SOL 5th grade science is cumulative across K-5 — the only state test in Virginia's elementary sequence that asks your child to recall content from every elementary science year, not just the current grade.
Grade 5 SOL Science is the only state-tested science assessment in Virginia's elementary grades, and unlike Reading and Math it is cumulative across the entire K-5 science curriculum. Your child is responsible not only for fifth-grade content but for everything they should have learned in K, 1, 2, 3, and 4 — cells, ecosystems, weather, the solar system, matter and energy. The test covers four reporting categories under the 2018 Virginia Science Standards: Force, Motion, Energy, and Matter (properties of matter, physical/chemical changes, conservation of mass, energy forms); Living Systems and Ecosystems (cell structure, ecosystem interactions, food webs and chains, organism classification, decomposers); Earth/Space Systems and Earth Resources (Earth's surface, oceans, watersheds, weather, climate, the solar system); and Electricity, Sound, and Light (electrical circuits, sound wave properties, light reflection/refraction, opaque/translucent/transparent).
The test is fixed-form (NOT computer-adaptive) on Pearson VAAP — about 40 operational items + ~10 field-test = ~50 total, with all students at the same grade seeing the same form. It is also NOT part of the Through-Year Growth Assessments option (those are Reading and Math only for 2025-26). The 2024-25 statewide Science pass rate was 68%, slightly below Reading (71%) and Math (70%). Grade 5 Science was first administered under the 2018 Science SOL in Spring 2023, and the 2018 standards explicitly weave engineering design, scientific reasoning, and cross-cutting concepts across every reporting category.
SOL uses 4 performance levels on a 0-600 scale: Fail/Below Basic (under 375), Fail/Basic (375-399), Pass/Proficient (400-499), and Pass/Advanced (500-600). Pass/Proficient is the federal 'on grade level' target. New higher cut scores phase in 2026-27 through 2029-30 — Reading proficient cuts move to 444-479 and Math to 430-453 depending on grade.
Statewide aggregate for all SOL Science administrations (Grade 5 and Grade 8). Slightly below Reading (71%) and Math (70%) but well above History/Social Science (63%).
Source: VDOE 2024-25 SOL Results (released Aug 28, 2025), via doe.virginia.gov/data-policy-funding/data-reports/statistics-reports/sol-test-pass-rates-other-results
Real SOL format. Aligned to 2018 Virginia Science Standards of Learning. Detailed explanations on every answer.
In an ecosystem, organisms that break down dead plants and animals are called —
Virginia Grade 5 Science covers four reporting categories under the 2018 Science SOL. Items are distributed approximately evenly across Force/Motion/Energy/Matter, Living Systems/Ecosystems, Earth/Space Systems, and Electricity/Sound/Light. The test is cumulative across K-5 content — about 30% of items directly assess K-4 standards your child should have learned in earlier years. Cluster question sets (a passage, diagram, or lab scenario followed by multiple independently-scored items) are common.
| Reporting Category | % of Test | Items | What's Tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Force, Motion, Energy, and Matter | ~25% | ~10 items | Properties of matter (mass, volume, density), physical and chemical changes, conservation of mass, energy forms (mechanical, sound, light, thermal, electrical), energy transfer, simple machines. Cumulative from Grades K-5. |
| Living Systems and Ecosystems | ~25% | ~10 items | Cell structure and function (plant vs. animal cells), ecosystem interactions, food webs and food chains, organism classification, decomposers, producer/consumer relationships, biotic and abiotic factors, adaptations, life cycles. |
| Earth/Space Systems and Earth Resources | ~25% | ~10 items | Earth's surface (landforms, weathering, erosion), oceans (Chesapeake Bay watershed is uniquely Virginia content), watersheds, weather, climate, the water cycle, the solar system (planets, the Sun, Earth-Moon system, seasons). |
| Electricity, Sound, and Light | ~25% | ~10 items | Electrical circuits (open vs. closed, series vs. parallel), conductors and insulators, static electricity, sound wave properties (pitch, volume, vibration), light reflection and refraction, opaque/translucent/transparent materials, the visible light spectrum. |
| Scientific Investigation (embedded across all categories) | Embedded | — | The 2018 standards weave engineering design, scientific reasoning, hypothesis formation, data analysis, and cross-cutting concepts into items across every reporting category. Lab-based and diagram-based items are common. |
Re-review K-4 science before April. Grade 5 Science is cumulative across the entire elementary sequence — about 30% of items assess content from earlier years. Pull out old science notebooks, or use the 2018 Virginia Science SOL standards (free at doe.virginia.gov) as a checklist. Plant cells from third grade, the water cycle from second grade, and weather from fourth grade all show up.
