Question 1: What is a key strategy for managing time during the CMAS computer-based test?

• Answer every question in order and never flag any
• Spend equal time on every question regardless of difficulty
• Flag difficult questions and return to them after completing easier ones (Correct answer)
• Skip all hard questions and never return

Correct answer: Flag difficult questions and return to them after completing easier ones

Flagging difficult questions to revisit after finishing easier ones is an effective time management strategy.

Question 2: What is the purpose of the Bill of Rights?

• To protect individual freedoms from government overreach (Correct answer)
• To establish the three branches of government
• To create the system of taxation
• To outline how elections work

Correct answer: To protect individual freedoms from government overreach

The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments to the Constitution and was added to protect individual rights and liberties from government interference.

Question 3: Which accommodation is commonly provided for English Language Learners (ELLs) on CMAS?

• Double the number of correct attempts allowed
• Testing in a foreign language instead of English
• Access to translated test directions or a bilingual glossary (Correct answer)
• Automatic exemption from testing

Correct answer: Access to translated test directions or a bilingual glossary

ELL students may receive translated directions or bilingual glossaries to support language access without changing test content.

Question 4: A table shows that a plant grew 2 cm in week 1, 4 cm in week 2, 6 cm in week 3, and 8 cm in week 4. What type of pattern does this represent?

• Random variation
• Exponential growth
• Linear (arithmetic) pattern (Correct answer)
• Decreasing pattern

Correct answer: Linear (arithmetic) pattern

The growth increases by a constant 2 cm each week, which is a linear (arithmetic) pattern.

Question 5: What is the purpose of a 'works cited' or 'bibliography' page at the end of a research report?

• To include extra information that did not fit in the report
• To summarize the main argument of the report one more time
• To provide a complete list of sources used so readers can verify the information (Correct answer)
• To list questions the student still has after finishing the report

Correct answer: To provide a complete list of sources used so readers can verify the information

A works cited page lists every source used in the report, giving credit to original authors and allowing readers to locate and verify the sources.

Question 6: Which of the following adverbs fits best in the blank in this sentence? <br> <br> My uncle’s computer which was made in 1987 connects _______________ to the Internet.

• fast
• slowly (Correct answer)
• quickly
• angrily

Correct answer: slowly

The computer was made in 1987, which is a very old model by modern standards. Older computers typically have much slower internet connection speeds compared to contemporary devices. Therefore, the adverb 'slowly' best describes how such an outdated computer would connect to the Internet.

Question 7: Which type of source would be most reliable for a research report on the health effects of air pollution?

• A social media post from an anonymous user
• A blog post by a travel writer
• A peer-reviewed article from a scientific journal (Correct answer)
• A television commercial for an air purifier

Correct answer: A peer-reviewed article from a scientific journal

Peer-reviewed scientific journal articles are vetted by experts in the field, making them among the most reliable sources for scientific topics.

Question 8: How many senators does each U.S. state have in Congress?

• 3
• 2 (Correct answer)
• It varies by population
• 1

Correct answer: 2

Each state, regardless of population, has exactly 2 senators in the U.S. Senate, totaling 100 senators.

Question 9: In a CMAS opinion or argumentative essay, what is the main purpose of a thesis statement?

• To introduce the topic and clearly state the writer's central claim (Correct answer)
• To conclude the essay with a memorable sentence
• To list all evidence in the essay
• To summarize the opposing side's argument

Correct answer: To introduce the topic and clearly state the writer's central claim

A thesis statement introduces the topic and presents the writer's central claim that the essay will support.

Question 10: A scatter plot shows points generally moving from the lower-left to the upper-right. What type of correlation does this show?

• Inverse correlation
• Positive correlation (Correct answer)
• Negative correlation
• No correlation

Correct answer: Positive correlation

When both variables increase together, the scatter plot trends upward from left to right, indicating a positive correlation.

Question 11: Which of the following amendments to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery?

• The 13th Amendment (Correct answer)
• The 14th Amendment
• The 19th Amendment
• The 15th Amendment

Correct answer: The 13th Amendment

The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1865, formally abolished slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the United States, except as a punishment for a crime. This amendment was a direct result of the Civil War and a monumental step towards civil rights, making it the correct answer.

