ICAS Science study guide
ICAS Science · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
ICAS Science is an annual science competition for school students, run by ICAS Assessments (powered by Janison) and open to students from Year 2 to Year 12. It is a challenge-style competition rather than a syllabus test: students answer questions built around real scientific stimulus materials and are ranked against their peers, with results reported against curricula for the relevant year. The ICAS Science study guide has 5 sections and about 1,520 words.
01Observing & Measuring
An observation is information gathered with the senses or with instruments; an inference is the explanation you build on top of it. Quantitative observations carry a number and a unit, while qualitative ones describe qualities such as colour or texture.
321 words, about 2 min02Interpreting
Interpreting means extracting meaning from data presented as tables, graphs, diagrams, keys, food webs or written descriptions. You need to identify the independent variable (on the horizontal axis) and the dependent variable (on the vertical axis), read the axis labels and units before looking at any data, and work out what each small grid square is worth.
304 words, about 2 min03Predicting & Concluding
A prediction states what you expect to happen, usually based on a pattern or a scientific idea; a hypothesis is a testable proposed explanation; a conclusion states what the evidence shows and whether it supports the hypothesis. Good conclusions refer back to the aim, use specific data (values, directions, comparisons), acknowledge anomalies and do not overstate.
285 words, about 1 min04Investigating
An investigation tests an idea with a fair test. Identify the aim, the independent variable you deliberately change, the dependent variable you measure, and the controlled variables kept constant.
301 words, about 2 min05Reasoning & Problem Solving
This domain asks you to apply familiar science ideas to unfamiliar situations. Expect multi-step problems involving proportional reasoning, ratios, percentages, averages, scale drawings, and relationships such as speed = distance ÷ time, density = mass ÷ volume and concentration = mass ÷ volume.
309 words, about 2 min