Conradrichman: New page: performance level of every question on each released exam, by standard

2026-10-23T15:24:52Z

New page: performance level of every question on each released exam, by standard

New page

{{PLDnotice}}

This page shows the performance level of every question on each released Biology Regents exam, organized by standard. Each number in the table is the PLD level (1–5) assigned to one question; click a number to open that question. Levels are listed from lowest to highest within each cell. The full PLD text and question stems are on [[Biology questions by performance level]].

== Performance levels by standard and exam ==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:0.95em;"
! Standard !! Topic !! [[June 2025 Life Science: Biology Exam|June 2025]] !! [[August 2025 Life Science: Biology Exam|August 2025]] !! [[January 2026 Life Science: Biology Exam|January 2026]] !! [[June 2026 Life Science: Biology Exam|June 2026]] !! [[August 2026 Life Science: Biology Exam|August 2026]]
|-
| [[HS-LS1-1]] || DNA and Protein Synthesis || [[Questions:Heads or Tails?#q3|1]], [[Questions:Nature or Nurture?#q2|1]], [[Questions:Heads or Tails?#q6|3]], [[Questions:Nature or Nurture?#q3|3]] || [[Questions:Keratin – A Very Versatile Protein#q1|1]], [[Questions:A Unique Relationship: Mulberries and Silk#q4|2]], [[Questions:Keratin – A Very Versatile Protein#q3|2]] || [[Questions:Solving the Problem of Cat Allergies#q1|1]], [[Questions:Diabetes#q4|1]], [[Questions:Zebra Coat Patterns#q2|2]], [[Questions:Solving the Problem of Cat Allergies#q5|4]] || [[Questions:Tailless Humans#q2|1]], [[Questions:Caffeine’s Effect on the Body#q2|3]] || [[Questions:Humongous Fungus#q4|1]], [[Questions:Human Variations in Eye Color#q3|4]]
|-
| [[HS-LS1-2]] || Body Systems and Functions || [[Questions:Drinking Water Is Just The Beginning!#q1|1]] || [[Questions:A Unique Relationship: Mulberries and Silk#q3|1]], [[Questions:How Do Kangaroo Rats Survive in the Desert?#q3|1]], [[Questions:Trees Have Organ Systems#q1|2]], [[Questions:How Do Kangaroo Rats Survive in the Desert?#q1|2]] || [[Questions:Solving the Problem of Cat Allergies#q2|2]], [[Questions:Diabetes#q2|2]], [[Questions:Purple Insect Eater#q4|2]] || [[Questions:A Seasonal Strategy for Survival#q1|1]], [[Questions:Caffeine’s Effect on the Body#q1|1]] || [[Questions:Star of the Tide Pool#q2|1]], [[Questions:Homeostasis in Plants#q1|1]]
|-
| [[HS-LS1-3]] || Homeostasis and Feedback || [[Questions:Drinking Water Is Just The Beginning!#q4|1]], [[Questions:Drinking Water Is Just The Beginning!#q5|2]], [[Questions:Drinking Water Is Just The Beginning!#q3|3]] || [[Questions:Trees Have Organ Systems#q2|1]] || [[Questions:Diabetes#q3|2]] || [[Questions:A Seasonal Strategy for Survival#q4|1]], [[Questions:A Seasonal Strategy for Survival#q2|2]], [[Questions:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)#q2|2]] || [[Questions:Homeostasis in Plants#q3|3]], [[Questions:Homeostasis in Plants#q5|3]]
|-
