Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Ultimate Test.

Ever wondered how your knowledge stacks up against a 5th grader? This fun and interactive challenge will take you through 300 questions spanning six subjects: Science, English, Math, History, Geography, and Social Studies. With questions broken down by grade level, from 1st to 5th grade, you’ll get a nostalgic look back at what we all learned in school—and maybe realize just how much you’ve forgotten!

Whether you’re hosting a trivia night, brushing up on your skills, or simply curious, these questions are perfect for testing your memory and having fun. Let’s dive in and see if you’re truly smarter than a 5th grader!

Contents

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader English Questions

First Grade English Questions

1. What is the first letter of the alphabet?
   A
2. What punctuation mark is used at the end of a question?
   Question mark
3. What is a noun?
   A person, place, or thing
4. What sound does the letter “B” make?
   “Buh”
5. What is the plural of “cat”?
   Cats
6. What is the opposite of “hot”?
   Cold
7. What do you call a word that means the same as another word?
   Synonym
8. What is the name of the main character in a story?
   Protagonist
9. What is the term for a word that shows action?
   Verb
10. How many vowels are in the English alphabet?
    Five

Second Grade English Questions

1. What is a verb?
   An action word
2. What do we call the name of a book or story?
   Title
3. What is a sentence?
   A group of words that express a complete thought
4. What is the opposite of “big”?
   Small
5. What is a pronoun?
   A word that replaces a noun
6. What do we call words that describe nouns?
   Adjectives
7. What is the plural of “child”?
   Children
8. What is the past tense of “run”?
   Ran
9. What punctuation mark is used to show possession?
   Apostrophe
10. What do you call two words joined by an apostrophe, like “don’t”?
    Contraction

Third Grade English Questions

1. What is a compound word?
   Two words joined together to make one word
2. What is an adjective?
   A word that describes a noun
3. What do we call a short story that teaches a lesson?
   Fable
4. What is the main idea of a story?
   The central point or theme
5. What is the difference between “there,” “their,” and “they’re”?
   There indicates a place, their shows possession, and they’re means “they are”
6. What is the root word in “unhappily”?
   Happy
7. What is a synonym for “happy”?
   Joyful
8. What is the opposite of “fast”?
   Slow
9. What is the term for a group of lines in a poem?
   Stanza
10. What do we call a letter that is not a vowel?
    Consonant

Fourth Grade English Questions

1. What is a simile?
   A comparison using “like” or “as”
2. What is an antonym for “quiet”?
   Loud
3. What is the difference between a subject and a predicate in a sentence?
   The subject is who or what the sentence is about, and the predicate tells what the subject does
4. What is the meaning of “homophone”?
   Words that sound the same but have different meanings
5. What is the past tense of “go”?
   Went
6. What do we call a word that imitates a sound, like “buzz”?
   Onomatopoeia
7. What is a metaphor?
   A comparison without using “like” or “as”
8. What punctuation marks are used to show dialogue?
   Quotation marks
9. What is the term for a person who writes a book?
   Author
10. What do we call the introduction of a story?
    Exposition

Fifth Grade English Questions

1. What is alliteration?
   The repetition of the same initial sound in a series of words
2. What is the difference between a biography and an autobiography?
   A biography is written by someone else; an autobiography is written by the person themselves
3. What is the purpose of a thesaurus?
   To find synonyms and antonyms
4. What do we call the time and place of a story?
   Setting
5. What is a hyperbole?
   An exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally
6. What is personification?
   Giving human traits to non-human things
7. What is the theme of a story?
   The underlying message or lesson
8. What is the term for a word that is the same backward and forward, like “racecar”?
   Palindrome
9. What is a preposition?
   A word that shows the relationship between a noun and another word
10. What is a pronoun?
    A word that takes the place of a noun

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader Math Questions

First Grade Math Questions

1. What is 1 + 1?
   2
2. What is 5 – 2?
   3
3. How many sides does a triangle have?
   Three
4. What is 10 divided by 2?
   5
5. What is 3 + 4?
   7
6. What number comes after 9?
   10
7. How many pennies make a dollar?
   100
8. What shape has four equal sides?
   Square
9. What is the smallest even number?
   2
10. What is 8 – 3?
    5

