This free Praxis 5005 study guide teaches to ETS’s subtest — every content category the exam measures, organized the way the test is built.[1] The 5005 is one of the four subtests of Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (5001), and it covers the elementary science an aspiring teacher must know — Earth, Life, and Physical Science.[2]
The subtest is 55 questions in 60 minutes, with an on-screen scientific calculator provided. This guide is interactive, not a wall of text: every category has a built-in checkpoint quiz, hover-able glossary terms, labeled diagrams, worked examples, and concept questions, so you learn by doing.
Read this guide category by category, test yourself at each checkpoint, then round out your free Praxis 5005 prep with our practice questions and flashcards.
Praxis 5005 is one of the 7 Praxis exams — explore our Praxis study guides to compare and prep across the whole family.
Praxis 5005 Exam Snapshot
| Detail | Praxis Science (5005) |
|---|---|
| Questions | 55 (selected-response, including some numeric-entry) |
| Time | 60 minutes of testing time |
| Content | Earth Science (~18, ~33%), Life Science (~18, ~33%), Physical Science (~19, ~33%) |
| Tools | On-screen scientific calculator provided |
| Score scale | 100–200 scaled; passing score set by each state (many near ~155) |
| Fee | $64 for the single 5005 subtest |
| Retake policy | Wait 28 days before retaking the same test |
| Guessing penalty | None — answer every question |
| Part of | Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (5001), one of four subtests |
| Delivery | Computer-delivered, at a test center or online with proctoring |
| Publisher | ETS (Educational Testing Service) |
One subtest of 55 questions in 60 minutes. Most items are single-select multiple choice, with some numeric-entry questions, and an on-screen scientific calculator is provided. The 5005 is one of the four subtests of Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (5001).
- I · Earth Science≈ 18 questions (~33%). Earth's structure and systems, rocks and the rock cycle, plate tectonics, weather, climate and the atmosphere, the water cycle, and astronomy — the Earth–Sun–Moon system and solar system.
- II · Life Science≈ 18 questions (~33%). Cells and life processes (photosynthesis and respiration), classification and diversity, ecosystems, food webs and energy flow, heredity and adaptation, and the human body systems.
- III · Physical Science≈ 19 questions (~33%). Matter and its properties and changes, atoms and elements, forces and motion (Newton's laws) and simple machines, energy, heat, light and sound, and electricity and magnetism.
55 questions · 60 minutes. The three categories — Earth, Life, and Physical Science — each carry roughly a third of the test, so split your studying evenly across all three.
Unlike the social-studies subtest, the 5005 is evenly balanced — Earth, Life, and Physical Science each carry about a third of the questions. Spread your studying across all three categories rather than leading with one:
ETS groups the test into three scored categories.[1] Note that there is no separate “Science and Engineering Practices” category — scientific inquiry and the nature of science are embedded as subtopics inside all three. This guide teaches the three categories as study modules, in the official 5005 order, with the core topic clusters of each as checkable subsections.
1 · Earth Science
About a third of the subtest (~33%).Earth’s structure and systems, rocks and the rock cycle, plate tectonics, weather and climate, the water cycle, astronomy and the Earth–Sun–Moon system, and Earth’s resources.[1]
Geology, Rocks & Plate Tectonics
Know the three rock types: rock (cooled magma or lava), rock (compacted sediment), and rock (heat and pressure). The turns one into another. Earth’s layers are the crust, mantle, and core, and moves the crust to build mountains and volcanoes and trigger earthquakes.
Igneous rock forms when magma cools; sedimentary rock from compacted sediment; metamorphic rock from heat and pressure. Melting returns any rock to magma — the cycle has no fixed start.
Weather, Climate & the Atmosphere
Weather is the day-to-day atmosphere in one place; climateis the long-term average pattern in a region. The Sun’s uneven heating of Earth drives winds, ocean currents, and the water cycle. Know the layers of the atmosphere, how clouds form, and how to read a weather map and instruments like a thermometer and barometer.
The Water Cycle
The recycles Earth’s water: (Sun turns water to vapor), (vapor cools into clouds), (water falls as rain or snow), and collection. It is powered by the Sun’s energy and gravity, and no water is lost.
- EvaporationThe Sun heats water in oceans, lakes, and rivers, turning it into water vapor that rises into the air. (Plants release vapor by transpiration.)
- CondensationAs vapor rises and cools, it condenses into tiny droplets that form clouds.
- PrecipitationDroplets join until they are heavy enough to fall as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
- Collection (runoff)Water collects in oceans, lakes, and rivers, or soaks into the ground — then the cycle repeats.