| [[HS-LS1-4]] || Mitosis and Differentiation || [[Questions:Nature or Nurture?#q5|3]] || [[Questions:The Human Journey from One Cell to 30 Trillion#q2|1]], [[Questions:The Human Journey from One Cell to 30 Trillion#q4|1]], [[Questions:Keratin – A Very Versatile Protein#q2|3]] || [[Questions:Two Kinds of Twins#q2|2]] || — || [[Questions:Star of the Tide Pool#q3|1]], [[Questions:Humongous Fungus#q2|1]], [[Questions:Frog Development#q1|2]]
|-
| [[HS-LS1-5]] || Photosynthesis || [[Questions:Carbon! Where Does It Come From? Where Does It Go?#q3|1]] || — || [[Questions:Purple Insect Eater#q1|1]], [[Questions:Space Invader#q2|4]] || — || [[Questions:Homeostasis in Plants#q2|2]]
|-
| [[HS-LS1-6]] || Synthesis of Biomolecules || [[Questions:Does It Matter?#q3|1]], [[Questions:Does It Matter?#q4|1]] || [[Questions:A Unique Relationship: Mulberries and Silk#q2|3]] || — || — || —
|-
| [[HS-LS1-7]] || Cellular Respiration || [[Questions:Does It Matter?#q1|2]] || [[Questions:A Unique Relationship: Mulberries and Silk#q1|2]] || [[Questions:Diabetes#q1|1]] || [[Questions:A Seasonal Strategy for Survival#q3|1]] || [[Questions:Frog Development#q4|3]]
|-
| [[HS-LS1-8]] || Human Reproduction and Development || — || [[Questions:The Human Journey from One Cell to 30 Trillion#q1|3]], [[Questions:The Human Journey from One Cell to 30 Trillion#q3|3]] || [[Questions:Two Kinds of Twins#q1|1]] || [[Questions:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)#q3|1]], [[Questions:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)#q1|2]] || —
|-
| [[HS-LS2-1]] || Carrying Capacity and Ecosystems || [[Questions:Keystone Species: Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs#q1|1]], [[Questions:Keystone Species: Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs#q4|1]], [[Questions:Organisms of the Tibetan Plateau#q3|2]], [[Questions:Salt Marsh Shoreline#q2|3]] || [[Questions:How Do Kangaroo Rats Survive in the Desert?#q4|2]] || [[Questions:Honeybee Behavior and Threats#q5|4]] || [[Questions:Nitrogen: Friend or Foe?#q2|3]], [[Questions:Fossil Fuels: Out of Sight, but Not Out of Mind#q2|3]], [[Questions:Mercury Rising#q3|4]] || [[Questions:Invasive Mussels#q2|2]], [[Questions:Parrots and Biodiversity#q3|2]]
|-
| [[HS-LS2-2]] || Biodiversity and Populations || [[Questions:Carbon! Where Does It Come From? Where Does It Go?#q4|2]] || [[Questions:Strategies for Survival in Different Animal Species#q3|1]], [[Questions:Trees Have Organ Systems#q3|2]], [[Questions:Ivory and Elephants#q1|2]] || [[Questions:Space Invader#q3|2]], [[Questions:Honeybee Behavior and Threats#q3|2]] || [[Questions:Nitrogen: Friend or Foe?#q1|1]], [[Questions:Mercury Rising#q2|2]] || [[Questions:Invasive Mussels#q1|2]], [[Questions:Invasive Mussels#q4|2]], [[Questions:Parrots and Biodiversity#q4|2]]
|-
| [[HS-LS2-3]] || Matter and Energy in Ecosystems || [[Questions:Does It Matter?#q2|3]] || — || [[Questions:Purple Insect Eater#q3|2]] || [[Questions:The Forest Gardener#q5|1]], [[Questions:Buzzy Bees#q1|2]], [[Questions:The Forest Gardener#q1|3]] || [[Questions:Deep-Sea Dilemmas#q2|1]], [[Questions:Homeostasis in Plants#q4|1]]
