Here are free Primary 3 Basic Science first term exam questions and answers for teachers, parents and pupils. The questions follow the NERDC first term scheme of work, and the answers are at the bottom of this page.

Use the paper for revision at home, a class test or your end-of-term examination. You may copy it for your own class.

Primary 3 Basic Science First Term Examination

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes  |  Total: 60 marks

Section A: Objective Questions (20 marks)

Choose the correct answer from the options A to D. Each question carries ½ mark.

1. Finding out how long something is, is called measuring ____.

(A) length    (B) mass    (C) time    (D) colour

2. Which of these is a traditional way of measuring length?

(A) ruler    (B) handspan    (C) tape measure    (D) metre rule

3. Measuring length by walking heel to toe is called ____.

(A) handspan    (B) arm’s length    (C) weighing    (D) footstep

4. The handspans of two different people are usually ____.

(A) always the same    (B) not the same    (C) made of wood    (D) measured in kilograms

5. We measure length so that we can know ____.

(A) how heavy things are    (B) what time it is    (C) what colour things are    (D) how long things are

6. The standard unit for measuring length is the ____.

(A) kilogram    (B) hour    (C) metre    (D) litre

7. 100 centimetres make ____.

(A) 1 metre    (B) 1 kilogram    (C) 1 hour    (D) 1 litre

8. The best instrument for measuring the length of a book is a ____.

(A) weighing scale    (B) clock    (C) ruler    (D) calendar

9. A tailor measures cloth with a ____.

(A) tape measure    (B) clock    (C) thermometer    (D) weighing scale

10. The short form of centimetre is ____.

(A) kg    (B) cm    (C) m    (D) g

11. Mass is the amount of ____ in an object.

(A) matter (stuff)    (B) water only    (C) air only    (D) colour

12. Which is heavier?

(A) a feather    (B) a leaf    (C) a piece of paper    (D) a bag of rice

13. In the market, garri is often measured with a ____.

(A) cup    (B) ruler    (C) clock    (D) thermometer

14. When you carry a stone from Lagos to Abuja, its mass ____.

(A) becomes zero    (B) doubles    (C) stays the same    (D) disappears

15. Weight is the pull of the ____ on an object.

(A) earth (gravity)    (B) moon    (C) wind    (D) sun

16. The standard unit for measuring mass is the ____.

(A) metre    (B) kilogram    (C) hour    (D) centimetre

17. 1 kilogram = ____ grams.

(A) 100    (B) 10    (C) 60    (D) 1,000

18. We use a ____ to measure mass.

(A) ruler    (B) weighing scale    (C) clock    (D) tape measure

19. The short form of gram is ____.

(A) kg    (B) m    (C) cm    (D) g

20. Rice is sold in bags of 50 ____.

(A) kilograms    (B) metres    (C) hours    (D) centimetres

21. Time tells us ____.

(A) when things happen and how long they last    (B) how heavy things are    (C) how long a table is    (D) the colour of things

22. Long ago, people knew it was morning when the ____ crowed.

(A) goat    (B) cock    (C) dog    (D) cat

23. When the sun is right above our heads, it is ____.

(A) midnight    (B) early morning    (C) noon (midday)    (D) late evening

24. Our shadows are longest in the ____.

(A) afternoon    (B) early morning    (C) middle of the day    (D) noon

25. We measure time so that we can ____.

(A) do things at the right time    (B) grow taller    (C) make food sweet    (D) change the weather

26. The instrument we use to tell the time is a ____.

(A) ruler    (B) weighing scale    (C) tape measure    (D) clock

27. A calendar shows us the ____.

(A) weight of things    (B) length of things    (C) days, weeks and months    (D) temperature

28. 60 minutes make ____.

(A) 1 day    (B) 1 week    (C) 1 hour    (D) 1 second

29. 7 days make ____.

(A) 1 week    (B) 1 month    (C) 1 year    (D) 1 hour

30. 12 months make ____.

