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Sample Questions

What questions are used in the NAEP geography assessment?

Explore sample questions from the geography assessment, and see how the NAEP geography questions relate to student performance.

 

Test Yourself in Geography

Select one of the grade tabs below to try out questions from the 2010 NAEP geography assessment. After answering all the questions, compare your score with that of students nationally. A very limited number of geography items were released at Grade 8 so no sample items are available.

Grade 4
Grade 12

 Grade 4 Sample Questions

Question 1 of 5 :

The picture shows a house, a silo, and a barn surrounded by fields.
© 1995 Joel Day. All rights reserved.

Look at the photograph above. The people who work in this place probably make their living from

  1.    forestry
  2.    ranching
  3.    farming
  4.    manufacturing
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The correct answer is: C
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Question 2 of 5 :

Which of the following is most likely to be located in a major city rather than in a small town?

  1.  An international airport
  2.  A movie theater
  3.  A public library
  4.  A playground
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The correct answer is: A
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Question 3 of 5 :

The photograph shows a large steel mill with many smokestacks. Thick, dark smoke is coming out of the smokestacks.
© Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh #BR-1105

The photograph above of a steel mill in a United States city was taken in 1906. It would be unusual to see a scene like this in the United States today because

  1.   the United States imports most of its steel from other countries
  2.   United States laws controlling air pollution are stricter today than they were in 1906
  3.   most steel is no longer made in factories
  4.   taller smokestacks make it harder to see smoke from factories
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The correct answer is: B
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Question 4 of 5:

Which can help prevent soil erosion?

  1.  Burning underbrush
  2.  Grazing sheep
  3.  Building roads
  4.  Planting trees
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The correct answer is: D
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Question 5 of 5:

The map shows the United States with the locations of each state capital. Many of the capitals are located near the center of their state.

Look at the map above of state capitals in the United States. Capitals are often located near the center of the state because

  1. most businesses are located near the center of the state
  2. most states are flatter near the center and more mountainous near the borders
  3. the climate is usually milder near the center of the state
  4. it is easier for people from around the state to reach a central location
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The correct answer is: D
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The chart below shows the percentage of questions that you answered correctly, as well as how students at each of the achievement levels performed on this set of questions. For instance, fourth-grade students at Proficient had a percentage correct of 84% on average.

[Overall|67],[Below Basic|50],[Basic|67],[Proficient|84] Fourth-grade percentage correct on selected geography questions: 2010
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Fourth-grade percentage correct on selected geography questions: 2010

Overall = 67. Below Basic = 50. Basic = 67. Proficient = 84.

Note: No bar for Advanced appears on the graph because reporting standards were not met.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2010 Geography Assessment.

View this set of questions in the NAEP Questions Tool to see student performance.