|-
| [[HS-LS2-4]] || Energy Flow and Matter Cycling || [[Questions:Carbon! Where Does It Come From? Where Does It Go?#q1|2]], [[Questions:Organisms of the Tibetan Plateau#q5|3]] || [[Questions:Driving the Florida Panther to Extinction#q2|1]] || — || [[Questions:The Forest Gardener#q3|2]] || [[Questions:Humongous Fungus#q1|2]]
|-
| [[HS-LS2-5]] || The Carbon Cycle || [[Questions:Carbon! Where Does It Come From? Where Does It Go?#q2|2]] || [[Questions:Carbon Cycle Supports Life on Earth#q1|1]], [[Questions:Carbon Cycle Supports Life on Earth#q2|2]] || — || [[Questions:Fossil Fuels: Out of Sight, but Not Out of Mind#q1|2]] || [[Questions:Deep-Sea Dilemmas#q1|2]], [[Questions:The Permafrost Problem#q1|2]]
|-
| [[HS-LS2-6]] || Ecosystem Stability and Change || [[Questions:Salt Marsh Shoreline#q1|2]], [[Questions:Salt Marsh Shoreline#q5|2]], [[Questions:Salt Marsh Shoreline#q3|3]], [[Questions:Keystone Species: Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs#q2|3]] || [[Questions:Ivory and Elephants#q4|2]] || [[Questions:Keystone Species Rule#q1|1]] || [[Questions:Green and Black Frogs#q4|2]], [[Questions:Nitrogen: Friend or Foe?#q3|3]], [[Questions:The Forest Gardener#q4|3]] || [[Questions:Deep-Sea Dilemmas#q3|2]], [[Questions:Parrots and Biodiversity#q1|2]], [[Questions:Invasive Mussels#q3|4]]
|-
| [[HS-LS2-7]] || Human Impacts on Biodiversity || — || — || [[Questions:Keystone Species Rule#q3|2]], [[Questions:Zebra Coat Patterns#q5|2]] || [[Questions:Mercury Rising#q1|1]], [[Questions:The Forest Gardener#q2|2]], [[Questions:Mercury Rising#q4|2]] || [[Questions:Star of the Tide Pool#q4|2]], [[Questions:A Tale of Two Squirrels#q4|3]]
|-
| [[HS-LS2-8]] || Group Behavior and Survival || — || [[Questions:Strategies for Survival in Different Animal Species#q1|1]] || [[Questions:Keystone Species Rule#q4|1]], [[Questions:Honeybee Behavior and Threats#q2|1]], [[Questions:Baboon Evolution#q3|2]] || [[Questions:Buzzy Bees#q3|1]] || [[Questions:Parrots and Biodiversity#q2|2]]
|-
| [[HS-LS3-1]] || DNA, Genes, and Traits || [[Questions:Heads or Tails?#q1|1]], [[Questions:Heads or Tails?#q4|1]], [[Questions:Nature or Nurture?#q1|1]] || — || [[Questions:Two Kinds of Twins#q4|1]], [[Questions:Space Invader#q1|1]], [[Questions:A Hard Pest to Manage#q2|1]], [[Questions:Zebra Coat Patterns#q1|1]] || [[Questions:Tailless Humans#q3|1]], [[Questions:Green and Black Frogs#q1|2]], [[Questions:Caffeine’s Effect on the Body#q4|2]] || [[Questions:Human Variations in Eye Color#q4|2]], [[Questions:Colorful Guppies#q1|2]]
|-
| [[HS-LS3-2]] || Sources of Genetic Variation || [[Questions:Nature or Nurture?#q4|1]], [[Questions:Organisms of the Tibetan Plateau#q2|2]] || [[Questions:Keratin – A Very Versatile Protein#q4|2]] || [[Questions:Solving the Problem of Cat Allergies#q4|1]], [[Questions:Two Kinds of Twins#q3|3]] || [[Questions:Caffeine’s Effect on the Body#q3|2]], [[Questions:Tailless Humans#q4|3]] || [[Questions:Frog Development#q2|1]], [[Questions:Human Variations in Eye Color#q1|2]], [[Questions:Humongous Fungus#q3|3]]
