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For Release: August 7, 2002

Description of Test Items

March 2002 HSPA

Language Arts Literacy

  • 1 persuasive passage with 10 multiple-choice items (1 point each) and 2 constructed- response items (4 points each)
  • 1 narrative passage with 10 multiple choice items (1 point each) and 2 constructed- response items (4 points each)
  • 2 writings tasks – 1 picture prompt (6 points) and 1 persuasive writing prompt (12 points)
  • 2 content clusters: Working with Text and Analyzing Text
  • Day 1: picture prompt (30 minutes), narrative passage and items (50 minutes)
  • Day 2: persuasive prompt (60 minutes), persuasive passage and items (45 minutes)

Mathematics

  • 3 30-minute sessions, each with 10 independent multiple-choice items (1 point each) and 2 independent constructed-response items (3 points each)
  • 4 content clusters: Number Sense, Concepts, and Applications (12 points); Spatial Sense and Geometry (12 points); Data Analysis, Probability, Statistics, and Discrete Mathematics (12 points); and Patterns, Functions, and Algebra (12 points)