Science - Science Sparks Success
Why is Science Essential Today?
In an era shaped by innovation, climate change, medical breakthroughs, and the race to explore space, science is a powerful way of understanding, explaining, and improving the world around us. Whether it’s the technology behind satellites and rockets, the vaccines that save lives, or the smart devices we use daily, science fuels the progress we see and experience every day. As global challenges become more complex and urgent, science equips students with the skills to think critically, solve problems, and make thoughtful, informed decisions. These are not just academic skills—they are life skills that shape the engineers, astronauts, doctors, researchers, and changemakers of tomorrow.
That’s where ICAS Science comes in. This internationally recognised assessment encourages students from Years 2 to 12 to explore scientific concepts, apply logical reasoning, and engage with real-world scenarios. More than just a competition, ICAS Science provides a foundation for future pathways in medicine, engineering, environmental science, technology, and beyond. It nurtures a lifelong love of learning and empowers students to see science not just as a subject—but as a tool for change.
What Skills Are Tested in ICAS Science ?
Observing & Measuring
Interpreting Data
Predicting & Concluding
Investigating Students
Reasoning & Problem Solving
- The primary school level papers of ICAS Science exams challenge and extend high-achieving school students while reinforcing key science skills. Students read a variety of questions on different knowledge areas involving real-life scientific stimulus materials. ICAS Science exams are based on the common skills for curriculums in Australia, New Zealand, and other countries where the competition is run. They're crafted to be an enjoyable enrichment experience. Below are some examples of topics that may be explored in ICAS Science assessments.
- The Introductory paper for the Science competition, created for students in the equivalent of Year 2, explores concepts such as light and shadow, properties of different materials, life cycles of plants and animals, and movement of objects in simple situations. Questions in the Science test may require students to identify features of different seasons, compare the levels of liquids in different containers, draw conclusions based on simple graphs such as the growth of a child, or investigate the formation of shadows.
- ICAS Science tests more sophisticated skills as school students progress through the years. For example, in Science assessment Paper A (Year 3), students may be asked to determine how weather affects different regions, examine differences between living and non-living things, or select the most efficient machinery to achieve an outcome. Science assessment Papers B and C (Year 4 and Year 5) explore topics such as cloud patterns, food webs, recycling, the production and use of sounds, simple electrical circuits and the function of experimental controls.
- Finally, in Paper D (Year 6) of our Science competition, questions may require students to conduct fossil dating, distinguish between physical and chemical changes, investigate the resources needed for the survival of living things, determine the impact of pollution, or examine ranges of radio frequencies.
- The high school level papers of ICAS Science assessments challenge and extend high-achieving school students while nurturing the scientific skills required in studying Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Earth and Environmental Science. Students read a variety of questions on different knowledge areas involving real-life scientific stimulus materials. ICAS Science test papers are each designed according to the respective stage of the national Australian curriculum and are crafted to be an enjoyable enrichment experience. Below are some examples of topics that may be explored in ICAS Science Assessments.
- Science exam Papers E and F, for students in the equivalent of Year 7 and Year 8, assess advanced content on topics such as electrical circuits, forces and chemical processes, as well as new areas such as the particle model of matter, ecosystem interactions and transformation of energy. For example, questions may require students to identify landforms from contour maps, investigate advantages and disadvantages of renewable and non-renewable energy, identify different parts of the cell or calculate speed and acceleration from given formulas.
- Science test Papers G and H (Years 9 and 10) set the foundation for the final years of schooling by challenging and extending students on a range of scientific topics. Students may be asked to generate hypotheses about weather, recognise problems associated with extraterrestrial investigations, apply scientific writing principles to experimental reports, understand random sampling methods in biology, or identify the effects of electric currents on humans.
- Finally, Science competition Papers I and J (Years 11 and 12) similarly prepare senior school students for their final years of schooling in STEM subjects in a fun and challenging way, especially for students studying Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Earth and Environmental Science. Questions may require students to examine evidence relating to the formation of the universe, differentiate between accuracy and precision, use the law of constant proportion and the law of conservation, examine the ethics of using living subjects in experiments or measure macroscopic energy changes such as earthquakes and explosions. While senior high school students often set aside some of their previous extracurricular activities, ICAS Science exams provide valuable assessment experience and performance insights in the various popular STEM subjects.
