NM-MSSA Summative Assessment — Questions and Answers

Question 1: A teacher uses NM-MSSA performance level data at the start of the year to form flexible small groups. This practice is best described as:

Using assessment data to differentiate instruction (Correct answer)
Violating student data privacy rules
Summative assessment misuse
Using benchmark data for tracking only

Correct answer: Using assessment data to differentiate instruction

Using performance level data to form targeted instructional groups is an example of leveraging assessment data to differentiate and meet individual student needs.

Question 2: In NM-MSSA reading passages, 'complex text' refers to texts that:

Contain multiple layers of meaning, sophisticated vocabulary, and nuanced ideas (Correct answer)
Are written only in languages other than English
Are always longer than 1,000 words
Are written exclusively for advanced graduate-level readers

Correct answer: Contain multiple layers of meaning, sophisticated vocabulary, and nuanced ideas

Complex texts feature sophisticated vocabulary, multiple layers of meaning, and nuanced ideas that require deeper analysis and critical thinking skills.

Question 3: Which option correctly identifies the part of speech of the underlined word: 'The quickly rising flood waters alarmed residents.'

Verb
Adverb (Correct answer)
Noun
Adjective

Correct answer: Adverb

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

Question 4: When analyzing an informational text, what does the term 'central idea' refer to?

The first sentence of the passage
The most important point the author wants to communicate (Correct answer)
A supporting detail in the text
The title of the article

Correct answer: The most important point the author wants to communicate

The central idea is the main message or argument that the entire text supports and develops.

Question 5: Which sentence uses commas correctly with a nonrestrictive clause?

My sister who lives in Albuquerque, is a teacher.
My sister, who lives in Albuquerque is a teacher.
My sister who lives in Albuquerque is a teacher.
My sister, who lives in Albuquerque, is a teacher. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: My sister, who lives in Albuquerque, is a teacher.

Nonrestrictive (non-essential) clauses must be set off by commas on both sides.

Question 6: An author includes a quote from a doctor, a teacher, and a student in an article about school health programs. What is the most likely reason for including multiple perspectives?

To confuse readers with too many opinions
To make the article longer and more impressive
To avoid taking any personal stance on the topic
To show a well-rounded view of the issue and increase the argument's credibility (Correct answer)

Correct answer: To show a well-rounded view of the issue and increase the argument's credibility

Including diverse expert and stakeholder perspectives strengthens an argument by showing the issue has been examined from multiple valid viewpoints.

Question 7: What is the name of the process by which organisms produce offspring?

Evolution
Reproduction (Correct answer)
Adaptation
Mutation

Correct answer: Reproduction

Reproduction is the biological process by which organisms create new individuals of the same species.

Question 8: A bag has 4 red, 6 blue, and 2 yellow chips. What is the probability of NOT picking red?

1/3
2/3 (Correct answer)
1/2
3/4

Correct answer: 2/3

There are 8 non-red chips out of 12 total, so P(not red) = 8/12 = 2/3.

Question 9: A scatter plot shows points scattered from lower-left to upper-right. What kind of relationship does this suggest?

An exact relationship
Negative correlation
Positive correlation (Correct answer)
No relationship

Correct answer: Positive correlation

Points trending from lower-left to upper-right indicate that as one variable increases, the other also tends to increase, showing a positive correlation.

Question 10: Which document established the framework of the U.S. government and is the supreme law of the land?

The Articles of Confederation
The Federalist Papers
The U.S. Constitution (Correct answer)
The Declaration of Independence

Correct answer: The U.S. Constitution

The U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1788, established the three branches of government and remains the supreme law of the United States.

Question 11: What should you do when encountering a difficult question?

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

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 12: Which New Mexico Native American group is known for their distinctive multi-storied adobe dwellings called pueblos?

Apache
Comanche
Pueblo peoples (Correct answer)
Navajo Nation

Correct answer: Pueblo peoples

Pueblo peoples, including Taos, Acoma, and Zuni, are named for their traditional multi-storied adobe village structures.

Question 13: What is the purpose of evidence in an informational text?

To make the text longer and more detailed
To support and validate the author's claims (Correct answer)
To entertain the reader with interesting facts
To introduce new topics within the same text

Correct answer: To support and validate the author's claims

Evidence — such as facts, statistics, examples, and expert quotes — is used to support and strengthen the author's claims and make the argument more credible.

Question 14: A Venn diagram shows that 8 students like soccer, 6 like basketball, and 3 like both sports. How many students like at least one of the two sports?

14
9
17
11 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 11

Using the inclusion-exclusion principle: 8 + 6 − 3 = 11 students like at least one sport.

Question 15: When should you change an answer on a test?