Question 12: Which sentence correctly uses a colon to introduce a list?

• Colorado tests students in three subjects: math, ELA, and science. (Correct answer)
• The backpack contained: books, pencils, and a water bottle.
• She needed: to finish her homework.
• The three main subjects are: tested by CMAS.

Correct answer: Colorado tests students in three subjects: math, ELA, and science.

A colon is correctly used after a complete independent clause to introduce a list, as in the fourth option.

Question 13: What was the primary purpose of the Voyager 2 mission as indicated by its trajectory through the solar system?

• To study the outer planets and their moons (Correct answer)
• To map the entire solar system
• To establish a permanent base on Mars
• To search for extraterrestrial life

Correct answer: To study the outer planets and their moons

Voyager 2 was specifically designed and launched to conduct a 'grand tour' of the outer solar system. Its unique trajectory allowed it to visit all four gas giants—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—providing unprecedented data and images of these planets and their numerous moons, fulfilling its primary purpose of studying the outer planets.

Question 14: When reading an extended text passage on CMAS, which approach is most effective?

• Read only the questions first and ignore the passage
• Memorize the passage word for word
• Skim just the first sentence of each paragraph
• Read the passage actively, noting main ideas and key details (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Read the passage actively, noting main ideas and key details

Active reading with attention to main ideas and key details helps students answer comprehension questions accurately.

Question 15: What is the purpose of a concluding paragraph in an informative essay on CMAS?

• To restate the thesis and summarize key points without just copying the introduction (Correct answer)
• To list all sources used
• To ask the reader a question
• To introduce new arguments not mentioned earlier

Correct answer: To restate the thesis and summarize key points without just copying the introduction

A concluding paragraph restates the thesis and summarizes the essay's main points to give the reader a sense of closure.

Question 16: What fraction of the total surveyed students play a sport?

• 3/5
• 7/15 (Correct answer)
• 1/3
• 2/7

Correct answer: 7/15

To determine the fraction of students who play a sport, one would need to sum the number of students who play a sport (including those who also play an instrument) from the provided table. If 70 out of the total 150 students play a sport, this simplifies to 70/150, which reduces to the fraction 7/15. This calculation directly leads to option B.

Question 17: What forces are primarily responsible for keeping the globe floating in place over its base?

• Gravitational force and frictional force
• Gravitational force and magnetic force
• Frictional force and electrical force
• Magnetic force and gravitational force (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Magnetic force and gravitational force

For a globe to float (levitate) over its base, there must be an upward force counteracting the downward pull of gravity. This upward force is typically provided by magnetic repulsion from magnets within the base and the globe, balancing the gravitational force to keep it suspended in place.

Question 18: In a CMAS narrative writing task, what is the role of a story's 'narrator'?

• The main conflict of the story
• The setting where events take place
• The person or voice telling the story (Correct answer)
• The lesson or moral of the story

Correct answer: The person or voice telling the story

The narrator is the voice or character through whose perspective the story is told.

Question 19: Fictional Story: Bruno the Bear Bruno the Bear lived in a lush green forest filled with tall trees and sparkling streams. He was known for his big heart and love for adventure. One sunny day, Bruno decided to explore the other side of the forest. He packed some honey, his favorite snack, and set off on his journey. As he walked, Bruno met a wise old owl named Oliver. Oliver warned Bruno about a steep cliff that lay ahead. "Be careful, Bruno. The cliff can be dangerous if you get too close," he advised. Bruno thanked Oliver and continued on his way. After a while, Bruno reached the cliff. He peered over the edge and saw the beautiful valley below. However, he remembered Oliver's warning and decided to keep a safe distance. Instead, he found a path that led down to the valley safely. In the valley, Bruno discovered a sparkling river and a meadow full of colorful flowers. He spent the day playing and eating honey until the sun began to set. As he made his way back home, Bruno felt grateful for his adventure and the friends he had met along the way. Question: Who did Bruno meet during his adventure?

