: Science | Level: Primary 5 | Topic: Life Cycles (Reproduction in Plants and Animals) Duration: 60 minutes | Total Marks: 55

Instructions:

Answer ALL 20 questions.
For Section A, write the number (1, 2, 3 or 4) of the correct answer in the brackets provided.
The marks for each question or part are shown in brackets [ ].
Write your answers clearly in the spaces given.
Check your work before handing in.

Section A: Multiple Choice (Questions 1-5)

Each question carries 2 marks. Write the number of the correct option in the brackets.

Question 1.

The life cycle of a butterfly has four stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa and adult butterfly. Which stage comes immediately after the larva stage?

(1) Egg (2) Adult butterfly (3) Pupa (4) Young caterpillar

Answer: ( )

Question 2.

Four animals are listed below. The young of which animal hatches from its egg looking quite similar to its adult?

(1) Butterfly (2) Mosquito (3) Grasshopper (4) Beetle

Answer: ( )

Question 3.

Ravi placed four identical bean seeds in four set-ups.

Set-up W: damp cotton wool, placed in a warm cupboard
Set-up X: dry cotton wool, placed in a warm cupboard
Set-up Y: damp cotton wool, placed in a refrigerator
Set-up Z: damp cotton wool, placed in a dark cupboard

In which set-up(s) will the seeds germinate?

(1) W only (2) W and Y (3) W and Z (4) X and Z

Answer: ( )

Question 4.

Which part of a flower makes pollen grains?

(1) Stigma (2) Anther (3) Ovary (4) Ovule

Answer: ( )

Question 5.

The fruit of Plant P has small hooks that catch onto the fur of passing animals. How are the seeds of Plant P most likely dispersed?

(1) By wind (2) By water (3) By animals (4) By splitting open of dried pods

Answer: ( )

Section B: Short Answer (Questions 6-10)

Each question carries 2 marks. Write your answers in the spaces provided.

Question 6.

In human reproduction, name the following reproductive cells:

(a) Male reproductive cell: ______________________ [1]

(b) Female reproductive cell: ______________________ [1]

Question 7.

What is pollination? Write your answer as one sentence.

________________________________________________________ [2]

Question 8.

Besides warmth, state TWO conditions a seed needs in order to germinate.

Condition 1: ______________________ Condition 2: ______________________ [2]

Question 9.

State ONE similarity between fertilisation in a flowering plant and fertilisation in a human.

________________________________________________________ [2]

Question 10.

Give ONE reason why seeds should be dispersed away from the parent plant.

________________________________________________________ [2]

Section C: Structured Questions (Questions 11-15)

Each question carries 3 marks.

Question 11.

Study the diagram of a flower below.

Image pending generation: diagram for Q11.

(a) Name parts A and B. [1]

Part A: ______________________ Part B: ______________________

(b) State the function of part A. [1]

Question 12.

The table below shows the life cycle of Insect X and the number of days spent in each stage.

Stage	Number of days
Egg	6
Larva	18
Pupa	8
Adult	24

(a) How many days does Insect X take to develop from the egg stage to becoming an adult? [1]

(b) Which stage lasts the longest? [1]

Question 13.

Animal Y lays eggs. Its young hatches looking quite similar to the adult, but smaller and without wings. As it grows, it moults several times before becoming an adult.

(a) Name the young stage of Animal Y. [1]

(b) State ONE way the young of Animal Y differs from the adult. [1]

Question 14.

After fertilisation takes place in a flower, changes occur in the flower.

(a) What does the ovule become after fertilisation? [1]

(b) What does the ovary become after fertilisation? [1]

Question 15.

Three fruits are described below.

Fruit P: light and small, with wing-like structures
Fruit Q: has a fibrous, waterproof husk that floats
Fruit R: sweet, juicy flesh surrounding the seeds

For each fruit, state its most likely agent of dispersal. [3]

Fruit P: ______________________ Fruit Q: ______________________ Fruit R: ______________________

Section D: Application Questions (Questions 16-20)

Each question carries 4 marks.

Question 16.

Mei Ling is learning about human reproduction.

(a) In which part of the female reproductive system does fertilisation take place? [1]

(b) In which organ does the unborn baby develop? [1]

(d) State ONE function of the umbilical cord. [1]

Question 17.

Aisha wanted to find out if light is needed for bean seeds to germinate. She set up two dishes, each with 10 identical bean seeds on damp cotton wool.

Dish A: placed in a bright room
Dish B: placed in a dark cupboard

Both dishes were kept at the same warm temperature. After five days, the seeds in BOTH dishes had germinated.

(a) What was Aisha investigating? [1]

(b) State ONE variable she kept the same in both set-ups. [1]

(d) Why did Aisha use 10 seeds instead of just 1 seed in each dish? [1]

Question 18.

Read the statements about reproduction in a flowering plant.

Statement 1: Pollen lands on the stigma and a pollen tube grows down the style.
Statement 2: The male reproductive cell fuses with the egg cell in the ovule.
Statement 3: Pollen grains are transferred from the anther to the stigma.

