DC CAPE 2.0 Science Grade 5
DC Science (DC CAPE)
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Cheat sheet
Keep the key ideas within reach.
ExploreKey terms
Get comfortable with the vocabulary.
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Give each week a clear focus.
ExploreCommon mistakes
Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
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Put your knowledge to work in context.
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Prepare for the day ahead.
ExploreAbout this exam
DC Science is the District of Columbia's statewide science assessment, part of the broader DC CAPE system that also includes English language arts/literacy and mathematics. It is built on the Next Generation Science Standards and was first administered in 2019. The test is given in Grade 5, Grade 8, and high school Biology, so the Grade 5 administration is the elementary checkpoint that gives families and schools information about how students are progressing toward DC's science standards. DC Science is not a fact-recall test. Students work through tasks organized around scientific phenomena and engineering design challenges, using scientific principles, skills, and behaviors to observe phenomena, generate questions, conduct investigations, create models, predict outcomes, analyze results, and engage in argumentation and communication. The assessment is computer-based and uses a variety of innovative item types that ask students to apply critical-thinking skills rather than select from simple recall options. Scores are reported in five performance levels, with Levels 4 and 5 indicating proficiency and readiness for the next grade level. Because the assessment is task-based, preparation should emphasize explaining reasoning, interpreting data, and designing solutions rather than memorizing vocabulary lists. OSSE publishes practice tests, tutorials, and sample items through the DC CAPE Portal so students and families can experience the computer-based format, item types, and technology features in advance. Families can also review the DC CAPE Introduction for Families, available in multiple languages.
What you'll study
About DC CAPE 2.0 Science Grade 5 preparation
Which grades take the DC Science assessment?
DC Science is administered in Grades 5, 8, and high school Biology. Grade 5 is the elementary administration, so your child's first experience with the science assessment is in fifth grade, alongside the ELA and math assessments given in Grades 3 through 8.
What standards is the test based on?
The DC Science assessment is DC's statewide assessment of the Next Generation Science Standards, and it was first administered in 2019. Tasks are built around scientific phenomena and engineering design challenges rather than isolated facts, so students are expected to apply practices such as modeling, investigation, and argumentation.
What kinds of questions appear on the test?
DC CAPE assessments are computer-based and use a variety of innovative item types where students apply critical-thinking skills. On DC Science, students observe phenomena, generate questions, conduct investigations, create models, predict outcomes, analyze results, and engage in argumentation and communication. Expect multi-step tasks rather than only multiple-choice recall items.
How is the test scored, and what counts as proficient?
Scores fall into one of five performance levels: Did Not Yet Meet Expectations, Partially Met Expectations, Approached Expectations, Met Expectations, and Exceeded Expectations. Levels 4 and 5 indicate students are proficient and on track for the next grade level and to leave high school college and career ready. Level 3 means approaching expectations.
Is the test taken on paper or on a computer?
DC CAPE assessments are computer-based assessments. OSSE provides practice tests, tutorials, and sample items through the DC CAPE Portal so students, families, and educators can experience the computer-based format, item types, and technology features before test day.
What accommodations are available?
DC CAPE assessments include a wide range of accommodations and accessibility features that can be administered to support students. More detail is available on OSSE's Testing Accommodations page. Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities can take an alternate assessment, the Multi-State Alternative Assessment (MSAA).
How should a fifth grader prepare?
Practice explaining reasoning aloud: describe what a phenomenon shows, what data support a claim, and how a design could be improved. Use the DC CAPE Portal practice tests and tutorials to become comfortable with the computer-based format and item types, since unfamiliarity with the platform is a common source of lost points.
What are common mistakes students make?
Two stand out. First, students answer from memory instead of using the data or model provided in the task. Second, they give a claim without evidence or reasoning. On engineering design tasks, students also skip the step of stating which solution best meets the criteria and why. Practicing evidence-based written responses helps.
Where can families find official information and results?
OSSE publishes DC CAPE information, practice resources, and results on its website, including a DC CAPE Introduction for Families available in Amharic, Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, Vietnamese, and English. Score ranges for each performance level by grade and course are also posted there.