Every question in this workbook is an original ICAS-style practice question carefully written to match the format, text types, difficulty, and question style of real ICAS Paper Intro assessments for Standard 2 students.
⭐ For Parents and Teachers
Standard 2 students are still developing as independent readers. For this workbook, it is completely fine to read each question aloud to your child and talk through the picture together. The goal is for the child to practise reasoning — choosing the best answer from the options — not to test their reading speed.
Your Test at a Glance — Paper Intro / Standard 2 (Official ICAS Format)
Subject
Questions
Time
Time guidance
Format
📖 English
35
35 min
~1 minute per question · read each passage carefully
Passage-based MCQ
📐 Mathematics
30
35 min
~1 minute per question · look at the picture first
MCQ · No Calculator
🔬 Science
30
45 min
~90 seconds per question · plenty of time to think
MCQ with diagrams
💻 Digital Tech
30
30 min
~1 minute per question
MCQ · Computer-based
📖 English: At this level, every question is based on a short passage or picture. Read slowly and look at the pictures carefully — the answer is often in the picture as well as the text.
🔬 Science: 45 minutes for 30 questions means lots of time. Encourage your child to study the diagram or picture before looking at the answer choices.
Source: eats.com.my/year-levels-and-format · Digital Technologies is not included in this practice workbook.
🎯 Tips for First-Time Test-Takers
Look at the picture first. At Standard 2, most answers come from looking carefully at a picture, diagram, or table. Don’t rush. There is more than enough time. Read every option before choosing. No penalty for wrong answers. If you’re not sure, pick your best guess — always answer every question.
📖
English
Practice · 10 questions · 12 minutes · All questions are based on a picture or short passage
10Questions
12Minutes
In the real ICAS English paper at Intro level, every question uses a picture or a short reading passage. You will see a labelled picture page, a short diary, a little story, and a cloze (fill-in-the-blanks). Look carefully at the pictures — they help you find the answer.
📖 Reading Tip
Point to each word as you read. Look at the picture before answering. If a word is tricky, read the whole sentence and guess what the word might mean from the other words around it.
Pictures 1 of 4 — Look at the page below
~ ANIMALS WITH SHELLS ~
These animals with shells live in water.
sea turtle
crab
sea snail
These animals with shells live on land.
tortoise
garden snail
woodlouse
Questions 1–2 are about Animals with Shells
1
Text Comprehension — Identify from picture
Which picture shows a woodlouse?
A
B
C
D
2
Text Comprehension — Understand a category
Which of these animals lives in water?
A
tortoise
B
garden snail
C
woodlouse
D
crab
Text 2 of 4 — A Diary Entry
My Saturday Job
Original diary entry for ICAS preparation purposes
Saturday, 4th October
Every Saturday I help Grandpa in his garden. First I water the tomatoes. Then I pull out the weeds. Grandpa says the weeds are sneaky because they hide between the flowers.
My little brother Max tries to help, but mostly he just eats the strawberries. Grandpa doesn’t mind. He says Max is our best strawberry-taster.
I think I have the best grandpa in the whole world!
By Lina
Questions 3–5 are about My Saturday Job
3
Text Comprehension — Identify sequence
What does Lina do first in the garden?
A
pull out the weeds
B
eat the strawberries
C
water the tomatoes
D
plant new flowers
4
Vocabulary — Word meaning in context
What does the word sneaky mean in this diary?
A
hiding where they are hard to see
B
very tall
C
bright yellow
D
easy to pull out
5
Writer’s Craft — Identify feelings
Which sentence in the diary shows Lina’s feelings about her grandpa?
A
“Every Saturday I help Grandpa in his garden.”
B
“First I water the tomatoes.”
C
“Grandpa doesn’t mind.”
D
“I think I have the best grandpa in the whole world!”
Text 3 of 4 — A Story
Boots and the Bird
Original story for ICAS preparation purposes
Boots the cat sat very still by the window. A little brown bird hopped on the grass outside.
Tap, tap, tap! Boots tapped the glass with his paw.
The bird did not look up. It was busy eating seeds.
Swish! Boots’s tail swished back and forth. His eyes grew big and round. He crouched down low.