Second Grade Math Questions

1. What is 12 + 8?
   20
2. What is 15 – 6?
   9
3. How many sides does a rectangle have?
   Four
4. What is 5 × 2?
   10
5. How many hours are in a day?
   24
6. What is half of 100?
   50
7. What is 20 ÷ 5?
   4
8. How many quarters are in a dollar?
   4
9. What is 7 × 3?
   21
10. How many inches are in a foot?
    12

Third Grade Math Questions

1. What is 144 ÷ 12?
   12
2. What is the perimeter of a square with sides of 4 units?
   16 units
3. What is 9 × 9?
   81
4. What is the sum of 25 and 35?
   60
5. What is 100 – 45?
   55
6. What is the area of a rectangle with a length of 6 and width of 3?
   18
7. What is 15 × 4?
   60
8. What is the place value of 5 in the number 358?
   Hundreds
9. What is the product of 8 and 7?
   56
10. How many degrees are in a right angle?
    90

Fourth Grade Math Questions

1. What is 456 ÷ 12?
   38
2. What is the greatest common factor of 16 and 24?
   8
3. What is the value of π (pi) rounded to two decimal places?
   3.14
4. What is the perimeter of a triangle with sides of 5, 6, and 7 units?
   18 units
5. What is the least common multiple of 3 and 4?
   12
6. What is 25% of 200?
   50
7. How many sides does a hexagon have?
   Six
8. What is the square root of 81?
   9
9. What is 12 × 12?
   144
10. What is 10 to the power of 3?
    1000

Fifth Grade Math Questions

1. What is the volume of a cube with side length 5 units?
   125 cubic units
2. What is 2⁵?
   32
3. What is the decimal equivalent of 3/4?
   0.75
4. What is the value of x if 5x = 20?
   4
5. What is the mean of the numbers 4, 8, 12, and 16?
   10
6. What is the perimeter of a circle called?
   Circumference
7. What is the sum of the angles in a triangle?
   180 degrees
8. What is the prime factorization of 30?
   2, 3, 5
9. What is the formula for the area of a triangle?
   1/2 × base × height
10. What is 1.5 × 3.2?
    4.8

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader Science Questions

First Grade Science Questions

1. What part of a plant makes food using sunlight?
   Leaves
2. How many legs does a spider have?
   Eight
3. What do we call baby frogs?
   Tadpoles
4. What is the main source of energy for the Earth?
   The Sun
5. What is the color of the sky on a clear day?
   Blue
6. What do plants need to grow?
   Water, sunlight, and soil
7. What is the name of the outer layer of Earth?
   Crust
8. What do fish use to breathe underwater?
   Gills
9. What do we call animals that live on land and in water?
   Amphibians
10. What season comes after winter?
    Spring

Second Grade Science Questions

1. What do bees collect from flowers?
   Pollen
2. What gas do humans need to breathe?
   Oxygen
3. What planet is known as the Red Planet?
   Mars
4. What do you call animals that eat both plants and meat?
   Omnivores
5. What is the hardest natural substance on Earth?
   Diamond
6. What do we call the movement of Earth around the sun?
   Orbit
7. What type of animal is a dolphin?
   Mammal
8. What is the main function of roots in plants?
   To absorb water and nutrients
9. What is the layer of air around Earth called?
   Atmosphere
10. What do you call a scientist who studies rocks?
    Geologist

Third Grade Science Questions

1. What is the process called when water turns into vapor?
   Evaporation
2. How many planets are in our solar system?
   Eight
3. What force pulls objects toward Earth?
   Gravity
4. What kind of energy does a battery produce?
   Electrical energy
5. What do you call the change from caterpillar to butterfly?
   Metamorphosis
6. What is the center of an atom called?
   Nucleus
7. What gas do plants produce during photosynthesis?
   Oxygen
8. What is the name of the layer of the Earth’s atmosphere where weather occurs?
   Troposphere
9. What kind of rock is formed under pressure?
   Sedimentary rock
10. What is the largest planet in our solar system?
    Jupiter

