EOC Science Practice Test #2 (End-of-Course Grade 8)

Last Updated on June 10, 2025

EOC Science Practice Test #2 (End-of-Course Grade 8) Questions and Answers. Preparing for the Grade 8 EOC Science Test? This practice set helps students review key concepts through real exam-style questions.

Topics covered include how the endocrine system sends chemical signals through the body using hormones, and how dissolving sugar in water is a physical change, not a chemical one. Students also learn about energy transformations, such as how a flashlight converts chemical energy from batteries into electrical and light energy.

Additionally, the test reviews why metals conduct electricity well, thanks to their free-moving electrons. This practice test is an excellent way to reinforce your understanding and boost your confidence for the End-of-Course science exam.

EOC Science Practice Test #2

End-of-Course (EOC) Assessment Test
EOC Science Practice Test #2
Total Questions: 30
Time Limit: N/A

1) The table shows characteristics of three unknown materials.

How could the materials BEST be classified?

X: Metal Y: Metalloid Z: Nonmetal

X: Nonmetal Y: Metal Z: Nonmetal

X: Metalloid Y: Metalloid Z: Nonmetal

X: Metalloid Y: Metal Z: Nonmetal

2) Use the information below to answer the question

Observations of Car Design Features

1. The balloon released air for a longer period of time than it took the rubber band to unwind.

2. The tires of car X slipped, but the tires of car Y did not.

Students designed two cars powered in different ways and repeatedly tested the distance that each car traveled. The average distance car X traveled was 5 meters. The average distance car Y traveled was 4 meters. Which design modification would most likely result in a car that travels farther than 5 meters?

moving the tires from car Y onto car X so that car X will not slip

switching the bottle from car X to car Y to reduce air resistance

blowing less air into the balloon on car X so the balloon will release air faster

using a smaller rubber band on car Y so car Y will have a higher initial speed

3) Use the table below to answer the question.

Two Technologies That Generate Electricity from Renewable Energy

The table compares two technologies that use renewable energy sources to generate electricity: solar panels and wind turbines. Which statement best compares these different technologies?

Solar panels should be used instead of wind turbines because they are harder to maintain.

Solar panels should be used instead of wind turbines because they can generate electricity at night.

Solar panels and wind turbines are both good options if the conditions are appropriate at their locations.

Solar panels and wind turbines both have harmful effects on wildlife that should limit their use.

4) Use the model below to answer the question.

The model shows a process used by engineers. How would the process for designing a new computer best compare to the process for designing a new bridge?

The “identify the problem” step would be different because it is not possible to identify problems within computers

The “generate possible solutions” step would be different because this step is not needed for a bridge.

The “create a model of the solution” step would be different because it is not possible to build a model of a bridge.

The “test the model” step would be different because bridges and computers do not work the same way.

5) Use the model below to answer the question.

The model shows how a cave can form in areas with limestone rock layers. Which statement best explains the speed of this type of cave formation?

The cave forms slowly because water must flow through rock layers many times for the rock to dissolve.

The cave forms slowly because solid rock layers at the surface prevent water from seeping into the layers underground.

The cave forms quickly because large amounts of water enter the opening when a sinkhole forms at the surface.

The cave forms quickly because fast-moving water erodes rock rapidly and causes rock fractures to increase in size.

6) Use the diagram below to answer the question.

A student made a model to show a moon in orbit around a planet. Which statement describes an error in the model?

The moon is traveling too slowly relative to its size.

The force of gravity is shown acting in the wrong direction.

The orbital path should be shown as straight instead of curved.

The labels for “speed” and “orbital path” should switch positions.

7) Use the model below to answer the question.

The model shows an event that causes part of Earth to be in a shadow. Which statement best describes the event shown in this model?

It shows a full moon, which happens when the Moon rotates so its dark side faces Earth.

It shows a new moon, which happens when the Moon rotates so its bright side faces Earth.

It shows a solar eclipse, which happens when the Moon is directly between Earth and the Sun

It shows a lunar eclipse, which happens when the Moon is directly between Earth and the Sun.

8) A student wants to investigate how the mass of a toy car affects its motion. The student will use a ramp, a block, and four toy cars. Each toy car has a different mass. Which data should the student measure during this investigation?

the length of each toy car

the color and shape of each toy car

the amount of force used to hold each toy car at the top of the ramp

the distance each toy car pushes a small block placed at the end of the ramp

9) Use the information below to answer the question.

The table describes liquid X and liquid Y. A researcher pours 20.0 m L of each liquid into a test tube. As the two liquids mix, the test tube gets warmer and a yellow solid forms inside. The mass of the yellow solid is 40.0 g.

Which statement best explains what happened in the test tube?

A chemical reaction occurred because a new substance was made.

A chemical reaction occurred because the two liquids had different densities.

A chemical reaction did not occur, because a change in state is evidence of only a physical change and not a chemical change.

A chemical reaction did not occur, because the mass of the liquids before mixing was equal to the mass of the yellow solid.

