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4. The 5 Answer Formats
There are references here to the Free Practice Test (FPT). If you have not already opened the social studies FPT, do that by following the instructions in the first paragraph of Test-Taking Skill #1, here.
The Multiple-Choice Answer Format. About 3/4 of the questions use this format, with four choices labeled A, B, C, and D. You answer by clicking on the spot next to your choice. With multiple-choice questions, "what is asked" is either a question or an unfinished sentence, not an instruction.
Other Answer Formats. There are four other formats, used in about 1/4 of the questions. With these other formats, "what is asked" is always an instruction. These are the formats :
- (1) Drag-and-Drop. You are given several empty boxes. Other boxes contain words, phrases, etc. You are instructed to drag each item, or at least some of them, into an appropriate empty box. In the Free Practice Test, Questions 8 and 9 use this format. Out of 34 questions, you may see four or five like this.
- (2) Hot-Spot. You are instructed to click on one or more locations in a diagram or map. In the Free Practice Test, Question 7 uses this format. Out of 34 short questions, you may see one or two like this.
- (3) Type-in-Box. You are instructed to find a number from the material, and then to type the number directly into an empty box. In the Free Practice Test, Question 5 uses this format. Out of 34 short questions, you may see two or three like this.
- (4) Drop-Down Menus. You are given a paragraph of text. Within the paragraph are two drop-down menus, each with four choices. You are instructed to click directly on a choice in each of the two menus. There is no example in the Social Studies Free Practice Test, but you can see one in Question 7 of the Language Arts Free Practice Test. Out of 34 short questions, you may see one or two like this.
Worth More Points. You make more than one choice with "drag-and-drop" and "drop-down menu" formats, and sometimes with the "hot-spot" format. These are worth more points than a multiple-choice question, so you can take a little more time on them.
"THE TEST-TAKING SKILLS YOU NEED"