Class 9 CBSE Science — Chapter 11: Diversity in the Living World MCQs with Answers
90 practice questions · 30 Easy · 30 Medium · 30 Hard
Practise the most important Class 9 CBSE Science questions from Chapter 11, "Diversity in the Living World" — 9 separately timed quizzes built from 90 NCERT-aligned multiple-choice questions, with answers and explanations. The set is split into 30 Easy, 30 Medium and 30 Hard, so you can warm up on the fundamentals and then push into the exam-level problems that separate top scorers in CBSE Board exams and the JEE & NEET foundation years.
"Diversity in the Living World" is one of the chapters where concept clarity across physics, chemistry and biology basics really pays off. Each MCQ on this chapter is timed and uses exam-grade marking (+4 correct, −1 wrong, 0 skipped), training the accuracy-under-pressure that real papers demand. Every question carries a short explanation, so a wrong answer becomes a quick lesson rather than a dead end — the fastest way to close gaps before a test.
Use this chapter as targeted revision: attempt the Easy set first to confirm your basics on Diversity in the Living World, then move to Medium and Hard to test application and problem-solving. Your accuracy, streaks and XP save automatically, and the chapter feeds into your overall Class 9 Science mastery score. 14 sample questions are solved in full below — answer and worked explanation — and signing in free opens all 90.
Key concepts: Diversity in the Living World (Class 9 Science)
Millions of species exist, so biologists group them by shared characteristics rather than studying each separately. This chapter builds the classification hierarchy, works through the five kingdoms and the major plant and animal divisions, and explains binomial nomenclature and the peculiar position of viruses.
- Classification
- Arranging organisms into groups based on shared characteristics. It makes the study of enormous diversity manageable and reveals evolutionary relationships.
- Basis of classification
- Groups are formed on fundamental characteristics — cell type, number of cells, mode of nutrition and body organisation — rather than superficial resemblance.
- Taxonomic hierarchy
- The ranked series Kingdom, Phylum (or Division), Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species. Moving down the ranks, similarity increases and numbers decrease.
- Species
- The basic unit of classification: a group of organisms so similar that they can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
Class 9 Science Diversity in the Living World MCQs with answers
14 solved questions across the difficulty levels this chapter is graded on — answer and explanation shown for each. The remaining 76 are timed and scored when you sign in.
- Q1Easy
Who proposed the five-kingdom classification of living organisms?
A.R. H. Whittaker✓ CorrectB.Carolus LinnaeusC.Charles DarwinD.Robert HookeAnswer: A. R. H. Whittaker
Explanation: R. H. Whittaker proposed the five-kingdom system in 1969, based on cell structure and nutrition — Linnaeus is remembered for naming species, not for this classification.
- Q2Easy
How many kingdoms are there in Whittaker's classification?
A.ThreeB.Five✓ CorrectC.FourD.SixAnswer: B. Five
Explanation: Whittaker's system has five kingdoms — Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia — replacing the older two-kingdom plant/animal split.
- Q3Easy
Bacteria belong to which kingdom?
A.Monera✓ CorrectB.ProtistaC.FungiD.PlantaeAnswer: A. Monera
Explanation: Bacteria are prokaryotic, so they sit in kingdom Monera; only organisms with a true nucleus are placed in the other four kingdoms.
- Q4Easy
Which kingdom contains prokaryotic organisms (without a true nucleus)?
A.ProtistaB.AnimaliaC.Monera✓ CorrectD.FungiAnswer: C. Monera
Explanation: Kingdom Monera holds prokaryotes, cells lacking a membrane-bound nucleus — unlike Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia, which are all eukaryotic.
- Q5Easy
Amoeba and Paramecium belong to which kingdom?
A.MoneraB.Protista✓ CorrectC.FungiD.AnimaliaAnswer: B. Protista
Explanation: Amoeba and Paramecium are unicellular but have a true nucleus, making them eukaryotic protists rather than prokaryotic Monerans.
- Q6Easy
Mushrooms and yeast belong to which kingdom?
A.PlantaeB.MoneraC.ProtistaD.Fungi✓ CorrectAnswer: D. Fungi
Explanation: Mushrooms and yeast lack chlorophyll and absorb food, the defining traits of kingdom Fungi — they are not plants despite growing from soil.
- Q7Medium
Which is the largest phylum in the animal kingdom?
A.ChordataB.MolluscaC.AnnelidaD.Arthropoda✓ CorrectAnswer: D. Arthropoda
Explanation: Arthropoda, which includes insects, spiders and crustaceans, is the largest animal phylum by number of species — far bigger than Chordata or Mollusca.
- Q8Medium
Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are placed in which kingdom?