• A fox
• A deer
• A wise old owl (Correct answer)
• A rabbit

Correct answer: A wise old owl

The story clearly states, 'As he walked, Bruno met a wise old owl named Oliver.' This sentence directly identifies the character Bruno encountered during his journey. Therefore, a wise old owl is the correct answer.

Question 20: What does 'point of view' mean when analyzing an informational text?

• The reading level of the text
• The number of paragraphs in the text
• The perspective or stance the author brings to the topic, which may shape how information is presented (Correct answer)
• The font and layout style of the text

Correct answer: The perspective or stance the author brings to the topic, which may shape how information is presented

An author's point of view is their perspective on a topic, which can influence which information they include, emphasize, or omit.

Question 21: What is civic responsibility?

• A type of tax paid by businesses
• The duties and obligations that citizens have to their community and country (Correct answer)
• A law that requires citizens to work for the government
• A government-paid job

Correct answer: The duties and obligations that citizens have to their community and country

Civic responsibility refers to the duties citizens have to participate in and contribute to their community and government, such as voting, paying taxes, and jury duty.

Question 22: When summarizing a nonfiction text for research, which approach is most appropriate?

• Include every detail from every paragraph
• Copy all important sentences directly from the text
• Restate the main ideas in your own words without changing the meaning (Correct answer)
• Write only one word to represent the entire text

Correct answer: Restate the main ideas in your own words without changing the meaning

A good summary restates the author's main ideas in your own words, capturing the essential meaning without copying.

Question 23: Which geographic feature is most commonly associated with the location of early civilizations?

• Plains
• Deserts
• Mountains
• Rivers (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Rivers

Early civilizations, such as those in Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China, typically developed along major river valleys. Rivers provided essential resources like fertile soil for agriculture, water for irrigation and drinking, and transportation routes, which were crucial for the growth and sustenance of large populations.

Question 24: Which type of graph would best display the proportion of a school's budget allocated to different departments?

• Histogram
• Scatter plot
• Pie chart (Correct answer)
• Line graph

Correct answer: Pie chart

A pie chart shows how a whole is divided into parts, making it ideal for displaying proportions or percentages of a total.

Question 25: What does it mean to use 'text evidence' in a CMAS written response?

• Writing your personal opinion without referencing the text
• Repeating the question back in your answer
• Making up supporting details from your imagination
• Quoting or paraphrasing specific information from the provided passage(s) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Quoting or paraphrasing specific information from the provided passage(s)

Using text evidence means quoting or paraphrasing specific information from the source passage to support your points.

Question 26: A data set has values: 5, 7, 7, 9, 12. What is the mode?

• 7 (Correct answer)
• 8
• 9
• 12

Correct answer: 7

The mode is the value that appears most frequently; 7 appears twice while all other values appear once.

Question 27: A line graph shows a steady increase in temperature from 60°F on Monday to 90°F on Friday. What is the average daily temperature increase?

• 6°F per day
• 10°F per day
• 7.5°F per day (Correct answer)
• 30°F per day

Correct answer: 7.5°F per day

The total increase is 90 – 60 = 30°F over 4 days (Mon to Fri), so 30 ÷ 4 = 7.5°F per day.

Question 28: What was the main purpose of the Declaration of Independence?

• To outline the rights of citizens
• To propose a new constitution
• To establish a new government
• To declare the colonies' independence from Britain (Correct answer)

Correct answer: To declare the colonies' independence from Britain

The Declaration of Independence, adopted on July 4, 1776, served as a formal statement by the American colonies asserting their right to be free and independent states. It articulated their grievances against King George III and formally severed their political ties with Great Britain, making its main purpose to declare independence.

Question 29: What principle explains why the falling magnets are pushed back up by the magnets at the bottom of the rod?

• Friction
• Electrical force
• Gravitational attraction
• Magnetic repulsion (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Magnetic repulsion

Magnets exert forces on each other, and when like poles (e.g., North-North or South-South) face each other, they repel, pushing each other apart. In this setup, the falling magnets are pushed back up because their poles align with the poles of the stationary magnets at the bottom of the rod in a way that causes magnetic repulsion.

