Keystone Test Scoring and Performance Levels 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Keystone Exam performance level indicates a student has met state standards and demonstrated proficient academic skills?
- Basic
- Proficient (Correct answer)
- Advanced
- Below Basic
Correct answer: Proficient
Proficient is the performance level that indicates a student has met Pennsylvania's academic standards on the Keystone Exams.
Question 2: A student who scores in the 'Advanced' performance level on the Algebra I Keystone Exam has demonstrated which of the following?
- Minimal understanding of grade-level content
- Meeting but not exceeding grade-level expectations
- Superior mastery of content beyond grade-level expectations (Correct answer)
- Approaching but not yet reaching proficiency
Correct answer: Superior mastery of content beyond grade-level expectations
Advanced indicates a student has exceeded proficiency expectations and demonstrated superior mastery of Keystone content.
Question 3: How many performance levels are used to report Keystone Exam results?
- 2
- 3
- 4 (Correct answer)
- 5
Correct answer: 4
Keystone Exams use four performance levels: Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, and Advanced.
Question 4: Pennsylvania requires that students demonstrate proficiency on Keystone Exams as part of which requirement?
- College entrance requirements
- High school graduation requirements (Correct answer)
- Middle school promotion requirements
- Teacher certification requirements
Correct answer: High school graduation requirements
Keystone Exam proficiency is tied to Pennsylvania high school graduation requirements.
Question 5: Which performance level on the Keystone Exams suggests a student needs significant academic intervention to reach grade-level expectations?
- Advanced
- Proficient
- Basic
- Below Basic (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Below Basic
Below Basic is the lowest performance level, indicating a student needs substantial support to meet state academic standards.
Question 6: A student scoring at the 'Basic' level on a Keystone Exam is best described as:
- Exceeding all grade-level expectations
- Demonstrating partial mastery of grade-level content (Correct answer)
- Fully meeting all state academic standards
- Showing no understanding of grade-level content
Correct answer: Demonstrating partial mastery of grade-level content
Basic indicates partial mastery — the student understands some content but has not fully met state standards.
Question 7: Which Keystone subject area uses the same four-level performance scale as the other Keystone Exams?
- Algebra I only
- Literature only
- Biology only
- All Keystone Exams use the same four-level scale (Correct answer)
Correct answer: All Keystone Exams use the same four-level scale
All Keystone Exams — Algebra I, Literature, and Biology — use the same four-level performance scale: Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, and Advanced.
Keystone Test Scoring and Performance Levels 2
Which Keystone Exam performance level indicates a student has met state standards and demonstrated proficient academic skills?