10) The seat belts in a car are made from nylon. Nylon is a material that humans make from petroleum. Which statement is best supported by this information?

Nylon is made from renewable natural resources.

Nylon is made from renewable synthetic resources.

Nylon is made from nonrenewable natural resources.

Nylon is made from nonrenewable synthetic resources.

11) The western tarnished plant bug and the whitefly are two types of garden and crop pests. Instead of using chemical pesticides, some gardeners and farmers plant marigold flowers as a natural pest repellent. How could this strategy improve outdoor environments?

Planting marigolds costs less than using chemicals.

Planting marigolds removes pollinators as well as other pests.

Planting marigolds is a safe and attractive way to eliminate pests.

Planting marigolds attracts different pests that are easier to eliminate.

12) A student drinks a beverage that contains 78 grams of sugar.

Which system produces the hormone insulin that helps break down the sugar in the human body?

Endocrine system

Excretory system

Integumentary system

Circulatory system

13) Scientists have found some of the same types of rock containing the same types of fossil species in Africa and Antarctica.

Which explanation does this information support?

Both continents gradually increased in size over time.

Both continents were attached by glacial ice millions of years ago.

Both continents were attached but drifted away from each other over time.

Both continents were underwater millions of years ago.

14) A student is comparing four elements on the periodic table. The elements are labeled in the image.

Which two elements have properties that are the MOST similar?

A and B

B and C

C and D

A and D

15) Use the graph below to answer the question.

Scientists measured the sizes of a predator population and a prey population in an area over time. Which prediction describes events that are most likely to occur based on the evidence?

The predator population will stay the same in year 6 because the prey population will be extinct

The predator population will increase in year 6 because the prey population is increasing.

The prey population will decrease in year 6 because the predator population is decreasing.

The prey population will increase in year 6 because the predator population will be extinct.

16) Use the diagram below to answer the question.

Based on evidence in the diagram, which statement best describes the practice of using wool to make clothing?

Using wool is unsustainable because sheep require a lot of land.

Using wool is sustainable because wool clothing can be thrown away.

Using wool is unsustainable because recycling is not always possible for every item.

Using wool is sustainable because wool clothing can benefit the land the sheep use.

17) Diagram 1 shows dark-shaded areas of three continents that contain similar ancient rock structures. Diagram 2 shows similar fossils that were found on landforms. Both diagrams show the different continents arranged as scientists believe they might have existed before they moved apart because of continental drift.

Which statement is correct based on the information provided in the two diagrams?

The diagrams both provide support for the theory that the continents have always been fixed in their current positions.

The diagrams have little relationship to each other, as some of the land areas shown on the diagrams are in different positions.

The diagrams support each other by offering two separate sources of evidence that support the past shapes and positions of the landforms.

The diagrams provide support for the conclusion that the process of continental drift ended when the continents reached their current positions.

18) A student plots the magnetic field of a bar magnet using a compass. The student centers the bar magnet in the middle of a piece of paper and uses the compass to plot points around the magnet.

Which diagram best shows the magnetic field around a bar magnet?

19) Waves were created on three identical ropes.

Of the three waves shown, Wave 2 has the greatest

wave speed, because it has more crests than the other ropes.

frequency, because it has a larger wavelength than the other ropes.

wave speed, because the rope is moving up and down faster than the other ropes.

frequency, because there are more crests in the same length of rope than there are in the other waves.

20) The diagram shows rainwater traveling underground. Depending on how far down the water travels into the ground, it can take centuries (hundreds of years) or even millennia (thousands of years). The pumped well is where groundwater is taken out of the ground. The darker-colored layers underground are layers of permeable rock. The lighter-colored layers underground are sources of groundwater.

Using the diagram, which three statements about groundwater are correct?

The water for the well is provided by underground water from the uppermost layer.

The water available to the pumped well uses only water stored for days and years.

If rain falls on the recharge area, it may take centuries or millennia to sink to the lowest storage levels.

The water pumped from the well will be replaced immediately from the water in all the layers beneath it

Pumping a large amount of water from the well will have almost no effect on the amount of water available for vegetation

21) Farmers have cultivated five different vegetable crops by artificially selecting for certain traits from the wild mustard plant. This table lists information about five different vegetables that originated from the wild mustard plant.

Which statement is correct about the development of these vegetables through artificial selection?

They resulted from a characteristic of the mustard plant that was changed or enhanced by the selective cultivation.

They resulted from the exposure to extreme temperatures and ultraviolet sun rays.

They were created over one generation when crossbreeding took place between two different varieties of vegetables

They stopped forming additional varieties at the end of a growth cycle.

22) Students are using balloons to describe the expanding universe model. The students blow up several balloons and put them on the floor. Each balloon represents a different galaxy.

How should the students move or change the balloons to demonstrate how the universe is expanding?

All of the balloons should be moved to the center of the floor.

Each balloon should be inflated more so that they are all increasing in size.

Each balloon should be deflated so that there is more distance between the surface of each balloon.

