NM-MSSA Summative Assessment — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Which detail supports the idea that exercise improves mental health?

Exercise helps improve flexibility and balance.
Exercise builds physical strength.
Exercise requires time and dedication.
Exercise can reduce stress and anxiety. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Exercise can reduce stress and anxiety.

Mental health refers to a person's psychological and emotional well-being. The statement 'Exercise can reduce stress and anxiety' directly addresses a positive impact on these aspects of mental health. While exercise has physical benefits like building strength and improving flexibility, these are not direct indicators of improved mental health in the same way that stress and anxiety reduction are.

Question 2: On NM-MSSA reports, performance levels are reported for which student subgroups?

Only students with IEPs
Overall population plus subgroups like ELL, special education, and income status (Correct answer)
Only students who scored Proficient or Advanced
Only the overall student population

Correct answer: Overall population plus subgroups like ELL, special education, and income status

ESSA requires disaggregated reporting by subgroups including English Language Learners, students with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged students.

Question 3: A student reads a graph showing rising temperatures over 100 years and concludes, 'This proves humans are causing climate change.' What is the main weakness in this conclusion?

The graph shows correlation but does not alone prove human causation (Correct answer)
The time period of 100 years is too long to be relevant
Graphs cannot be used as evidence in arguments
Temperature data is not a reliable measurement

Correct answer: The graph shows correlation but does not alone prove human causation

Correlation shows a relationship between variables but does not by itself establish that one causes the other.

Question 4: Which of the following is a renewable resource?

Solar energy (Correct answer)
Natural gas
Coal
Oil

Correct answer: Solar energy

A renewable resource is one that can be replenished naturally over a relatively short period of time. Solar energy is derived from the sun, an inexhaustible source, making it a prime example of a renewable resource, unlike fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas.

Question 5: Students recorded the number of hours they slept for 7 nights: 8, 7, 9, 6, 8, 8, 7. What is the mode?

7
8 (Correct answer)
6
9

Correct answer: 8

The mode is the value that appears most often; 8 appears three times, more than any other value.

Question 6: When analyzing an informational text, what does the term 'central idea' refer to?

The most interesting sentence in the passage
The first sentence of the introduction paragraph
A specific fact or statistic mentioned in the text
The main point or argument the author communicates throughout the text (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The main point or argument the author communicates throughout the text

The central idea is the overarching message or argument that the entire text works to develop and support.

Question 7: In a persuasive essay, what is the purpose of a counterclaim?

To acknowledge the opposing view before refuting it (Correct answer)
To provide statistics supporting the claim
To summarize the essay's conclusion
To introduce the writer's main argument

Correct answer: To acknowledge the opposing view before refuting it

Addressing a counterclaim shows the writer understands opposing views and strengthens credibility by refuting them.

Question 8: What happens to water when it changes from a liquid to a gas?

It evaporates. (Correct answer)
It condenses.
It melts.
It freezes.

Correct answer: It evaporates.

When water changes from a liquid to a gas, it undergoes the process of evaporation. This occurs when water molecules gain enough energy to escape the liquid surface and become water vapor in the air.

Question 9: What does the term 'supply and demand' describe in economics?

The system of taxing imported goods
Government control of prices in the marketplace
The relationship between how much of a product exists and how much buyers want it (Correct answer)
The process of manufacturing goods for export

Correct answer: The relationship between how much of a product exists and how much buyers want it

Supply and demand describes how the quantity of goods available and consumer desire for them interact to determine market prices.

Question 10: How should you manage time during a timed test?

Divide total time by questions and pace yourself, spending less on easy ones (Correct answer)
Rush through the entire test
Spend equal time on every question
Only work on hard questions

Correct answer: Divide total time by questions and pace yourself, spending less on easy ones

Calculate time per question, spend less on easy questions to bank time for harder ones, and check your pace periodically.

Question 11: Read this sentence: 'The ancient, crumbling castle stood on the hilltop.' What does 'ancient' mean?

Very large
Very old (Correct answer)
Very dark
Very tall

Correct answer: Very old

'Ancient' means belonging to the very distant past or having existed for a very long time.

Question 12: A line passes through points (0, 2) and (3, 8). What is its slope?

