readingInformation About the 2005 Reading Assessment
reading: summary
reading: national trends
reading: state comparisons
reading: national student groups
reading: sample questions
 mathematicsInformation About the 2005 Mathematics Assessment
mathematics: summary
mathematics: national trends
mathematics: state comparisons
mathematics: national student groups
mathematics: sample questions
information for
information for: media
information for: parents
information for: educators
information for: researchers
information for: policymakers
learn more
learn more: about naep
learn more: downloads & tools
learn more: glossary
learn more: help
Sample Questions
  Previous 14 of 14

2005 NAEP Reading Sample Questions

Try These Questions Yourself

The sample questions below give a brief introduction to the materials that were used to assess the reading ability of students in grades 4 and 8. All questions are based on the NAEP reading framework, which defines the test design and content. The framework was developed through an extensive national consensus process and adopted by the National Assessment Governing Board  (NAGB). Visit the NAGB website to download the full text of the reading framework.

Several other tools are available to help students, parents, and teachers look more closely at NAEP questions. View the item maps that provide concrete examples of what students at various achievement levels likely know and can do. Visit the NAEP Questions Tool to search over 1,600 items in all NAEP subject areas.

Sample Grade 4 Multiple-Choice Question

Sample question 1 is a multiple-choice question, which asked students to recognize detail from the passage.

1. According to the passage, what was the purpose of the space station
        Mir program?

Correct Answer

A) 

To learn how the body reacts to long-term travel in space

 

B) 

To observe how people from different cultures live
     together

 

C) 

To see what the seasons look like from outer space

 

D) 

To take pictures of the Earth and of water currents

65 percent of fourth-graders answered this question correctly.

Sample Grade 4 Short Constructed-Response Question

Sample question 2 is a short constructed-response question, which asked students to make an inference about a lesson that can be learned and support that inference with information from the passage. Responses to this task were rated according to a scoring guide as being one of the following three categories: "Evidence of full comprehension," "Evidence of partial comprehension," or "Evidence of little or no comprehension." The sample below was rated as demonstrating "Evidence of full comprehension."

2. What is one lesson that could be learned from reading this passage?
        Use information from the passage to support your answer.

handwritten response: "dreams don't only come true in fairy tales because Dr. Lucid really wanted to be an astronaut and she finally did become an astronaut."

58 percent of fourth-graders wrote responses rated as "Evidence of full comprehension."

 

Sample Grade 8 Multiple-Choice Question

Sample question 3 is a multiple-choice question, which asked students to recognize the meaning of descriptive language used in a poetic comparison.

3. When the poet says "Like medals with their ribbons frayed and
        wavering" (lines 61–62), she is referring to

 

A) 

victory

Correct Answer

B) 

fishhooks

 

C) 

trophies

 

D) 

fish scales

 

53 percent of eighth-graders answered this question correctly.

Sample Grade 8 Short Constructed-Response Question

Sample question 4 is a short constructed-response question, which asked students to explain the action of a character in a poem and provide textual support. Responses to this task were rated according to a scoring guide as being one of the following three categories: "Evidence of full comprehension," "Evidence of partial comprehension," or "Evidence of little or no comprehension." The sample below was rated as demonstrating  "Evidence of full comprehension."

4. Why does the person let the fish go? What in the poem makes you
        think so?

handwritten response: "I think he let it go because it was tired and old and it was caught many times. What make me think that was the five hooks in its mouth and the fact it didn't fight"

29 percent of eighth-graders wrote responses rated as "Evidence of full comprehension."

 

Download

Download Reading Report