California English Language Development Test (CELDT) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What does 'context clues' mean when reading an unfamiliar word?

Using surrounding words and sentences to figure out the word's meaning (Correct answer)
Looking up the word in a dictionary
Skipping the word and moving on
Sounding the word out loud

Correct answer: Using surrounding words and sentences to figure out the word's meaning

Context clues are hints found in the surrounding text that help you determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

Question 2: What is the meaning of the word 'curious'?

Bored and uninterested
Afraid and nervous
Eager to learn or know (Correct answer)
Tired and sleepy

Correct answer: Eager to learn or know

Curious means having a strong desire to know or learn something.

Question 3: What does the word 'persuade' mean?

To convince someone (Correct answer)
To confuse someone
To help someone
To ignore someone

Correct answer: To convince someone

Persuade means to cause someone to believe or do something through reasoning or argument.

Question 4: What does it mean to 'summarize' a passage?

Identify every detail in the passage
Copy the passage word for word
Add your personal opinion to the passage
Restate the main ideas in your own words briefly (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Restate the main ideas in your own words briefly

A summary restates the most important ideas of a text briefly and in your own words.

Question 5: On the CELDT, when writing a paragraph, which element should come first?

A supporting detail
A concluding sentence
An example
A topic sentence (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A topic sentence

A topic sentence introduces the main idea of the paragraph and should appear at the beginning.

Question 6: What punctuation mark ends an interrogative sentence?

Question mark (Correct answer)
Comma
Exclamation mark
Period

Correct answer: Question mark

An interrogative sentence asks a question and must end with a question mark.

Question 7: Which word is a conjunction in this sentence: 'I like pizza but my sister prefers pasta'?

Like
Pizza
Prefers
But (Correct answer)

Correct answer: But

'But' is a coordinating conjunction that connects two contrasting independent clauses.

Question 8: When checking your written response on the CELDT, what should you review first?

Whether your handwriting looks neat
How many lines you wrote
Whether your answer addresses the question asked (Correct answer)
Whether every word is spelled perfectly

Correct answer: Whether your answer addresses the question asked

Ensuring your response actually answers the question is the most critical step in reviewing written work.

Question 9: Which proficiency level is the lowest on the CELDT scale?

Intermediate
Early Intermediate
Beginning (Correct answer)
Developing

Correct answer: Beginning

Beginning is the lowest of the five CELDT proficiency levels, representing students with very limited English ability.

Question 10: Which sentence correctly uses a possessive noun?

The dogs bowl is empty.
The dogs bowl is empty.
The dogs' bowl is empty.
The dog's bowl is empty. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The dog's bowl is empty.

To show possession for a singular noun like 'dog,' add an apostrophe followed by 's' (dog's).

Question 11: What is the primary focus of the Listening section in the CELDT?

Understanding spoken English (Correct answer)
Reading comprehension
Writing skills
Pronunciation accuracy

Correct answer: Understanding spoken English

The Listening section of the CELDT is designed to assess an individual's ability to comprehend English spoken in various contexts. This includes understanding conversations, instructions, and informational passages. The primary goal is to evaluate how well a student can process and interpret auditory English input.

Question 12: What is the primary focus of the Writing section in the CELDT?

Oral communication skills
Listening skills
Ability to express ideas clearly in written English (Correct answer)
Reading comprehension

Correct answer: Ability to express ideas clearly in written English

The primary focus of the CELDT Writing section is to evaluate a student's ability to express ideas clearly and effectively in written English. This assessment covers various aspects of writing, including grammar, vocabulary usage, sentence structure, and the logical organization of thoughts. The goal is to determine if students can produce coherent and understandable written responses to given prompts.

Question 13: Which sentence contains a compound subject?

Running is healthy.
Maria and Luis run every morning. (Correct answer)
She runs every morning.
Maria runs every morning.

Correct answer: Maria and Luis run every morning.

A compound subject contains two or more subjects joined by a conjunction; 'Maria and Luis' is a compound subject.

Question 14: Choose the correct form: 'There _____ many students in the classroom.'

Was
Are (Correct answer)
Am
Is

Correct answer: Are

'Are' is correct because 'students' is plural, requiring a plural verb form.

Question 15: When an answer choice on the CELDT contains extreme words like 'always' or 'never,' it is usually:

Always the first option
Correct, because extreme words are clear
Always the best choice
Incorrect, because most statements have exceptions (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Incorrect, because most statements have exceptions

Extreme absolutes like 'always' or 'never' are rarely correct because most situations have exceptions.

Question 16: How many domains does the CELDT assess?

Three: listening, speaking, and reading
Five: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and math
Four: listening, speaking, reading, and writing (Correct answer)
Two: reading and writing

Correct answer: Four: listening, speaking, reading, and writing

The CELDT assesses four English language domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Question 17: In science class, what does the word 'hypothesis' mean?