Fourth Grade Science Questions

1. What is the chemical symbol for water?
   H2O
2. What is the largest organ in the human body?
   Skin
3. What type of rock is formed from cooling lava?
   Igneous rock
4. What is the boiling point of water in Celsius?
   100 degrees
5. What do you call animals that eat only plants?
   Herbivores
6. What part of the plant is responsible for reproduction?
   Flower
7. What is the process by which plants lose water through their leaves?
   Transpiration
8. What do you call the part of the Earth where all living things exist?
   Biosphere
9. What is a group of stars that forms a pattern in the sky called?
   Constellation
10. What type of blood cells fight disease?
    White blood cells

Fifth Grade Science Questions

1. What is the name of the galaxy we live in?
   The Milky Way
2. What is photosynthesis?
   The process plants use to make food using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide
3. What is the term for the boundary between two air masses?
   Front
4. What is the study of the weather called?
   Meteorology
5. What is the unit of measure for electrical resistance?
   Ohm
6. What is the smallest particle of an element?
   Atom
7. What is the primary component of the Sun?
   Hydrogen
8. What is the main source of energy for Earth’s ecosystems?
   The Sun
9. What do you call a habitat where fresh and saltwater mix?
   Estuary
10. What is the process by which organisms with favorable traits survive and reproduce?
    Natural selection

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader History Questions

First Grade History Questions

1. Who was the first president of the United States?
   George Washington
2. What is the name of the ship the Pilgrims sailed on?
   The Mayflower
3. What holiday celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence?
   Independence Day
4. Who is known as the “Father of Our Country”?
   George Washington
5. What do we call the place where the president of the United States lives?
   The White House
6. What country gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States?
   France
7. What is the name of the first Thanksgiving feast?
   Harvest Feast
8. Who was the leader of the Civil Rights Movement?
   Martin Luther King Jr.
9. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
   The Bill of Rights
10. What is the capital of the United States?
    Washington, D.C.

Second Grade History Questions

1. Who discovered America in 1492?
   Christopher Columbus
2. What are the three ships Columbus sailed on?
   Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria
3. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
   Thomas Jefferson
4. What country did the United States fight during the Revolutionary War?
   Great Britain
5. What is the name of the first permanent English settlement in America?
   Jamestown
6. What is the name of the famous bell in Philadelphia?
   The Liberty Bell
7. Who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean?
   Amelia Earhart
8. What is the name of the U.S. war between the North and the South?
   The Civil War
9. What are the names of the two main political parties in the United States?
   Democratic and Republican
10. What document starts with “We the People”?
    The Constitution

Third Grade History Questions

1. Who was the 16th president of the United States?
   Abraham Lincoln
2. What year did the United States declare independence?
   1776
3. Who was the leader of the Underground Railroad?
   Harriet Tubman
4. What is the name of the ship that carried the Pilgrims to America?
   The Mayflower
5. What war was fought between the North and South in the U.S.?
   The Civil War
6. What president is on the $1 bill?
   George Washington
7. Who was the first African American president of the United States?
   Barack Obama
8. What was the name of the land purchase that doubled the size of the United States?
   The Louisiana Purchase
9. Who was the famous Native American woman who helped Lewis and Clark?
   Sacagawea
10. What is the name of the speech Abraham Lincoln gave at Gettysburg?
    The Gettysburg Address

Fourth Grade History Questions

1. Who was the first president to live in the White House?
   John Adams
2. What was the name of the ship that sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg?
   Titanic
3. What year did women get the right to vote in the United States?
   1920
4. Who was the general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War?
   George Washington
5. What are the three branches of the U.S. government?
   Legislative, Executive, Judicial
6. What ancient civilization built the pyramids?
   Egyptians
7. Who gave the famous “I Have a Dream” speech?
   Martin Luther King Jr.
8. What was the main reason for the American Revolution?
   Taxation without representation
9. What do we call the journey of Native Americans forced to move to Oklahoma?
   The Trail of Tears
10. Who invented the light bulb?
    Thomas Edison