The water cycle is driven by the Sun’s energy and gravity. Water is never lost — it constantly recycles through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.
Astronomy & the Earth–Sun–Moon System
Earth’s on its axis causes day and night; its around the Sun, combined with axial tilt, causes the seasons. The Moon orbits Earth and shows phases because we see different amounts of its sunlit half. Know the solar system’s planets and that astronomy and space content live inside Earth Science on the 5005.
The Moon does not make its own light — it reflects sunlight. As the Moon orbits Earth (about every 29.5 days), we see different amounts of its lit half, producing the phases in order.
- 1. New Moonnone (dark)
- 2. Waxing Crescentthin right sliver
- 3. First Quarterright half
- 4. Waxing Gibbousmost, right
- 5. Full Moonall lit
- 6. Waning Gibbousmost, left
- 7. Third Quarterleft half
- 8. Waning Crescentthin left sliver
Waxing means the lit part is growing (new → full); waningmeans it is shrinking (full → new). The same side of the Moon always faces Earth. Day and night, meanwhile, come from Earth’s rotation; seasons come from its tilt as it orbits the Sun.
Earth’s Resources
Distinguish renewable resources (sunlight, wind, water) from nonrenewableresources (coal, oil, natural gas, minerals). Soil, fresh water, and air are vital resources shaped by Earth’s cycles. Conservation, recycling, and reducing pollution are ways humans manage limited resources.
Checkpoint · Category · Earth Science
Question 1 of 10
Which layer of the Earth is composed primarily of liquid iron and nickel and is responsible for generating Earth's magnetic field?
2 · Life Science
About a third of the subtest (~33%). Cells and life processes, classification and diversity, ecosystems and energy flow, heredity and adaptation, and the human body systems.[1]
Cells & Life Processes
All living things are made of . In plants, uses sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to make food and release oxygen; in all cells, releases energy from food. The two are near-opposites that cycle energy and gases through life.
- Nucleus: Control center; holds DNA
- Cytoplasm: Jelly-like fluid holding organelles
- Cell membrane: Controls what enters and leaves
- Mitochondria: Release energy (respiration)
- Cell wall: Rigid outer layer for support
- Chloroplasts: Make food by photosynthesis (contain chlorophyll)
- Large vacuole: Stores water and keeps the cell firm
The nucleus directs the cell and the mitochondria release energy in all cells. Plant cells add a cell wall, chloroplasts, and a large vacuole — which is why plants are rigid and can make their own food.
Classification & Diversity
Scientists classify organisms by shared traits into groups from broad kingdoms down to species. Living things share characteristics: they grow, use energy, respond to their environment, and reproduce. Know the major groups (plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms) and how organisms are grouped, such as vertebrates versus invertebrates.
Ecosystems, Food Webs & Energy Flow
Energy enters ecosystems from the Sun. capture it, eat other organisms, and recycle nutrients. A links many food chains. Only about 10% of energy passes to each next level, so top predators are few.
Energy enters at the bottom: producers capture sunlight by photosynthesis. Only about 10% of energy passes to the next level, so each level up supports fewer organisms. Decomposers (fungi, bacteria) recycle nutrients from every level.
Heredity & Adaptation
passes traits from parents to offspring through genes on DNA. An is an inherited trait that aids survival and reproduction. Over generations, natural selection favors helpful traits, gradually changing species — the basis of evolution. Distinguish inherited traits from learned behaviors.
Human Body Systems
The body’s systems work together: skeletal and muscular (support and movement), circulatory (carries blood, oxygen, and nutrients), respiratory (gas exchange), digestive (breaks down food), nervous (controls and senses), and excretory (removes waste). Personal health — nutrition, exercise, and disease prevention — is part of this category too.
Checkpoint · Category · Life Science
Question 1 of 10
Which of the following best describes a function of the cell membrane?
3 · Physical Science
About a third of the subtest (~33%). Matter and its properties and changes, atoms and elements, forces and motion and simple machines, energy in its many forms, and electricity and magnetism.[1]
Matter & Its Properties & Changes
exists as solid, liquid, or gas, differing in how their particles are arranged and how freely they move. Adding or removing heat causes changes of state. Distinguish a (no new substance, like melting ice) from a (new substances form, like burning wood). Mixtures and solutions can be separated physically.
Adding heat speeds particles up and spreads them out (melting, then boiling); removing heat slows and packs them (condensing, then freezing). The particles themselves do not change — only their arrangement and motion do.
