EmSAT Achieve Biologyemsat.moe.gov.ae/emsat/doc/Achieve_Biology_Public... · evolution to determine...

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EmSAT Achieve Biology Public Test Specification

Test Description: The EmSAT Biology Achieve is computer-based test that measures the proficiency

level of grade 12 students in Biology and determines their readiness for college. EmSAT Biology

Achieve has four major sections: (1) From molecules to living organisms - Structure and function; (2)

Heredity and genetic technology; (3) Evolution and Diversity of Life; (4) Ecology - Interdependence,

energy, and dynamics. Test sections, questions, and options are randomized and timed by the

computer. Test takers can see how much time they have throughout the test.

Test Duration: 90 minutes

Questions: 80 questions

Content Areas:

(1) From molecules to living organisms: Structure and function (2) Heredity and genetic technology (3) Evolution and Diversity of Life (4) Ecology: Interdependence, energy, and dynamics

Task Types: Multiple Choice

EmSAT Achieve Biology

Score Score Descriptors

1500+ High Proficiency: students at this level are well-prepared for biology courses at the university level.

1100-1475 Proficient: students at this level are at a satisfactory level of preparation to begin first-year biology courses at the university level.

900-1075 Borderline Proficient: students at this level are minimally prepared for first-year biology courses at the university level.

700-875 Basic: students at this level do not have sufficient mastery of prerequisite knowledge for first-year courses in biology at the university level, and may need some additional support.

500-675 Needs Improvement: students at this level need additional instructional support in basic biological concepts and skills before beginning any first-year biology courses.

˂ 500 Little knowledge of general biology: students at this level need intensive instructional support in basic biological concepts and skills.



Appendix 1: Content Areas

Below are the major sections and related content specifications that grade 12 students should be able

to demonstrate to meet the expectations of this test.

Section 1: From molecules to living organisms: Structure, function, and behavior

This section includes the chemistry of life as well as living organisms’ organization and development.

The chemistry of life focuses on the importance of biological macromolecules in the body and the

properties of water that allow life to exist on earth, as well as the role of enzymes in chemical

reactions carried out in living organisms. It also focuses on the major cellular processes of breaking

energy (photosynthesis and cellular respiration) and energy transformation.

Living organisms’ organization and development focuses of the role of the cell in different living

organisms emphasizing on cellular structures and their functions, as well as the use of microscopes in

cellular studies. In addition, this part focuses on major body systems and processes in living organisms.

It emphasizes the role of body systems in different living organisms with relation to the importance of

the interaction between the body systems in maintaining the internal body environment.

Content Specifications

• Distinguish between the four major categories of carbon compounds in terms of composition,

energy values, and primary functions in the body

• Relate the properties of water to its roles in living organisms

• Explain the role and effect of enzymes and other factors, such as pH and temperature, in the

chemical reactions carried out in living organisms

• Identify and summarize the major cellular processes of breaking energy-rich molecules to

obtain energy

• Demonstrate a good understanding of handling and using the light microscope for

examination purposes, and compare with electron microscope in terms of resolution,

magnification and use

• Explain the role of the cell in different living organisms and describe the cellular processes to

sustain life and maintain homeostasis

• Relate the structure of major body systems in multicellular organisms to their specific

functions and their interaction with each other to maintain homeostasis


Section 2: Heredity and genetic technology

This section includes inheritance of traits and heredity and genetic technology. Inheritance of traits

focuses on cell growth and division emphasizing on the behavior of chromosomes during different

phases and consequences of specific errors during these phases. It also encompasses gene expression

and regulation in eukaryotes and prokaryotes, genetic variations and modes of inheritance including

Mendelian and non-Mendalian genetics.

Heredity and genetic technology focuses on the importance of genetic engineering in medicine,

industry and agriculture with the emphasis on their impact on human’s life.


