Actual MCAS Questions
Read the sentence from paragraph 2 of “Letters from the Dust Bowl” in the box.
Our recent transition from rain-soaked eastern Kansas with its green pasture, luxuriant foliage, abundance of flowers, and promise of a generous harvest, to the dust-covered desolation of No Man’s Land was a difficult change to crowd into one short day’s travel.
Which word could best replace the word luxuriant in the sentence?
A. mature
B. precise
C. graceful
D. flourishing
D. flourishing
Name three things/context clues you look for to find a word's meaning.
Synonyms, Antonyms, the overall Tone (positive or negative), etc.
In a CER response, this is your direct answer to the prompt.
The Claim.
This term refers to the main lesson or moral of a fictional story.
Theme
Identify the verb phrase: 'The students had been studying all week.'
had been studying
Read the sentence from paragraph 5 of “Finding Joy in Urban Winters” in the box.
You meet friends for breakfast at Grød, Copenhagen’s porridge-only café, for fortification both physical and spiritual.
What is the purpose of the commas in the sentence?
A. to explain
B. to separate items in a list
C. to introduce a new concept
D. to provide an example of an idea
A. to explain
When presented with a multiple choice question, you should always try to __________ two answer options.
eliminate
'According to the text...' is a classic sentence starter for this part of CER.
Evidence
When a prompt asks you to infer, you are...
Making an educated guess based on text evidence and your own knowledge.
Which punctuation mark is used for an appositive or an explanation inside a sentence?
A comma (or dashes/parentheses).
Read Cecilia’s quotation from paragraph 33 in the box.
“Your reward will be the widening of the horizon as you climb.”
Based on the article, what does the phrase “the widening of the horizon” most likely mean?
A. increased understanding
B. unlimited freedom
C. continued peace
D. expanded pride
A. increased understanding
Before reading a long passage, you should always read this first.
The background info/blurb.
True or False: You should use a quote as your Claim.
False. The claim is your own words; the evidence is the quote
To delineate an argument means to...
Describe or outline the argument's points step-by-step.
Which punctuation mark is used to join two independent clauses without a conjunction?
A semicolon (;).
Read the details from the excerpts in the box.
Excerpt 1:
If Hamilton had remained silent, Burr would likely have become the third president of the United States. (paragraph 4 of Alexander Hamilton: The Making of America)
Excerpt 2:
MADISON: Hamilton’s on your side. . . .
JEFFERSON: And?
MADISON: You won in a landslide. (lines 138–140 of “The Election of 1800”)
Based on both excerpts, which central idea about the presidential election of 1800 is most clearly supported by the details?
A. Hamilton changed how the election was run.
B. Hamilton influenced the outcome of the election.
C. Hamilton used unfair strategies to delay the election.
D. Hamilton saved the country from a disastrous election result.
B. Hamilton influenced the outcome of the election.
The number of pieces of evidence you should include in an open response.
At least 3 pieces of evidence.
Which transition words/phrase are best for introducing Reasoning (the 'bridge')?
"This shows" or "This illustrates..."
To evaluate an argument means to judge its _________.
Strength, validity, effectiveness, etc.
Change this to the Subjunctive mood: 'If I was you, I would study.'
'If I WERE you...'
Read lines 113–117 from “The Election of 1800”.
Hamilton steps forward.
HAMILTON: Yo.
ENSEMBLE: Oh!
HAMILTON: The people are asking to hear / my voice.
Based on the excerpt, which character trait of Hamilton is best developed by the lines?
A. his indecision, because he changes the subject when the election is discussed
B. his competitiveness, because he feels winning is more important than principle
C. his confidence, because he frames his recommendation as an important announcement
D. his reluctance, because he does not want to anger the public if he chooses the wrong candidate
C. his confidence, because he frames his recommendation as an important announcement
Before reading the passage, you should preview ______ so you know what to look for.
The questions and bolded vocabulary.
What does it mean to 'integrate' a quote? Give an example.
Blending the quote into your own sentence.
e.g., The author describes the land as "dust-covered" (37) to show...
Define "nuance" as it relates to a character’s emotions.
A subtle or small difference in meaning or expression.
Identify the error: 'Between you and I, this test is going to be easy.'
It should be 'Between you and ME' (Object of the preposition).