ETS (Educational Testing Service) Practice Test — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What is the primary purpose of ETS's test security technology called 'erasure analysis'?

Verifying that all bubbles are fully erased before rescoring
Measuring the physical wear on pencil-based answer sheets
Identifying suspicious patterns of changed answers that may indicate cheating (Correct answer)
Detecting answer sheet scanning errors

Correct answer: Identifying suspicious patterns of changed answers that may indicate cheating

Erasure analysis examines answer sheets for unusual patterns of erased and changed responses that may indicate improper assistance or answer copying.

Question 2: On the GRE, how are Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning scores reported?

On a scale of 100–170
On a scale of 0–100
On a scale of 130–170 in 1-point increments (Correct answer)
On a scale of 200–800

Correct answer: On a scale of 130–170 in 1-point increments

GRE Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning scores are each reported on a 130–170 scale in 1-point increments.

Question 3: Under FERPA, which of the following individuals generally has the right to inspect a student's educational records without prior consent?

A journalist investigating school performance
A school official with a legitimate educational interest (Correct answer)
A student's employer requesting references
A parent whose child is enrolled in college

Correct answer: A school official with a legitimate educational interest

FERPA permits disclosure to school officials who have a legitimate educational interest without student consent, as defined in the school's annual notification.

Question 4: For the TOEFL iBT, which performance descriptor is assigned to a Writing score in the range of 17–23?

Limited
Good
Fair (Correct answer)
Advanced

Correct answer: Fair

ETS's TOEFL iBT Writing performance descriptors classify scores of 17–23 as 'Fair', indicating partial development of academic writing skills.

Question 5: What does ETS's SpeechRater system primarily evaluate?

Mathematical reasoning
Written grammar accuracy
Spoken English proficiency (Correct answer)
Reading comprehension speed

Correct answer: Spoken English proficiency

SpeechRater is an automated spoken language scoring system developed by ETS to assess features like fluency, pronunciation, and prosody.

Question 6: Select the word or phrase that best completes the sentence: "The scientist’s findings were deemed revolutionary, as they not only challenged the status quo but also offered __________ solutions to longstanding problems."

inconsequential
esoteric
impractical
feasible (Correct answer)

Correct answer: feasible

The sentence describes findings that 'challenged the status quo' and offered solutions to 'longstanding problems.' The word 'feasible' means possible to do easily or conveniently, or likely to be achieved. Therefore, offering 'feasible' solutions implies that the revolutionary findings provided practical and achievable ways to address existing issues, making it the most fitting choice in this context.

Question 7: Which ETS platform allows test takers to register for tests, view scores, and send score reports online?

ETS TestLink
ETS ScoreConnect
ETS CandidatePortal
ETS MyAccount (Correct answer)

Correct answer: ETS MyAccount

ETS MyAccount is the centralized online portal where test takers manage registrations, access scores, and send official score reports to institutions.

Question 8: What does the TOEFL MyBest Scores feature allow applicants to do?

Request a score review for a specific section
Waive the Speaking section if the student attended an English-medium school
Register for the TOEFL at a discounted rate
Combine the highest section scores from multiple TOEFL test dates (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Combine the highest section scores from multiple TOEFL test dates

TOEFL MyBest Scores shows the highest scores earned in each section across all valid test dates, creating a 'superscore' that many institutions accept.

Question 9: ETS requires test-takers to present which of the following as primary identification at a Prometric testing center for a Praxis exam?

Employer-issued badge
School-issued ID
Government-issued photo ID with signature (Correct answer)
Social Security card

Correct answer: Government-issued photo ID with signature

A valid, government-issued photo ID that includes the test-taker's name, photo, and signature is required to gain admission to ETS exams at testing centers.

Question 10: When test items are pretested and stored for later use in constructing test forms, they are kept in a(n):

Item bank (Correct answer)
Anchor set
Operational form
Test blueprint

Correct answer: Item bank

An item bank is a repository of calibrated test items, often with associated statistics, from which items can be drawn to build new test forms.

Question 11: Which section is NOT part of the TOEFL iBT exam?

Listening
Speaking
Grammar (Correct answer)
Reading

Correct answer: Grammar

The TOEFL iBT includes Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing sections; Grammar is not a standalone section.

Question 12: Which of the following ETS certifications is used specifically for teachers of gifted and talented students?

GATE Certification Exam
NBPTS Exceptional Needs
Praxis Special Education: Core Knowledge
Praxis Gifted Education (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Praxis Gifted Education

The Praxis Gifted Education exam tests knowledge of theory, assessment, and instructional strategies for working with gifted and talented learners.

Question 13: What does 'superscoring' mean in the context of SAT admissions?

Submitting scores from both SAT and ACT
Scoring above the 99th percentile on a single sitting
Retaking the test after a perfect score
Combining the highest section scores from multiple test dates (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Combining the highest section scores from multiple test dates

Superscoring means colleges take the highest Math score and highest Reading & Writing score from different test sittings to create the best composite score.

Question 14: ETS has partnered with which US government agency to conduct research on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)?

The Department of Homeland Security
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (Correct answer)
The Department of Labor
The National Science Foundation (NSF)

Correct answer: The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

NCES, under the US Department of Education, oversees NAEP and has contracted ETS to conduct development, administration, and analysis work.

Question 15: What does 'computer-based testing' (CBT) allow ETS to do that paper-based testing cannot?

Charge lower registration fees
Offer year-round testing at flexible scheduling windows (Correct answer)
Use longer reading passages
Provide instant printed score reports

Correct answer: Offer year-round testing at flexible scheduling windows

CBT enables ETS to offer tests at hundreds of authorized test centers on nearly any day of the year rather than on limited fixed administration dates.