Atoms & Elements
An is the smallest unit of an , with a nucleus of protons and neutrons surrounded by electrons. Elements are organized on the periodic table, and atoms bond to form molecules and compounds — for example, water is \ce{H2O}, two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom.
Forces, Motion & Simple Machines
A is a push or pull. Newton’s laws describe motion: objects resist changes in motion (inertia), relates force, mass, and acceleration, and every action has an equal and opposite reaction. — lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, wedge, and screw — make work easier.
A force is a push or pull. Balanced forces cancel (no motion change); unbalanced forces cause acceleration. Newton’s second law, F = m × a, ties force, mass, and acceleration together.
Energy, Heat, Light & Sound
takes many forms — kinetic, potential, thermal, light, sound, and electrical — and can change form but is never created or destroyed (conservation of energy). Heat moves by , convection, and radiation. Light travels in straight lines and can be reflected or refracted; sound is a wave that needs a medium to travel.
Electricity & Magnetism
Electric current is the flow of charge through a circuit; a complete circuit needs a source, a path, and often a switch. Conductors carry current; insulators resist it. Magnets have north and south poles (opposites attract, likes repel), and electricity and magnetism are linked — moving charges make magnetic fields, and moving magnets generate current.
| Idea | What it means |
|---|---|
| States of matter | Solid (fixed shape), liquid (takes shape, fixed volume), gas (fills container) — set by particle arrangement |
| Physical vs. chemical change | Physical: no new substance (melting). Chemical: new substance forms (burning, rusting) |
| Newton's second law | Force = mass × acceleration; more force or less mass means more acceleration |
| Conservation of energy | Energy changes form but is never created or destroyed |
| Electricity & magnetism | Moving charges make magnetic fields; moving magnets generate current — they are linked |
Checkpoint · Category · Physical Science
Question 1 of 10
Matter is best defined as
How to Use This Study Guide
A study guide is a map, not the whole territory — use it alongside the official ETS study companion and full-length practice. Because the three categories each carry about a third of the test, give Earth, Life, and Physical Science roughly equal time. Spaced, mixed practice beats one long cram, and diagrams make science stick.
Raw correct answers convert to a scaled score from 100 to 200. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so answer every question. Each state sets its own passing score — many land near 155, but check your state requirement.
Unlike the social-studies subtest, the 5005 is balanced: Earth, Life, and Physical Science each carry about one third (~18 questions). No single area dominates, so prepare evenly.
- 1
Read a category here
Work through one content category at a time — Earth Science, then Life Science, then Physical Science.
- 2
Take the checkpoint
The quick check at the end of each category exposes what didn't stick.
- 3
Drill the gaps
Send your weak area straight into the free practice questions and flashcards.
- 4
Take full, timed practice
Sit a full 55-question, 60-minute set to build pacing, then review every miss.
Praxis 5005 Concept Questions
Common Praxis 5005 science topics the test actually measures — at least five per content category. Tap any card for a short, exam-ready answer backed by the official ETS study companion, then test yourself on them as flashcards.
Praxis 5005 Glossary
Quick definitions for the terms you’ll see most across the Praxis Science (5005):
- Adaptation
- An inherited trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment.
- Atom
- The smallest unit of matter that keeps an element's properties; it has a nucleus of protons and neutrons surrounded by electrons.
- Cell
- The basic unit of life; all living things are made of one or more cells. The nucleus controls it, the membrane controls what enters and leaves, and mitochondria release energy.
- Cellular respiration
- The process in which cells break down glucose using oxygen to release energy, giving off carbon dioxide and water.
- Chemical change
- A change in which one or more new substances are formed, such as wood burning or iron rusting.
- Condensation
- The process by which water vapor cools and changes back into tiny liquid droplets, forming clouds.
- Conduction
- The transfer of thermal energy (heat) through direct contact between particles of matter.
- Consumer
- An organism that gets energy by eating other organisms — herbivores eat plants, carnivores eat animals, and omnivores eat both.
- Decomposer
- An organism such as a fungus or bacterium that breaks down dead matter and returns nutrients to the ecosystem.
- Element
- A pure substance made of only one kind of atom, such as oxygen or gold; elements are organized on the periodic table.
- Energy
- The ability to do work; it comes in forms such as kinetic, potential, thermal, light, sound, and electrical, and can change form but is never created or destroyed.
- Evaporation
- The process by which liquid water gains energy from the Sun and changes into water vapor (a gas).