2 (Correct answer)
3
1/2
6

Correct answer: 2

Slope = (8 − 2) / (3 − 0) = 6/3 = 2.

Question 13: What is the mean of the data set: 4, 8, 6, 10, 2?

8
10
6 (Correct answer)
4

Correct answer: 6

Mean = sum of values / number of values = (4+8+6+10+2)/5 = 30/5 = 6.

Question 14: Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement?

The pack of wolves were howling all night.
A pack of wolves were howling all night.
Packs of wolves was howling all night.
The pack of wolves was howling all night. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The pack of wolves was howling all night.

The subject is the collective noun 'pack' (singular), so the verb must be singular: 'was.'

Question 15: What was the primary purpose of the United Nations (UN) when it was founded in 1945?

To unify all countries under one government
To promote peace and prevent wars (Correct answer)
To spread democracy worldwide
To control world trade

Correct answer: To promote peace and prevent wars

The United Nations (UN) was founded in 1945, in the aftermath of World War II, with the primary goal of promoting international peace and preventing future wars. Its charter outlines objectives such as developing friendly relations among nations and fostering cooperation on global issues.

Question 16: What does 'author's purpose' refer to in reading?

The background information about the author's life
The specific audience the author is targeting
The research methods the author used
The reason the author wrote the text (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The reason the author wrote the text

Author's purpose refers to the reason an author wrote a text, which is commonly to persuade, inform, entertain, or explain.

Question 17: Which option correctly uses a semicolon?

We went home; because it was late.
He bought apples; oranges; and bananas.
She studied hard; therefore, she passed the exam. (Correct answer)
I like hiking; but I prefer swimming.

Correct answer: She studied hard; therefore, she passed the exam.

A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses, especially before conjunctive adverbs like 'therefore.'

Question 18: A student reads a bar graph and says, 'January had exactly twice as many rainy days as February.' The bars show January = 10 and February = 5. Is the student correct?

Yes, but only if the bars are the same width
No, because bar graphs cannot show exact values
No, because you cannot compare months on a bar graph
Yes, because 10 is exactly twice 5 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Yes, because 10 is exactly twice 5

10 ÷ 5 = 2, confirming that January's value is exactly twice February's value.

Question 19: Which of the following is a prime number?

63
57
51
59 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 59

59 has no factors other than 1 and itself, making it prime; 51=3×17, 57=3×19, 63=9×7.

Question 20: Which version corrects the dangling modifier in this sentence: 'Walking to school, the rain started falling.'

The rain started falling, walking to school.
While I was walking to school, the rain started falling. (Correct answer)
Walking to school, the rain fell harder.
Walking, the rain started to fall to school.

Correct answer: While I was walking to school, the rain started falling.

The participial phrase must clearly refer to the subject performing the action, which requires adding 'I was.'

Question 21: In literary texts, 'point of view' refers to:

The conflict between main characters
The setting where the story takes place
The theme or central message of the story
The perspective from which the story is told (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The perspective from which the story is told

Point of view refers to the narrator's perspective — whether first person (I/we), second person (you), or third person (he/she/they).

Question 22: If a pattern starts with 2 and doubles each time (2, 4, 8, 16...), what is the 6th term in the pattern?

64 (Correct answer)
128
256
32

Correct answer: 64

To find the 6th term, we start with the first term (2) and double it repeatedly. The sequence is: 1st term = 2, 2nd term = 4, 3rd term = 8, 4th term = 16, 5th term = 32, and finally, the 6th term = 64.

Question 23: When should you change an answer on a test?

Always change your first answer
Never change answers
Only when you have a clear reason the new answer is better (Correct answer)
Change every answer you doubt

Correct answer: Only when you have a clear reason the new answer is better

Research shows changing answers is beneficial only when you have a specific reason, such as recalling new information or catching a misread question.

Question 24: Solve for 𝑥: 5x+3=23.

x=4 (Correct answer)
x=5
x=7
x=6

Correct answer: x=4

To solve for x, first subtract 3 from both sides of the equation: 5x + 3 - 3 = 23 - 3, which simplifies to 5x = 20. Next, divide both sides by 5: 5x / 5 = 20 / 5, resulting in x = 4.