Fifth Grade History Questions

1. What was the name of the war fought between the Allies and Axis Powers?
   World War II
2. Who was the famous nurse during the Civil War known as the “Angel of the Battlefield”?
   Clara Barton
3. What event started World War I?
   The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
4. What ancient city was covered in ash by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius?
   Pompeii
5. What was the name of the U.S. government program to put a man on the moon?
   Apollo Program
6. Who was the first man to step on the moon?
   Neil Armstrong
7. What is the name of the ship where the Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact?
   The Mayflower
8. What war was fought between the U.S. and Britain in 1812?
   The War of 1812
9. Who wrote the famous diary while hiding during World War II?
   Anne Frank
10. What was the name of the Cold War competition to develop space technology?
    The Space Race

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader Geography Questions

First Grade Geography Questions

1. What is the name of the planet we live on?
   Earth
2. What is the largest ocean on Earth?
   Pacific Ocean
3. What is the name of the country we live in?
   United States (or adjust based on your audience)
4. What is the name of the imaginary line that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres?
   Equator
5. What is the name of the capital city of the United States?
   Washington, D.C.
6. What do we call a map that shows land and water features?
   Physical map
7. What is the name of the tallest mountain in the world?
   Mount Everest
8. What is the name of the large body of water to the east of the United States?
   Atlantic Ocean
9. What is the smallest continent by size?
   Australia
10. What is the name of the desert in Africa that is the largest hot desert in the world?
    Sahara Desert

Second Grade Geography Questions

1. How many continents are there?
   Seven
2. What is the name of the river that flows through Egypt?
   The Nile River
3. What is the name of the ocean to the west of the United States?
   Pacific Ocean
4. What is the name of the country that is shaped like a boot?
   Italy
5. What is the name of the tallest mountain range in the world?
   Himalayas
6. What is the capital of Canada?
   Ottawa
7. What is the name of the imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole?
   Prime Meridian
8. What is the largest country in the world by area?
   Russia
9. What is the name of the island country to the southeast of India?
   Sri Lanka
10. What are the four cardinal directions?
    North, South, East, West

Third Grade Geography Questions

1. What is the longest river in the world?
   The Amazon River
2. What is the capital of France?
   Paris
3. What is the name of the U.S. state known as the “Sunshine State”?
   Florida
4. What are the names of the Great Lakes?
   Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario
5. What is the name of the largest desert in the world?
   Antarctic Desert
6. What is the name of the island state in the U.S.?
   Hawaii
7. What is the name of the river that forms part of the border between the U.S. and Mexico?
   Rio Grande
8. What continent is also a country?
   Australia
9. What is the capital city of Japan?
   Tokyo
10. What is the name of the mountain range that runs along the west coast of South America?
    The Andes

Fourth Grade Geography Questions

1. What is the largest country in South America?
   Brazil
2. What is the capital city of England?
   London
3. What is the name of the line at 0 degrees longitude?
   Prime Meridian
4. What continent is the Sahara Desert located on?
   Africa
5. What is the name of the sea located between Europe and Africa?
   Mediterranean Sea
6. What is the name of the U.S. state known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”?
   Minnesota
7. What is the capital of Germany?
   Berlin
8. What is the smallest country in the world?
   Vatican City
9. What is the name of the river that flows through New York City?
   Hudson River
10. What is the name of the longest mountain range in North America?
    The Rocky Mountains

Fifth Grade Geography Questions

1. What is the southernmost continent?
   Antarctica
2. What is the name of the river that runs through the Grand Canyon?
   Colorado River
3. What is the capital city of China?
   Beijing
4. What is the name of the large plain in the central United States?
   The Great Plains
5. What is the name of the country with the largest population?
   China
6. What is the name of the ocean that surrounds the North Pole?
   Arctic Ocean
7. What is the name of the plateau located in South Asia?
   Tibetan Plateau
8. What is the name of the largest island in the world?
   Greenland
9. What is the capital of Australia?
   Canberra
10. What is the name of the region known for its rainforests in South America?
    Amazon Basin

