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General Science

15 questions · 10 minutes

What's covered

Roughly a third life science, a third earth and space science, and a third physical science (physics and chemistry). Questions are broad and shallow — recall, not calculation.

Life science

Cell parts: nucleus holds DNA, mitochondria make ATP, chloroplasts do photosynthesis, ribosomes build proteins. Body systems: circulatory (heart, blood vessels), respiratory (lungs), skeletal (206 bones, femur is longest), nervous, digestive. Genetics basics: dominant vs. recessive, DNA vs. RNA. Ecology: producers, consumers, decomposers, food chains.

Earth and space

Rock cycle: igneous from cooled magma, sedimentary from compressed layers, metamorphic from heat and pressure. Atmosphere from the ground up: troposphere, stratosphere (holds the ozone layer), mesosphere, thermosphere. Planets in order from the sun. Tides come from the moon; seasons come from Earth's axial tilt, not distance from the sun.

Physics

Newton's laws. F = ma. Work = force × distance. Energy is conserved. Units: newton (force), joule (energy), watt (power), pascal (pressure), hertz (frequency). Sound needs a medium; light does not.

Chemistry

Atoms: protons and neutrons in the nucleus, electrons in shells. Atomic number = protons. The periodic table groups elements with matching valence electrons into columns. pH runs 0–14 with 7 neutral. Physical change keeps the same substance; chemical change makes a new one.

How to study this one

GS rewards breadth. Flashcards are more efficient than deep reading — you want fast recall of many small facts, not mastery of a few.

Now put it to work. Reading only gets you so far — the free practice tests drill General Science with an explanation on every question, and anything you miss goes into a study plan that teaches the method behind it.
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