Meow! Boots let out a loud noise — but he was still inside the house! The bird flew away fast.
Boots sat back down and licked his paw. He looked at the empty grass for a long time.
Questions 6–8 are about Boots and the Bird
6
Writer’s Craft — Identify simple figurative language
Which word in the story describes a sound?
A
sat
B
window
C
Swish
D
bird
7
Text Comprehension — Infer feelings from actions
How does Boots feel at the end of the story?
A
happy he scared the bird away
B
disappointed the bird got away
C
hungry and ready for lunch
D
scared of the bird
8
Text Comprehension — Predict the next event
What is Boots most likely to do next?
A
run outside to find the bird
B
eat the bird’s seeds
C
wait by the window again
D
go to sleep in his bed
Text 4 of 4 — A Short Passage with Blanks
Best Friends
Original passage for ICAS preparation purposes
My best friend Zara and (9) sit together at lunchtime every day. Zara always (10) funny jokes, so we laugh a lot.
9
Syntax — Choose the correct pronoun
Choose the word that best completes blank (9).
A
I
B
me
C
my
D
mine
10
Syntax — Subject-verb agreement
Choose the word that best completes blank (10).
A
tell
B
tells
C
telling
D
told
📐
Mathematics
Practice · 10 questions · 12 minutes · No Calculator · Every question uses a picture
10Questions
12Minutes
In the real ICAS Maths paper at Intro level, every question uses a picture — counting objects, reading a clock, looking at shapes, or studying a simple graph. Look at the picture first, then read the question.
📐 Maths Tip
Count carefully. Use your finger to point to each object. Use the workspace. Write your working in the dotted box if it helps. Look at all four answers before choosing your favourite.
1
Number — Count objects in a picture
How many stars are in this picture?
A
12
B
13
C
14
D
15
2
Patterns — Continue a skip-counting pattern
Mina is counting up by the same number each time.
5,9,13,17,21,25,?
What number must ? be?
A
26
B
28
C
29
D
31
3
Number — Position on a number line
Which arrow is pointing to 70 on this number line?
A
Arrow A
B
Arrow B
C
Arrow C
D
Arrow D
4
Chance & Data — Read a pictograph with a key
The pictograph shows how many books four children read last month.
Name
Books read
Kai
📘📘📘
Priya
📘📘📘📘📘
Leo
📘📘
Zoe
📘📘📘📘
🔑 KEY: 📘 = 2 books
How many books did Priya read?
A
5
B
8
C
10
D
12
5
Measurement — Read digital clocks, find a pattern
These clocks show a pattern of times.
7:00
→
7:30
→
8:00
→
?
→
9:00
Which time must replace ? to fit the pattern?
A
8:15
B
8:30
C
8:45
D
9:30
6
Space & Geometry — Reflection in a mirror line
The dotted line is a mirror line. Which picture shows what the house looks like in the mirror?
ORIGINAL
MIRROR
A
B
C
D
7
Arithmetic — Two-step word problem
Liam has 8 stickers. Nina has 3 times as many stickers as Liam. Kai has 5 fewer stickers than Nina. How many stickers does Kai have?
Two puppies stood on a scale. Together they weighed 12 kg. Then one puppy stepped off. The scale showed 7 kg. What is the mass of the puppy that stepped off?
BOTH ON THE SCALE
→
one steps off
ONE ON THE SCALE
A
4 kg
B
5 kg
C
7 kg
D
19 kg
Working
🔬
Science
Practice · 8 questions · 12 minutes · Every question uses a picture or diagram
8Questions
12Minutes
In the real ICAS Science paper at Intro level, every question uses a picture, diagram, or simple table. The paper gives you the science — your job is to look at the picture carefully and choose the best answer.
🔬 Science Tip
Study the picture before reading the answer choices. Look for labels, arrows, colours, and numbers. Don’t guess — the clue is always in the picture.
1
Life & Living — Observing animal features
Which of these animals has fur?
A
frog
B
fish
C
rabbit
D
snake
2
Life & Living — Use a simple key
Ravi found four small creatures in his garden. He used this key to sort them. How many of Ravi’s creatures have a backbone?
THE KEY
Ravi saw: a frog 🐸, a bird 🐦, a butterfly 🦋, and a slug 🐌.