Question 16: A state uses a standardized test score as the sole criterion for high school graduation. Critics argue this violates ethical testing principles primarily because:

Standardized tests are never valid for graduation decisions
High-stakes decisions require multiple measures and consideration of measurement error (Correct answer)
The test was not developed by a state agency
Standardized tests cannot measure academic achievement

Correct answer: High-stakes decisions require multiple measures and consideration of measurement error

Ethical guidelines require that high-stakes graduation decisions incorporate multiple data sources because no single test score perfectly captures a student's knowledge due to measurement error.

Question 17: Which ETS research initiative uses data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to study achievement trends?

ETS Policy Information Center (Correct answer)
ETS's America's Perfect Score project
The Nation's Report Card Research Collaborative
NAEP Longitudinal Study Group

Correct answer: ETS Policy Information Center

ETS's Policy Information Center analyzes NAEP and other large-scale assessment data to produce reports on trends in US student achievement.

Question 18: Which of the following is a key difference between the SAT and ACT?

Only the ACT allows calculator use on math
The SAT is administered by ACT Inc.
Only the SAT has a Science section
The ACT includes a Science section while the SAT does not (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The ACT includes a Science section while the SAT does not

The ACT includes a Science Reasoning section that tests data analysis and interpretation, which has no direct equivalent on the SAT.

Question 19: ETS's 'flagging' process during test security review identifies which type of score?

Scores from first-time test takers
Scores lower than the national mean
Scores that are unusually high and may warrant additional review (Correct answer)
Scores sent to more than 5 institutions

Correct answer: Scores that are unusually high and may warrant additional review

ETS flags scores that show statistically improbable gains or patterns inconsistent with a test taker's history, triggering a security investigation before release.

Question 20: Which ETS digital service allows graduate and undergraduate programs to receive applicants' GRE scores electronically within a few days?

GRE Score Exchange
Electronic Score Reporting (ESR) (Correct answer)
ETS Score Connect
ETS Data Manager

Correct answer: Electronic Score Reporting (ESR)

Electronic Score Reporting (ESR) sends official GRE scores digitally to designated institutions, typically within a few business days after scores are available.

Question 21: Which TOEFL iBT Reading question type asks you to find the best place in the passage to insert a new sentence, marked by four black squares?

Insert a Sentence (Correct answer)
Coherence questions
Rhetorical Purpose
Reference questions

Correct answer: Insert a Sentence

Insert a Sentence questions show four possible insertion points in the passage and ask test-takers to choose where a new sentence would best fit logically and stylistically.

Question 22: ETS's Policy Evaluation and Research Center (PERC) conducts research with what primary focus?

International trade policy affecting education markets
Education policy analysis and program evaluation (Correct answer)
Cybersecurity policy for testing platforms
Internal HR policy reviews

Correct answer: Education policy analysis and program evaluation

PERC conducts large-scale policy research and program evaluations to inform evidence-based education policy decisions at federal, state, and local levels.

Question 23: On the SAT, what penalty (if any) is applied for wrong answers?

Wrong answers cancel out a correct answer
One half point is deducted per wrong answer
There is no penalty for wrong answers (Correct answer)
One quarter point is deducted per wrong answer

Correct answer: There is no penalty for wrong answers

The current SAT uses rights-only scoring with no penalty for incorrect answers, encouraging test-takers to attempt every question.

Question 24: Why is reading the question carefully important?

To avoid misinterpreting what is being asked (Correct answer)
It doesn't matter
To waste time
To memorize the question

Correct answer: To avoid misinterpreting what is being asked

Many wrong answers result from misreading questions. Key words like 'NOT,' 'EXCEPT,' 'BEST,' or 'MOST' can completely change what's being asked.

Question 25: What is the maximum composite score achievable on the current SAT?

1600 (Correct answer)
1400
1200
2400

Correct answer: 1600

The SAT has a maximum composite score of 1600, comprising 800 points each in Evidence-Based Reading & Writing and Math.

Question 26: Which ETS technology scans and processes millions of paper answer sheets and flags statistical anomalies in scoring?

Scantron Integration Suite
ETS AutoScore Engine
ETS Data Analysis Platform
OptiScan Answer Processing System (Correct answer)

Correct answer: OptiScan Answer Processing System

ETS uses high-speed optical scanning systems to capture and process paper answer sheets, with statistical checks to detect scoring irregularities.

Question 27: Which scenario best represents 'stereotype threat' and its relevance to assessment ethics?

A publisher removes items that disadvantage minority students
A student underperforms due to awareness of a negative stereotype about their group (Correct answer)
A teacher refuses to administer a biased test
A student cheats because they fear failing

Correct answer: A student underperforms due to awareness of a negative stereotype about their group

Stereotype threat occurs when individuals underperform because they are aware of a negative stereotype about their group, which can compromise the validity of test scores.

Question 28: ETS's automated scoring technologies like e-rater and SpeechRater are classified as examples of which broader field?

Cybersecurity
Computer vision
Database management
Natural language processing (NLP) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Natural language processing (NLP)

Both e-rater and SpeechRater rely on natural language processing techniques to analyze and score written and spoken language automatically.

Question 29: When a test measures a single underlying construct, it is said to demonstrate:

Convergent validity
Unidimensionality (Correct answer)
Factorial invariance
Concurrent validity

Correct answer: Unidimensionality

Unidimensionality means that performance on test items is primarily driven by one latent trait, which is a key assumption of many IRT models.

ETS (Educational Testing Service) Practice Test

ETS is a nonprofit organization that develops and administers over 50 million standardized tests annually worldwide, including the GRE, TOEFL, Praxis, TOEIC, and HiSET, serving college admissions, teacher certification, language proficiency, and workforce credentialing.

Questions

35 min

Time Limit

70%

To Pass

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