• Explain the importance of cell growth and division and explain possible outcomes when errors

occur during the cell cycle

• Explain transcription, post-transcriptional modifications and translation, and relate these

processes to gene expression in prokaryotes and eukaryotes

• Use the genetic code rules to read the DNA sequence, and to identify the amino acids in the

polypeptide chain

• Describe genetic variation and explain how and why it occurs with relation to the importance

of population biodiversity and stability

• Identify the role of genes in determining the phenotype and predict the probable outcomes of

offspring with reference to various modes of inheritance including dominance, codominance,

sex-linked, polygenic and multiple alleles

• Evaluate the importance of genetic engineering in medicine, industry and agriculture and its

impacts providing examples on its use in each field


Section 3: Evolution and Diversity of Life

This section includes evolution and diversity of life. Evolution focuses on theory and evidence of

evolution to determine the evolutionary relationships among different species, as well as evolutionary

processes such as natural selection and genetic drift and their consequences on the populations’

stability.

The focus of diversity of life is the classification of living organisms according to specific structural and

functional characteristics. In addition, it focuses on the importance of biodiversity, and reasons for

maintaining biodiversity emphasizing the impact of human activity on the survival of different species.


• Discuss the early concepts of evolution and investigate different evidence to determine the

evolutionary relationships among different species

• Identify the processes of microevolution and explain the mechanisms by which they function

to influence alleles’ frequencies in populations and lead to macroevolution.

• Describe how living organisms are classified, and categorize them according to specific

structural and functional characteristics

• Explain the importance of and the reasons for maintaining biodiversity, and describe the

threats that can lead to extinction including the impact of human activity


Section 4: Ecology: Interdependence, energy, and dynamics

This section includes ecological interdependence. It focuses on the different ecological concepts used

in ecology and community interactions, as well as biogeochemical cycles and energy flow with

reference to food chains and webs. Moreover, the section focuses on the effects of biotic and abiotic

factors on carrying capacity and ecosystem dynamics, including human-related activities.

Content Specification

• Distinguish between different ecological concepts (e.g. biomes, ecosystem, communities,

habitats and niches) and give examples of interactions among different organisms

• Interpret food chains and food webs in terms of interaction of organisms through different

trophic levels and flow of energy, and analyze the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on

ecosystems dynamics

• Evaluate the effect of human activities, i.e. density-dependent factors and density-

independent factors on carrying capacity and changing ecosystems dynamics



Appendix 2: Sample Items

1. Which of the following macromolecules can often be composed of C, H and O alone?

A. Carbohydrates

B. Lipids

C. Proteins

D. A and B

؟C, H, Oمن العنارص التالية: عادة الجزيئات التالية تتشكل أي من 1.

- A الكربوهيدرات

- Bالدهون

- Cوتينات البر

-D A+B

2. A student immersed a small piece of potato tissue in a 0.25 mol dm-3 sucrose solution. The tissue

shows no change in mass. Which of the following would the student probably find out when the

pieces are immersed in a 0.1-mol dm-3 sucrose solution?

A. The mass has increased because water potential of the cells has decreased.

B. The mass has decreased because water potential of the cells has increased.

C. The mass has increased because water potential of the solution has decreased.

D. The mass has decreased because water potential of the solution has increased.

ي 2. محلول السكروز. لم يحدث أي تغيبر عىل كتلة األنسجة. ما الذي من mol dm-3 0.25غمر طالب قطعة من أنسجة البطاطا ف

ي عىل األرجح عن كتلة قطعة البطاطا و سيجده الطالب غمر القطعة ف

ز؟ من محلول السكرو mol dm-3 0.1السبب عندما ت

- A ازدادت الكتلة بسبب تناقص جهد الماء للخاليا.

- B تناقصت الكتلة بسبب ازدياد جهد الماء للخاليا.

- C ازدادت الكتلة بسبب تناقص جهد الماء للمحلول.

- D تناقصت الكتلة بسبب ازدياد جهد الماء للمحلول.


3. The diagram below represents a cross section of a root. Which of the following substances do tissues

“1” and “2” in the cross section of the root carry? .