(a) Arrange the statements in the correct order, starting with what happens first. [1]

Order: ____ → ____ → ____

(b) Name the process described in Statement 3. [1]

(d) State ONE way pollen can be transferred from flower to flower. [1]

Question 19.

A farmer noticed that caterpillars were eating the leaves of his vegetable plants. He found out that the butterfly laying the eggs on his plants has this life cycle:

Stage	Duration
Egg	4 days
Caterpillar (larva)	14 days
Pupa	6 days
Adult butterfly	20 days

(a) At which stage does the insect damage the farmer's crops? [1]

(b) Why is it useful for the farmer to know how long the caterpillar stage lasts? [1]

(d) Give ONE reason why the farmer should NOT remove all the butterflies from his farm. [1]

Question 20.

Compare reproduction in humans and flowering plants.

(a) State ONE similarity between reproduction in humans and in flowering plants. [1]

(b) State ONE difference between reproduction in humans and in flowering plants. [1]

(d) Name the male part and the female part of a flower. [1]

Male part: ______________________ Female part: ______________________

END OF QUIZ

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Answers

Primary 5 Science Quiz - Life Cycles: Answer Key

Topic: Life Cycles (Reproduction in Plants and Animals) | Total Marks: 55

Answer 1.

(3) Pupa

Explanation: The four-stage life cycle runs egg → larva → pupa → adult. The pupa comes straight after the larva (caterpillar).

Answer 2.

(3) Grasshopper

Explanation: The grasshopper has a three-stage life cycle (egg → nymph → adult), so its young looks like a small adult. Butterfly, mosquito and beetle young look very different from their adults.

Answer 3.

(3) W and Z

Marking note: Seeds need warmth, moisture and air to germinate. Light is NOT needed, so Z germinates too. X lacks water; Y lacks warmth.

Answer 4.

(2) Anther

Answer 5.

(3) By animals

Explanation: Hooks catch onto animal fur, so the seeds are carried away by animals.

Answer 6.

(a) Sperm (b) Egg (ovum)

Answer 7.

Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of a flower.

Marking note: Award the mark only if both "anther" and "stigma" are mentioned.

Answer 8.

Moisture (water); air (oxygen). (Accept either order.)

Answer 9.

Both involve the fusion of a male reproductive cell with a female reproductive cell (fertilisation).

Answer 10.

To prevent overcrowding, so the young plants do not compete with the parent plant and each other for sunlight, water, minerals and space.

Answer 11.

(a) Part A: Anther; Part B: Stigma (b) It produces pollen grains. (c) Ovules

New-student explanation: The stamen (male part) has an anther on top which makes pollen. The pistil (female part) has a sticky stigma to catch pollen, a style, and an ovary at the base containing ovules.

Answer 12.

(a) 32 days

Working: 6 + 18 + 8 = 32 days (egg + larva + pupa; the adult stage begins after this). (b) Adult stage (24 days) (c) Insect X has a pupa stage (four-stage life cycle), but a grasshopper does not (three-stage life cycle).

Answer 13.

(a) Nymph (b) It is smaller and has no wings (accept: paler in colour). (c) Cockroach (accept: grasshopper, dragonfly, cricket)

Answer 14.

(a) A seed (b) A fruit (c) They wither and drop off.

Answer 15.

Fruit P: By wind Fruit Q: By water Fruit R: By animals

Reasoning: Wing-like structures help fruits float in air; floating husks suit water dispersal; sweet flesh attracts animals that eat the fruit and pass the seeds out.

Answer 16.

(a) The oviduct (fallopian tube) (b) The womb (uterus) (c) About nine months (about 40 weeks) (d) It carries food and oxygen from the mother to the baby (and removes waste from the baby).

Answer 17.

(a) Whether light is needed for bean seeds to germinate. (b) Same type/number of seeds, same amount of water, same temperature (any one). (c) Light is not needed for germination, since seeds germinated in both light and darkness. (d) To make the results more reliable; if one seed was dead or faulty, the results would not be affected.

Answer 18.

(a) Statement 3 → Statement 1 → Statement 2

Working: Pollination happens first (3), then the pollen tube grows (1), then fertilisation occurs (2). (b) Pollination (c) Fertilisation (d) By insects, wind, water or animals (any one).

Answer 19.

(a) The caterpillar (larva) stage (b) He knows when the damage will occur and when to act/control the caterpillars before the damage becomes worse. (c) Introduce natural predators/enemies such as birds or wasps (or remove caterpillars by hand). (d) Butterflies help pollinate flowers/plants on the farm.

Answer 20.

(a) Both involve fertilisation - the fusion of a male reproductive cell with a female reproductive cell. (b) In humans, fertilisation happens inside the body during mating; in flowering plants, pollination (carried out by wind/insects/animals) must happen first. (Accept any valid difference.) (c) Reproduction ensures the continuation of the species (prevents extinction). (d) Male part: stamen; Female part: pistil (carpel)

END OF ANSWER KEY