2. Breakdown of Exam
Day 1: Read 7 passages (literary and informational) and answer 39
multiple-choice questions based on those passages. 90 minutes
Day 2: (Listening Section)- you will have it read to you TWICE,
and you will take notes BOTH times. Then, you will answer 5
multiple-choice questions, 3 short responses, and write an extended
response (essay) based on the listening passage. Finally, you will
read 2 more passages (literary and informational) and answer 13
more multiple-choice questions. 90 minutes
Day 3: Read 2 linked/paired passages (informational). Then,
answer 4 short responses, and write an extended response (essay)
based on those two linked/paired passages. 90 minutes
3. ELA Reminders
Reading Comprehension:
Over the course of the 3-day
exam, you will read several
passages (literary and
informational) and answer both
multiple choice and short
response questions. With this
being said, it is important that
you utilize the test taking tips
and strategies discussed and
practiced in class.
4. Remember the following test-taking tips:
PRE- read and ANNOTATE (explain) the
questions
Read and annotate the passage
Read ALL answer choices before selecting
the best one, and use “process of
elimination” to remove answer choices
that are definitely incorrect.
Don’t waste too much time on one
question; you can go back when you finish
all the questions in that section.
Watch your time!!!! You have a very
limited amount of time to complete all of
the tasks for each specific testing day.
It is better to make an educated guess than
to leave questions blank.
5. Multiple Choice Question Types:
Below is a list of the types of
multiple-choice questions that you
may find on the exam:
1. Cause and Effect Questions
2. Genre Questions/Author’s Purpose
Questions
3. Point of View Questions
4. Mood Questions
5. Literary Elements/Devices and
Poetic Device Questions
6. Main Idea and Supporting Details
Questions
7. Vocabulary Questions
8. Sequence Questions
9. Drawing Conclusion Questions
10. Making Inference Questions
6. 1. Cause and Effect Questions
For these questions, look for linking words that will
provide clues to the cause and effect relationship,
such as “because” or “If…., then….”
7. 1. Genre Questions/Author’s
Purpose Questions
Below is a list of genres (types of
passages) you may see on the exam,
and a general description of what
the author’s purpose is likely to be,
depending on the genre.
Articles inform using facts and/or
persuade the reader of the author’s
opinion.
Journals represent personal
reflections of events and bring the
reader “closer” to the narrator.
Poems describe, using figurative
language and sensory details.
Stories entertain.
Tales (myths or folk tales) explain
mysteries of nature or tell how
something came to be.
8. 3. Point of View Questions
Remember the differences
between first person and
third person point of view.
In first person, someone inside
the story (one of the characters)
describes events and uses first
person pronouns- I, my, we, etc.
In third person, someone
outside of the story (an outside
narrator) describes events and
uses third person pronouns- he,
she, they, them, etc.
9. 4. Mood Questions
These questions have to do
with feelings/emotions
expressed by or implied in
the passage. Possibilities
include:
Sad, Gloom, Bleak, Ominous
Happy, Carefree, Joyful, Silly,
Excited
Tense, Nervous, Stressed,
Worried, Restless
Suspenseful, Mysterious
10. 5. Literary Elements/Devices and
Poetic Device Questions
These questions have to do
with literary passages and
poems. You may be given a
line or lines and asked to
identify the particular
literary element or device or
poetic device that is being
illustrated. It would be
helpful to review the list of
these terms prior to the
exam.
11. 1. Main Idea and Supporting
Details Questions
Main idea questions are often
phrased, “The main idea of this
selection is…” or “A good title for this
passage would be…” Remember that
main ideas are NOT usually stated
directly (few passages begin with,
“This selection is about…”); you have
to infer and conclude what the main
idea is. This is best done after reading
the entire passage.
The answers to supporting detail
questions can usually be found
DIRECTLY in the passage. There is
little “guesswork” to worry about; you
don’t really have to rely on inference.
Just simply look back in the passage!!
12. 7. Vocabulary Questions
Remember to use context
clues to determine the
meaning of unknown
words or phrases; look for
other words in the
sentences that clearly
have a similar – or
opposite- meaning to the
unknown word.
13. 8. Sequence Questions
Putting events in
sequence (order) requires
you to read carefully.
Remember to look out
for dates, times, etc.
14. 9. Drawing Conclusion Questions
These questions ask you
to piece together
information in the text to
determine other facts.
You do NOT need to use
your prior knowledge to
draw a conclusion.
15. 10. Making Inference Questions
These questions ask you to figure out missing details
based on what you know (prior knowledge) and what
is stated in the text.
16. Short Response Questions:
You will have to answer a number of short
response questions over the course of the 3-day
exam. The following is a list of reminders for
this particular part of the test.
When answering the short response
questions, be sure to do the following:
Read the question carefully, and make sure
that you understand what is being asked.
Use part of the question in your answer, and
be sure to write more than just one or two
sentences.
Answer ALL parts of the question; some
questions have multiple parts!!!!!
Use details from the text to support your
answer (Remember your goal is to “show off”
how well you read and can use information
by providing SEVERAL details from the
text!!!!)
17. Extended Response Questions:
You will have to write 2 extended
response essays over the course
of the 3-day exam.
The following is a list of
reminders for this particular part
of the test.
When writing the extended
response essays, be sure to do
the following:
Read the task carefully, and
make sure that you understand
what is being asked.
Make sure that you fulfill ALL
of the requirements of the task.
18. Extended Response Questions:
Use details from the texts to support your answer (Remember your
goal is to “show off” how well you read or took notes and can use
information by providing SEVERAL details from the texts or the
listening passage!!!!)
Make sure that you include the title of the passage/article that you got
the information from.
Attempt to use sophisticated vocabulary words, even if you are unsure
of the spellings.
Use sentence variety: simple, compound, and complex.
Proofread for spelling and grammar mistakes.
