New York: The Grades 3-8 Testing Program in English Language Arts and Mathematics (continued)

Sample Mathematics Questions

The complete text and answers to these sample questions, as well as additional sample questions and answers, can be
found in Appendix B Sample Mathematics Questions at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/3-8.

Grade 3

Multiple Choice

Sam and Jenna have been saving pennies. Sam has 232 pennies, and Jenna has 151 pennies. How many more pennies
does Sam have than Jenna?

A  71
B  81
C  121
D  181

Extended Response

The pictograph below shows the number of books read by students in five different classes during the month of January.

Part A
Which teacher’s class read exactly 20 books?
Answer _________________________________

Part B
How many more books would Mr. Johnson’s class have to read
to make a total of 50 books?

Show your work.
Answer ___________________ books

Grade 4

Short Response

Anna is trying to save some money by putting one-dollar bills in a jar each month. The table below shows the total number of onedollar bills in the jar at the end of each month. If the pattern continues, how many one-dollar bills will Anna have
in the jar at the end of seven months?

Show your work.
Answer ________________ one-dollar bills

Grade 5

Extended Response

On the first day of each month, Suzanne records the time the sun rises in Albany, New York. She uses the line graph below.

Part A
At approximately what time did the sun rise on April 1?
Answer ________________ A.M.

Part B
On which date did the sun rise at 6:30 A.M.?
Answer ________________

Part C
Based on the graph, describe the change in the time the sun
rises during the first three months of the year.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

Grade 6

Multiple Choice

The volume of a cylinder with radius r and height h is found by
using the formula below.

What is the volume of the cylinder?

A 24π
B 48π
C 72π
D 96π

Short Response

The diagram below shows two sails from a sailboat. The sails are similar triangles.
What is the height of the larger sail?

Show your work.
Answer ________________ feet
Grade 7

Multiple Choice

A scientist measures the mass of a rock and finds that it is 0.16 kilogram. What is the mass of the rock in grams?

A 1.6
B 16
C 160
D 1,600

Extended Response

The table below shows the favorite breakfast foods of Emily’s 20 classmates. Use your protractor to make a circle graph below to display the data.

• Show your work. Be sure to title your circle graph
• Label each section of your circle graph

Grade 8

Multiple Choice

The regular price of a CD is $18.00. If the CD is on sale for 15% off the regular price, what is the sale price?

A $2.70
B $15.30
C $16.20
D $16.50

Glossary of Testing Terms Used in This Guide

Editing task

A task in which students are required to make corrections and revisions to a short piece of writing.

Extended-response question

A task in which students are required to write an answer to a question rather than choose from several answer choices. In
the English Language Arts Test, the extended-response question requires students to write a brief essay based on a
passage they have listened to or read. In the Mathematics Test, the extended-response questions contain multiple parts
and require students to show how they arrived at their answers.

Field test

A preliminary version of a test, administered in order to gather data about the test questions. The test is administered to students—including students with disabilities—at selected schools. These schools are selected to provide a representative sample of the student population of the state.

Individualized Education Program (IEP)

An educational plan for any student with learning disabilities. An IEP is a modification of the standard education program
and contains specially designed instructions based on the student’s unique academic, social, and behavioral needs.

Limited English Proficient (LEP)

Students whose native language is any language other than English. Special testing accommodations can be made for
these students in the classroom and during testing.

Multiple-choice question

A test question for which a student chooses, rather than writes, an answer. Students select the correct response from four answer choices.

New York State Learning Standards

State-prescribed descriptions of what students should know and be able to do in different content areas and at different
grade levels.

No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

Federal legislation aimed at improving the quality of education nationally by increasing accountability for states, school districts, and schools. The law requires that all states receiving federal funding are to test students in Grades 3 through 8—including students with disabilities—in English language arts and mathematics to measure yearly progress.

Short-response question

A task in which students are required to write a short answer to a question rather than choose from several answer choices.

For More Information

If you want to know more about specific topics related to the Grades 3–8 Testing Program, please visit the following web sites:

Latest News on Grades 3-8 Testing
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/3-8/home.html

New York State Education Department Parent Resources
http://usny.nysed.gov/parents/

Office of State Assessment
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa

Office of Curriculum and Instructional Support
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/cis/home.html

Information on the Use of Calculators
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/3-8/7-8calculators.htm