Selective Test Components 3

Question 1

Which component of a well-structured essay response on a selective placement test comes FIRST and states the writer's central claim?

Accepted Answer

Thesis statement

Answer

The thesis statement appears in the introduction and presents the essay's central argument that all body paragraphs must support.

Question 2

On the SHSAT, the English Language Arts component is divided into which two subsections?

Accepted Answer

Revising/Editing and Reading Comprehension

Answer

The SHSAT ELA component consists of Revising/Editing questions and Reading Comprehension questions.

Question 3

Which of the following best describes the 'evidence' component of a body paragraph in a selective test essay?

Accepted Answer

Specific facts, examples, or quotations that support the topic sentence

Answer

Evidence consists of concrete details—statistics, examples, or quotations—that back up the claim made in the topic sentence.

Question 4

In a reading comprehension component, a 'main idea' question asks the student to identify:

Accepted Answer

The central point the entire passage is organized around

Answer

Main idea questions require identifying the overarching point that all paragraphs in the passage collectively support.

Question 5

A number series question on the HSPT's Quantitative Skills component asks students to:

Accepted Answer

Identify the rule governing a sequence and find the next term

Answer

Number series questions present a sequence with a hidden rule (e.g., +3, ×2) and ask students to identify the next number in the pattern.

(Selective Test) Selective High School Placement Test Practice Test