A
1
B
2
C
3
D
4
3
Earth & Beyond — Predict shadow from light source
The sun is shining from the right. Which picture shows the correct shadow of the tree?
Where does the tree’s shadow go?
A
B
C
D
4
Earth & Beyond — Identify the missing moon shape
These pictures show how the Moon looked on four nights in the same week. One picture is missing. Which shape should be in the empty box?
Night 1
Night 2
Night 3
Night 4
The lit part of the moon is growing bigger each night.
Nina has a wide jar with 40 mL of water in it. She pours all the water from the wide jar into a tall, narrow cup. Which cup shows how high the water will be?
Wide jar
40 mL of water
→
Tall narrow cup
empty
A
B
C
D
6
Natural & Processed Materials — Balance / mass
Amir and Bella are balancing blocks on a seesaw. The seesaw is tipped down on Amir’s side. Which block should Bella add to her side to make the seesaw balance?
A
one 50 g block
B
one 100 g block
C
two 100 g blocks
D
one 25 g block
Working — Step 1: add up Amir’s side. Step 2: find the missing weight.
7
Energy & Change — Interpret a table
Leo rolled the same toy car down four ramps. Only the ramp surface was different each time. He timed how long the car took to reach the bottom.
💡 Friction is a force that slows things down.
Ramp surface
Time (seconds)
Smooth wood
3
Carpet
14
Sandpaper
9
Plastic sheet
5
On which surface did the car have the most friction?
A
smooth wood
B
carpet
C
sandpaper
D
plastic sheet
8
Energy & Change — Direction of gears
Three gears are connected as shown. Gear 1 turns clockwise. Each gear turns the next gear it touches.
💡 Rule: when two gears touch, they always turn in opposite directions.
Which row correctly shows the direction of all three gears?
Gear 1
Gear 2
Gear 3
A
⟳ clockwise
⟳ clockwise
⟳ clockwise
B
⟳ clockwise
⟲ anti-clockwise
⟳ clockwise
C
⟳ clockwise
⟳ clockwise
⟲ anti-clockwise
D
⟳ clockwise
⟲ anti-clockwise
⟲ anti-clockwise
Answers & Explanations
Full Worked Answers
Every question below includes the correct answer, the thinking behind it, and why each wrong answer is a common mistake. Use this section after attempting each subject — not before!
📖 English — Answers 1–10
1
Which picture shows a woodlouse?
✓ Correct Answer: B (woodlouse)
The woodlouse is the small grey oval creature with many segments (stripes) across its back. It is shown in the reference page at the bottom right, with the “animals that live on land” group.
Why the other options are wrong
A
This is a crab — it has claws and lives in water.
C
This is a sea turtle — flippers and a patterned shell.
D
This is a tortoise — it has a high dome shell and stubby legs on land.
2
Which of these animals lives in water?
✓ Correct Answer: D (crab)
Look at the reference page carefully. The crab is listed under “These animals with shells live in water.” It is the only option from the water group.
Why the other options are wrong
A
Tortoise — listed under the “land” group.
B
Garden snail — listed under the “land” group.
C
Woodlouse — listed under the “land” group.
3
What does Lina do first in the garden?
✓ Correct Answer: C (water the tomatoes)
The diary says: “First I water the tomatoes. Then I pull out the weeds.” The word “first” tells us watering the tomatoes is the first job.
Why the other options are wrong
A
She does pull weeds — but AFTER watering, not first.
B
Her brother Max eats the strawberries — not Lina.
D
Planting flowers is never mentioned in the diary.
4
What does the word “sneaky” mean in this diary?
✓ Correct Answer: A (hiding where they are hard to see)
The diary says the weeds are sneaky “because they hide between the flowers.” The word “hide” is the clue — sneaky here means good at hiding where you can’t spot them easily.
Why the other options are wrong
B
“Tall” is not what sneaky means — and the diary doesn’t say the weeds are tall.
C
“Bright yellow” would make weeds easy to see, not sneaky.
D
Easy to pull out is the opposite — sneaky weeds are hard to find in the first place.
5
Which sentence shows Lina’s feelings about her grandpa?
✓ Correct Answer: D (“I think I have the best grandpa in the whole world!”)