Question 25: A histogram differs from a bar graph in that a histogram:

Shows continuous numerical data grouped into intervals (Correct answer)
Can only display one data set at a time
Always has exactly five bars
Uses pictures instead of bars

Correct answer: Shows continuous numerical data grouped into intervals

A histogram displays the frequency of continuous numerical data within defined intervals, while a bar graph compares distinct categories.

Question 26: 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
76 cm

Correct answer: 38 cm

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

Question 27: Which ordered pair is a solution to y = 2x + 1?

(4, 10)
(3, 8)
(2, 6)
(1, 3) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: (1, 3)

For (1, 3): y = 2(1) + 1 = 3 ✓; the other pairs do not satisfy the equation.

Question 28: What is the theme of a literary text?

The sequence of events in the story
The central message or life lesson the author conveys (Correct answer)
The setting and time period of the story
The main character's personality traits

Correct answer: The central message or life lesson the author conveys

The theme is the central message or universal truth that the author communicates through the story's events, characters, and conflicts.

Question 29: Which measure of center would be MOST affected by an extremely large outlier in a data set?

Range
Median
Mode
Mean (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Mean

The mean uses every value in its calculation, so one very large value pulls the mean upward significantly.

Question 30: Which sentence uses 'its' and 'it's' correctly?

It's clear that the dog found its bone. (Correct answer)
The tree lost its leaves when it's autumn.
Its going to rain; the storm has lost it's strength.
The cat licked it's paws after its meal.

Correct answer: It's clear that the dog found its bone.

'It's' is the contraction for 'it is,' while 'its' shows possession; both are used correctly here.

Question 31: What was the main cause of the Civil War?

Conflict between Northern and Southern religious beliefs
Disagreement over tariff rates on imported goods
Debate about whether to build a transcontinental railroad
Disputes over slavery and its expansion into new territories (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Disputes over slavery and its expansion into new territories

While multiple issues contributed, the central cause of the Civil War was the conflict over slavery—especially its expansion into new western territories.

Question 32: The author's purpose in writing a persuasive essay is primarily to:

Convince the reader to agree with a point of view (Correct answer)
Entertain the reader with a compelling story
Inform the reader about historical events
Describe a person, place, or event in vivid detail

Correct answer: Convince the reader to agree with a point of view

A persuasive essay is written with the intent to convince the audience to adopt the author's viewpoint or take a specific action.

Question 33: Which of the following best describes the author's purpose in a persuasive text?

To explain how something works using step-by-step instructions
To convince the audience to accept a viewpoint or take an action (Correct answer)
To provide equal weight to all sides of an issue without judgment
To entertain the audience with a fictional narrative

Correct answer: To convince the audience to accept a viewpoint or take an action

The primary purpose of persuasive writing is to change the reader's beliefs or motivate a specific action.

Question 34: What should you do when encountering a difficult question?

Stare at it until you figure it out
Skip it permanently
Guess immediately without reading
Mark it, move on, and return to it later (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Mark it, move on, and return to it later

Mark difficult questions and move on to avoid wasting time. After completing easier questions, return with fresh perspective and remaining time.

Question 35: Which sentence uses correct grammar?

The dog wagged its tail excited when it seen the boy.
The dog wag its tail excitedly when it saw the boy.
The dog wags its tail excitedly when it sees the boy. (Correct answer)
The dog wags it’s tail excitedly when it saw the boy.

Correct answer: The dog wags its tail excitedly when it sees the boy.

Sentence B, 'The dog wags its tail excitedly when it sees the boy,' uses correct subject-verb agreement for singular subjects in the present tense ('dog wags,' 'it sees'). It also correctly uses the possessive pronoun 'its' (belonging to the dog). The other options contain grammatical errors such as incorrect verb tenses, lack of subject-verb agreement, or misuse of 'it's' (which means 'it is').

Question 36: A box plot (box-and-whisker plot) shows a median line inside the box. What does the median line represent?

The most common value in the data
The average of all data values
The highest value in the data set
The middle value that splits the data into two equal halves (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The middle value that splits the data into two equal halves

The median line in a box plot marks the value at the 50th percentile, dividing the data set into two equal halves.

Question 37: Which transition word best shows a cause-and-effect relationship?

