SOL 8th grade science is discipline-specific Physical Science — not a cumulative review like Grade 5 — covering matter and atoms, energy and waves, electricity and magnetism, and force/motion under the 2018 Virginia Science SOL.
Grade 8 SOL Science is the second and final SOL Science test in middle school, and unlike the Grade 5 cumulative K-5 review it is discipline-specific: the formal Grade 8 course is Physical Science (PS.1 through PS.10), with Grade 6 Earth/Space science material (SOL 6.1-6.6) and Grade 7 Life Science material (LS.1 and onward) rolled in as supporting content because there is no separate SOL test at Grade 6 or 7. The Grade 8 SOL Science test is therefore "Physical Science plus the cumulative middle-school science content" — but the bulk of the items target the Physical Science discipline directly: properties of matter, atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical reactions, energy and energy transformations, thermal energy, sound and electromagnetic waves, light, electricity and magnetism, work/force/motion, and Newton's laws.
The test is fixed-form (NOT computer-adaptive) on Pearson VAAP with ~40-45 operational items + ~10 field-test = ~50-55 total. A basic 4-function calculator is permitted for select items. The test uses CLUSTER QUESTION SETS — a stimulus (passage, diagram, lab scenario) followed by multiple independently-scored items — more heavily than the Grade 5 test, reflecting the lab-and-investigation emphasis of the 2018 Science SOL. The 2024-25 statewide Science pass rate (Grades 5 and 8 combined) was 68%, slightly below Reading and Math but well above the 63% History/Social Science aggregate.
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 cumulative + Grade 8 Physical Science). 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.
An atom with 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons has an atomic number of —
Virginia Grade 8 Science covers Physical Science (PS.1-PS.10) as the primary discipline, with Grade 6 Earth/Space content (SOL 6.1-6.6) and Grade 7 Life Science content (LS.1 and on) rolled in. The 2018 blueprint distributes items as: Scientific Investigation ~10 items (across SOL 6.1, LS.1, PS.1), Force/Motion/Energy/Matter ~15 items (across SOL 6.2/6.4/6.5/6.6 + PS.2 through PS.10), plus Life Systems and Earth/Space Systems reporting categories in some blueprint versions. Cluster question sets are common.
| Reporting Category | % of Test | Items | What's Tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific Investigation (SOL 6.1, LS.1, PS.1) | ~22% | ~10 items | Scientific reasoning, planning and conducting investigations, organizing data into tables, classification systems, lab tools (triple-beam balance, electronic balance, thermometer, metric ruler, graduated cylinder, probeware), models and simulations, sources of experimental error, independent/dependent variables, constants, repeated trials, data tables, graphical representation (frequency distributions, scatterplots, line plots, histograms), valid conclusions. |
| Force, Motion, Energy, and Matter (PS.2-PS.10 + SOL 6.2/6.4/6.5/6.6) | ~33% | ~15 items | Heaviest weight. Energy sources, atoms/elements/compounds, the periodic table and its organization, chemical changes and reactions, energy forms and transformations, thermal energy transfer, temperature scales, sound waves and transverse waves, light, the electromagnetic spectrum, work/force/motion, Newton's three laws. |
| Life Systems (LS.1 and on, supporting) | ~22% | ~10 items | Cellular processes (photosynthesis, respiration, cell division), DNA structure and inheritance basics, classification of organisms, ecosystem dynamics (predator-prey, energy flow), human body systems. Grade 7 Life Science content rolled in because there is no separate Grade 7 SOL Science test. |
| Earth/Space Systems (SOL 6.1-6.6, supporting) | ~22% | ~10 items | Earth's structure (layers, plate tectonics), the rock cycle, weather and climate, oceans, watersheds, the solar system, the Sun-Earth-Moon system. Grade 6 Earth/Space content rolled in because there is no separate Grade 6 SOL Science test. |
Grade 8 SOL Science is fundamentally different from Grade 5 SOL Science: it is discipline-specific Physical Science (PS.1-PS.10) as the primary content, not a cumulative review across grades. Physical Science covers properties of matter, atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical reactions, energy and energy transformations, thermal energy, sound and electromagnetic waves, light, electricity and magnetism, work/force/motion, and Newton's three laws. Grade 6 Earth/Space science (SOL 6.1-6.6) and Grade 7 Life Science (LS.1 and on) are rolled in as supporting content because Virginia doesn't have separate SOL Science tests at those grades — Grade 6 = 'Grade 6 Science' (Earth/space themes, no SOL of its own), Grade 7 = Life Science (no SOL of its own), Grade 8 = Physical Science (SOL test). The test is fixed-form (NOT computer-adaptive) on Pearson VAAP with ~50-55 total items, uses cluster question sets more heavily than Grade 5 (reflecting the 2018 Science SOL's lab-and-investigation emphasis), and permits a basic 4-function calculator for select items. The 2024-25 statewide Science pass rate was 68%. Two highest-leverage parent moves: (1) make the periodic table visible on a wall at home for two months before April — it's the single highest-leverage Physical Science content — and (2) practice cluster question sets specifically using VDOE's free released items, because the read-stimulus-once-then-answer-all-items strategy is the difference between finishing in time and running out.
