If you need help studying for the NES Biology test or just want some more information about what the test is like, you’ve come to the right place!
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What’s on the Test?
The NES Biology exam contains 100 multiple-choice questions and two constructed-response questions, and you’ll be timed at four hours.
The test is split into five sections:
1. Molecules: Structures and Processes
14% of the exam
- The significance of the physical and chemical properties of water for living organisms
- Common elements present in living organisms
- Chemical bonding, pH, and enzyme structure
- Structures and functions of monomers
- The role of ATP in essential life functions
- Photosynthesis and cellular respiration
- The inputs and outputs of aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration and photosynthesis
- Physiological processes of cells
2. Organisms: Structures and Processes
22% of the exam
- Modern cell theory
- Understand how matter and energy pass through ecosystems
- The impact humans have on ecosystems
- Interrelationships among cell organelles and other cell components
- The structure of the cell membrane
- The relationship between a cell’s structure and its function
- Factors that affect cell growth, division, and differentiation
- The hierarchical organization of cells, tissues, organs and organ systems
- The life cycles, growth, and reproductive strategies of organisms
- The mechanisms of cellular communication
- Macronutrients
- Systems of the body
3. Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
30% of the exam
- Ecological concepts
- Factors that affect the population size of species in an ecosystem
- Patterns of interdependence and interrelationships among species in a community
- The impact of abiotic and biotic factors on population and ecosystem characteristics
- Resilience, stability, and change in ecosystems
- The transfer of energy from one trophic level to another in an ecosystem
- Food webs and energy transfer
- The cycling of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and water through the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere
- Renewable and nonrenewable resources
- Types and sources of environmental pollution
- The importance of biodiversity
- Evidence for, causes of, and consequences of climate change and associated sea level rise
4. Heredity and Biological Evolution
22% of the exam
- The structure of DNA, genes, and chromosomes
- The process of protein synthesis
- The structure and function of mRNA and tRNA
- How gene expression is influenced by environmental factors
- The types and causes of different types of mutations
- Basic methods of genetic engineering
- Applications of biotechnology in society
- Increasing genetic variability and transmitting genetic information
- The advantages and disadvantages of asexual and sexual reproduction
- How the behavior of chromosomes during meiosis results in genetic variation
- Possible genotype and phenotype combinations in offspring
- Historical and current evolutionary thought
- The theory of natural selection
- Variation in a genetic pool
- Population genetics and factors that can affect allelic frequencies in a population over time
- Key features of viruses
- Cladograms and binomial nomenclature
5. Integration of Knowledge and Understanding
20% of the exam
How to Register
To get started with the registration process, you’ll need to create an NES account on their website. You can then register for the exam via your account.
The testing fee is $139.
NES Biology Study Guide and Flashcards
Get practice questions, detailed study lessons, and complex subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts.
How the Exam is Scored
The exam is scored using a scaled scoring method. Here’s how it works:
For every question you answer correctly, you get one point added to your raw score. At the end of the test, your final raw score will be converted to a scaled score. This scaled score will range somewhere between 100 and 300.
You will need a scaled score of at least 240 to pass the exam.
The reason your raw score is converted to a scaled score is because everyone that takes the test is given a slightly different set of questions. Since everyone has a different arrangement of questions, and because some questions are harder than others, converting your raw score to a scaled score ensures a more even playing field.
FAQs
How many questions are on the NES Biology exam?
The exam contains 100 multiple-choice and two constructed-response questions.
What is the time limit for the NES Biology exam?
The exam is timed at 4 hours.
What is the passing score for the NES Biology exam?
You’ll need to get a final scaled score of at least 240 to pass.
How much does the NES Biology exam cost?
The testing fee is $139.
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