All of the balloons should be moved away from each other so there is more distance between them.

23) Some scientists compared fossils of the common ancestor of horses with modern horses. The table shows what the scientists found during their analysis.

The scientists claim that modern horses are better adapted for survival in the present-day environment than the common ancestor would have been. Which two statements best support this claim?

Organisms that have hooves are more likely to reproduce.

Organisms with multiple toes are easily seen by predators, so parents choose not to pass the trait on to their offspring

Organisms with four legs will develop a hoof because of the need to balance on four legs

Organisms will acquire helpful traits from their surroundings to survive.

Organisms that have hooves are able to live in a variety of habitats.

24) When the solar system was very young, the sun was just being formed and planets had not yet been made. The solar system was mostly gas and dust.

Which statement best explains how planets formed in the early solar system?

Planets formed from magnetism in space that interacted with light from the stars.

Planets formed from large asteroids that had broken apart.

Planets formed from molten metal in volcanic eruptions.

Planets formed from small amounts of debris that were attracted together because of gravity

25) A diagram of seven rock layers is shown.

The diagram represents a section of Earth that a paleontologist, a scientist who studies fossils, has been working with for years. Which statement correctly describes this diagram?

Layer W contains fossils of organisms that existed on Earth after the organisms found in layers U and R

Layer U contains fossils of organisms that are older than the organisms found in layer R.

Layers W and U contain fossils that are animal species.

Layers R and W contain fossils that are both types of plant species.

26) Questions 26 – 29 refer to the passage(s) and image(s) shown.

Magnets and Motors – Part 1

A student read in a science magazine that magnets can be made by using an iron nail, copper wire, and a battery. These magnets are called “electromagnets” because they use electricity to generate their magnetic effect.

The magnetic force of these magnets can be tested according to their ability to pick up metal paper clips. The student read that motors and electromagnets use the same basic principle to operate.

The student conducted two investigations to see how these electromagnets work. In the first investigation, the student made an electromagnet and then performed some tests. The materials that were used are listed.

The student performed two tests. In the first test, the student taped the ends of the wire to the battery. Several paper clips were moved close to the nail and the student recorded how many paper clips the nail picked up. In the second test, the wire was wrapped around the nail 20 times. The results are shown in the table..

In the second investigation, the student added more coils to determine if the magnetic force increased with the number of coils wrapped around the nail. The data for the second investigation are shown.

The student has other ideas for making the electromagnet stronger aside from wrapping more coils around the nail.

Based on the information given, which part of Investigation #2 is most likely the independent variable?

the type of wire

the number of coils

the size of the battery

the strength of the magnet

27) Questions 26 – 29 refer to the passage(s) and image(s) shown.

Magnets and Motors – Part 1

The magnetic force of these magnets can be tested according to their ability to pick up metal paper clips. The student read that motors and electromagnets use the same basic principle to operate.

The student has other ideas for making the electromagnet stronger aside from wrapping more coils around the nail.

Which phenomenon is most likely being tested during Investigation #1?

An iron nail is a natural magnet.

An iron nail has to be used to create an electromagnet.

A small battery has stored magnetism that can be used to attract paper clips.

Wire wrapped around an iron nail attached to the poles of a battery will produce a magnetic force.

28) Questions 26 – 29 refer to the passage(s) and image(s) shown.

Magnets and Motors – Part 1

The magnetic force of these magnets can be tested according to their ability to pick up metal paper clips. The student read that motors and electromagnets use the same basic principle to operate.

The student has other ideas for making the electromagnet stronger aside from wrapping more coils around the nail.

Which phenomenon is most likely being tested during Investigation #2?

The larger the nail is, the more magnetic force it will have.

The battery increases in power when there are more coils in the wire.

The magnetic force increases when more coils are wrapped around the nail.

The wire around the nail needs to be thin to make the magnetic force stronger.

29) Questions 26 – 29 refer to the passage(s) and image(s) shown.

Magnets and Motors – Part 1

The magnetic force of these magnets can be tested according to their ability to pick up metal paper clips. The student read that motors and electromagnets use the same basic principle to operate.

The student has other ideas for making the electromagnet stronger aside from wrapping more coils around the nail.

The student wants to use nails made of different metals to see which type of nail makes the best electromagnet.

Which investigation should the student perform to determine which type of nail makes the strongest electromagnet?

Wrap each type of nail with a different number of coils of the same type of wire and record how many paper clips each nail picks up.

Wrap each type of nail with 40 coils of the same type of wire and record how many paper clips each nail picks up.

Wrap as many coils as possible around each type of nail and record which type of nail can hold the most coils.

Wrap each type of nail with a different type of wire and record how many paper clips each nail picks up.

30) A car drives down a long road. A graph of the car’s motion is shown.

What was the car’s average speed in kilometers per minute for the entire 14-minute trip?

12 km/min

0.86 km/min

0.23 km/min

1.17 km/min

Your score is

See also:

EOC Science Practice Test 2025 Official Study Guide