The GHSGT Science Section

All about the GHSGT Science Section

Science is an important and compulsory section of the GHSGT examination. It is available in three different versions, based on the curricula followed by different high schools of Georgia; the versions being, the GPS version (Georgia Performance Standards version), the QCC version (Quality Core Curriculum version), and the Transitional version (syllabus pertaining to the transition of the old QCC version to the new GPS version).

The official Student Guide and the Content Description resources pertaining to this section (http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/GHSGT.aspx) are, particularly, of immense help, in gaining information and understanding the different aspects of the this section.

GHSGT Science Content Areas

The content areas of the Science section vary for the different versions of this examination. This can be observed as follows:

GPS Version

This version of the test consists of 5 content areas, namely:

    • Cells and Heredity- This topic that covers 26% of the question paper, tests the student’s knowledge of Cellular Biology.
    • Ecology and Biodiversity- This topic constitutes 17% of the question paper, and tests the student’s knowledge of Human Biology, in the context of environment.
    • Structure and Properties of Matter- This section, comprising 14% of the test paper, tests the student’s know-how of Atomic Science.
    • Energy Transformations- Questions from this topic comprise 17% of the question paper, and test the students’ high school level energy concepts.
  • Forces, Waves and Electricity- Questions from this category of the test, cover 26% of the question paper, and assess the examinees’ high-school level Physics knowledge.

QCC Version

This version of the exam also consists of 5 content areas, which are as follows:

  • Cells and Heredity constituting 25% of the question paper
  • Ecology comprising 17% of the question paper
  • Structure and Properties of Matter contributing to 26% of the test paper
  • Energy Transformations comprising 16% of the test paper
  • Forces, Waves and Electricity contributing to 16% of the test paper

Hence, we can observe that though the content areas remain the same for both the versions of the tests, their constituent percentages vary in the individual tests.

Test Format for Science

Question Types- Both the GPS and the QCC versions of the exam consist of questions of the objective pattern, with each question having 4 multiple-choice answering options to select the most appropriate answer from.
Number of Questions- Both the GPS and QCC versions of this test consist of 70-80 questions each.
Test Duration- The QCC and GPS versions of the tests are timed 90 minutes each. However, a candidate appearing for the GPS version of this examination gets a maximum of 3 hours for completing this test, whereas the one appearing for the QCC version of this test gets a maximum of 3 hours 10 minutes for completing this examination.

Scores

The scoring system for this part of the examination will depend upon the version of the test taken.

GPS Version Score Interpretation

  • Below Proficiency- a scaled score of below 20
  • Basic Proficiency- a scaled score of 200-234
  • Advanced Proficiency- a scaled score of 235-274
  • Honors- a scaled score of more than 275 and above

QCC and Transitional Versions

  • Students are awarded scaled scores in the range of 100-600.
  • The passing score for this examination is 500-530.
  • The Pass Plus score for this content area is 531 or higher.

When to Take the GHSGT Science Test?

The test is to be ideally taken by 11th graders in their 11th grade Spring session. Those who do not qualify in the first attempt have the option to retake this examination 5 times between the Spring of the 11th grade and Summer of the 12th grade.

Conclusion

One should follow good test-taking strategies in order to perform well in this part of the overall test, as good test-taking strategies play a vital role in determining the performance of a student in this examination. Hence, a few of these strategies can be: attempting all questions, as there is no negative marking; selecting answers by elimination of answer choices; and not wasting too much time on difficult questions, as all questions carry equal marks.

Further information about this section can be obtained from the official website of this examination (http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/GHSGT.aspx).