Science: Full Practice Paper 2
Full Practice Paper 2 is a second complete practice paper in the style of 13+ Common Entrance Science, again mixing Biology, Chemistry and Physics questions in one timed sitting rather than testing each subject separately.
Method
- Before starting, note how many separate questions or sections the paper has and roughly how long you can spend on each, so you are not caught out by a question much longer than expected near the end.
- Underline or circle the command word in each question (state, describe, explain, calculate, suggest) before answering, since 'describe' and 'explain' are marked differently: a description says what happens, an explanation says why it happens.
- When a question gives a table of results or a graph, spend a moment identifying the independent variable, the dependent variable and the units before attempting any part of the question.
- For any calculation, write the equation first, substitute the numbers on the next line, and underline your final answer with its unit, so a mark for correct working is not lost even if the final figure is wrong.
- If you sat a first practice paper before this one, look back at which question types cost you the most marks, and deliberately spend a little longer checking those question types this time.
- Do not leave any answer blank, even for a calculation you are unsure of: an attempt using the correct equation can still earn method marks, while a blank answer earns nothing.
- After finishing, use any remaining time to re-read your longer answers rather than only checking calculations, since a vague 'explain' answer can often be improved with one extra linking sentence.
Worked example
A pupil hangs different weights from a spring and measures its length each time. Natural (unstretched) length of spring: 12 cm. Weight added (N): 2, 4, 6. Total length of spring (cm): 14, 16, 18. (a) Calculate the extension of the spring for each weight (extension = total length minus natural length). (b) Describe the pattern shown by the results.
- Find the extension for each weight by subtracting the natural length (12 cm) from the total length: extension = total length - natural length.
- For 2 N: extension = 14 - 12 = 2 cm. For 4 N: extension = 16 - 12 = 4 cm. For 6 N: extension = 18 - 12 = 6 cm.
- Compare the weight and extension values: as the weight doubles from 2 N to 4 N, the extension also doubles from 2 cm to 4 cm; as the weight triples to 6 N, the extension also triples to 6 cm.
- Final answer: (a) extensions are 2 cm, 4 cm and 6 cm for 2 N, 4 N and 6 N respectively; (b) the extension of the spring is directly proportional to the weight added (each extra 2 N added increases the extension by a further 2 cm).
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1A diver swims from the surface down to a depth of 10 m in a swimming pool. State how the water pressure on her body changes as she swims deeper, and give a reason.Show answer
Answer: The water pressure increases as she goes deeper, because there is a greater weight (depth) of water pushing down from above at greater depths.
Q2State how long it takes, approximately, for the Moon to orbit the Earth once.Show answer
Answer: About 27 days (more precisely 27.3 days).
Q3State whether melting ice is a physical change or a chemical change, and give a reason.Show answer
Answer: A physical change, because no new substance is formed - the ice (solid water) just changes into liquid water, which can be reversed by freezing it again.
Q4Name the organ system that carries electrical signals around the body to allow a fast reflex reaction, such as pulling a hand away from something hot.Show answer
Answer: The nervous system.
Q5State the standard unit used for density in physics and chemistry.Show answer
Answer: Grams per cubic centimetre (g/cm^3), or kilograms per cubic metre (kg/m^3).
Q6A pupil wants to measure the current flowing through a lamp in a circuit. Name the piece of apparatus she needs, and state whether it should be connected in series or in parallel with the lamp.Show answer
Answer: An ammeter; it should be connected in series with the lamp.
Q7An old-style filament light bulb transfers 100 J of electrical energy. Of this, 20 J is transferred usefully as light, and the rest is wasted as heat. Calculate the energy wasted as heat.Show answer
Answer: 80 J (100 - 20 = 80).
Q8State whether the Earth casting a shadow that blocks sunlight from reaching the Moon is called a solar eclipse or a lunar eclipse.Show answer
Answer: A lunar eclipse.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 13+ Common Entrance exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Two identical bulbs, X and Y, are connected in series to a 6 V battery, and both glow with a certain brightness. A pupil then adds a third identical bulb, Z, in series into the same circuit, without changing the battery. (a) State what happens to the total resistance of the circuit when bulb Z is added. (b) Use V = I x R to explain what happens to the current flowing through the circuit as a result. (c) State and explain what a person would observe happening to the brightness of bulbs X and Y after bulb Z is added.
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 5 available
A pupil records the temperature of a cup of tea as it cools on a table in a room at a constant 20 degrees C. Time (min): 0, 5, 10, 15, 20. Temperature (degrees C): 90, 70, 58, 51, 47. (a) Describe how the rate of cooling (the temperature drop per 5 minutes) changes over the course of the investigation. (b) Suggest a reason, in terms of the temperature difference between the tea and the room, why the rate of cooling changes in this way. (c) Predict, giving a reason, whether the tea's temperature will ever drop below 20 degrees C if left long enough.
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 5 available
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the science: full practice paper 2 worksheet pack - 16 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
Next topics
Not quite what you needed?
Tell us what is missing on science: full practice paper 2, or which topic to write up next. Every request is read, and we reply to every one.
Build a full practice pack.
This topic is one of hundreds in the library - pick the ones a student needs and generate a printable PDF in minutes.