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

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 16: What does the term 'checks and balances' mean in the U.S. government?

The method used to count votes in an election
The process of balancing the federal budget each year
Each branch of government has powers that limit the other branches (Correct answer)
The system for distributing tax revenue among states

Correct answer: Each branch of government has powers that limit the other branches

Checks and balances ensures no single branch of government becomes too powerful by giving each branch ways to limit or oversee the others.

Question 17: Students recorded the number of hours they slept for 7 nights: 8, 7, 9, 6, 8, 8, 7. What is the mode?

9
8 (Correct answer)
7
6

Correct answer: 8

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

Question 18: A jar contains 5 red marbles, 3 blue marbles, and 2 green marbles. What is the probability of randomly picking a blue marble?

1/3
3/10 (Correct answer)
1/2
3/5

Correct answer: 3/10

There are 3 blue marbles out of 10 total, so the probability is 3/10.

Question 19: Which major world religion originated in the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century CE?

Islam (Correct answer)
Buddhism
Christianity
Hinduism

Correct answer: Islam

Islam was founded by the Prophet Muhammad in the Arabian Peninsula around 610 CE and spread rapidly across the Middle East and beyond.

Question 20: In the sentence 'Despite the rain, the game continued,' what does 'despite' signal?

A time sequence
A cause and effect relationship
An example
A contrast between two ideas (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A contrast between two ideas

'Despite' introduces a contrast, showing that the game happened even though the rain might have prevented it.

Question 21: NM-MSSA performance levels are set through a process called standard setting. Who typically participates in this process?

Individual classroom teachers scoring their own students
Federal testing contractors exclusively
Panels of educators, content experts, and community members (Correct answer)
Only state department officials

Correct answer: Panels of educators, content experts, and community members

Standard setting panels include educators, content experts, and community stakeholders who collectively recommend cut scores for each performance level.

Question 22: A student reads two articles about school uniforms that have opposite conclusions. What should the student do first?

Use the article that was written most recently.
Pick the article that is longer and has more words.
Evaluate each author's evidence and credentials to judge reliability. (Correct answer)
Choose the article that agrees with their own opinion.

Correct answer: Evaluate each author's evidence and credentials to judge reliability.

Critical readers evaluate the quality of evidence and the credibility of sources rather than simply choosing based on preference.

Question 23: New Mexico uses NM-MSSA performance level data as part of its A–F school grading system. Which component most directly uses performance level results?

Teacher evaluation scores
Achievement (proficiency) points (Correct answer)
Per-pupil expenditure rankings
Attendance rate calculations

Correct answer: Achievement (proficiency) points

The achievement component of New Mexico's A–F school grades is based on the percentage of students scoring Proficient or Advanced on NM-MSSA.

Question 24: Which physical feature forms the eastern border of the Rio Grande valley in New Mexico?

The Rocky Mountains
The Sandia Mountains (Correct answer)
The Sacramento Mountains
The Jemez Mountains

Correct answer: The Sandia Mountains

The Sandia Mountains rise dramatically to the east of the Rio Grande valley near Albuquerque.

Question 25: What is a claim in an argumentative text?

The concluding paragraph that wraps up the essay
The author's main assertion or position on a topic (Correct answer)
The evidence provided to support the argument
The counterargument presented by the opposition

Correct answer: The author's main assertion or position on a topic

A claim is the author's central assertion or main argument — the position they are taking and defending throughout the text.

Question 26: Which type of text structure would BEST explain why hurricanes form?

Sequence
Description
Cause and Effect (Correct answer)
Compare and Contrast

Correct answer: Cause and Effect

Cause and effect text structure explains the reasons something happens (causes) and the results (effects), making it ideal for explaining hurricane formation.

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

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

Correct answer: (1, 3)

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

Question 28: In which phase of the water cycle does liquid water become water vapor?

Condensation
Evaporation (Correct answer)
Precipitation
Runoff

Correct answer: Evaporation

Evaporation is the process by which liquid water absorbs heat energy and transforms into water vapor.

Question 29: What is the main function of red blood cells?

Fight infection
Carry oxygen throughout the body (Correct answer)
Digest nutrients
Produce hormones

Correct answer: Carry oxygen throughout the body

Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, which binds to oxygen in the lungs and transports it to cells throughout the body.

Question 30: What is the process of elimination in multiple-choice testing?

Ruling out obviously incorrect answers to improve odds (Correct answer)
Removing your first answer
Skipping every other question
Eliminating questions you don't know

Correct answer: Ruling out obviously incorrect answers to improve odds

Process of elimination involves identifying and removing clearly wrong answers, increasing the probability of selecting the correct answer from remaining options.