(A) 1 week    (B) 1 day    (C) 1 month    (D) 1 year

31. When the long hand is on 12 and the short hand is on 3, the time is ____.

(A) 12 o’clock    (B) half past 3    (C) 3 o’clock    (D) half past 12

32. When the long hand points to 6, the time is ____.

(A) o’clock    (B) quarter past    (C) half past    (D) quarter to

33. How many days are there in a week?

(A) 5    (B) 10    (C) 12    (D) 7

34. The first month of the year is ____.

(A) December    (B) March    (C) January    (D) June

35. The two main seasons in Nigeria are ____.

(A) summer and winter    (B) rainy and dry seasons    (C) spring and autumn    (D) snow and ice

36. The loose top layer of the earth where plants grow is called ____.

(A) rock    (B) soil    (C) water    (D) air

37. Soil comes from broken-down ____.

(A) plastics    (B) rocks    (C) clothes    (D) metals

38. Plants get water and food from the ____.

(A) sky    (B) clouds    (C) soil    (D) wind

39. Which of these is a colour of soil?

(A) blue    (B) green    (C) purple    (D) red

40. Soil is important because ____.

(A) it makes noise    (B) it gives light    (C) it tells the time    (D) plants grow in it

Section B: Theory Questions (40 marks)

Answer any FOUR questions. Each question carries 10 marks.

1. (a) Name THREE traditional ways of measuring length. [5 marks]

(b) Name TWO standard units of length and TWO instruments for measuring length. [5 marks]

2. (a) What is mass? Name TWO instruments for measuring mass. [5 marks]

(b) Give ONE difference between mass and weight, and the standard unit of mass. [5 marks]

3. (a) Name THREE traditional ways people used to tell the time. [5 marks]

(b) Complete: (i) 60 seconds = 1 ___ (ii) 60 minutes = 1 ___ (iii) 24 hours = 1 ___ (iv) 7 days = 1 ___ (v) 12 months = 1 ___ [5 marks]

4. (a) Draw a clock face showing 9 o’clock. [5 marks]

(b) Write the days of the week in order, starting from Sunday. [5 marks]

5. (a) What is soil? (b) Where does soil come from? (c) State THREE uses of soil. (d) Name TWO colours of soil. [10 marks]

6. Write the twelve months of the year in order. [10 marks]

Answer Key

Section A

1. A	2. B	3. D	4. B	5. D	6. C	7. A	8. C	9. A	10. B
11. A	12. D	13. A	14. C	15. A	16. B	17. D	18. B	19. D	20. A
21. A	22. B	23. C	24. B	25. A	26. D	27. C	28. C	29. A	30. D
31. C	32. C	33. D	34. C	35. B	36. B	37. B	38. C	39. D	40. D

Give ½ mark for each correct answer (20 marks).

Section B: Marking Guide

Question 1(a) [5 marks]

• Handspan, footstep, arm’s length (accept cubit, pace) (5 marks shared)

Question 1(b) [5 marks]

• Units: centimetre, metre (accept kilometre) (2.5)
• Instruments: ruler, tape measure, metre rule (any two) (2.5)

Question 2(a) [5 marks]

• Mass is the amount of matter in an object (2)
• Any two: weighing scale, balance, kitchen scale (3)

Question 2(b) [5 marks]

• Mass is the amount of matter and does not change; weight is the pull of the earth on an object and can change (3)
• Kilogram (kg) (2)

Question 3(a) [5 marks]

• Cock crow, position of the sun, length of shadows (accept call to prayer, moon) (5 marks shared)

Question 3(b) [5 marks]

• (i) minute (ii) hour (iii) day (iv) week (v) year (1 mark each)

Question 4(a) [5 marks]

• Clock face with numbers 1 to 12 (2)
• Long hand on 12 (1.5)
• Short hand on 9 (1.5)

Question 4(b) [5 marks]

• Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday (5 marks for all seven in order)

Question 5 [10 marks]

• (a) The loose top layer of the earth where plants grow (2)
• (b) From rocks that break down over a long time (3)
• (c) Any three: plants grow in it; for farming; for building houses; for making pots; animals live in it (3)
• (d) Any two: red, black, brown, grey (2)

Question 6 [10 marks]

• January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December (10 marks; deduct 1 for each month missing or out of order)

Accept other correct answers written in the pupil’s own words.

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