Core Academic Skills Assessment Core Academic Skills MCQ — Questions and Answers

Question 1: A student reads a passage arguing that social media harms teen mental health. The author cites one study from 2015. What is the strongest critique of this argument?

The study is too recent to be reliable
A single study is insufficient to establish a broad causal claim (Correct answer)
Social media did not exist in 2015
The argument uses too many statistics

Correct answer: A single study is insufficient to establish a broad causal claim

Relying on one study makes the argument weak because a single source cannot reliably support a broad generalization.

Question 2: Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?

Running through the park, Maya spotted a deer.
After finishing the report, it was submitted by the team. (Correct answer)
The teacher explained the concept clearly.
The students revised their essays carefully.

Correct answer: After finishing the report, it was submitted by the team.

In 'After finishing the report, it was submitted by the team,' the modifier 'After finishing the report' has no logical subject to modify.

Question 3: Solve for x: 3(2x − 4) = 18

x = 3
x = 5 (Correct answer)
x = 4
x = 6

Correct answer: x = 5

Distributing gives 6x − 12 = 18, so 6x = 30 and x = 5.

Question 4: In a bar graph showing monthly sales, January has a bar reaching 40 and February reaching 60. By what percent did sales increase from January to February?

20%
33%
50% (Correct answer)
25%

Correct answer: 50%

Percent increase = (60 − 40) / 40 × 100 = 50%.

Question 5: Which of the following best defines the word 'ambiguous' as used in academic writing?

Clearly stated and easy to understand
Open to more than one interpretation (Correct answer)
Highly technical and specialized
Overly long and repetitive

Correct answer: Open to more than one interpretation

Ambiguous means capable of being understood in more than one way, creating uncertainty.

Question 6: A rectangle has a length of 12 cm and a width of 7 cm. What is its perimeter?

84 cm
38 cm (Correct answer)
19 cm
26 cm

Correct answer: 38 cm

Perimeter = 2(12 + 7) = 2(19) = 38 cm.

Question 7: Which transition word best signals a contrast between two ideas?

Furthermore
Therefore
However (Correct answer)
Similarly

Correct answer: However

'However' introduces a contrasting or opposing idea, making it the correct contrast signal.

Question 8: A passage states: 'Most experts agree that exercise improves mood.' Which type of evidence would most strengthen this claim?

A personal anecdote from an athlete
Meta-analyses of multiple randomized controlled trials (Correct answer)
An opinion piece in a fitness magazine
A celebrity endorsement

Correct answer: Meta-analyses of multiple randomized controlled trials

Meta-analyses synthesizing randomized controlled trials provide the highest quality scientific evidence.

Question 9: Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.

She loves cooking her family, and her dog.
She loves cooking, her family, and her dog. (Correct answer)
She loves cooking her family and, her dog.
She loves cooking her family and her, dog.

Correct answer: She loves cooking, her family, and her dog.

The Oxford comma after 'family' correctly separates three list items and avoids the ambiguous reading that family and dog are being cooked.

Question 10: If a car travels 150 miles in 2.5 hours, what is its average speed in miles per hour?

50 mph
55 mph
60 mph (Correct answer)
65 mph

Correct answer: 60 mph

Speed = distance ÷ time = 150 ÷ 2.5 = 60 mph.

Question 11: A pie chart shows that 25% of a school budget goes to athletics. If the total budget is $800,000, how much is allocated to athletics?

$180,000
$200,000 (Correct answer)
$250,000
$160,000

Correct answer: $200,000

25% of $800,000 = 0.25 × 800,000 = $200,000.

Question 12: In an argument, a 'premise' is best described as:

The conclusion the author wants you to accept
A statement offered as evidence to support a conclusion (Correct answer)
A rhetorical question used to engage readers
A counterargument the author refutes

Correct answer: A statement offered as evidence to support a conclusion

A premise is a supporting statement or reason given to justify the argument's conclusion.

Question 13: Simplify: (4² + 3²) ÷ 5

5 (Correct answer)
7
25
3

Correct answer: 5

(16 + 9) ÷ 5 = 25 ÷ 5 = 5.

Question 14: Which sentence uses the subjunctive mood correctly?

If he was taller, he could play center.
If he were taller, he could play center. (Correct answer)
If he is taller, he could play center.
If he has been taller, he could play center.

Correct answer: If he were taller, he could play center.

The subjunctive 'were' is used for hypothetical or contrary-to-fact conditions in formal English.

Question 15: A student wants to determine the main idea of a passage. Where is the main idea most commonly found?

Only in the final paragraph
In a supporting detail sentence in the middle
In the thesis or topic sentence, often at the beginning or end (Correct answer)
Always in the title alone

Correct answer: In the thesis or topic sentence, often at the beginning or end

The main idea is typically expressed in the thesis or topic sentence, which can appear at the start or end of a passage.

Question 16: Identify the error in the following sentence: 'Between you and I, the results were surprising.'

'Results' should be plural
'Between' requires the objective pronoun 'me,' not 'I' (Correct answer)
The sentence lacks a comma after 'Between you and I'
No error exists in this sentence

Correct answer: 'Between' requires the objective pronoun 'me,' not 'I'

Prepositions like 'between' require objective pronouns; 'me' is correct, not 'I.'

Question 17: A store discounts a $120 jacket by 15%. What is the sale price?

$18
$102 (Correct answer)
$105
$108

Correct answer: $102

Discount = 15% × $120 = $18; sale price = $120 − $18 = $102.

Question 18: A table shows that City A has a population of 350,000 and City B has 280,000. Approximately what percentage larger is City A than City B?

20%
25% (Correct answer)
30%
15%

Correct answer: 25%

(350,000 − 280,000) / 280,000 × 100 ≈ 25%.

Question 19: Which of the following is an example of an ad hominem fallacy?

Rejecting an argument because it relies on a single source
Dismissing a scientist's findings because she once failed an exam (Correct answer)
Concluding a policy works because many people support it
Arguing that two events are linked without evidence

Correct answer: Dismissing a scientist's findings because she once failed an exam

Ad hominem attacks the person making the argument rather than addressing the argument itself.

Question 20: What is the least common multiple (LCM) of 6 and 8?

12
24 (Correct answer)
48
16

Correct answer: 24

Multiples of 6: 6, 12, 18, 24… Multiples of 8: 8, 16, 24… The LCM is 24.

Question 21: Which revision makes the following sentence more concise? 'Due to the fact that it was raining, the game was cancelled.'

Because of the fact that rain occurred, the game was cancelled.
Because it was raining, the game was cancelled. (Correct answer)
On account of it raining outside, the game saw cancellation.
The game was cancelled, due to the fact that raining happened.

Correct answer: Because it was raining, the game was cancelled.

'Because' is a single word that replaces the wordy phrase 'due to the fact that.'

Core Academic Skills Assessment Core Academic Skills MCQ

A student reads a passage arguing that social media harms teen mental health.
The author cites one study from 2015.
What is the strongest critique of this argument?

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