NYS 5th grade science is the Elementary-Level Science Test (ELS) — a cumulative test covering Grades 3-5 science under the new NYSSLS standards, with 7 phenomenon-based question clusters and 34 interactive CBT items.
Grade 5 NYS Science is the Elementary-Level Science Test (ELS) — a cumulative assessment that covers Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) from Grades 3, 4, AND 5 under the New York State Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS). NYSSLS was adopted by the Board of Regents on December 12, 2016, based on the 2013 Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Spring 2024 was the first operational administration under NYSSLS; the pre-2024 tests aligned to 1996 standards are retired and not comparable.
NYSSLS uses three-dimensional learning. Every item integrates a Disciplinary Core Idea (DCI — the science content), a Science and Engineering Practice (SEP — what students do as scientists or engineers), and a Crosscutting Concept (CCC — patterns, cause-and-effect, systems, structure-function, stability-change, energy-and-matter that span domains). Roughly two-thirds of test points come from SEPs and CCCs; only about one-third is pure content recall. This is a radical shift from the old test.
The test format is 19 multiple-choice + 15 constructed-response = 34 items, organized into 7 question clusters built around real-world phenomena (e.g., "Motion of Golf Balls," "Animal Senses," "Weather Patterns," "Magnets," "Important Fish"). Each cluster presents a phenomenon with text, images, video, or data, then asks 4-7 linked items demonstrating 3D learning across content + practice + concept. The CBT interface includes drag-and-drop sorting, dynamic graphing, simulations, and multi-part item bundles — significantly more interactive than NYS Math or ELA.
45% of New York fifth-graders scored Level 3 or higher on the 2024-25 NYSSLS Elementary-Level Science Test — up from 35% in 2024. More than half of NY fifth-graders still aren't proficient, but the 10 percentage-point jump reflects classrooms adjusting to the radical NYSSLS format. Cut scores were established by NYSED action after the first operational year.
NYS uses 4 performance levels: Level 1 (below standard), Level 2 (partially proficient), Level 3 (proficient), Level 4 (excels). Level 3 or higher is the federal 'on grade level' target.
Spring 2026 is the first year of universal computer-based testing across every NYS Grades 3-8 test. NWEA is the statewide CBT vendor. New digital item types include drag-and-drop, hot text, multi-select, inline choice, dynamic graphing, and (for Math) the equation editor. Paper administration is available only as an IEP/504 accommodation. Free practice on the NYSED Question Sampler (nysed.gov/state-assessment/question-sampler) and CBTSupport.nysed.gov.
Up from 35% in 2023-24 (+10 ppt). 2024 was first operational year under NYSSLS — not comparable to pre-2024 tests aligned to 1996 standards. More than half of NY fifth-graders still aren't proficient.
Source: NYSED Preliminary 2024-25 Data Release, Aug 11 2025, nysed.gov/news/2025/state-education-department-releases-preliminary-data-english-language-arts-mathematics-and
Real NYS Tests format. Aligned to New York State Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS). Detailed explanations on every answer.
Which of these best explains why some parts of Earth receive more rainfall than others?
Grade 5 NYSSLS Elementary-Level Science covers Disciplinary Core Ideas across three disciplines — Physical Sciences (PS), Life Sciences (LS), and Earth & Space Sciences (ESS) — plus the Engineering, Technology and Applications of Science (ETS) standards threaded throughout. The test is cumulative across Grades 3-5: 5-PS standards (matter properties, energy transfer), 3-LS through 5-LS (organism structure-function, ecosystems, matter cycling), and 3-ESS through 5-ESS (weather, Earth's place in universe, water cycle, human impact). Two-thirds of test points come from Science and Engineering Practices + Crosscutting Concepts, not pure content recall.
