SCSC 301 PRACTICE EXAM 2026/2027 QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔Epipedons - ✔✔surface horizons
✔✔Endopedons - ✔✔diagnostic subsurface horizons
✔✔types of epipedons - ✔✔Mollic, umbric, ochric, histic
✔✔Mollic - ✔✔Thick, dark colored, high base saturation, more than 1% OM
✔✔Umbric - ✔✔Same as Mollic except low base saturation
✔✔Histic - ✔✔High O.M 10 cm deep, thick, dark and is the O horizon
✔✔Ochric - ✔✔thinner, lighter in color, low OM (if its not mollic or Umbric)
✔✔Albic endopedon - ✔✔E horizon
✔✔Cambic - ✔✔Bw horizon, weakly weathered, only change in color or structure
✔✔Argillic - ✔✔Bt with high bases
✔✔Kandic - ✔✔Bt, Bts low bases
✔✔Spodic - ✔✔Bh, Bs, Bhs. dark layer under an E horizon
✔✔Oxic - ✔✔Bo illuvial zone of oxides
✔✔calcic - ✔✔Bk
CALCIUM CARBONATE
✔✔Petrocalcic - ✔✔(Bkm) Cemented calcic horizon
✔✔gypsic - ✔✔(By) Accumulation of gypsum
✔✔salic - ✔✔(Bz) Accumulation of salts
✔✔How many orders are there - ✔✔12
✔✔Inceptisols - ✔✔(ept) surface- Ochric maybe (mollic or umbric)
subsurface- cambic
A-Bw-C
, semi-arid and under forest
✔✔Vertisols - ✔✔(ert) surface- mollic or ochric
subsurface- various
have shrink swell clays and Bss
✔✔Mollisol - ✔✔(oll) surface mollic
subsurface- various but not oxic or spodic
✔✔Spodosol - ✔✔(od) surface histic or umbric/ ochric
subsurface- spodic
Bhs
under forest
✔✔Ultisol - ✔✔(ult) surface- ochric or umbric
subsurface- kandic
highly weathered in humid regions
✔✔Entisols - ✔✔(ent) surface Ochric
subsurface- None
Youngest soil order
A-C
✔✔Andisol - ✔✔(and) surface- anything
subsurface- various
must be volcanic
not highly weathered
✔✔Gelisol - ✔✔(el) surface- anything
subsurface- anything
in permafrost
✔✔Histosols - ✔✔(ist) surface- histic (O)
subsurface- none or anything
forms in wetlands normally in colder climates
✔✔Aridisol - ✔✔(id) surface- ochric
subsurface- normally bt, bk, bw, or the acculation of salts
water deficienct
✔✔Alfisol - ✔✔(alf) surface- any A horizon
subsurface- Argillic
under deciduous forest
✔✔Oxisol - ✔✔(ox) surface- ochric and maybe umbric
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔Epipedons - ✔✔surface horizons
✔✔Endopedons - ✔✔diagnostic subsurface horizons
✔✔types of epipedons - ✔✔Mollic, umbric, ochric, histic
✔✔Mollic - ✔✔Thick, dark colored, high base saturation, more than 1% OM
✔✔Umbric - ✔✔Same as Mollic except low base saturation
✔✔Histic - ✔✔High O.M 10 cm deep, thick, dark and is the O horizon
✔✔Ochric - ✔✔thinner, lighter in color, low OM (if its not mollic or Umbric)
✔✔Albic endopedon - ✔✔E horizon
✔✔Cambic - ✔✔Bw horizon, weakly weathered, only change in color or structure
✔✔Argillic - ✔✔Bt with high bases
✔✔Kandic - ✔✔Bt, Bts low bases
✔✔Spodic - ✔✔Bh, Bs, Bhs. dark layer under an E horizon
✔✔Oxic - ✔✔Bo illuvial zone of oxides
✔✔calcic - ✔✔Bk
CALCIUM CARBONATE
✔✔Petrocalcic - ✔✔(Bkm) Cemented calcic horizon
✔✔gypsic - ✔✔(By) Accumulation of gypsum
✔✔salic - ✔✔(Bz) Accumulation of salts
✔✔How many orders are there - ✔✔12
✔✔Inceptisols - ✔✔(ept) surface- Ochric maybe (mollic or umbric)
subsurface- cambic
A-Bw-C
, semi-arid and under forest
✔✔Vertisols - ✔✔(ert) surface- mollic or ochric
subsurface- various
have shrink swell clays and Bss
✔✔Mollisol - ✔✔(oll) surface mollic
subsurface- various but not oxic or spodic
✔✔Spodosol - ✔✔(od) surface histic or umbric/ ochric
subsurface- spodic
Bhs
under forest
✔✔Ultisol - ✔✔(ult) surface- ochric or umbric
subsurface- kandic
highly weathered in humid regions
✔✔Entisols - ✔✔(ent) surface Ochric
subsurface- None
Youngest soil order
A-C
✔✔Andisol - ✔✔(and) surface- anything
subsurface- various
must be volcanic
not highly weathered
✔✔Gelisol - ✔✔(el) surface- anything
subsurface- anything
in permafrost
✔✔Histosols - ✔✔(ist) surface- histic (O)
subsurface- none or anything
forms in wetlands normally in colder climates
✔✔Aridisol - ✔✔(id) surface- ochric
subsurface- normally bt, bk, bw, or the acculation of salts
water deficienct
✔✔Alfisol - ✔✔(alf) surface- any A horizon
subsurface- Argillic
under deciduous forest
✔✔Oxisol - ✔✔(ox) surface- ochric and maybe umbric