|-
| [[HS-LS3-3]] || Genetics and Probability || — || [[Questions:Ivory and Elephants#q2|1]] || [[Questions:Solving the Problem of Cat Allergies#q3|3]], [[Questions:A Hard Pest to Manage#q3|3]], [[Questions:Zebra Coat Patterns#q4|3]] || — || [[Questions:Human Variations in Eye Color#q2|2]]
|-
| [[HS-LS4-1]] || Evidence for Evolution || [[Questions:Limb Evolution#q1|1]], [[Questions:Limb Evolution#q2|2]], [[Questions:Limb Evolution#q4|3]], [[Questions:Heads or Tails?#q5|4]] || [[Questions:Evolutionary Relationships Biology#q4|1]], [[Questions:Evolutionary Relationships Biology#q1|2]], [[Questions:Evolutionary Relationships Biology#q3|3]] || [[Questions:Baboon Evolution#q1|1]], [[Questions:A Hard Pest to Manage#q4|3]] || [[Questions:Tailless Humans#q1|1]], [[Questions:Australian Adaptations#q1|1]] || [[Questions:A Tale of Two Squirrels#q2|3]]
|-
| [[HS-LS4-2]] || Mechanisms of Natural Selection || [[Questions:Limb Evolution#q5|1]], [[Questions:Drinking Water Is Just The Beginning!#q2|2]], [[Questions:Heads or Tails?#q2|2]], [[Questions:Limb Evolution#q3|3]] || [[Questions:Keratin – A Very Versatile Protein#q5|2]], [[Questions:Evolutionary Relationships Biology#q2|2]], [[Questions:Strategies for Survival in Different Animal Species#q2|3]], [[Questions:Strategies for Survival in Different Animal Species#q5|3]] || [[Questions:Baboon Evolution#q2|1]], [[Questions:Honeybee Behavior and Threats#q4|2]], [[Questions:Zebra Coat Patterns#q3|2]] || [[Questions:Green and Black Frogs#q2|1]], [[Questions:A Seasonal Strategy for Survival#q5|3]], [[Questions:Buzzy Bees#q2|3]], [[Questions:Australian Adaptations#q3|3]] || [[Questions:Star of the Tide Pool#q1|2]]
|-
| [[HS-LS4-3]] || Natural Selection and Traits || [[Questions:Keystone Species: Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs#q3|4]] || [[Questions:Strategies for Survival in Different Animal Species#q4|3]] || [[Questions:A Hard Pest to Manage#q1|3]] || — || [[Questions:Colorful Guppies#q5|1]], [[Questions:Colorful Guppies#q3|2]]
|-
| [[HS-LS4-4]] || Natural Selection and Adaptation || [[Questions:Organisms of the Tibetan Plateau#q1|4]], [[Questions:Organisms of the Tibetan Plateau#q4|4]] || [[Questions:Strategies for Survival in Different Animal Species#q6|1]], [[Questions:Ivory and Elephants#q3|1]], [[Questions:Driving the Florida Panther to Extinction#q1|2]], [[Questions:How Do Kangaroo Rats Survive in the Desert?#q2|3]] || [[Questions:Baboon Evolution#q4|2]] || [[Questions:Green and Black Frogs#q3|1]], [[Questions:Australian Adaptations#q4|2]], [[Questions:Green and Black Frogs#q5|4]] || [[Questions:Frog Development#q3|2]], [[Questions:Colorful Guppies#q2|4]]
|-
| [[HS-LS4-5]] || Environmental Change and Evolution || — || [[Questions:Driving the Florida Panther to Extinction#q3|1]] || — || [[Questions:Buzzy Bees#q4|2]], [[Questions:Australian Adaptations#q2|2]] || [[Questions:Colorful Guppies#q4|1]], [[Questions:A Tale of Two Squirrels#q1|2]], [[Questions:A Tale of Two Squirrels#q3|2]]
