SCSC 301 TEST PAPER 2026/2027 QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔Water is moving upward from an aquifer. The surface is clayey and the subsurface
is a mix of coarse sand and gravel. Which is true about movement of water from the
coarse-textured subsurface to the fine-textured surface? - ✔✔a. water will not move
from the coarse texture until it is saturated
OR if written correctly
b. water will be drawn from the coarse texture to the fine texture causing water easily
move up
✔✔**The soil likely to have the greatest water content at permanent wilting point is a: -
✔✔angular blocky clay
✔✔This soil will have the highest infiltration rate. - ✔✔A:
loamy sand, single grain, 2.5YR 5/8, BD 1.7, pH 5.5
✔✔This soil will have the most trouble draining to field capacity if it was over a gravel
bed. - ✔✔E:
sandy clay, subangular blocky, 7.5YR 5/3, BD 1.6, pH 7.5
✔✔**This surface soil has the lowest amount of macropore space - ✔✔C:
30cm, sandy loam (15%), subangular, OM% 0.6, 1.65 BD, subsoil is sandy clay loam
(25%), prismatic
✔✔This soil has the highest permeability - ✔✔D:
20cm, loamy sand(5%), singe grained, OM% 0.2, BD1.75, subsoil is loamy sand(5%),
single grained
✔✔This subsoil would have the highest amount of water at the field capacity - ✔✔E:
35cm, silty clay loam (35%), granular, OM% 2.5, BD 1.2, subsoil is clay(45%), Angular
block with slickensides
✔✔The least intensively weathered subsoil horizon, recognized for its color and
structure differences, is a(an) ___ horizon. - ✔✔cambic
✔✔A subsoil horizon in which clay has accumulated, having a high sodium content and
columnar structure is a ______ horizon. - ✔✔Btn
✔✔A thick, dark colored surface horizon with a low base status is called a(an) ___
epipedon. - ✔✔umbric
✔✔The Denton soil is a fine-silty, carbonatic, thermic Udic Calciustoll. The suborder is
___. - ✔✔ustolls
, ✔✔A soil with an umbric epipedon, albic horizon, and argillic horizon would be classified
as a(an) ___. - ✔✔alfisol
✔✔Deep organic soils formed in marshy or swampy areas in cool, humid climatic zones
frequently classify as ___. - ✔✔histosol
✔✔Soils formed on well-drained sites under forest vegetation in the warm, humid
temperature zones (Southeastern U.S.) are often classified as ___. These soils are
highly weathered. - ✔✔ultisol
✔✔Examples of land use capability units are a. IIw, b. VIs, and c. IIIe. The units ordered
from lowest to highest degree of limitation to use are ___. - ✔✔a, c, b
✔✔Soils formed in acid sandy parent material under coniferous forest in a cool humid
climate usually are classified in the ___ order because they contain a horizon where
humus has leached below the E horizon. - ✔✔spodosol
✔✔A soil having an ochric epipedon, an albic horizon, and a kandic horizon with low
base status at depth is classified as a(an) ___. - ✔✔ultisol
✔✔Dust is blown from a barren desert and falls onto an area in Texas. The first soil that
forms is most likely an _______. - ✔✔entisol
✔✔Arrange the following soil mapping units from greatest variability to least variability.