Practice cluster question sets specifically. Grade 8 SOL Science uses cluster sets more heavily than Grade 5 — one stimulus followed by multiple items. Practice reading the stimulus once carefully (note diagrams, data, lab steps), then answering all the questions before moving on. Many eighth-graders waste time re-reading the stimulus for each question.
The periodic table is the single highest-leverage Physical Science content. Drill the organization: groups (columns) share similar properties, periods (rows) increase by one electron shell, metals vs. nonmetals vs. metalloids, common elements (H, He, C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br, Ag, Au). A printed periodic table on the wall for two months before April lifts Physical Science items measurably.
Drill Newton's three laws with real-world examples. Newton's First Law (inertia — an object at rest stays at rest, an object in motion stays in motion), Second Law (F = ma), and Third Law (action-reaction pairs) are reliably tested. Practice identifying which law applies to a given scenario (a car braking suddenly = First Law inertia; a rocket launching = Third Law action-reaction).
Don't ignore the rolled-in Grade 6 and Grade 7 content. Earth science (plate tectonics, the rock cycle, weather, the solar system) and Life Science (cellular processes, DNA, classification, ecosystems, human body systems) together account for ~44% of the test. Re-review your child's Grade 6 and 7 science notebooks or use the 2018 Science SOL standards (free at doe.virginia.gov) as a checklist.
Use VDOE's free released items at doe.virginia.gov. Cluster question sets, periodic-table hot-spot items, and lab-scenario items are the trickiest item formats and benefit most from practice. Thirty to forty minutes on the released items removes the interface friction and surfaces the exact formats your child will see.
Physical Science (PS.1-PS.10) as the primary content — properties of matter, atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical reactions, energy and energy transformations, thermal energy, sound and electromagnetic waves, light, electricity and magnetism, work/force/motion, Newton's laws. Plus Grade 6 Earth/Space science (SOL 6.1-6.6) and Grade 7 Life Science (LS.1 and on) rolled in because there are no separate SOL tests at Grades 6 or 7. Scientific Investigation is embedded across all content.
Primarily yes. The formal Grade 8 course in Virginia is Physical Science (PS.1-PS.10), and the SOL test targets that discipline directly. But because Virginia doesn't have separate SOL Science tests at Grades 6 or 7, the Grade 8 test also rolls in Grade 6 Earth/Space science and Grade 7 Life Science content. So 'Physical Science' is the headline, with cumulative middle-school content rolled in.
About 50-55 items total: ~40-45 operational items that count toward your child's score plus ~10 field-test items. The test is fixed-form (not computer-adaptive), so all eighth-graders at the same school see the same items. Cluster question sets are common — one stimulus followed by multiple items.
Primarily PS.1-PS.10 (Physical Science): PS.1 (scientific investigation), PS.2 (atomic structure and matter), PS.3 (periodic table), PS.4 (energy), PS.5 (energy transformations), PS.6 (electricity and magnetism), PS.7 (waves), PS.8 (sound and light), PS.9 (work, force, motion), PS.10 (Newton's laws). Plus SOL 6.1-6.6 (Grade 6 Earth/Space) and LS.1 and on (Grade 7 Life Science) rolled in.
Yes — because Virginia doesn't have separate SOL Science tests at Grades 6 or 7. Grade 6 Earth/Space science material (SOL 6.1-6.6 — Earth's structure, plate tectonics, the rock cycle, weather, oceans, the solar system) and Grade 7 Life Science material (LS.1 and on — cellular processes, DNA, classification, ecosystems, human body systems) are rolled into the Grade 8 SOL Science test. But the Physical Science content (PS.1-PS.10) is still the heaviest weight.
Yes — more heavily than at Grade 5. A cluster set presents one stimulus (a passage, a lab scenario, a diagram, a data table) followed by multiple independently-scored items about the same stimulus. The 2018 Science SOL emphasizes lab-and-investigation reasoning, and cluster sets are the test's primary tool for assessing that. Practice on VDOE's free released items so your child knows the format.
The reporting category covering SOL 6.1, LS.1, and PS.1 — scientific reasoning, planning and conducting investigations, lab tools (triple-beam balance, electronic balance, thermometer, metric ruler, graduated cylinder, probeware), models and simulations, sources of experimental error, independent vs. dependent variables, constants, repeated trials, data tables, graphical representation, valid conclusions. About 22% of the test, ~10 items.
The heaviest Grade 8 reporting category — ~33% of the test, ~15 items. Covers atoms/elements/compounds, the periodic table and its organization (groups, periods, metals/nonmetals/metalloids), chemical changes and reactions, energy forms and transformations, thermal energy transfer (conduction, convection, radiation), temperature scales (Celsius, Fahrenheit, Kelvin), sound waves and transverse waves, light and the electromagnetic spectrum, work/force/motion, Newton's three laws.
A basic 4-function calculator is permitted for select items (provided on the test interface). Most items don't require calculation — the focus is on conceptual understanding of physical science content. The handful of items that involve arithmetic (force = mass × acceleration, density = mass/volume, wave speed = frequency × wavelength) can be done by hand or with the provided calc.
A scaled score of 400 — Pass/Proficient. SOL uses a 0-600 scale with four performance levels: Fail/Below Basic, Fail/Basic, Pass/Proficient (400-499), and Pass/Advanced (500-600). The 2024-25 statewide Science pass rate (Grades 5 and 8 combined) was 68%.
Same SOL test, different grades and subjects. Pick the page that matches your child's situation.
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