A.PlantaeB.Monera✓ CorrectC.FungiD.ProtistaAnswer: B. Monera
Explanation: Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are photosynthetic but prokaryotic, so cell structure places them in Monera rather than the eukaryotic Plantae.
- Q9Medium
Which of the following is a basis for classifying organisms into the five kingdoms?
A.Where they are foundB.Their colour onlyC.Their size onlyD.Cell structure and mode of nutrition✓ CorrectAnswer: D. Cell structure and mode of nutrition
Explanation: The five kingdoms are defined by cell structure (prokaryotic vs eukaryotic) and mode of nutrition, not by habitat, colour or size alone.
- Q10Medium
Cone-bearing plants such as pines, which have naked seeds, are called:
A.Gymnosperms✓ CorrectB.AngiospermsC.BryophytesD.ThallophytesAnswer: A. Gymnosperms
Explanation: Gymnosperms such as pines bear naked seeds on cone scales, unenclosed by a fruit — unlike angiosperms, whose seeds sit inside a fruit.
- Q11Medium
In the classification hierarchy, the level just below Kingdom (in animals) is:
A.ClassB.OrderC.Phylum✓ CorrectD.GenusAnswer: C. Phylum
Explanation: In animal classification the sequence runs Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species, so Phylum sits directly beneath Kingdom.
- Q12Hard
Why are viruses NOT placed in any of the five kingdoms?
A.They are green in colourB.They are too small to seeC.They are acellular and can reproduce only inside a host cell✓ CorrectD.They live only in waterAnswer: C. They are acellular and can reproduce only inside a host cell
Explanation: The five kingdoms classify cellular organisms, but viruses are acellular — mere nucleic acid in a protein coat — and replicate only by hijacking a host cell, so they fall outside the system.
- Q13Hard
On the basis of molecular studies, organisms are grouped into three domains. These are:
A.Plants, Animals and FungiB.Vertebrates, Invertebrates and VirusesC.Monera, Protista and PlantaeD.Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya✓ CorrectAnswer: D. Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya
Explanation: Molecular studies split life into three domains — Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya — a system based on genetic differences among prokaryotes, refining rather than replacing the five kingdoms.
- Q14Hard
What is the key difference between kingdoms Monera and Protista?
A.Monera make food while Protista cannotB.Monera are prokaryotic while Protista are eukaryotic✓ CorrectC.Monera are multicellular while Protista are notD.There is no differenceAnswer: B. Monera are prokaryotic while Protista are eukaryotic
Explanation: Monera are prokaryotes, lacking a membrane-bound nucleus, while Protista are eukaryotes with a true nucleus — that cell-structure difference is the key distinction.
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Start this chapter free →Diversity in the Living World — FAQs
What are the key concepts in Class 9 Science Diversity in the Living World?+
Millions of species exist, so biologists group them by shared characteristics rather than studying each separately. This chapter builds the classification hierarchy, works through the five kingdoms and the major plant and animal divisions, and explains binomial nomenclature and the peculiar position of viruses. Key ideas include Classification, Basis of classification, Taxonomic hierarchy, Species.
What does Class 9 Science Chapter 11 (Diversity in the Living World) cover on XamBaaz?+
It covers 90 NCERT-aligned MCQs on "Diversity in the Living World" — 30 Easy, 30 Medium and 30 Hard — making 9 separately timed quizzes you can sit without ever repeating the same set, each with an instant explanation, suitable for CBSE Board exams and the JEE & NEET foundation years.
Are these "Diversity in the Living World" questions free to practise?+
Yes — sign in with Google to practise "Diversity in the Living World" free. Full unlimited access is ₹999/year (limited-time launch price), with no per-chapter charges.
How should I revise "Diversity in the Living World" for the exam?+
Start with the Easy quiz to confirm your fundamentals, then attempt Medium and Hard for application-level practice. There are 9 separately timed quizzes on this chapter, so you can come back and get a fresh set rather than re-sitting one you have seen. Review each explanation, retry the questions you miss, and track your accuracy on this chapter until it is consistently high.
Are these "Diversity in the Living World" MCQs available with answers?+
Yes. 14 sample questions are shown here in full, each with the correct option and a step-by-step "Why" explanation. Sign in free with Google to practise all 90 questions with instant scoring.
Is there negative marking in the "Diversity in the Living World" quizzes?+
Yes — the timed quizzes use exam-grade marking: +4 for a correct answer, −1 for a wrong one and 0 for a skipped question. Note that MHT-CET and the CBSE board papers themselves carry no negative marking — our mocks for those are scored their way, not this way.
Are these important questions for Diversity in the Living World?+
The set is curated to the NCERT syllabus and weighted toward the question patterns that actually appear in CBSE Board exams and the JEE & NEET foundation years, across Easy, Medium and Hard — so it doubles as an "important questions" revision list for "Diversity in the Living World".