NWEA MAP Measurement of Academic Progress Test — Questions and Answers

Question 1: A 6th grade student reads a poem with the lines: The classroom clock ticked like a drumbeat, measuring out the endless afternoon. What does the figurative language suggest?

The speaker found the afternoon slow and tedious (Correct answer)
The classroom had a very loud clock
The clock was broken
Time passed quickly and pleasantly

Correct answer: The speaker found the afternoon slow and tedious

The simile 'like a drumbeat' and the word 'endless' together suggest the speaker experienced the afternoon as very slow and boring.

Question 2: What is 25% of 80?

40
25
20 (Correct answer)
15

Correct answer: 20

25% = 1/4, so 25% of 80 = 80 / 4 = 20.

Question 3: What does 'revising' mean in the writing process?

Making changes to improve ideas, organization, and clarity (Correct answer)
Writing the first rough draft
Checking for spelling and grammar errors
Sharing the finished piece with an audience

Correct answer: Making changes to improve ideas, organization, and clarity

Revising focuses on improving the content, structure, and clarity of writing rather than fixing mechanical errors.

Question 4: What is a line of symmetry?

A line parallel to the x-axis
A line that connects two points
A line that shows the height of a shape
A line that divides a shape into two mirror-image halves (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A line that divides a shape into two mirror-image halves

A line of symmetry divides a figure into two congruent (mirror-image) halves that match exactly when folded.

Question 5: What is the mean (average) of the numbers 4, 8, 12, and 16?

8
12
14
10 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 10

Mean = (4 + 8 + 12 + 16) / 4 = 40 / 4 = 10.

Question 6: What is the y-intercept of the equation 4x - 2y = 8?

y = 4
y = -2
y = 2
y = -4 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: y = -4

Set x=0: 4(0) - 2y = 8, so -2y = 8, meaning y = -4. The y-intercept is -4.

Question 7: What happens to the density of water when it freezes into ice?

Density increases because the molecules pack more tightly
Density stays the same
Density decreases because ice forms an open crystalline structure (Correct answer)
Density varies depending on temperature

Correct answer: Density decreases because ice forms an open crystalline structure

When water freezes, hydrogen bonds arrange water molecules into an open hexagonal lattice (ice crystal structure) that is less dense than liquid water — which is why ice floats.

Question 8: Which word contains a digraph?

Slip
Flat
Chat (Correct answer)
Step

Correct answer: Chat

'Chat' contains the digraph 'ch' — two letters that together make a single sound that is different from either letter alone.

Question 9: Which reading skill involves using word parts like prefixes and suffixes to determine meaning?

Fluency
Phonemic awareness
Scanning
Structural analysis (morphology) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Structural analysis (morphology)

Structural analysis involves breaking a word into its parts (prefix, root, suffix) to determine its meaning.

Question 10: Which of the following represents a function?

{(1,2),(1,3),(2,4)}
{(1,2),(2,3),(3,4)} (Correct answer)
A circle
A vertical line

Correct answer: {(1,2),(2,3),(3,4)}

A function requires each input (x-value) to map to exactly one output. {(1,2),(2,3),(3,4)} has unique x-values, so it is a function.

Question 11: What is the formula for the area of a triangle?

A = side squared
A = 1/2 x base x height (Correct answer)
A = base x height
A = 2 x (length + width)

Correct answer: A = 1/2 x base x height

The area of a triangle is calculated using A = 1/2 x base x height.

Question 12: What is the main function of roots in a plant?

To produce seeds
To make food using sunlight
To attract pollinators
To absorb water and nutrients from the soil (Correct answer)

Correct answer: To absorb water and nutrients from the soil

Roots absorb water and minerals from the soil and anchor the plant.

Question 13: Which sentence uses the correct form of the verb 'to be'?

He is my best friend. (Correct answer)
We is happy today.
They was going to the park.
She were reading a book.

Correct answer: He is my best friend.

'He is my best friend' correctly pairs the singular subject 'He' with the singular verb 'is.'

Question 14: What does it mean when an author uses a flashback in a story?

The story moves very quickly forward in time
The narrator repeats important information
A character predicts the future
The author interrupts the story to show an earlier event (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The author interrupts the story to show an earlier event

A flashback interrupts the current narrative to depict an event from the past, providing background or context.

Question 15: Which expression is equivalent to (x + 3)(x - 3)?

x squared minus 9 (Correct answer)
x squared minus 6x plus 9
x squared plus 6x minus 9
x squared plus 9

Correct answer: x squared minus 9

(x+3)(x-3) is a difference of squares: x^2 - 3^2 = x^2 - 9.