- Food web
- A model showing how energy and nutrients flow among many connected food chains in an ecosystem.
- Force
- A push or pull that can change an object's motion; balanced forces cancel out, while unbalanced forces cause acceleration.
- Heredity
- The passing of traits from parents to offspring through genes carried on DNA.
- Igneous rock
- Rock that forms when molten magma or lava cools and hardens, such as granite or basalt.
- Matter
- Anything that has mass and takes up space; it commonly exists as a solid, liquid, or gas.
- Metamorphic rock
- Rock formed when existing rock is changed by heat and pressure deep in the Earth, such as marble or slate.
- Photosynthesis
- The process in which plants use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to make glucose (food) and release oxygen.
- Physical change
- A change in which a substance's form changes but no new substance is created, such as ice melting or paper being torn.
- Plate tectonics
- The theory that Earth's outer shell is divided into large plates that slowly move, building mountains and volcanoes and causing earthquakes.
- Praxis 5005
- ETS's Elementary Education: Science Subtest — a 55-question, 60-minute exam of elementary-school science content (Earth, Life, and Physical Science). It is one of the four subtests of Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (5001).
- Precipitation
- Water that falls from clouds to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
- Producer
- An organism, such as a green plant, that makes its own food through photosynthesis and forms the base of a food chain.
- Revolution
- The movement of Earth around the Sun, which takes about one year and, with Earth's tilt, causes the seasons.
- Rock cycle
- The continuous set of processes — cooling, weathering, compaction, heat and pressure, and melting — that change one type of rock into another.
- Rotation
- The spinning of Earth on its axis, which takes about 24 hours and causes day and night.
- Sedimentary rock
- Rock that forms when weathered sediment is compacted and cemented together in layers, such as sandstone or limestone.
- Simple machine
- A basic device — lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, wedge, or screw — that makes work easier by changing the size or direction of a force.
- Water cycle
- The continuous movement of water between Earth and the atmosphere through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.
Free Praxis 5005 Study Materials & Resources
Everything you need to prepare for the Praxis 5005 is free here — no paywall, no sign-up. This guide is the foundation; pair it with the rest of our free Praxis 5005 study materials for active recall, timed practice, and last-minute review:
- Praxis 5005 Practice Test — exam-style questions across all three content areas, with explanations.
- Praxis 5005 Flashcards — active-recall decks for the high-yield science terms, cycles, and definitions.
Praxis 5005 Study Guide FAQ
The Praxis Elementary Education: Science subtest (5005) has 55 selected-response questions, including some numeric-entry items. An on-screen scientific calculator is provided. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so answer every question.
You have 60 minutes of testing time for the 55 questions, which works out to a little over a minute per question. The 5005 is one of four subtests in Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (5001), and the full 5001 battery is longer.
Three ETS content categories, each about a third of the test: Earth Science (~18 questions), Life Science (~18 questions), and Physical Science (~19 questions). Science and engineering practices and scientific inquiry are embedded within each category, not tested as a separate fourth category.
No. ETS lists only three scored content categories — Earth Science, Life Science, and Physical Science. Scientific inquiry, the nature of science, and engineering practices are woven into all three categories as subtopics, so you should expect inquiry-style questions in every section rather than a standalone fourth category.
Raw correct answers convert to a scaled score from 100 to 200. There is no single national passing score — each state or agency sets its own cut score, with many around 155. Always confirm the requirement for the state where you plan to teach.
The 5005 is the Science subtest of Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (5001); the 5001 also includes Reading/Language Arts (5002), Mathematics (5003), and Social Studies (5004). You can take the 5005 on its own for $64 or as part of the full 5001 battery. This guide is for the 5005 science subtest.
Work through the three content categories in order — Earth Science, Life Science, then Physical Science. Because each is worth about a third of the test, give them roughly equal time. After each module take the checkpoint quiz to find gaps, then drill that area with our free practice questions and flashcards.
Yes — the full guide, the checkpoints, the glossary, the practice questions, and the flashcards are 100% free, with no account required.
References
- 1.ETS. “The Praxis Study Companion: Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (5001).” ETS. ↑
- 2.ETS. “Elementary Education: Science Subtest (5005) Test Overview.” ETS. ↑
- 3.ETS. “Praxis Test Scores — Understanding Your Scores.” ETS. ↑
- 4.ETS. “Manage Your Praxis Test Appointment — Retake Policy.” ETS. ↑
Sources for the concept answers
Every answer in the Praxis 5005 concept questions above is drawn from an official primary source:
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