Draw food webs and diagrams. Living Systems and Ecosystems items frequently use diagrams — food webs, plant/animal cell labels, ecosystem layers. Drawing these by hand at home (with arrows showing energy flow) translates to faster recognition under test pressure. A blank-and-fill plant cell diagram is one of the highest-leverage 10-minute drills.
Practice cluster question sets. Grade 5 Science uses stimulus-based items where one diagram, passage, or lab scenario is followed by 2-3 questions. Practice reading the stimulus once carefully, then answering all the questions before moving on. Many fifth-graders lose points by re-reading the stimulus for each question.
Use the Chesapeake Bay as a teaching anchor. The Chesapeake Bay watershed is uniquely Virginia content and appears in Earth/Space Systems items. If you live near the Bay, a half-day field trip is the highest-retention move. If not, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation has free virtual resources.
Don't ignore Electricity, Sound, and Light. It's 25% of the test and often the weakest category because it's typically taught later in the year. Drill the difference between open/closed circuits, series/parallel circuits, conductors/insulators, and the difference between reflection and refraction.
Four reporting categories under the 2018 Virginia Science SOL, all cumulative across K-5: Force, Motion, Energy, and Matter (~25%); Living Systems and Ecosystems (~25%); Earth/Space Systems and Earth Resources (~25%); and Electricity, Sound, and Light (~25%). Scientific Investigation (hypothesis, data analysis, engineering design) is embedded across all four. The test includes cluster question sets — a passage or diagram followed by multiple items.
About 50 items total: ~40 operational items that count toward your child's score plus ~10 field-test items. The test is fixed-form (not computer-adaptive), so all fifth-graders at the same school see the same items. Cluster question sets are common — one stimulus followed by multiple independently-scored items.
Four equal-weighted categories: (1) Force, Motion, Energy, and Matter — properties of matter, physical/chemical changes, energy forms; (2) Living Systems and Ecosystems — cell structure, ecosystems, food webs, classification; (3) Earth/Space Systems — Earth's surface, oceans, weather, the solar system; (4) Electricity, Sound, and Light — circuits, sound waves, light reflection/refraction.
The physical-science reporting category. It covers properties of matter (mass, volume, density), physical changes (state changes like ice → water) vs. chemical changes (a new substance forms), conservation of mass, energy forms (mechanical, sound, light, thermal, electrical), energy transfer, and simple machines. About 25% of the test, ~10 items.
The life-science reporting category. Cell structure (plant vs. animal cells, organelles like nucleus, cell membrane, mitochondria), ecosystem interactions, food webs and food chains, producer/consumer/decomposer relationships, organism classification (kingdoms, vertebrates/invertebrates), adaptations, life cycles, biotic and abiotic factors. About 25% of the test.
The earth-and-space science reporting category. Earth's surface (landforms, weathering, erosion), oceans (including the Chesapeake Bay watershed — uniquely Virginia content), watersheds, weather (clouds, fronts, severe weather), climate, the water cycle, and the solar system (planets, the Sun, the Earth-Moon system, seasons, day/night). About 25% of the test.
The applied physical-science reporting category. Electrical circuits (open vs. closed, series vs. parallel), conductors and insulators, static electricity, sound wave properties (pitch, volume, vibration), how sound travels through different media, light reflection and refraction, opaque/translucent/transparent materials, the visible light spectrum. About 25% of the test.
A scaled score of 400 — Pass/Proficient. SOL uses a 0-600 scale with four performance levels. Pass/Proficient (400-499) is the federal 'on grade level' target; Pass/Advanced is 500-600. The 2024-25 statewide Science pass rate was 68%, slightly below Reading (71%) and Math (70%).
No. Calculators are not permitted on Grade 5 Science. Most items don't require arithmetic — the focus is on conceptual understanding of science content. The handful of items that involve calculation (energy units, simple probability of ecosystem outcomes) can be done by hand.
Same SOL test, different grades and subjects. Pick the page that matches your child's situation.
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