New Curriculum First term Basic Science and Technology examination for Primary 4

Class: Primary 4
Term: First Term
Subject: Basic Science and Technology
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Marks: 70

SECTION A: OBJECTIVES (40 Marks)
Instruction: Answer all questions. Each question carries 1 mark.

1. Which change is temporary and reversible? (a) Melting ice into water    (b) Cooking an egg    (c) Rusting an iron nail    (d) Burning a piece of paper
2. Which observation is evidence of a permanent change? (a) Water freezes into ice    (b) Wax melts when warmed    (c) An elastic band is stretched    (d) Ash remains after paper burns
3. When water freezes and later melts, it shows that ________. (a) water cannot change state    (b) ice is a new substance    (c) some changes can be reversed    (d) all changes are permanent
4. Which simple experiment best demonstrates an irreversible change? (a) Burning a small piece of paper under adult supervision    (b) Freezing water in a cup    (c) Dissolving sugar in water    (d) Bending a flexible spring
5. The appearance of flowers on a growing plant is an example of ________. (a) permanent damage    (b) developmental change    (c) condensation    (d) freezing
6. Which stage of a fruit tree commonly follows flowering? (a) Seed planting    (b) Leaf fall    (c) Fruiting    (d) Seed germination
7. An important way to study plant development over time is to ________. (a) observe and record changes regularly    (b) measure a leaf only once    (c) compare the plant with a stone    (d) remove all leaves before observing
8. A young animal increasing in height and mass is showing ________. (a) freezing    (b) evaporation    (c) growth    (d) condensation
9. Which sequence correctly shows a butterfly’s life cycle? (a) Pupa → egg → adult → larva    (b) Egg → larva → pupa → adult    (c) Egg → adult → larva → pupa    (d) Larva → adult → egg → pupa
10. A tadpole developing into a frog shows ________. (a) changes during an animal’s life cycle    (b) the melting of ice    (c) reversible freezing    (d) evaporation from water
11. Which property is expected of pure water at room temperature? (a) It always appears blue in a cup    (b) It naturally has a strong odour    (c) It is colourless and transparent    (d) It is always in solid form
12. Water in the form of ice is in the ________ state. (a) gaseous    (b) solid    (c) liquid    (d) vapour-only
13. Heating a shallow dish of water causes some water to change into ________. (a) water vapour    (b) freshly frozen water    (c) solid droplets    (d) ice crystals
14. Droplets forming on the outside of a cold cup show ________. (a) melting    (b) condensation    (c) freezing    (d) evaporation
15. Which process turns liquid water into ice? (a) Evaporation    (b) Condensation    (c) Melting    (d) Freezing
16. The change of water vapour into liquid droplets is called ________. (a) condensation    (b) melting    (c) evaporation    (d) boiling
17. In the water cycle, the sun mainly provides energy for ________. (a) precipitation    (b) cloud movement    (c) freezing    (d) evaporation
18. Rainfall occurs when water droplets in clouds ________. (a) become completely invisible    (b) immediately turn into ice on the ground    (c) grow large enough to fall    (d) stop being affected by gravity
19. Which sequence best describes part of the water cycle? (a) Freezing → combustion → evaporation    (b) Evaporation → condensation → rainfall    (c) Condensation → melting → combustion    (d) Rainfall → freezing → burning
20. A pupil records that a wet cloth dries faster in sunshine. The change is mainly due to ________. (a) permanent destruction of the cloth    (b) freezing of the water    (c) condensation on the cloth    (d) evaporation of water
21. When candle wax melts and later becomes solid again, the change is ________. (a) a growth change    (b) reversible    (c) permanent    (d) a life-cycle stage
22. Which change is most difficult to reverse? (a) Freezing drinking water    (b) Melting ice cubes    (c) Burning a piece of paper    (d) Evaporating water
23. A pupil leaves a metal spoon in warm water. Which observation shows a change in temperature rather than in the spoon’s material? (a) The spoon produces a root    (b) The spoon grows new leaves    (c) The spoon changes into a seed    (d) The spoon becomes warmer
24. The main difference between melting and freezing is that melting changes ________. (a) solid to liquid    (b) vapour to liquid    (c) liquid to vapour    (d) liquid to solid
25. A young seedling developing its first leaves demonstrates ________. (a) water condensation    (b) rock formation    (c) plant growth    (d) metal corrosion
26. What should be recorded to compare the growth of two seedlings? (a) Only the day of planting    (b) Their heights at regular intervals    (c) The price of the seeds alone    (d) Only the colours of the flowerpots
27. After pollination and fertilisation, a flower may develop into a ________. (a) stem    (b) leaf    (c) root    (d) fruit
28. Which change is part of the normal development of a butterfly? (a) Adult becoming an egg directly    (b) Pupa becoming a seed    (c) Caterpillar becoming a pupa    (d) Egg becoming a flower
29. Which stage of a frog’s development lives in water and has a tail? (a) Caterpillar    (b) Tadpole    (c) Egg-bearing bird    (d) Adult frog
30. A puppy becoming a larger adult dog is an example of ________. (a) growth    (b) evaporation    (c) condensation    (d) freezing
31. Which property makes clean water suitable for observing objects through it? (a) Sweet taste    (b) Transparency    (c) Solid shape    (d) Strong smell
32. Water vapour is water in its ________. (a) frozen state    (b) solid state    (c) liquid state    (d) gaseous state
33. The small droplets on a covered cooking pot form when vapour ________. (a) freezes into rock    (b) changes to smoke    (c) cools and condenses    (d) turns into soil
34. When a puddle dries after sunshine, the water has mainly ________. (a) evaporated into the air    (b) changed into a living thing    (c) become a permanent solid    (d) frozen below the ground
35. Which condition is likely to make washing dry more quickly? (a) A sealed wet bag    (b) A warm, breezy afternoon    (c) A cold, damp room    (d) A shaded, still cupboard
36. Clouds form when water vapour in the atmosphere ________. (a) becomes plant roots    (b) turns into rock fragments    (c) changes directly into sand    (d) condenses into tiny droplets
37. In the water cycle, rain transfers water mainly from ________. (a) clouds to the Earth’s surface    (b) rocks to the sky directly    (c) rivers to plants only    (d) soil to sunlight
38. Which process returns liquid water to the atmosphere as vapour? (a) Precipitation    (b) Freezing    (c) Condensation    (d) Evaporation
39. A learner observes drops on a cold bottle. The drops mainly come from ________. (a) liquid leaking through the bottle    (b) ice forming inside the plastic    (c) water vapour in surrounding air    (d) the bottle producing new water
40. Which observation distinguishes growth from a temporary physical change? (a) A wet cloth dries in sunlight    (b) Ice melts at room temperature    (c) Water changes to steam    (d) A plant permanently increases in size