Therefore (Correct answer)
However
Furthermore
Meanwhile

Correct answer: Therefore

'Therefore' signals that the second statement is a logical result of the first.

Question 38: Which option correctly identifies the part of speech of the underlined word: 'The quickly rising flood waters alarmed residents.'

Adverb (Correct answer)
Adjective
Verb
Noun

Correct answer: Adverb

'Quickly' modifies the participle 'rising,' making it an adverb.

Question 39: Which transition word BEST shows a contrast between two ideas?

Therefore
Similarly
Furthermore
However (Correct answer)

Correct answer: However

'However' signals a shift or contrast between two ideas, while the others signal addition, result, or similarity.

Question 40: What is the context clues strategy in reading?

Skipping unknown words and continuing to read
Using surrounding text to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word (Correct answer)
Using a dictionary to find word definitions
Asking a teacher for help with difficult words

Correct answer: Using surrounding text to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word

Context clues involve using the words and sentences surrounding an unknown word to determine its meaning without stopping to look it up.

Question 41: What type of graph is best for showing trends over time?

Bar graph
Line graph (Correct answer)
Scatter plot
Pie chart

Correct answer: Line graph

Line graphs connect data points over time, clearly showing trends, patterns, and changes in data.

Question 42: What is the difference between a primary source and a secondary source?

A primary source is shorter than a secondary source
A primary source is always more reliable than a secondary source
A primary source is written after the event; a secondary source is written during the event
A primary source is firsthand; a secondary source analyzes or interprets primary sources (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A primary source is firsthand; a secondary source analyzes or interprets primary sources

A primary source is a firsthand account or original document, while a secondary source analyzes, interprets, or summarizes primary sources.

Question 43: A student reads two articles: one written by a candy company claiming sugar is harmless, and one by a nutrition scientist at a university. Which source is more credible, and why?

The nutrition scientist, because they have no financial interest in the conclusion (Correct answer)
The candy company, because it has more resources for research
The nutrition scientist, because university articles are always accurate
The candy company, because they have direct experience with sugar

Correct answer: The nutrition scientist, because they have no financial interest in the conclusion

A source with no financial stake in the outcome is less likely to be biased, making the scientist's article more credible.

Question 44: Which performance level on the NM-MSSA signals that a student may qualify for gifted and talented programs based on academic achievement?

Beginning
Advanced (Correct answer)
Proficient
Approaching

Correct answer: Advanced

Advanced performance, representing mastery beyond grade-level expectations, may be one indicator considered for gifted and talented identification.

Question 45: On the NM-MSSA, which performance level indicates a student is on track to meet grade-level expectations without additional support?

Approaching
Advanced
Proficient (Correct answer)
Beginning

Correct answer: Proficient

Proficient indicates a student has met grade-level expectations and is on track without additional intervention.

Question 46: 'Alliteration' is a literary device that involves:

The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words
Words that imitate the sounds they describe
An extreme exaggeration used for emphasis
The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of nearby words (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of nearby words

Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a series of closely connected words, such as 'Sally sells seashells.'

Question 47: A persuasive essay argues that the school library should stay open later. Which evidence would be LEAST relevant to support this argument?

Data showing students who use the library earn higher grades
The history of when the library building was constructed (Correct answer)
A survey of students requesting extended library hours
Statistics on how many students lack internet access at home

Correct answer: The history of when the library building was constructed

The age of the library building has no bearing on whether it should have extended hours.

Question 48: A parent notices their child's NM-MSSA score report shows 'Advanced' in math but 'Approaching' in ELA. What does this mean?

The child exceeds grade-level math standards but has not yet met ELA standards (Correct answer)
The child scored below average in both subjects
The child needs tutoring in both subjects
The child passed math but failed ELA

Correct answer: The child exceeds grade-level math standards but has not yet met ELA standards

Advanced in math means the student exceeds grade-level math expectations, while Approaching in ELA means the student has not yet met the ELA standard.

NM-MSSA Summative Assessment

The NM-MSSA (New Mexico Measures of Student Success and Achievement) is New Mexico's statewide summative assessment for grades 3-8, measuring student mastery of Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics across reading comprehension, writing, algebraic thinking, geometry, and data analysis.

Questions

135 min

Time Limit

60%

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