Question 30: What was the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation?

• It granted women the right to vote.
• It ended the Civil War.
• It freed enslaved people in Confederate states.
• It established the first public schools.

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared that all enslaved people in the Confederate states (states in rebellion against the Union) were free. While it did not immediately free all enslaved people, it shifted the focus of the Civil War to include the abolition of slavery and paved the way for the 13th Amendment.

Question 31: Which transitional phrase best connects a supporting example to a main idea in an explanatory paragraph?

• For instance (Correct answer)
• However
• On the other hand
• In contrast

Correct answer: For instance

'For instance' is a transitional phrase used to introduce a specific example that supports a main idea.

Question 32: What does the term 'popular sovereignty' mean?

• The king or queen holds all power
• The power of the government comes from the people (Correct answer)
• States have more power than the federal government
• Only popular people can run for office

Correct answer: The power of the government comes from the people

Popular sovereignty means that the authority of the government is created and sustained by the consent of the people, who are the source of all political power.

Question 33: Which testing vendor currently delivers the CMAS assessments in Colorado?

• DRC (Data Recognition Corporation) (Correct answer)
• McGraw-Hill
• Pearson
• Educational Testing Service (ETS)

Correct answer: DRC (Data Recognition Corporation)

DRC (Data Recognition Corporation) is the current vendor contracted to deliver CMAS assessments in Colorado.

Question 34: Which of the following is an example of plagiarism in a student's CMAS written response?

• Directly copying a sentence from the passage without quotation marks or attribution (Correct answer)
• Paraphrasing a passage in your own words and citing the source
• Referring to an idea from the text and attributing it to the passage
• Using a fact from the passage and explaining it in your own words

Correct answer: Directly copying a sentence from the passage without quotation marks or attribution

Copying text directly without quotation marks or attribution is plagiarism because it presents another's words as your own.

Question 35: Which of the following moons of Jupiter is the closest to the planet?

• Callisto
• Io (Correct answer)
• Ganymede
• Europa

Correct answer: Io

Io is the innermost of Jupiter's four largest moons, known as the Galilean moons. Its orbital distance is approximately 421,700 km from Jupiter's center, making it closer to the planet than Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, which orbit at progressively greater distances.

Question 36: How are CMAS scores typically reported to families?

• Only shared with teachers, never with families
• Via a phone call from the principal
• Through a score report mailed home or sent through the school (Correct answer)
• Posted publicly on the school website

Correct answer: Through a score report mailed home or sent through the school

CMAS score reports are sent home through the school, showing students' performance levels and subscores.

Question 37: The Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 was a tragic event in which U.S. Army troops attacked a peaceful village of which Native American peoples?

• Ute and Shoshone
• Comanche and Kiowa
• Lakota and Crow
• Cheyenne and Arapaho (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Cheyenne and Arapaho

On November 29, 1864, Colonel John Chivington led an attack on a peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho village at Sand Creek, killing hundreds of people.