Question 16: Which of the following words contains a long vowel sound?

cat
hop
sit
kite (Correct answer)

Correct answer: kite

The word 'kite' has a long /i/ sound, where the vowel 'says its name' due to the silent E at the end.

Question 17: What is the law of conservation of energy?

Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only change forms (Correct answer)
Energy can be created when fuel is burned
Energy is always converted to heat eventually
Energy can only be destroyed by very high temperatures

Correct answer: Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only change forms

The Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed — it can only be converted from one form to another.

Question 18: Which punctuation mark is used to end an interrogative sentence?

Period (.)
Question mark (?) (Correct answer)
Comma (,)
Exclamation point (!)

Correct answer: Question mark (?)

A question mark (?) is placed at the end of an interrogative sentence, which asks a question.

Question 19: Which reading strategy involves looking at headings, subheadings, and visuals before reading a text?

Questioning
Summarizing
Previewing (Correct answer)
Visualizing

Correct answer: Previewing

Previewing is a pre-reading strategy where you scan headings, visuals, and bold words to set a purpose for reading.

Question 20: What is a consonant blend in early phonics instruction?

A word that sounds the same as another word
Two vowels that make one sound
A long vowel sound
Two or more consonants whose sounds are combined while each is still heard (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Two or more consonants whose sounds are combined while each is still heard

A consonant blend combines two or more consonant sounds, each of which is still heard — for example, 'st' in 'stop' or 'bl' in 'blue.'

Question 21: What is the main purpose of a paragraph that begins, "There are three key reasons schools should start later in the morning"?

To describe what a school building looks like
To persuade the reader with supporting arguments (Correct answer)
To explain how to set an alarm clock
To entertain the reader with a story

Correct answer: To persuade the reader with supporting arguments

Listing reasons why schools "should" do something signals a persuasive purpose.

Question 22: What is a food chain?

The process by which plants make food
A diagram of how water moves through nature
A list of all organisms in an ecosystem
A sequence showing how energy passes from one organism to another through feeding (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A sequence showing how energy passes from one organism to another through feeding

A food chain shows the flow of energy from producers (plants) through consumers (animals) in a linear sequence.

Question 23: What does it mean to summarize a text?

State the most important ideas briefly in your own words (Correct answer)
Write your opinion about the text
List all the vocabulary words
Retell every detail of the text

Correct answer: State the most important ideas briefly in your own words

Summarizing means restating the most essential ideas of a text concisely in your own words, leaving out minor details.

Question 24: Which number is greater: 0.45 or 0.5?

0.45, because it has more digits
0.5, because 5 tenths is more than 4 tenths (Correct answer)
0.45, because 45 is greater than 5
They are equal

Correct answer: 0.5, because 5 tenths is more than 4 tenths

0.5 = 0.50, and 50 hundredths is greater than 45 hundredths.

Question 25: A student reads: She felt a lump in her throat as she walked onto the stage. What is the student most likely inferring about the character?

She is angry at someone
She is nervous or anxious (Correct answer)
She is very happy
She is sick with a cold

Correct answer: She is nervous or anxious

A lump in the throat is a physical sensation commonly associated with nervousness or anxiety, especially when performing.

Question 26: The word 'bat' belongs to which word family?

-at family (cat, rat, hat) (Correct answer)
-an family (can, ran, fan)
-og family (dog, log, fog)
-it family (sit, bit, hit)

Correct answer: -at family (cat, rat, hat)

The word 'bat' belongs to the -at word family because it ends in the -at phonogram, shared by cat, rat, hat, and mat.

Question 27: If sin of angle theta equals 3/5 and theta is in the first quadrant, what is cos of theta?

3/4
1/5
4/5 (Correct answer)
5/3

Correct answer: 4/5

Using the Pythagorean identity: cos^2(theta) = 1 - sin^2(theta) = 1 - 9/25 = 16/25. cos(theta) = 4/5 (positive in Quadrant 1).

Question 28: What is the complete solution to 2x squared = 50?

x = 5 or x = -5 (Correct answer)
x = 5 only
x = 25
x = -5 only

Correct answer: x = 5 or x = -5

2x^2 = 50 → x^2 = 25 → x = plus or minus 5. Both 5 and -5 are valid solutions.

Question 29: Which pair of words are antonyms?

