Grade 3 Science SOL Practice Test — Set 3 of 6
Set 3 of 6 — 50 more free Grade 3 Science SOL practice questions from official VDOE released tests.
1. Four planets are listed with their distance from the Sun: Closest to Sun → Mercury → Venus → Earth → Mars → Farthest Which planet is probably the hottest?
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Answer: J — Mercury
2. Which of these is an inclined plane?
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Answer: D — A ramp
3. A forest area shows many burned trees with blackened trunks and ash on the ground. What natural event most likely caused this damage?
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Answer: G — A fire
4. Soil is important for plant growth because it —
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Answer: D — contains nutrients to help plants grow
5. A ball is placed in the beam of a flashlight. The ball will —
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Answer: B — create a shadow
6. A pencil is shown next to a ruler. The pencil measures about 3 centimeters long. The pencil above is about —
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Answer: G — 3 centimeters
7. Mold is often found growing on old bread. In a food chain, mold is a —
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Answer: A — decomposer
8. Skunks spray a strong-smelling liquid to —
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Answer: H — defend themselves
9. Which of these BEST describes the texture of a metal spoon?
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Answer: B — Smooth
10. When notebook paper is folded to make an airplane, what physical property of the paper changes?
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Answer: C — Shape
11. Why is it important to protect soil?
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Answer: B — It has nutrients used by plants to grow.
12. Jake’s cats eat food from a can. The cats come running into the kitchen when they hear the electric can opener. Now, each time Jake’s mother opens a can of corn, the cats come running. This is an example of —
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Answer: A — learned behavior
13. A model of a simple machine shows a long rigid pole resting on a support point, allowing the pole to move up and down around that point. Which simple machine does this model represent?
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Answer: C — Lever
14. A student is blindfolded and given several objects to feel. Which of these would be described as hard and smooth?
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Answer: D — Marble
15. Which of these will take the LONGEST time to observe?
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Answer: C — An acorn growing into an adult tree
16. Which of these is the BEST way to save animals and trees?
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Answer: C — Take care of forests
17. Students planted two types of bean seeds. Both types of bean plants are measured after two weeks. Which of these questions are they MOST likely trying to answer?
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Answer: A — Which type of bean plant grows faster?
18. The teeth of a carnivore are MOSTLY —
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Answer: A — pointed
19. A weather vane is a tool used to show —
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Answer: A — wind direction
20. Which part of a bicycle BEST moves in a circle?
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Answer: C — Foot pedal
21. When it rains, some animals will —
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Answer: D — move to seek shelter
22. Having dry, hot weather for a long time can cause a —
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Answer: A — drought
23. Which of these describes water in a solid state?
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Answer: B — Hail during a storm
24. Which lists the correct order of changes that happen to a plant in spring?
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Answer: A — Buds form, flowers open, fruits grow
25. A picture showed a screw and a paper clip together. Both objects are made of metal and are attracted to magnets. Which is the BEST title for this group of objects?
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Answer: D — Magnetic Objects
26. Which of these is made from a plant?
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Answer: A — Cotton shirt
27. Students used thermometers to compare temperatures around their school. Which of these is MOST likely the reason it was cooler under a tree than on the playground?
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Answer: C — Tree leaves blocked some of the sunlight.
28. Which of these trees stays green all year?
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Answer: A — Pine tree
29. Which of these can make a shadow on the ground during the day?
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Answer: D — Cloud
30. People can help keep a forest a good place for birds to live by —
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Answer: D — preventing too many trees from being cut down
31. Substances were mixed with water. Which of these can be dissolved in water?
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Answer: B — Baking soda
32. Based on the picture of a dog, an observation can be made that this animal —
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Answer: D — has spots
33. A picture showed a cliff before and after boulders broke away, with no additional description. Which of these may have caused the boulders to break away from the cliff?
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Answer: A — Weathering
34. A company plants trees on a bare hillside. Which of these is the BEST reason for planting the trees?
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Answer: B — The trees prevent soil from washing away.
35. A simple machine makes work easier because using it —
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Answer: A — takes less force to move something heavy
36. Which of the following weather conditions would make you put on a heavy, warm coat and gloves?
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Answer: B — Cold and snowy
37. Which piece of playground equipment is made for circular motion?
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Answer: B — Merry-go-round
38. Bobby put his balloon near a window. After about one hour, the balloon became larger. Which of these probably caused the balloon to become larger?
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Answer: F — Heat from the sun
39. Which of these will look most like its parent when it hatches from an egg?
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Answer: H — A snake
40. What can we do to reduce air pollution?
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Answer: B — Drive cars less often
41. A small amount of oil is dropped into a jar of water. What will happen?
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Answer: B — The oil will rise to the top of the water
42. A pond scene shows a lily pad floating on the surface of the water. Below the lily pad is a fish swimming underwater. Which animal is below the lily pad?
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Answer: J — Fish
43. Which of these is a herbivore?
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Answer: B — A cow that eats grass
44. A clock shows the start time of an experiment at 12:00 P.M. and the stop time when the ice is completely melted at 1:10 P.M. At what time did the ice melt?
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Answer: G — 1:10 P.M.
45. A picture shows a snake measured against a ruler. The snake is approximately 3 inches long. About how long is this snake in inches?
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Answer: B — 3 inches
46. Which of the following is being used to hold a door open?
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Answer: A — A wedge
47. Bobby has a pet lizard that eats insects. Which of these does not need to be in the lizard’s cage?
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Answer: G — Plants
48. A piece of metal is probably a magnet if it —
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Answer: A — can pull some metals to it
49. A dry riverbed is shown with no water flowing. What part of the water cycle is needed for the river to run?
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Answer: H — Precipitation
50. Two groups of animals are shown. Animals in group A have hard shells, while animals in group B do not. The animals in box A are different from the animals in box B because the animals in box A —
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Answer: C — have a hard shell
Grade 3 Science SOL practice test — FAQ
Are these Grade 3 Science SOL practice questions free?
Yes — this Grade 3 Science SOL practice test is completely free with no signup. Answer each question to check it instantly, or open "Show answer" to review.
How many Grade 3 Science SOL practice questions are there?
Across all sets, there are 267 Grade 3 Science practice questions drawn from official Virginia Department of Education released SOL tests. This set has 50.
Are these real Virginia SOL questions?
The questions are adapted from official VDOE released SOL tests for Grade 3 Science. SOL Prep is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Virginia Department of Education.
Practice items adapted from Virginia Department of Education released SOL tests. Practice items are provided for study purposes and are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Virginia Department of Education.