SECTION B: THEORY / PRACTICAL (30 Marks)
Instruction: Answer Question 1 and any other TWO questions. Each question carries 10 marks.

1. Changes in nature
(a) What is a reversible change? (2 marks)
(b) Give two examples of reversible changes and explain why each can be reversed. (4 marks)
(c) Compare two permanent changes with two temporary changes. (4 marks)

2. Development in living things
(a) State one developmental change in a flowering plant. (2 marks)
(b) Describe two observable stages of plant development. (4 marks)
(c) List four stages in the life cycle of a butterfly in their correct order. (4 marks)

3. Water and its states
(a) List two states in which water can exist. (2 marks)
(b) Explain evaporation and condensation with a daily-life example for each. (4 marks)
(c) Describe freezing and melting, giving an example of each. (4 marks)

4. Water cycle
(a) What is the water cycle? (2 marks)
(b) Describe two processes that occur before rain falls. (4 marks)
(c) Outline four stages of the water cycle in their correct sequence. (4 marks)

Objective Marking Scheme
Question 1 – ✅ (a) Melting ice into water
Question 2 – ✅ (d) Ash remains after paper burns
Question 3 – ✅ (c) some changes can be reversed
Question 4 – ✅ (a) Burning a small piece of paper under adult supervision
Question 5 – ✅ (b) developmental change
Question 6 – ✅ (c) Fruiting
Question 7 – ✅ (a) observe and record changes regularly
Question 8 – ✅ (c) growth
Question 9 – ✅ (b) Egg → larva → pupa → adult
Question 10 – ✅ (a) changes during an animal’s life cycle
Question 11 – ✅ (c) It is colourless and transparent
Question 12 – ✅ (b) solid
Question 13 – ✅ (a) water vapour
Question 14 – ✅ (b) condensation
Question 15 – ✅ (d) Freezing
Question 16 – ✅ (a) condensation
Question 17 – ✅ (d) evaporation
Question 18 – ✅ (c) grow large enough to fall
Question 19 – ✅ (b) Evaporation → condensation → rainfall
Question 20 – ✅ (d) evaporation of water
Question 21 – ✅ (b) reversible
Question 22 – ✅ (c) Burning a piece of paper
Question 23 – ✅ (d) The spoon becomes warmer
Question 24 – ✅ (a) solid to liquid
Question 25 – ✅ (c) plant growth
Question 26 – ✅ (b) Their heights at regular intervals
Question 27 – ✅ (d) fruit
Question 28 – ✅ (c) Caterpillar becoming a pupa
Question 29 – ✅ (b) Tadpole
Question 30 – ✅ (a) growth
Question 31 – ✅ (b) Transparency
Question 32 – ✅ (d) gaseous state
Question 33 – ✅ (c) cools and condenses
Question 34 – ✅ (a) evaporated into the air
Question 35 – ✅ (b) A warm, breezy afternoon
Question 36 – ✅ (d) condenses into tiny droplets
Question 37 – ✅ (a) clouds to the Earth’s surface
Question 38 – ✅ (d) Evaporation
Question 39 – ✅ (c) water vapour in surrounding air
Question 40 – ✅ (d) A plant permanently increases in size

Theory Marking Scheme
Question 1:
(a) A change that can be undone. (2 marks)
(b) Melting ice and freezing water; folding and unfolding flexible material. (4 marks)
(c) Permanent: burning paper and rusting; temporary: melting and freezing. (4 marks)

Question 2:
(a) A plant develops flowers, leaves or fruits. (2 marks)
(b) Flowering and fruiting are observable changes. (4 marks)
(c) Egg, larva, pupa and adult butterfly, in order. (4 marks)

Question 3:
(a) Any two of solid ice, liquid water, water vapour. (2 marks)
(b) Evaporation: liquid to gas; condensation: gas to liquid. (4 marks)
(c) Freezing: water to ice; melting: ice to liquid water. (4 marks)

Question 4:
(a) Continuous movement of water in nature. (2 marks)
(b) Evaporation and condensation precede rainfall. (4 marks)
(c) Evaporation, condensation, cloud formation and precipitation. (4 marks)

Mark correct equivalent answers, explanations and labelled work within the taught syllabus.