Tissue “1” Tissue “2”

A. Amino acids and sucrose Mineral ions

B. Amino acids and starch Glucose and water

C. Mineral ions Amino acids and starch

D. Glucose and water Starch and sucrose

ي لجذر. أي المواد التالية 3.ي للجذر؟ 2و" ” 1األنسجة " تنقلها الرسم التالي يوضح مقطع عرض

ي المقطع العرض " ف

"1النسيج " "2النسيج "

.A األحماض األمينية والسكروز أيونات معدنية

.B األحماض األمينية والنشا جلوكوز والماء

.C أيونات معدنية األحماض األمينية والنشا

.D جلوكوز والماء النشا والسكروز


4. The following graph represents the different phases of cell cycle in which the X-axis represent the

amount of DNA and the Y-axis represent the number of cells.

At which phase of cell cycle are the C population of cells?

A. Cytokinesis B. S phase C. G1 phase D. Interphase

ي كمية الحمض النووي الشكل 4.ويمثل المحور DNAالتالي يمثل مراحل مختلفة من دورة انقسام الخلية حيث يمثل المحور السين

الصادي عدد الخاليا.

ي أي مرحلة من دورة الخلية تكون ؟C الخاليا عند مجموعة ف - A االنقسام السيتوبالزمي - B مرحلةS

C -مرحلة G1 - D المرحلة البينية

2 1


5. The chart below shows the mRNA codons for different amino acids.

. المختلفة لألحماض األمينية mRNAالمخطط أدناه ال كدونات يشبر 5.

Given the following codon sequence.

5’ AUG UCU UAC CUG GCU CGG … UAA 3’

Which of the following can be described as base substitution causing a nonsense mutation in the

mRNA sequence below?

ي يمكن أن توصف عىل أنها أساس طفرة استبدال ي سلسلة (nonsense)إيقافيه أي من اآلت

؟ mRNAف

A. Substitution of UAC for UAU in the third codon

B. Substitution of UAC for UCC in the third codon

C. Substitution of UAC for UAA in the third codon

D. Substitution of UAC for UGC in the third codon

.A استبدالUAC لUAU ي الثالث الكدودونف

.B استبدالUAC لUCC ي الثالث الكدودونف

.C استبدالUAC لUAA ي الثالث الكدودونف

.Dاستبدال UAC لUGC ي الثالث الكدودونف


6. The following pedigree represents the inheritance of an autosomal recessive syndrome in a family.

ي ةمتنحيلصفة ةمتالزمة جسمي توارثمثل يأدناه المخطط 6. .ما عائلةف

If the affected male in generation II marries a normal female who is homozygous for the trait, what is the

possibility to have an affected child?

ي بإمراه طبيعية حتماالت إنجاب طفل مصاب؟ ، ما هي اللصفة متجانسةإذا تزوج رجل مصاب من الجيل الثات

A. 0% B. 25% C. 50% D. 100%

7. All of the following steps occur when subpopulations speciate, EXCEPT

A. natural selection divides a population into two or more, forcing them to differentiate.

B. isolated subpopulations adapt to local conditions through natural selection.

C. once the two divergent subpopulations meet again, hybrids will always occur.

D. active selection on differentiated subpopulations to become reproductively isolated.

صل عندما يتم تحديد مجموعات فرعية ، ما عدا جميع الخطوات أدناه تح 7.

-Aهم عىل االختالف ، مما يجبر .يقسم االنتقاء الطبيعي الجماعة إل قسمير أو أكبر

-B تتكيف مجموعات فرعية معزولة مع الظروف المحلية من خالل االنتقاء الطبيعي. -C مجرد التقاء مجموعتير فرعيتير متباعدتير مرة أخرى، يحدث دائما تهجير بينهم. -D االنتقاء النشط عىل .

. مجموعات فرعية مختلفة لتصبح معزولة إستنساخيا


8. Cystic fibrosis is a chronic and frequently fatal genetic disease of the body’s mucus glands. It is caused by an autosomal recessive mutation. In the European population, one out of approximately 10,000 babies is born with the disorder. What is the frequency of the cystic fibrosis allele in the European population assuming the Hardy-Weinberg conditions are met?