| Reporting Category | % of Test | What's Tested |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Sciences (PS) — DCIs across Grades 3-5 | ~25-35% | Matter properties and changes (5-PS1), motion and forces (3-PS2), energy transfer (4-PS3, 5-PS3), waves and information transfer (4-PS4). Phenomena include identifying substances, animal senses involving sound or light, and energy flow in real-world contexts. |
| Life Sciences (LS) — DCIs across Grades 3-5 | ~25-35% | Organism structure and function (4-LS1), ecosystems and matter cycling (5-LS1, 5-LS2), life cycles and inheritance (3-LS1, 3-LS3, 3-LS4), biodiversity (3-LS4). Phenomena include meerkat behavior, animal senses, plant matter cycling. |
| Earth & Space Sciences (ESS) — DCIs across Grades 3-5 | ~20-30% | Earth's place in the universe (5-ESS1), Earth's systems (5-ESS2 — water cycle, weather), human impacts (3-ESS3, 5-ESS3 — natural hazards, conservation), weather and climate patterns (3-ESS2). Phenomena include weather patterns, water flow, Earth's resources. |
| Engineering, Technology, Applications of Science (ETS) | (threaded across all clusters) | Engineering design process (3-5-ETS1) — define problems, design solutions, test and improve. Not a separate reporting category by itself; engineering practices appear inside clusters across PS, LS, and ESS, asking students to design or evaluate solutions to real-world phenomena. |
| Science & Engineering Practices + Crosscutting Concepts | ~67% of test points (threaded across all clusters) | The 8 SEPs (asking questions, modeling, planning investigations, analyzing data, mathematical reasoning, constructing explanations, arguing from evidence, communicating information) and 7 CCCs (patterns, cause-effect, scale, systems, energy-matter, structure-function, stability-change) are integrated into every item — roughly two-thirds of test points come from these, not pure content recall. |
Spring 2024 was the first operational year of the Elementary-Level Science Test under NYSSLS — a radical departure from the 1996-standards test that came before. The shift to 3D learning means every item integrates content (DCI) + practice (SEP) + crosscutting concept (CCC), with roughly two-thirds of test points coming from practice + concept, not pure content recall. The CBT interface is also more advanced than any other NY test — drag-and-drop sorting, dynamic graphing (students build their own graphs from data), and simulations let students manipulate variables and observe outcomes. The cumulative format means your child is tested on three years of standards, not just Grade 5 content. The 45% Level 3+ rate in 2024-25 (up from 35% in 2024) reflects classrooms adjusting to a fundamentally new test design. For families: this is the most important year to practice on the NYSED Question Sampler — the interactive item types simply cannot be replicated on paper, and 15-30 minutes of cluster practice removes most of the digital learning curve.
Don't cram only Grade 5 content. The Elementary-Level Science Test is CUMULATIVE across Grades 3-5 NYSSLS standards. Your child needs ecosystem and life-cycle content from Grade 3, organism structure-function from Grade 4, AND matter properties, water cycle, and energy from Grade 5. Six months of weekly review (one DCI per week) beats a March cram. Use Mystery Science, the NYSED released items, and the Question Sampler clusters.
Practice with the NYSED Question Sampler clusters specifically. The interactive CBT — drag-and-drop sorting, dynamic graphing, simulations — is significantly more advanced than NYS Math or ELA. Fifteen minutes of practice clicking through a cluster on nysed.gov/state-assessment/question-sampler removes the digital learning curve. The Question Sampler clusters released after 2024 are the most realistic preview available.
Drill three-dimensional thinking. Every item integrates DCI (content) + SEP (practice — analyzing data, constructing explanations, modeling) + CCC (crosscutting concept — patterns, cause-effect, systems). Train your child to identify each on practice items: 'What science content is this testing? What scientific practice is the question asking — analyze data, build a model, construct an explanation? What crosscutting concept connects it — patterns, cause-and-effect?' This metacognitive habit transfers directly to NYSSLS items.
Read science explanations aloud at home. NYSSLS clusters are heavy on phenomenon-based reading — students read about Motion of Golf Balls or Animal Senses before answering items. The reading complexity is harder than typical 5th-grade nonfiction. Mystery Science explainers, Newsela science articles, kids' science magazines all build the phenomenon-reading skill. Twenty minutes of science read-aloud per week is high-leverage prep.
