PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Writing Practice Questions 1

Question 1

Which opening sentence would be most effective for a PARCC argumentative essay about school lunch policies?

Accepted Answer

Every year, millions of students eat school lunches that fail to meet basic nutritional standards, yet policy reform remains stalled.

Answer

An effective argumentative opening immediately establishes the issue with specific, compelling detail and implies a clear stance, drawing the reader in. The other options are vague, use first person inappropriately, or announce the essay's structure instead of engaging the reader.

Question 2

When revising a prose-constructed response, which change would most improve the coherence of the writing?

Accepted Answer

Ensuring each body paragraph begins with a clear topic sentence that connects back to the thesis

Answer

Coherence is built when each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that ties back to the central argument, guiding the reader through the essay's logic. Adding irrelevant quotes, removing transitions, or padding word count all weaken rather than strengthen coherence.

Question 3

A student writing a literary analysis on PARCC needs to support a claim about a character's motivation. Which evidence use is most effective?

Accepted Answer

Quoting a line of dialogue and explaining how it reveals the character's internal conflict

Answer

Effective evidence use means selecting a specific textual detail and directly explaining how it supports the claim. Summarizing plot, making vague statements, or listing unconnected events does not demonstrate analytical thinking required by PARCC.

Question 4

Which revision best corrects a weak concluding sentence in an argumentative essay?

Accepted Answer

'Therefore, as the evidence clearly demonstrates, strengthening after-school programs is the most effective strategy for closing the achievement gap.'

Answer

A strong conclusion synthesizes the argument by connecting evidence to a precise claim, reinforcing the essay's purpose. The other options either vaguely restate that an essay was written, use informal language, or present a both-sides statement that undermines the argument.

Question 5

In an informational writing task, which sentence structure best clarifies a complex process for the reader?

Accepted Answer

First, gather your materials; next, measure each ingredient precisely; finally, combine them in the order listed.

Answer

Sequenced transitions (first, next, finally) combined with parallel sentence structure break a complex process into clear, manageable steps, which is the hallmark of effective informational writing. The other options are wordy, vague, or use a filler phrase instead of actual instruction.

PARCC Practice Test

PARCC Practice Test

PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Writing Practice Questions 1