Based on the research of Nick Allum, emeritus professor of research methodology at the University of Essex.
Science Knowledge Test
How much science do you actually know?
How much of the science you were taught actually stuck? The Science Knowledge Test is a 25-item quiz spanning biology, physics, earth and space science, psychology, statistics, linguistics, and the history of science. It is harder than a typical science-literacy quiz, and every question has a single correct answer.
Your number of correct answers is scored out of 25 and compared against an internet reference sample (N = 2,413), so you can see where you stand. Answer the questions below to find out how much science you really know.
Question 1 of 25
Denver, CO is a higher altitude than is Los Angeles, CA. Which of these statements is correct?
BACK NEXT
The Science Knowledge Test is an objective knowledge quiz: each item has a single correct answer, and your score is the total number you answer correctly out of 25. The sections below explain where the questions come from and how the score is read.
About the Questions
The 25 items follow the tradition of public science-literacy surveys, such as the index of civic scientific literacy developed by Jon D. Miller and the measures used in the U.S. National Science Foundation's Science and Engineering Indicators. They sample core findings, named effects, and quantitative reasoning across biology, physics, earth and space science, psychology, statistics, linguistics, and the history of science, rather than testing a single subject.
Reference Norms
Your score is reported as a percentage correct and as a percentile relative to an internet reference sample (N = 2,413). Because that sample is self-selected rather than nationally representative, it skews high: answering roughly 80% of the items correctly already places a respondent near the 93rd percentile. The percentile therefore describes standing within an engaged online audience, not the general population.
Science Knowledge
Science Knowledge is breadth of factual and conceptual understanding across the natural and social sciences, including biology, physics, earth and space science, psychology, statistics, linguistics, and the history of science. High scorers recognize core findings, named effects, and quantitative reasoning across many fields; low scorers know fewer of these and rely more on everyday intuition. Each item has one correct answer, and the score is the number answered correctly out of 25.
Limitations
Educational quiz. It samples a limited set of facts across many fields and is not an IQ test or a measure of overall intelligence, expertise, or aptitude.
References
- Miller, J. D. (1998). The measurement of civic scientific literacy. Public Understanding of Science, 7(3), 203-223.
- Sturgis, P. & Allum, N. (2004). Science in society: re-evaluating the deficit model of public attitudes. Public Understanding of Science, 13(1), 55-74.
- Bauer, M. W., Allum, N. & Miller, S. (2007). What can we learn from 25 years of PUS survey research? Liberating and expanding the agenda. Public Understanding of Science, 16(1), 79-95.
- Allum, N., Sturgis, P., Tabourazi, D. & Brunton-Smith, I. (2008). Science knowledge and attitudes across cultures: a meta-analysis. Public Understanding of Science, 17(1), 35-54.
Why Use This Test?
1. Free. The Science Knowledge Test is provided free of charge and lets you check your factual knowledge across a broad range of scientific fields.
2. Benchmarked. Your score is compared against an internet reference sample, so the result is more informative than a raw number of correct answers.
3. Broad coverage. The items span biology, physics, earth and space science, psychology, statistics, linguistics, and history rather than a single subject.