Question 31: A passage describes how a new traffic law reduced accidents by 20% in one city. A student concludes the same law will reduce accidents in all cities. This is an example of:

Valid inductive reasoning based on solid evidence
A deductive argument with a sound conclusion
An overgeneralization from limited evidence (Correct answer)
An appeal to authority to support the claim

Correct answer: An overgeneralization from limited evidence

Drawing a broad conclusion from a single example is an overgeneralization because other cities may have different conditions.

Question 32: What is the process of elimination in multiple-choice testing?

Skipping every other question
Removing your first answer
Ruling out obviously incorrect answers to improve odds (Correct answer)
Eliminating questions you don't know

Correct answer: Ruling out obviously incorrect answers to improve odds

Process of elimination involves identifying and removing clearly wrong answers, increasing the probability of selecting the correct answer from remaining options.

Question 33: Which sentence contains a correctly punctuated restrictive clause?

Students, who study regularly tend to score higher.
Students, who study regularly, tend to score higher.
Students who study regularly tend to score higher. (Correct answer)
Students who, study regularly, tend to score higher.

Correct answer: Students who study regularly tend to score higher.

A restrictive clause identifies which students are meant and should NOT be set off by commas.

Question 34: Which sentence correctly uses a hyphen?

The author is well known in her field.
Both A and C (Correct answer)
She is well-known.
She is a well-known author.

Correct answer: Both A and C

Compound modifiers like 'well-known' are hyphenated before a noun but not after a linking verb.

Question 35: Why is reading the question carefully important?

To avoid misinterpreting what is being asked (Correct answer)
To waste time
It doesn't matter
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 36: 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)
Asking a teacher for help with difficult words
Using a dictionary to find word definitions

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 37: A line graph shows a city's temperature each month over one year. Which statement best describes what the graph displays?

The total rainfall for each month
The exact temperature at noon on one specific day
How temperature changes over time throughout the year (Correct answer)
The average temperature compared to other cities

Correct answer: How temperature changes over time throughout the year

A line graph is used to show how a value changes over time, making it ideal for tracking monthly temperature trends.

Question 38: Which sentence uses the correct verb form in the past perfect tense?

By the time we arrived, she has already left.
By the time we arrived, she had already left. (Correct answer)
By the time we arrived, she was already leaving.
By the time we arrived, she already left.

Correct answer: By the time we arrived, she had already left.

The past perfect 'had left' shows an action completed before another past action.

Question 39: What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?

A fact uses formal language; an opinion uses informal language
A fact is always positive; an opinion is always negative
A fact is written by experts; an opinion is written by students
A fact can be verified with evidence; an opinion expresses a personal viewpoint (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A fact can be verified with evidence; an opinion expresses a personal viewpoint

Facts are objective statements that can be confirmed or disproven with evidence, while opinions reflect personal beliefs or judgments.

Question 40: Which question best helps a reader evaluate the credibility of a source?

How long is the article?
Was the article written recently?
Is the article interesting to read?
Does the author have relevant expertise and cite evidence? (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Does the author have relevant expertise and cite evidence?

Author expertise and use of cited evidence are primary indicators of a source's credibility.

Question 41: What is the mode of: 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 3, 6?

2
4
5
3 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 3

The mode is the value that appears most frequently. The number 3 appears three times, more than any other value.

Question 42: A store sells apples for $0.50 each. If Maria buys 14 apples, how much does she spend?

$8.00
$7.00 (Correct answer)
$6.00
$7.50

Correct answer: $7.00

14 × $0.50 = $7.00.

Question 43: Which type of graph is BEST for comparing the sizes of different categories at one point in time?

Histogram
Scatter plot
Line graph
Bar graph (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Bar graph

Bar graphs are designed to compare distinct categories side by side at a single point in time.

Question 44: Which of the following best describes the author's purpose in a persuasive text?

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

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

Inform the reader about historical events
Convince the reader to agree with a point of view (Correct answer)
Entertain the reader with a compelling story
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 46: What is the result when two tectonic plates collide head-on?

A rift valley forms
The plates slide sideways
Earthquakes and mountains form (Correct answer)
Sea floor spreading occurs

Correct answer: Earthquakes and mountains form

When two tectonic plates converge, the collision can cause earthquakes and the uplift that forms mountain ranges.

Question 47: How should you manage time during a timed test?

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

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 48: What should you do when encountering a difficult question?

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

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.

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%

To Pass

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Exam Rules

You can skip questions and return to them later
Flag questions for review before submitting
No feedback shown until you submit the entire exam
Unanswered questions count as wrong — answer everything
10 pretest questions are mixed in and don't affect your score
Timer auto-submits when time runs out
Your progress is auto-saved every 30 seconds