You’re sitting in the Naranja or Uva Academy, staring at Mr. Jacq, and realized you probably should have paid attention during those lectures. Biology is one of the first classes you unlock in the game. It’s actually pretty useful if you want to understand how catching mechanics work, but let’s be real. Most of us just want the Exp. Candies you get for passing.
The biology midterm Pokemon Violet throws at you isn't exactly a gauntlet of death, but it’s easy to trip up if you haven't been tracking the specific mechanics of the Paldea region. You need to get three out of five questions right to pass. If you fail? You just take it again. No permanent transcript marks here. But failing is a waste of time.
What's actually on the biology midterm Pokemon Violet exam?
Mr. Jacq is a chill guy. He’s the developer of the Pokedex app, so his questions lean heavily into the technical side of how Pokemon exist in the world. He’s not going to ask you about the deep lore of Area Zero yet. Instead, he cares about things like the B Button and where exactly eggs come from.
The first question usually trips people up because it’s about the "ZR" button. In the world of Paldea, you aren't just walking around; you're actively engaging with the environment. If you want to let your Pokemon out of its ball to walk with you—the "Let's Go!" feature—you use the R button. But the question asks about walking with you specifically in a way that leads to auto-battling or gathering.
💡 You might also like: Why the Medium Difficulty Crossword Puzzle is Actually the Sweet Spot for Your Brain
Then there’s the egg situation. If you’re coming from older games, you’re probably looking for a Daycare. Forget it. They’re gone. In Pokemon Violet, eggs are found during picnics. It’s a weird shift, honestly. You just sit there, eat a sandwich, and suddenly there’s an egg in a basket. Jacq wants to make sure you know that.
The specific answers you need
Don't overthink these. The game likes to throw "distractor" answers at you that sound plausible but are mechanically wrong.
- How do you walk with a Pokemon? The answer is "ZR Button." While the R button sends them out to fight, the ZR button is the primary toggle for bringing them out of the ball to stroll alongside you.
- Where do Pokemon Eggs come from? It’s the Picnic. You’ll see options like "The Lab" or "Daycares," but those are relics of the past.
- What is a standard way to catch Pokemon? You have to throw a Poke Ball. Seems obvious, but the exam frames it in the context of "while they are weakened."
- How do you increase your chances of catching a Pokemon? Give them a status condition or lower their HP. Sleep and Paralysis are the kings of the catch rate formula.
- How do you get more Pokemon? You catch them or trade them.
It’s basic stuff, but if you’ve been speed-running the gyms, these classroom mechanics might feel like a different language.
Why the biology midterm Pokemon Violet matters for your endgame
Passing this midterm isn't just about the five Exp. Candies S you get immediately. It’s about building the relationship with Jacq. Why? Because Jacq is the gatekeeper for some of the most important items in the game.
Once you pass the midterm and eventually the final, and once you’ve filled out enough of your Pokedex, Jacq gives you the Shiny Charm.
If you’re planning on hunting for those rare color variants, you literally cannot skip these classes. You have to go through the motions. You have to sit in the chair. You have to answer the questions about breeding and Poke Balls.
📖 Related: Games to Play Through Text: Why We’re Still Texting Each Other Moves in 2026
The "Secret" benefits of the Academy
Most players ignore the school after the first hour. Big mistake.
The biology track specifically helps clarify the "Let's Go" mechanic. Have you noticed your Pokemon sometimes refuses to fight a certain enemy in the wild? That’s not a bug. Biology class explains that certain level gaps or elemental disadvantages can make your Pokemon "scared" or hesitant to engage in auto-battles. Understanding this saves you a lot of frustration when you're trying to farm materials for TMs.
Also, talk to Jacq in the biology lab after the midterm. He’s not just a proctor. He’s a milestone marker. He rewards you for every 30 or so entries in your Pokedex. If you’ve been catching everything in sight but haven't visited him, you're sitting on a mountain of rewards like Great Balls, Ultra Balls, and eventually, the rarer stuff.
Common mistakes during the exam
People fail the biology midterm Pokemon Violet provides because they answer based on real-world logic rather than "Pokemon logic."
For example, when the exam asks about where eggs are found, someone who hasn't used the picnic mechanic might assume they appear in the wild or at a facility. In Paldea, the picnic is the only way. If you aren't eating those chorizo sandwiches, you aren't getting eggs.
💡 You might also like: The GTA V Nissan Skyline: Why the Annis Elegy Retro Custom Still Dominates Los Santos
Another mistake is the "B Button" confusion. In many games, B is "cancel" or "back." In the context of the biology exam, it’s often associated with stopping evolution. Jacq might ask about how to prevent a Pokemon from changing form. You hit B. It’s a classic mechanic, but in the heat of a "test," people forget the basics.
Moving toward the Final Exam
Once the midterm is out of the way, the classes get slightly more complex. You’ll start learning about Tera Types and how Terastalization changes the biological makeup of a Pokemon during battle. This is where the biology midterm Pokemon Violet content evolves into the final exam material.
The final requires four out of five correct answers. It covers:
- The odds of finding a Shiny Pokemon (1 in 4096 without modifiers).
- How Terastalization works (changing the Pokemon's type to their Tera Type).
- The function of the Shiny Charm.
If you breezed through the midterm, the final won’t be much harder, but it does require you to know the actual numbers. 1 in 4096 is a number you should probably burn into your brain if you're going to spend any time in the post-game.
Actionable steps for your Academy career
If you're currently standing in the lobby of the Academy, here is exactly what you should do to maximize your time.
- Check your Pokedex count first. Go see Jacq in the biology lab before taking the midterm. If you've caught 30, 60, or 90 species, get your rewards first.
- Trigger the midterm. Go to the front desk, talk to the attendant, and select Biology.
- Answer with the "Mechanic" in mind. Always choose the answer that relates to a button press or a specific game menu (like Picnics).
- Go to the Nurse's office. After the biology midterm, Miriam (the nurse) often has a side story that unlocks. Completing all school-related social links is the only way to get certain rare items like the Galarian Meowth.
- Don't ignore the other classes. While biology is great for catching, Math class actually teaches you about damage multipliers and crit chances. It's surprisingly technical.
Passing the midterm is a small hurdle in a very large game. Do it, get your candies, and get back to the Great Crater. Your Pokedex isn't going to finish itself.