Olibits / Science / Scientific Investigation Skills
Primary 4 Science: Scientific Investigation Skills Practice
Real Primary 4 Science questions on Scientific Investigation Skills, pulled directly from the Olibits question bank — the same questions a child would actually see, not separately written for this page.
Curriculum alignment
Science Teaching & Learning Syllabus, Primary Three to Six (MOE, 2023 syllabus)
Science is not a taught subject at P1/P2 under MOE's own syllabus — our P1/P2 Science content is offered as enrichment beyond the official syllabus, not as a claim of syllabus coverage at those grades.
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What your child learns
Learning outcomes from the MOE Primary Science Syllabus (2023) that this practice covers:
- Recognise a fair test by identifying the changed and unchanged variables.
- Use senses, apparatus and equipment to gather data.
- Carry out guided investigations to find answers to questions.
- Record and compare observations or data, with suggested scaffolding.
- Do simple analysis of data and information in tables, bar and line graphs, charts and diagrams to infer patterns and relationships or explain findings.
- Measure mass and volume using suitable apparatus.
- Measure temperature using a thermometer and a datalogger with temperature or heat sensors.
Real Scientific Investigation Skills practice questions
A pupil measures how far a magnet can attract a paperclip across a table before the clip starts to move. Which unit would this measurement most likely be recorded in?
Degrees Celsius (°C)
Centimetres (cm) ✓
Millilitres (ml)
Seconds (s)
Distance across a table is a length, which is measured with a ruler in centimetres.
A pupil places a cup of hot water and a cup of warm water side by side to see which cools down faster, for a fair-test investigation. Which tool must she use to measure each cup's temperature at different times?
A hand lens
A ruler
A weighing scale
A thermometer ✓
A thermometer measures temperature, so it is needed to compare how the two cups of water cool over time.
A pupil is comparing how much water two different plant pots can hold before overflowing, for a Materials fair-test investigation. Which tool should she use to measure this accurately?
A ruler
A thermometer
A stopwatch
A measuring cylinder ✓
A measuring cylinder measures the volume of a liquid, so it is the right tool to compare how much water each pot holds.
A pupil measures the height of her bean plant every week. Why is it important to choose a tool that suits what is being measured?
So that the readings can be taken more quickly
So that the readings are accurate and can be compared ✓
So that the numbers recorded are larger
So that she does not need to write units
The tool must suit what is measured, such as a ruler for height. Then the readings are accurate and can be compared each week.