NM-MSSA VIP Practice Exam: New Mexico Measures of Student Success and Achievement
NM-MSSA — The NM-MSSA (New Mexico Measures of Student Success and Achievement) is a state-mandated assessment administered by the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) to students in grades 3–8 and high school, measuring proficiency in English Language Arts and Mathematics aligned to New Mexico's college and career ready standards; it is a student achievement assessment (not a professional certification), replacing the former PARCC assessment, so this practice set is an original comprehensive preparation resource faithfully mirroring the real exam's ELA and Mathematics content domains, Standards for Mathematical Practice, and three cognitive complexity levels (recall, skill/concept, and strategic thinking).
Read the following excerpt from a short story and answer the question. "Maya stood at the edge of the cliff, staring down at the river below. For three years, she had avoided this spot — the place where her brother had dared her to jump and she had refused, only to watch him leap and emerge laughing from the cold water. Now, at seventeen, she understood that her refusal had not been cowardice, as she had long believed, but the first real choice she had made entirely for herself. She turned away from the cliff and walked back toward the road, feeling lighter than she had in years." Which statement BEST expresses the central theme of this excerpt?
Questions 2–28 and full explanations are VIP-exclusive.