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader Social Studies Questions

First Grade Social Studies Questions

1. What do we call rules that everyone must follow?
   Laws
2. What is the name of the national holiday that honors U.S. presidents?
   Presidents’ Day
3. Who is in charge of a city government?
   The mayor
4. What do we call a group of people who make laws?
   Congress
5. What is the name of the holiday that celebrates freedom from British rule?
   Independence Day
6. What do we call people who live in a community?
   Citizens
7. What is the name of the U.S. national anthem?
   The Star-Spangled Banner
8. What do we call a person who studies the past?
   Historian
9. What is the term for exchanging goods without using money?
   Bartering
10. What is the symbol of freedom in the United States?
    Statue of Liberty

Second Grade Social Studies Questions

1. What is the name of the current U.S. president?
   Joe Biden (update based on the time of reading)
2. What do we call the leader of a state government?
   Governor
3. What is the name of the holiday where we honor soldiers who died serving in the military?
   Memorial Day
4. What is the name of the document that declared America’s independence?
   The Declaration of Independence
5. What do we call the study of money and trade?
   Economics
6. Who is in charge of the federal government?
   The president
7. What is the name of the building where Congress meets?
   The Capitol
8. What do we call the basic rights that every person has?
   Human rights
9. What is the name of the holiday that celebrates the contributions of workers?
   Labor Day
10. What is the term for a person who lives in a country and has rights and responsibilities there?
    Citizen

Third Grade Social Studies Questions

1. What is the name of the branch of government that makes laws?
   Legislative branch
2. What is the name of the branch of government that interprets laws?
   Judicial branch
3. What is the name of the branch of government that enforces laws?
   Executive branch
4. What is the name of the country north of the United States?
   Canada
5. What is the name of the country south of the United States?
   Mexico
6. What do we call a map that shows where countries and states are located?
   Political map
7. What is the term for buying and selling goods?
   Trade
8. What do we call a system where citizens vote to choose their leaders?
   Democracy
9. What is the name of the group of people who decide if laws are fair in the U.S.?
   Supreme Court
10. What is the name of the war where the American colonies gained independence?
    The Revolutionary War

Fourth Grade Social Studies Questions

1. What is the name of the system of government where power is shared between states and a central government?
   Federal system
2. What is the name of the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
   The Bill of Rights
3. What is the name of the group of advisors to the president?
   The Cabinet
4. What do we call the economic system in the U.S.?
   Capitalism
5. What is the name of the treaty that ended the Revolutionary War?
   The Treaty of Paris
6. What is the term for the movement of people from one place to another?
   Migration
7. What is the name of the ocean to the east of the U.S.?
   Atlantic Ocean
8. What is the name of the major trade route between Europe and Asia?
   The Silk Road
9. What is the name of the Native American group that helped the Pilgrims?
   The Wampanoag
10. What is the name of the U.S. national flag?
    The Stars and Stripes

Fifth Grade Social Studies Questions

1. What is the name of the speech that starts with “Four score and seven years ago”?
   The Gettysburg Address
2. What do we call the highest law of the United States?
   The Constitution
3. What is the name of the movement to end slavery in the United States?
   Abolition
4. What is the term for the rights guaranteed to every U.S. citizen?
   Civil rights
5. What is the name of the international organization created after World War II to maintain peace?
   The United Nations
6. What is the term for the practice of one country taking control of another?
   Colonialism
7. What is the name of the trade route that brought enslaved Africans to the Americas?
   The Middle Passage
8. What is the name of the document signed in 1215 that limited the power of the king?
   The Magna Carta
9. What is the term for a government ruled by a king or queen?
   Monarchy
10. What is the name of the U.S. civil rights leader who refused to give up her seat on a bus?
    Rosa Parks