Feelings sentences tell us how the writer feels. The exclamation mark (!) and the words “best in the whole world” show strong positive feelings.
Why the other options are wrong
A
This tells us what she does, not how she feels.
B
This describes an action — it’s a fact, not a feeling.
C
This tells us how Grandpa behaves, not Lina’s feelings about him.
6
Which word in the story describes a sound?
✓ Correct Answer: C (Swish)
“Swish” is the noise the cat’s tail made — a sound word (onomatopoeia). You can tell because it’s in italics and followed by an exclamation mark, just like “Tap” and “Meow” in the same story.
Why the other options are wrong
A
“Sat” is an action word (verb), not a sound.
B
“Window” is a naming word (noun) for an object.
D
“Bird” is a naming word for an animal — not a sound.
7
How does Boots feel at the end of the story?
✓ Correct Answer: B (disappointed the bird got away)
Clues: Boots “sat back down” and “looked at the empty grass for a long time.” These are things a cat does when it has lost something it wanted. He was hunting but the bird flew away.
Why the other options are wrong
A
Boots wasn’t trying to scare the bird — he wanted to catch it.
C
The story doesn’t say anything about Boots being hungry for lunch.
D
Boots was hunting the bird, not scared of it — his tail was swishing (hunting behaviour).
8
What is Boots most likely to do next?
✓ Correct Answer: C (wait by the window again)
The story starts with Boots sitting still by the window — that is where cats hunt. After his hunt failed, he would most likely sit by the window again to wait for another bird.
Why the other options are wrong
A
Boots is inside the house — he can’t run outside through a closed window.
B
Cats don’t eat seeds — they eat birds and other small animals.
D
Possible, but less likely — his hunting behaviour (tail swishing, focus) means he’s still alert.
9
Choose the word that best completes blank (9): “My best friend Zara and ___ sit together…”
✓ Correct Answer: A (I)
We use “I” when the person is doing something (the subject of a sentence). “Zara and I sit together” is correct — we would also say “I sit together with Zara.”
Why the other options are wrong
B
“Me” is used after an action (object): “She gave it to me.” Not “me sit together.”
C
“My” shows belonging: “my book.” It can’t replace a person.
D
“Mine” also shows belonging: “the book is mine.” Wrong grammar here.
10
Choose the word that best completes blank (10): “Zara always ___ funny jokes…”
✓ Correct Answer: B (tells)
Zara is one person (singular), so we add “s” to the verb: “Zara tells.” We say “I tell” but “she tells.”
Why the other options are wrong
A
“Tell” is used with “I”, “you”, “we”, “they” — not with one person.
C
“Telling” needs a helper word like “is”: “Zara is telling funny jokes.”
D
“Told” is past tense — but the sentence says “always,” which means it happens now, every day.
📐 Mathematics — Answers 1–10
1
How many stars are in this picture?
✓ Correct Answer: C (14)
Count only the yellow star shapes. Touch each one with your finger as you count. There are 14 stars and 6 blue circles — don’t count the circles!
Why the other options are wrong
A
12 — missed two stars when counting.
B
13 — off by one, missed one star.
D
15 — counted one blue circle as a star by mistake.
2
5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, ? — What number must ? be?
✓ Correct Answer: C (29)
Look at the jumps: 5 → 9 (+4), 9 → 13 (+4), 13 → 17 (+4)… Each number is 4 more than the last. So 25 + 4 = 29.
Why the other options are wrong
A
26 — added only 1 instead of 4.
B
28 — added 3 instead of 4.
D
31 — added 6 instead of 4.
3
Which arrow is pointing to 70 on this number line?
✓ Correct Answer: C (Arrow C)
The number line goes from 0 to 100. The tick marks split it into 10 equal jumps of 10 each. Count from 0: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70. That’s the 7th tick mark — where Arrow C points.
Why the other options are wrong
A
Arrow A is at 30.
B
Arrow B is at 50.
D
Arrow D is at 90.
4
How many books did Priya read? (1 📘 = 2 books)
✓ Correct Answer: C (10)
Priya has 5 book symbols. Each symbol means 2 books. So 5 × 2 = 10 books. Don’t forget to multiply by 2 — that’s what the key tells you!