|-
| [[HS-ESS2-6]] || Carbon Cycling || [[Questions:Carbon! Where Does It Come From? Where Does It Go?#q5|3]], [[Questions:Does It Matter?#q5|3]] || [[Questions:Carbon Cycle Supports Life on Earth#q4|2]], [[Questions:Trees Have Organ Systems#q4|3]], [[Questions:Carbon Cycle Supports Life on Earth#q3|3]] || [[Questions:Keystone Species Rule#q2|2]], [[Questions:Purple Insect Eater#q2|2]] || [[Questions:Fossil Fuels: Out of Sight, but Not Out of Mind#q4|3]] || [[Questions:The Permafrost Problem#q2|3]]
|-
| [[HS-ESS2-7]] || Coevolution of Earth and Life || — || — || — || [[Questions:Fossil Fuels: Out of Sight, but Not Out of Mind#q3|2]] || [[Questions:The Permafrost Problem#q3|2]]
|-
| [[HS-ETS1-1]] || Analyzing Global Challenges || — || — || [[Questions:Diabetes#q5|3]] || [[Questions:Fossil Fuels: Out of Sight, but Not Out of Mind#q5|1]] || [[Questions:Parrots and Biodiversity#q5|1]], [[Questions:The Permafrost Problem#q4|2]]
|-
| [[HS-ETS1-2]] || Breaking Down Complex Problems || [[Questions:Nature or Nurture?#q6|1]] || — || [[Questions:Honeybee Behavior and Threats#q1|1]], [[Questions:Two Kinds of Twins#q5|3]] || — || [[Questions:Invasive Mussels#q5|3]]
|-
| [[HS-ETS1-3]] || Evaluating Solutions and Trade-offs || [[Questions:Salt Marsh Shoreline#q4|1]], [[Questions:Keystone Species: Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs#q5|2]], [[Questions:Salt Marsh Shoreline#q6|4]] || [[Questions:The Human Journey from One Cell to 30 Trillion#q5|3]], [[Questions:Ivory and Elephants#q5|4]], [[Questions:Driving the Florida Panther to Extinction#q4|4]] || [[Questions:Space Invader#q4|1]] || [[Questions:Nitrogen: Friend or Foe?#q4|1]], [[Questions:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)#q4|3]], [[Questions:Buzzy Bees#q5|4]] || [[Questions:Deep-Sea Dilemmas#q4|2]]
|-
| [[HS-ETS1-4]] || Modeling Solutions with Simulations || — || — || — || — || —
|- class="sortbottom" style="font-weight:bold; background:#f3f7fb;"
| colspan="2" | Totals (L1 / L2 / L3 / L4 / L5) || 17 / 13 / 13 / 5 / 0 || 15 / 16 / 12 / 2 / 0 || 17 / 17 / 8 / 3 / 0 || 17 / 17 / 12 / 3 / 0 || 11 / 26 / 8 / 3 / 0
|}

== Distribution by level ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! Level !! June 2025 !! August 2025 !! January 2026 !! June 2026 !! August 2026
|-
! Level 1
| 17 (35%)
| 15 (33%)
| 17 (38%)
| 17 (35%)
| 11 (23%)
|-
! Level 2
| 13 (27%)
| 16 (36%)
| 17 (38%)
| 17 (35%)
| 26 (54%)
|-
! Level 3
| 13 (27%)
| 12 (27%)
| 8 (18%)
| 12 (24%)
| 8 (17%)
|-
! Level 4
| 5 (10%)
| 2 (4%)
| 3 (7%)
| 3 (6%)
| 3 (6%)
|-
! Level 5
| 0 (0%)
| 0 (0%)
| 0 (0%)
| 0 (0%)
| 0 (0%)
|- style="font-weight:bold; background:#f3f7fb;"
! Questions
| 48
| 45
| 45
| 49
| 48
|- style="background:#f3f7fb;"
! Mean level
| 2.13
| 2.02
| 1.93
| 2.02
| 2.06
|}

{{Pagecontributors}}

Biology PLDs by exam - Revision history

Conradrichman: New page: performance level of every question on each released exam, by standard