A: Polar and Paloduro soils, 3 to 30% B: Amarillo fine sandy loam, 1 to 3% slopes C:
Lincoln soils - ✔✔c, a, b
✔✔The land use capability classification of a soil is IIw-1. This soil is a _______ -
✔✔Good cultivatable soil with drainage limitations
✔✔Soils derived from volcanic ash are classified as___________ - ✔✔andisol
✔✔A subsoil horizon containing an accumulation of organic matter (humus), iron, and
aluminum that is designated as Bhs is diagnostic for which soil order? - ✔✔spodosol
✔✔A soil with an ochric surface and a cambic subsurface is most likely a
____________ - ✔✔inceptisol
✔✔Thick, dark, surface horizons having >1% organic matter, and low base status
are_____epipedons - ✔✔umbric
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔Water is moving upward from an aquifer. The surface is clayey and the subsurface
is a mix of coarse sand and gravel. Which is true about movement of water from the
coarse-textured subsurface to the fine-textured surface? - ✔✔a. water will not move
from the coarse texture until it is saturated
OR if written correctly
b. water will be drawn from the coarse texture to the fine texture causing water easily
move up
✔✔**The soil likely to have the greatest water content at permanent wilting point is a: -
✔✔angular blocky clay
✔✔This soil will have the highest infiltration rate. - ✔✔A:
loamy sand, single grain, 2.5YR 5/8, BD 1.7, pH 5.5
✔✔This soil will have the most trouble draining to field capacity if it was over a gravel
bed. - ✔✔E:
sandy clay, subangular blocky, 7.5YR 5/3, BD 1.6, pH 7.5
✔✔**This surface soil has the lowest amount of macropore space - ✔✔C:
30cm, sandy loam (15%), subangular, OM% 0.6, 1.65 BD, subsoil is sandy clay loam
(25%), prismatic
✔✔This soil has the highest permeability - ✔✔D:
20cm, loamy sand(5%), singe grained, OM% 0.2, BD1.75, subsoil is loamy sand(5%),
single grained
✔✔This subsoil would have the highest amount of water at the field capacity - ✔✔E:
35cm, silty clay loam (35%), granular, OM% 2.5, BD 1.2, subsoil is clay(45%), Angular
block with slickensides
✔✔The least intensively weathered subsoil horizon, recognized for its color and
structure differences, is a(an) ___ horizon. - ✔✔cambic
✔✔A subsoil horizon in which clay has accumulated, having a high sodium content and
columnar structure is a ______ horizon. - ✔✔Btn
✔✔A thick, dark colored surface horizon with a low base status is called a(an) ___
epipedon. - ✔✔umbric
✔✔The Denton soil is a fine-silty, carbonatic, thermic Udic Calciustoll. The suborder is
___. - ✔✔ustolls
, ✔✔A soil with an umbric epipedon, albic horizon, and argillic horizon would be classified
as a(an) ___. - ✔✔alfisol
✔✔Deep organic soils formed in marshy or swampy areas in cool, humid climatic zones
frequently classify as ___. - ✔✔histosol
✔✔Soils formed on well-drained sites under forest vegetation in the warm, humid
temperature zones (Southeastern U.S.) are often classified as ___. These soils are
highly weathered. - ✔✔ultisol
✔✔Examples of land use capability units are a. IIw, b. VIs, and c. IIIe. The units ordered
from lowest to highest degree of limitation to use are ___. - ✔✔a, c, b
✔✔Soils formed in acid sandy parent material under coniferous forest in a cool humid
climate usually are classified in the ___ order because they contain a horizon where
humus has leached below the E horizon. - ✔✔spodosol
✔✔A soil having an ochric epipedon, an albic horizon, and a kandic horizon with low
base status at depth is classified as a(an) ___. - ✔✔ultisol
✔✔Dust is blown from a barren desert and falls onto an area in Texas. The first soil that
forms is most likely an _______. - ✔✔entisol
✔✔Arrange the following soil mapping units from greatest variability to least variability.
A: Polar and Paloduro soils, 3 to 30% B: Amarillo fine sandy loam, 1 to 3% slopes C:
Lincoln soils - ✔✔c, a, b
✔✔The land use capability classification of a soil is IIw-1. This soil is a _______ -
✔✔Good cultivatable soil with drainage limitations
✔✔Soils derived from volcanic ash are classified as___________ - ✔✔andisol
✔✔A subsoil horizon containing an accumulation of organic matter (humus), iron, and
aluminum that is designated as Bhs is diagnostic for which soil order? - ✔✔spodosol
✔✔A soil with an ochric surface and a cambic subsurface is most likely a
____________ - ✔✔inceptisol
✔✔Thick, dark, surface horizons having >1% organic matter, and low base status
are_____epipedons - ✔✔umbric