Why the other options are wrong
A
5 — just counted the symbols, forgot to use the key.
B
8 — miscounted, only 4 symbols then × 2.
D
12 — miscounted 6 symbols × 2.
5
7:00 → 7:30 → 8:00 → ? → 9:00. Which time replaces ?
✓ Correct Answer: B (8:30)
The pattern adds 30 minutes each time: 7:00 → 7:30 (+30) → 8:00 (+30) → 8:30 (+30) → 9:00 (+30). Each gap is half an hour.
Why the other options are wrong
A
8:15 — added only 15 minutes (quarter hour).
C
8:45 — added 45 minutes, too big a jump.
D
9:30 — skipped too far ahead, already past 9:00.
6
The dotted line is a mirror line. Which picture shows the reflected house?
✓ Correct Answer: B (door on right, chimney top-right)
In a mirror, everything flips side-to-side. The door was on the left → now on the right. The chimney was top-left → now top-right. Both features must flip together.
Why the other options are wrong
A
The house looks exactly the same — nothing has been reflected.
C
Only the door has been flipped — the chimney is still in its original position.
D
The house is upside down — mirrors flip side-to-side, not top-to-bottom.
7
Liam has 8 stickers. Nina has 3 times as many. Kai has 5 fewer than Nina. How many does Kai have?
25 — counted only 2 triangles (8) and 2 stars (18 − 1 error).
C
34 — counted 4 triangles by mistake.
D
39 — counted 3 stars instead of 2.
9
What fraction of this shape is shaded?
✓ Correct Answer: B (one third, 1/3)
The rectangle is split into 3 equal strips. Only 1 strip is shaded blue. So the shaded part is “1 out of 3” = one third (1/3).
Why the other options are wrong
A
1/2 — would mean half the shape is shaded. Only 1 of 3 parts is shaded, not half.
C
1/4 — would mean 4 equal parts. There are only 3 parts here.
D
1/5 — would mean 5 equal parts. Miscounted the parts.
10
Two puppies weigh 12 kg together. One steps off. Scale shows 7 kg. What is the mass of the one that stepped off?
✓ Correct Answer: B (5 kg)
The two puppies together are 12 kg. When one steps off, 7 kg remains. So the puppy that stepped off was the difference: 12 − 7 = 5 kg.
Why the other options are wrong
A
4 kg — arithmetic error when subtracting.
C
7 kg — that’s the puppy still ON the scale, not the one that stepped OFF.
D
19 kg — added 12 + 7 instead of subtracting. (Two puppies can’t weigh more than their combined total!)
🔬 Science — Answers 1–8
1
Which of these animals has fur?
✓ Correct Answer: C (rabbit)
Rabbits are mammals. All mammals have fur (or hair) on their bodies. Fur keeps them warm.
Why the other options are wrong
A
Frogs are amphibians with smooth, wet skin — not fur.
B
Fish have scales covering their bodies, not fur.
D
Snakes are reptiles with scales, not fur.
2
How many of Ravi’s creatures have a backbone? (frog, bird, butterfly, slug)
✓ Correct Answer: B (2)
Follow the key. Creatures WITH a backbone: frog and bird (2 creatures). Creatures WITHOUT a backbone: butterfly and slug (these are invertebrates).
Why the other options are wrong
A
1 — only counted one branch (e.g. only bird, forgot frog).
C
3 — added a creature without a backbone (butterfly looks complex, but it’s an invertebrate).
D
4 — thought all creatures have a backbone. But butterflies and slugs don’t.
3
The sun is shining from the right. Which picture shows the tree’s shadow?
✓ Correct Answer: A (shadow on the left)
A shadow always falls on the opposite side from the light. If the sun is on the right, the tree blocks the light, and the shadow appears on the left side.
Why the other options are wrong
B
Shadow on the right — same side as the sun. Shadows are NEVER on the same side as the light.
C
Shadow directly underneath — this only happens when the sun is directly overhead (like midday).
D
Shadow going up into the sky — shadows fall on the ground, not in the air.
4
Which moon shape is missing on Night 3?