Large and Enormous
Happy and Joyful
Quick and Rapid
Ancient and Modern (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Ancient and Modern

'Ancient' means very old, and 'modern' means current or new — they are opposites, making them antonyms.

Question 30: What is the purpose of an author's use of point of view in a literary text?

To define the setting of the story
To determine how long the story is
To establish who is telling the story and how much they know (Correct answer)
To list the story's characters

Correct answer: To establish who is telling the story and how much they know

Point of view (POV) determines who is narrating the story and the narrator's perspective and knowledge level.

Question 31: What is a run-on sentence?

A sentence that begins with a conjunction
A sentence with no subject
A sentence that is too long to understand
Two or more independent clauses incorrectly joined without proper punctuation (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Two or more independent clauses incorrectly joined without proper punctuation

A run-on sentence occurs when two independent clauses are incorrectly joined without a conjunction or proper punctuation.

Question 32: What is a syllable?

A unit of pronunciation with one vowel sound (Correct answer)
A punctuation mark that separates words
The last letter of a word
A group of letters that makes a consonant sound

Correct answer: A unit of pronunciation with one vowel sound

A syllable is a unit of sound that contains exactly one vowel sound; the word 'basket' has two syllables: bas-ket.

Question 33: What is a compound word?

A word with a prefix or suffix
A word with more than three syllables
A word borrowed from another language
A word made by combining two smaller words (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A word made by combining two smaller words

A compound word is formed by joining two independent words together, such as 'sunlight' (sun + light) or 'bedroom' (bed + room).

Question 34: A right triangle has one leg of 8 and a hypotenuse of 17. What is the length of the other leg?

13
square root of 353
9
15 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 15

a^2 + 8^2 = 17^2, so a^2 = 289 - 64 = 225, meaning a = 15. This is the 8-15-17 Pythagorean triple.

Question 35: Take a look at the function f(x) = x² – 9x + 20. Which of these claims about the following is true?

The zeros are 4 and 5 because the factors of f are (x – 4) and (x – 5). (Correct answer)
The zeros are 4 and -5 because the factors of f are (x – 4) and (x + 5).
The zeros are -4 and -5 because the factors of f are (x + 4) and (x + 5).
The zeros are -4 and 5 because the factors of f are (x + 4) and (x – 5)

Correct answer: The zeros are 4 and 5 because the factors of f are (x – 4) and (x – 5).

To find the zeros of the function f(x) = x² – 9x + 20, you need to factor the quadratic expression. The factors are (x – 4) and (x – 5), because (-4) * (-5) = 20 and (-4) + (-5) = -9. Setting each factor to zero, x – 4 = 0 gives x = 4, and x – 5 = 0 gives x = 5. These are the zeros of the function.

Question 36: What is 3/5 of 25?

20
15 (Correct answer)
10
12

Correct answer: 15

3/5 of 25 = (3 x 25) / 5 = 75 / 5 = 15.

Question 37: Which of the following is the quadratic formula used to solve ax squared + bx + c = 0?

x = -b over 2a
x = -b plus or minus square root of (b squared - 4ac) all over a
x = (b plus or minus square root of (b squared + 4ac)) all over 2a
x = (-b plus or minus square root of (b squared - 4ac)) all over 2a (Correct answer)

Correct answer: x = (-b plus or minus square root of (b squared - 4ac)) all over 2a

The quadratic formula is x = (-b plus or minus sqrt(b^2 - 4ac)) divided by 2a. The entire numerator is divided by 2a.

Question 38: Jos puts $2,350 into two bank accounts for savings. Every year, Account X offers 3.25% simple interest. 3.75% interest is compounded annually on Account Y. Which amount, if Jos made no more deposits or withdrawals, would be closest to the difference between the interest Jos will receive in Account X and Account Y after three years?

$45.28 (Correct answer)
$274.40
$229.13
$503.53

Correct answer: $45.28

For Account X, simple interest is calculated as Principal × Rate × Time, so $2,350 × 0.0325 × 3 = $229.13. For Account Y, compound interest is calculated using the formula A = P(1+r)^t, which yields $2,350(1+0.0375)³ ≈ $2,624.40, meaning the interest earned is $2,624.40 - $2,350 = $274.40. The difference between the interest from Account Y and Account X is $274.40 - $229.13 = $45.27, which is closest to $45.28.

Question 39: What is the correct plural of the word 'child'?

Childes
Childer
Childs
Children (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Children

'Children' is the irregular plural of 'child.' English has many irregular plurals that do not follow standard -s or -es rules.