A final conclusion
An educated guess or prediction (Correct answer)
A set of instructions
A proven fact

Correct answer: An educated guess or prediction

A hypothesis is an educated prediction or explanation that can be tested through experimentation.

Question 18: What does the word 'vivid' mean?

Bright and clear (Correct answer)
Old and worn
Dull and colorless
Hidden and unclear

Correct answer: Bright and clear

Vivid means producing strong, clear images or feelings; bright and intense.

Question 19: How many proficiency levels does the CELDT use to classify students' English ability?

5 (Correct answer)
3
4
6

Correct answer: 5

The CELDT uses five proficiency levels: Beginning, Early Intermediate, Intermediate, Early Advanced, and Advanced.

Question 20: Which word is a preposition in this sentence: 'The book is on the table'?

Table
On (Correct answer)
Is
Book

Correct answer: On

'On' is a preposition that shows the relationship between 'book' and 'table' in terms of location.

Question 21: What does 'infer' mean when reading a passage?

To retell the story from beginning to end
To read every word carefully
To look up words in a dictionary
To use clues to figure out something not directly stated (Correct answer)

Correct answer: To use clues to figure out something not directly stated

To infer means to use textual clues and background knowledge to conclude something not explicitly stated.

Question 22: What proficiency levels does the CELDT use to classify students?

Basic, Proficient, and Advanced
Level 1 through Level 10
Beginning, Early Intermediate, Intermediate, Early Advanced, and Advanced (Correct answer)
Pass or Fail only

Correct answer: Beginning, Early Intermediate, Intermediate, Early Advanced, and Advanced

The CELDT uses five proficiency levels: Beginning, Early Intermediate, Intermediate, Early Advanced, and Advanced.

Question 23: What type of sentence is: 'Please close the door.'?

Declarative
Interrogative
Exclamatory
Imperative (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Imperative

An imperative sentence gives a command or makes a request, like 'Please close the door.'

Question 24: Which sentence uses the present perfect tense?

She reads the book.
She will read the book.
She has read the book. (Correct answer)
She read the book.

Correct answer: She has read the book.

The present perfect tense uses 'has/have' + past participle, as in 'has read.'

Question 25: Which word correctly completes the conditional sentence: 'If it rains, we _____ stay inside.'

Will (Correct answer)
Did
Had
Would

Correct answer: Will

A first conditional sentence uses 'if + present tense, will + base verb' to describe a likely future event.

Question 26: Choose the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement:

The children playing outside.
The children play outside. (Correct answer)
The children is playing outside.
The children plays outside.

Correct answer: The children play outside.

'Children' is plural, so the plural verb 'play' (not 'plays') is required.

Question 27: What is the purpose of re-reading a passage section on the CELDT?

To find specific evidence needed to answer a question accurately (Correct answer)
To change your first answer randomly
To read every word at a slower speed for no reason
To waste time

Correct answer: To find specific evidence needed to answer a question accurately

Re-reading specific sections helps you locate evidence to support your answers and increase accuracy.

Question 28: What does 'analyze' mean in an academic assignment?

To memorize facts
To copy information
To examine carefully and explain (Correct answer)
To summarize briefly

Correct answer: To examine carefully and explain

To analyze means to examine something in detail to understand its parts, meaning, or causes.

Question 29: What is the best way to organize a CELDT written response?

Only write one sentence
Use an introduction, body, and conclusion (Correct answer)
Begin with the conclusion and end with the introduction
Write random thoughts in any order

Correct answer: Use an introduction, body, and conclusion

A well-organized written response follows a clear structure: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

Question 30: Which sentence uses the word 'frequently' correctly?

She frequently tall.
They frequently a song.
We frequently happy.
He frequently reads books. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: He frequently reads books.

'Frequently' is an adverb meaning often, and it correctly modifies the verb 'reads' in option B.

Question 31: Which sentence uses a comparative adjective correctly?

This book is more good.
This book is gooder.
This book is more better.
This book is better. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: This book is better.

'Better' is the correct irregular comparative form of 'good'; 'more better' and 'gooder' are incorrect.

California English Language Development Test (CELDT)

The CELDT was California's standardized assessment for English Learner (EL) students in grades K–12, measuring English proficiency across Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing domains to determine EL classification and instructional program placement. It was administered annually until replaced by the ELPAC in 2018.

110

Questions

150 min

Time Limit

70%

To Pass

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These practice questions were written with AI tools. They are not real exam questions. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

cde.ca.gov — Test dates, eligibility · verified Oct 2026
caaspp-elpac.org — Test delivery, eligibility · verified Oct 2026