Don't ignore the engineering design process. Engineering, Technology and Applications of Science (3-5-ETS1) standards are threaded across PS, LS, and ESS clusters — students are asked to define problems, design solutions, test them, and evaluate trade-offs. Real-world examples (water filtration, bridge design, weather-resistant structures) help your child internalize the process. Building (with cardboard, LEGO, or simple kits) is the fastest way to make engineering practice intuitive.
Cumulative content across Grades 3, 4, and 5 under NYSSLS. Physical Sciences (matter properties, motion, energy, waves), Life Sciences (organism structure-function, ecosystems, matter cycling, life cycles, biodiversity), Earth & Space Sciences (weather, water cycle, Earth's place in universe, human impact), and engineering practices threaded throughout. The test uses 7 question clusters built around real-world phenomena — like 'Motion of Golf Balls,' 'Animal Senses,' or 'Weather Patterns.' Students answer 4-7 linked items per cluster.
No — both. The 2024 administration had 19 multiple-choice items + 15 constructed-response items = 34 total, organized into 7 question clusters. The constructed-response items ask students to explain reasoning, propose explanations from data, or evaluate engineering solutions. Roughly two-thirds of test points come from Science and Engineering Practices + Crosscutting Concepts (the 'how' and 'why' of doing science), not pure content recall.
Same four-level framework as ELA and Math: Level 1 (below standard), Level 2 (partially proficient), Level 3 (proficient — the on-grade-level target), Level 4 (excels). Multiple-choice items are machine-scored; constructed-response items are hand-scored by trained NY educators using cluster-specific rubrics. Raw points convert to a scale score and a performance level. Cut scores were established by NYSED action after the first operational year (2024). 45% of NY fifth-graders scored Level 3+ in 2024-25, up from 35% the year before.
NGSS-derived Disciplinary Core Ideas across Grades 3-5. Sample standards include 5-PS1-1 through 5-PS1-4 (matter), 5-PS3-1 (energy in food), 5-LS1 through 5-LS2 (matter cycling, ecosystems), 5-ESS1 (Earth's place in universe), 5-ESS2 (water cycle, weather), 5-ESS3 (human impact), 3-LS through 4-LS (life cycles, organism structure-function), 3-ESS2 (weather patterns), 3-5-ETS1 (engineering design). Plus the 8 Science and Engineering Practices and 7 Crosscutting Concepts threaded throughout.
It is the hardest of NY's elementary state tests by proficiency rate — 45% Level 3+ in 2024-25, well below Math (60% at Grade 3, 59% at Grade 4) and ELA (54% at Grade 4). The radical NYSSLS shift to 3D learning (content + practice + concept in every item) and the cumulative format (covering 3 years of standards) explain most of the difficulty. The 10 ppt jump from 35% in 2024 to 45% in 2025 reflects classrooms adjusting to the new format — proficiency is expected to keep climbing.
Single session, single day, untimed (since 2016). Schools plan a minimum of 90 minutes of administration time. Most fifth-graders finish within 90-120 minutes, with constructed-response items and interactive simulations taking more time than multiple-choice. As with every NYS test, no clock cuts a student off who is still working productively within the school day.
Yes — and the interactive CBT is more advanced than NYS Math or ELA. The NWEA platform supports drag-and-drop sorting, dynamic graphing (students build graphs from data), simulations (manipulate variables and observe outcomes), and multi-part item bundles. Phenomenon-based clusters present text, images, video, or data — students interact with the phenomenon before answering. Practice on the NYSED Question Sampler is more important here than for any other subject.
A real-world phenomenon — like 'Motion of Golf Balls,' 'Animal Senses,' 'Weather Patterns,' 'Magnets,' 'Meerkats,' 'Important Fish,' or 'Identifying Substances' — that anchors 4-7 linked items. Students see the phenomenon presented with text, images, video, or data, then answer items that demonstrate 3-dimensional learning across DCI (content), SEP (practice — analyzing data, constructing explanations), and CCC (crosscutting concept — patterns, cause-and-effect, systems). The cluster format is what makes NYSSLS feel radically different from old NY science tests.
Same NYS Tests test, different grades and subjects. Pick the page that matches your child's situation.
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