Question 40: Which type of rock forms when melted rock cools and hardens?

Metamorphic
Sedimentary
Igneous (Correct answer)
Fossil

Correct answer: Igneous

Igneous rock forms from cooled magma or lava.

Question 41: Examine the following diagram, which illustrates a conical birthday cap's height. The cone is 675π cubic centimeters in volume. What is the cone's approximate radius in centimeters?

12.5
16
18
9 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 9

The volume of a cone is given by the formula V = (1/3)πr²h. We are given the volume V = 675π cubic centimeters and, assuming the diagram indicates a height (h) of 25 cm, we can substitute these values into the formula. This gives us 675π = (1/3)πr²(25). Dividing both sides by π and simplifying, we get 675 = (25/3)r². Multiplying by 3/25 yields r² = 675 * (3/25) = 81, so the radius r = √81 = 9 centimeters.

Question 42: What is the area of a square with a side length of 5 cm?

10 cm2
15 cm2
20 cm2
25 cm2 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 25 cm2

Area of a square = side x side = 5 x 5 = 25 cm2.

Question 43: A student encounters: The scientist meticulously recorded every data point. What does 'meticulously' most likely mean?

Loudly and enthusiastically
With great care and attention to detail (Correct answer)
Occasionally and randomly
Quickly and carelessly

Correct answer: With great care and attention to detail

A scientist carefully recording every data point is acting with great care and attention to detail — that is the meaning of 'meticulously.'

Question 44: A student reads a persuasive essay arguing for year-round school. Which sentence would be the strongest supporting evidence?

Many students find summer boring.
Year-round school exists in other countries.
Studies show year-round students retain 20 percent more information. (Correct answer)
I think year-round school is better.

Correct answer: Studies show year-round students retain 20 percent more information.

Research-based evidence with specific statistics is the strongest type of supporting evidence in a persuasive essay.

Question 45: On the MAP Growth Reading test, what does a RIT score measure?

A student's reading grade level only
The number of words read per minute
The percentage of questions answered correctly
An equal-interval scale of learning regardless of grade (Correct answer)

Correct answer: An equal-interval scale of learning regardless of grade

RIT (Rasch Unit) scores use an equal-interval scale that measures academic achievement independent of grade level, allowing comparison across years.

Question 46: What is a conjunction?

A word that takes the place of a noun
A word that connects words, phrases, or clauses (Correct answer)
A word that describes a noun
A word that shows action

Correct answer: A word that connects words, phrases, or clauses

A conjunction is a word like 'and,' 'but,' or 'because' that connects words, phrases, or clauses together.

Question 47: What is a synonym?

A word with the opposite meaning
A word with the same or similar meaning as another word (Correct answer)
A word that describes a noun
A word that sounds the same but has a different meaning

Correct answer: A word with the same or similar meaning as another word

A synonym is a word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word, such as 'happy' and 'joyful.'

Question 48: Which of the following is the equation of a line perpendicular to y = 3x + 1?

y = 3x - 4
y = -(1/3)x + 2 (Correct answer)
y = -3x + 2
y = (1/3)x + 5

Correct answer: y = -(1/3)x + 2

Perpendicular lines have slopes that are negative reciprocals. The slope of y=3x+1 is 3, so the perpendicular slope is -1/3. Only y = -(1/3)x + 2 has slope -1/3.

Question 49: A student tests whether plants grow faster with fertilizer. The plants receiving no fertilizer are the:

Independent variable
Control group (Correct answer)
Experimental group
Dependent variable

Correct answer: Control group

The control group receives no treatment (no fertilizer) and serves as the baseline for comparison against the experimental group.

Question 50: Which sentence demonstrates correct use of a semicolon?

He went to the store; to buy milk.
The test was difficult; however, she studied hard and passed. (Correct answer)
She likes hiking; but prefers swimming.
We left early; because traffic was bad.

Correct answer: The test was difficult; however, she studied hard and passed.

A semicolon correctly joins two related independent clauses. 'The test was difficult; however, she studied hard and passed' uses a semicolon with a conjunctive adverb.

NWEA MAP Measurement of Academic Progress Test

The NWEA MAP (Measurement of Academic Progress) Test is a computer-adaptive assessment measuring student growth in reading, language usage, mathematics, and science from kindergarten through high school. Scores are reported as RIT (Rasch Unit) scores aligned to grade-level growth norms.

Questions

60 min

Time Limit

50%

To Pass

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