ي الجسم. سبب هذا المرض هو طفرة جسمية 8. ي الغدد المخاطية ف

ي مزمن وقاتل يحدث ف

مرض التليف الكيسي هو مرض وراترطفل مصاب باالضطراب. ما هو تكرار أليل التليف 10000متنحية. تشبر اإلحصائيات عن سكان أوروبا أنه يولد طفل من بير كل

ي السكان األوروبيير عىل وط هارديالكيسي ف اض أن شر غ قد تحققت؟-افب وينبر

A. 0.1 B. 0.01 C. 1.0 D. 0.00001


9. A scientist is studying the phylogeny of 4 species (species 1, 2 3, and 4). To this end, she sequenced

a fragment of DNA and she obtained the following alignment:

تيب جزء من الحمض النووي 1،2،3،4أنواع )األنواع 4تدرس عالمة ساللة من 9. (. ومن أجل تحقيق هدفها من الدراسة، قامت بب

DNA تيب ات التالية: وحصلت عىل الب

Species 1 النوع A A T C G G A Species 2 النوع C A G G T A C Species 3 النوع A A T C T G A Species 4 النوع C A T G T G C

Using this alignment, she constructed a phylogenetic tree using the parsimony method (a method that

minimizes the number of changes on a phylogeny).

ات ي تقلل من عدد التغبرتيب، قامت ببناء شجرة تطور الساللة باستخدام طريقة تحليل العالقات )الطريقة الن استنادا إل هذا الب

عىل الساللة(.

Which of the 4 phylogenetic trees below is supported by the DNA sequences?

؟DNAار الساللية األربعة أدناه يستند اليها من ترتيب الحمض النووي أي من األشج

A. Tree A الشجرة

B. Tree B الشجرة

C. Tree C الشجرة

D. Tree D الشجرة


10. The ecological relationship between two different species are shown in the graph below.

ي الشكل أدناه 10. .العالقة البيئية بير نوعير مختلفير موضحة ف

What ecological relationship does the graph represent?

ي يمثلها الرسم؟ ما هي العالقة البيئية الن

A. Mutualism B. Extinction C. Commensalism D. Parasitism

. A تبادل المنفعة

. B االنقراض .C التعايش

. D التطفل


11. The diagram below represents a food web in an ecosystem.

.11 . يي النظام البين

المخطط أدناه يمثل الشبكة الغذائية ف

If the population of hawks in this area increases, which of the following is correct about the effect that this increase may cause in this web?

A. The prey populations of hawks might decrease. Later the hawk population might remain unchanged.

B. The prey populations of hawks might decrease. Later, the hawk population might increase. C. The prey populations of hawks might decrease, Later, the other populations in the web might

decrease. D. The prey populations of hawks might decrease. Later, the hawks would find another prey

population.

ي هذه الشبكة؟ ي قد تحدثه هذه الزيادة ف

عن األثر الن .ي يعتبر صحيحا

ي هذه المنطقة، أي من اآلت إذا ازداد عدد الصقور ف

.A قد تبق أعداد الصقور بدون تغيبر ،

. قد تتناقص أعداد فرائس الصقور. الحقا

.B قد تزداد أعداد الصقور ،. قد تتناقص أعداد فرائس الصقور. الحقا

.C ق ،.ي الشبكة. قد تتناقص أعداد فرائس الصقور. الحقا

د تتناقص أعداد السكان اآلخرين ف

.D قد تجد الصقور أعداد أخرى من الفرائس ،. . قد تتناقص أعداد فرائس الصقور. الحقا


12. All of the following could be considered density-dependent factors affecting population growth

EXCEPT A. Climate temperature B. Limited nutrients C. Build-up of toxins D. Predation

ي ما عدا 12. ي تؤثر عىل النمو السكات

ي عوامل تعتمد عىل الكثافة والن يمكن اعتبار كل من اآلت

.A درجة حرارة المناخ .B محدودية العنارص الغذائية .C تراكم السموم .D اس االفب

Answer Key

Question Key

1. D

2. A

3. A

4. B

5. C

6. A

7. C

8. B

9. C

10. A

11. C

12. A

EmSAT Achieve Biologyemsat.moe.gov.ae/emsat/doc/Achieve_Biology_Public... · evolution to determine...

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