How to Prepare for the Science 1 Teacher License Test: An 8-Week Plan by Domain Weight

Last verified: 31 October 2026. The weights come from the candidate guide for Science 1 teachers (pp. 6–7) and the standards from the Science 1 standards document. This guide is independent: it is not affiliated with ETEC, Qiyas (the National Center for Assessment), the Ministry of Education or any government body.

In short: Science 1 is the test for primary-school science teachers (intermediate-school teachers sit Science 2), with 26 standards in seven domains. This is an eight-week plan that splits your time by domain weight: start with the free questions to see where you stand today, then work through your weaker domains one at a time, and finish with full mock exams. Biology, chemistry and physics together are about 58% of the test, and earth science and astronomy plus science teaching are 26%. The next sitting is expected in late January 2027, so adjust the plan to end before your date (dates).

How the time is split

The difference from the Science 2 plan: chemistry and physics are only 38.5% here, so do not give them half your time. In return, earth science and astronomy, science teaching and the history and nature of science together carry 36.5%, so do not leave them to the last day. If a domain is already strong from your daily teaching, shorten its time and add it to your weakest one once you have your week-1 result.

Rules for every week

• Calculate without a calculator: the test bans it, but the calculations in Science 1 are few and simple: density (49 g in 7 cm³), percentage concentration (800 out of 1000), work (lifting a 20 N box 1.5 m) and balancing a lever. Solve them on paper from the start. There are no mole calculations or redox in this test.
• Read the standard, then practise: each standard has indicators in the test content guide, and each question measures one indicator. Start each topic with its indicators, then work its questions in practice mode.
• Read the explanation of every option: a wrong option shows you the common misconception, so write down what you got wrong.
• Review your mistakes: redo last week's wrong answers on the first day of each week.
• At the end of each week: practise that week's standards (weeks 1 to 5), then take a full timed mock exam from week 6.

Week 1: diagnosis and the two smallest domains

• Day 1: the free questions (10) to see where you stand across the domains.
• History, Nature and Integration of Science (6.37.1, 6.37.2, 6.37.5): the contribution of civilizations to science, fact vs concept vs principle vs law vs theory, the scientific method, induction and deduction, research ethics, and how the sciences integrate.
• Experimentation and Mathematical Skills (6.37.3, 6.37.4): lab safety and first aid, measuring with standard tools and converting units, and reading bar, pie and line graphs.
• End of week: practise these two domains and note your three weakest standards from the diagnosis.

Week 2: Biology

• 6.37.6: life processes (digestion, respiration, excretion, reproduction, photosynthesis), animal and plant cells, and body systems.
• 6.37.7: classification (species, genus, family) and the kingdoms of life, and cellular organisms vs viruses.
• 6.37.8: ecology and ecosystems, relationships between organisms, food chains, natural cycles and human impact. This is one of the standards with the most indicators (7), so give it more time.
• 6.37.9: genetics, genes and chromosomes, mitosis and meiosis, and inherited vs acquired traits.
• End of week: practise standards 6 to 9, then all of biology.

Week 3: Chemistry

• 6.37.12: the nature of matter, its states and its physical and chemical changes, mixtures and separating them, and atoms, molecules and compounds.
• 6.37.13: the periodic table, chemical bonds and intermolecular forces, and balancing equations and types of reactions.
• 6.37.14: solutions, solubility and expressing concentration.
• 6.37.15: reaction rate, enthalpy, and exothermic and endothermic reactions.
• 6.37.16: acids, bases and salts, how to test for them, and pH.
• 6.37.17: organic chemistry and hydrocarbons, petroleum, carbohydrates, proteins, oils and fats.
• End of week: practise standards 12 to 17, then all of chemistry.

Week 4: Physics (1)

• 6.37.18: simple machines, levers and mechanical advantage, motion (distance, displacement, speed, acceleration), forces and Newton's laws, work and energy, and circular motion. This standard covers the machines and motion that set Science 1 apart, so give it most of the week.
• 6.37.19: fluids: adhesion and cohesion, buoyancy, density and pressure.
• 6.37.20: static and current electricity: charges, current and voltage, resistance in series and parallel, electric power, and electrical safety.
• 6.37.21: magnetism: permanent magnets and electromagnets, the magnetic field, and the generator and motor.
• End of week: practise standards 18 to 21.

Week 5: Physics (2) and Earth Science and Astronomy (1)

• First half: 6.37.22 heat and how it is transferred (conduction, convection, radiation), 6.37.23 light (reflection, absorption, refraction) and 6.37.24 waves and sound (transverse and longitudinal, frequency, wavelength, speed and amplitude). Then all of physics.
• Second half: 6.37.10 the solar system, the Earth, Sun and Moon, seasons, eclipses and tides, orbits and telescopes.
• End of week: practise standards 22 to 24 and 10.

Week 6: Earth Science and Astronomy (2) and Science Teaching (1)

• First half: 6.37.11 the Earth system: Earth's interior, air masses and the atmosphere, the processes that shape the surface, fossils, weather and climate, and renewable and non-renewable resources. This is one of the standards with the most indicators (7).
• Second half: 6.37.25 general skills and current trends: STEM and learner-centred teaching, models and simulations, misconceptions, and types of thinking (scientific, creative, critical), plus TIMSS and PISA.
• End of week: practise standards 11 and 25, then take your first full timed mock exam in two hours with no phone and no calculator. Compare the result with your week-1 diagnosis, domain by domain.

Week 7: Science Teaching (2) and closing gaps

• Two days for 6.37.26: teaching strategies (project-based learning, demonstrations, experiments, visits), designing inquiry lessons, classroom management, and modern assessment methods.
• The rest of the week: return to the two weakest domains from the first mock exam and redo its mistakes.
• End of week: a second full mock exam, then review its mistakes.

Week 8: Review

• The first days: work on the weakest standards from the two mocks, and keep the most time for biology, chemistry and physics if they are your weakest, since together they are 58.5% of the test.
• Two days before the test: a third full mock exam, then a light review. Do not start a new topic on the last day.
• Test day: check the ID you need and what is allowed, sleep early and arrive early.

If you have less time

If fewer than eight weeks remain, start with the diagnosis and then compress the plan in this order: biology, chemistry and physics first (58.5% of the test), then earth science and astronomy and science teaching (26%), then the rest. Keep the last three days for two full mock exams and a review of their mistakes.

This plan is our suggestion for organising your time and does not guarantee any score, and your mock exam score is an estimate of readiness, not an official result. Start unit practice and keep the full mock exam for the end of the plan.