✓ Correct Answer: C (a larger crescent lit on the right)
The lit part is growing bigger each night, always on the right side. Night 1 = dark. Night 2 = thin sliver on right. Night 4 = half lit on right. Night 3 must be between — a bigger crescent, still on the right.
Why the other options are wrong
A
Full moon — too much light, should come later in the cycle.
B
Same thin crescent as Night 2 — the moon must grow, not stay the same.
D
Half lit on the LEFT — wrong side. Lit side stays on the right while the moon grows.
5
Nina pours 40 mL from a wide jar into a tall narrow cup. How high is the water?
✓ Correct Answer: C (water level is higher)
The amount of water stays the same (40 mL) — but the cup is narrower. Less width means the water has nowhere to go but UP, so the level rises higher than it was in the wide jar.
Why the other options are wrong
A
Water lower than before — no water is lost when pouring carefully.
B
Same level as the jar — forgot that the narrow cup has a smaller cross-section.
D
Filled to the top — 40 mL isn’t enough to fill the cup completely.
6
Which block should Bella add to balance the seesaw?
✓ Correct Answer: B (one 100 g block)
Add up Amir’s side: 100 + 50 + 50 = 200 g. Bella already has 100 g. She needs 200 − 100 = 100 g more. So one 100 g block makes both sides equal.
Why the other options are wrong
A
50 g — Bella would have 150 g total, still less than Amir’s 200 g.
C
Two 100 g blocks = 200 g added. Bella would have 300 g, heavier than Amir.
D
25 g — Bella would have only 125 g, still too light.
7
On which surface did the car have the most friction?
✓ Correct Answer: B (carpet)
Friction slows things down. The surface with the MOST friction is the one where the car takes the LONGEST time. Carpet = 14 seconds — the slowest of all four ramps. So carpet has the most friction.
Why the other options are wrong
A
Smooth wood — 3 seconds is the FASTEST, which means the LEAST friction (slippery surface).
C
Sandpaper — 9 seconds. Some friction, but carpet was slower.
D
Plastic sheet — 5 seconds. Fast, so low friction.
8
Gear 1 turns clockwise. Which row shows the directions of all three gears?
✓ Correct Answer: B (clockwise, anti-clockwise, clockwise)
Use the rule: touching gears turn in OPPOSITE directions.
Gear 1 = clockwise (given).
Gear 2 touches Gear 1 → must turn OPPOSITE = anti-clockwise.
Gear 3 touches Gear 2 → must turn OPPOSITE again = clockwise.
Why the other options are wrong
A
All gears same direction — breaks the rule that touching gears must turn opposite ways.
C
Gear 2 should be anti-clockwise, not clockwise. The rule wasn’t applied at the first contact.
D
Gear 3 should flip back to clockwise, not stay anti-clockwise. The rule must be applied at EVERY contact point.
Important Notice
About This Workbook
This workbook has been developed by Educational Assessment and Testing Services (M) Sdn. Bhd. (“EATS”) to help students prepare for ICAS Paper Intro / Standard 2 assessments. All questions, passages, and illustrations in this workbook are original content created by EATS for preparation purposes.
📘 Disclaimer
This is an independent practice workbook produced by EATS and is not an official ICAS product, nor is it endorsed, sponsored, or approved by Janison Solutions Pty Ltd. This workbook does not reproduce any questions, passages, or content from official ICAS assessments. All practice material is original and was written by EATS educators based on the publicly available ICAS Assessment Frameworks for the purposes of preparation and study.
ICAS® is a registered trademark of Janison Solutions Pty Ltd. All trademarks, copyrights, and registered marks of the ICAS programme are the property of their respective owners. Official ICAS assessments are administered exclusively by Janison Solutions Pty Ltd and their authorised representatives.
About EATS
Educational Assessment and Testing Services (M) Sdn. Bhd. is an education services provider in Malaysia. We help students, parents, and schools access high-quality international assessments and preparation materials. Our preparation materials are written by experienced educators and reviewed for curriculum alignment, age-appropriateness, and academic integrity.
This publication is intended for educational practice and preparation. No part of this workbook may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of EATS.
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Good luck with your ICAS preparation!
Remember: practice makes progress. Every question you attempt helps you learn.
Inspire Team
Homeschool & Languages
Ms. Emma
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