NGSA Science study guide
NGSA Science · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The NGSA Science assessment is a standards-based science exam that measures how well candidates can apply disciplinary core ideas, scientific and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts to realistic scenarios. It is designed for students or candidates who need to demonstrate readiness in science, whether for placement, graduation, or diagnostic purposes. The NGSA Science study guide has 5 sections and about 2,390 words.
01Physical Sciences
This domain tests how matter behaves, how forces change motion, and how energy is transferred in light, sound, heat, electricity and magnetism. Items usually set the idea in an everyday context - a melting ice cube, a lamp in a circuit, a magnet near a nail - and ask you to explain the process rather than just name it.
537 words, about 3 min02Life Sciences
This domain tests living things and their environments: characteristics and classification, plant and human processes, health, and energy flow through ecosystems. Questions ask you to identify structures, sequence processes, and predict what happens when one part of a living system changes.
480 words, about 2 min03Earth and Space Sciences
This domain tests Earth's materials and processes, weather and the water cycle, and the solar system. Questions ask you to explain patterns such as day and night, seasons and Moon phases, and to connect human activity with resources and natural hazards.
487 words, about 2 min04Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
This domain tests how people solve problems with materials, tools and systems, and how science is applied in homes, farms, transport, health and communication. Items focus on the design process, material properties, structures and appropriate technology.
421 words, about 2 min05Scientific and Engineering Practices / Crosscutting Concepts
This domain tests how scientific knowledge is built and how big ideas connect across topics. You must identify variables, judge whether a test is fair, interpret data and use concepts such as patterns, cause and effect, systems and structure–function.
465 words, about 2 min