Question 38: Bruno the Bear <br> From A Bond of Love <br> I WILL begin with Bruno; my wife’s pet sloth bear. I got him for her by an accident. Two years ago we were passing through the cornfields near a small town in Iowa. People were driving away the wild pigs from the fields by shooting at them. Some were shot and some escaped. We thought that everything was over when suddenly a black sloth bear came out panting in the hot sun. <br> Now I will not shoot a sloth bear wantonly but unfortunately for the poor beast, one of my companions did not feel the same way about it, and promptly shot the bear on the spot. <br> As we watched the fallen animal we were surprised to see that the black fur on its back moved and left the prostrate body. Then we saw it was a baby bear that had been riding on its mother’s back when the sudden shot had killed her. The little creature ran around its prostrate parent making a pitiful noise. <br> <br> I ran up to it to attempt a capture. It scooted into the sugarcane field. Following it with my companions, I was at last able to grab it by the scruff of its neck while it snapped and tried to scratch me with its long, hooked claws.We put it in one of the large jute-bags we had brought and when I got back home I duly presented it to my wife. She was delighted! She at once put a blue colored ribbon around its neck, and after discovering the cub was a ‘boy’ she christened it Bruno. <br> <br> Bruno soon took to drinking milk from a bottle. It was but a step further and within a very few days he started eating and drinking everything else. And everything is the right word, for he ate porridge made from any ingredients, vegetables, fruit, nuts, meat (especially pork), curry and rice regardless of condiments and chilies, bread, eggs, chocolates, sweets, pudding, ice-cream, etc., etc., etc. As for drink: milk, tea, coffee, limejuice, aerated water, buttermilk, beer, alcoholic liquor and, in fact, anything liquid. It all went down with relish. <br> <br> The bear became very attached to our two dogs and to all the children living in and around our farm. He was left quite free in his younger days and spent his time in playing, running into the kitchen and going to sleep in our beds. <br> <br> One day an accident befell him. I put down poison (barium carbonate) to kill the rats and mice that had got into my library. Bruno entered the library as he often did, and ate some of the poison. Paralysis set in to the extent that he could not stand on his feet. But he dragged himself on his stumps to my wife, who called me. I guessed what had happened. Off I rushed him in the car to the vet’s residence. A case of poisoning! Tame Bear—barium carbonate—what to do? <br> <br> Out came his medical books, and a feverish reference to index began: “What poison did you say, sir?” he asked “Barium carbonate” I said. “Ah yes—B—Ba—Barium Salts—Ah! Barium carbonate! Symptoms— paralysis—treatment—injections of . .. Just a minute, sir. I’ll bring my syringe and the medicine.” Said the doc. I dashed back to the car. Bruno was still floundering about on his stumps, but clearly he was weakening rapidly; there was some vomiting, he was breathing heavily, with heaving flanks and gaping mouth. I was really scared and did not know what to do. I was feeling very guilty and was running in and out of the vet’s house doing everything the doc asked me. <br> <br> Hold him, everybody! In goes the hypodermic—Bruno squeals — 10 c.c. of the antidote enters his system without a drop being wasted. Ten minutes later: condition unchanged! Another 10 c.c. Injected! Ten minutes later: breathing less torturous— Bruno can move his arms and legs a little although he cannot stand yet. Thirty minutes later: Bruno gets up and has a great feed! He looks at us disdainfully, as much as to say, ‘What’s barium carbonate to a big black bear like me?’ Bruno was still eating. I was really happy to see him recover. <br> <br> The months rolled on and Bruno had grown many times the size he was when he came. He had equaled the big dogs in height and had even outgrown them. But was just as sweet, just as mischievous, just as playful. And he was very fond of us all. Above all, he loved my wife, and she loved him too! And he could do a few tricks, too. At the command, ‘Bruno, wrestle’, or ‘Bruno, box,’ he vigorously tackled anyone who came forward for a rough and tumble. Give him a stick and say ‘Bruno, hold gun’, and he pointed the stick at you. Ask him, ‘Bruno, where’s baby?’ and he immediately produced and cradled affectionately a stump of wood which he had carefully concealed in his straw bed. But because of the neighborhoods’ and our renters’ children, poor Bruno, had to be kept chained most of the time. <br> <br> Then my son and I advised my wife, and friends advised her too, to give Bruno to the zoo. He was getting too big to keep at home. After some weeks of such advice she at last consented. Hastily, and before she could change her mind, a letter was written to the curator of the zoo. Did he want a tame bear for his collection? He replied, “Yes”. The zoo sent a cage in a truck, a distance of hundred – eighty – seven miles, and Bruno was packed off. <br> <br> We all missed him greatly; but in a sense we were relieved. My wife was inconsolable. She wept and fretted. For the first few days she would not eat a thing. Then she wrote a number of letters to the curator. How was Bruno? Back came the replies, “Well, but fretting; he refuses food too.” After that, friends visiting the zoo were begged to make a point of seeing how Bruno was getting along. They reported that he was well but looked very thin and sad. All the keepers at the zoo said he was fretting. For three months I managed to restrain my wife from visiting the zoo. <br> Then she said one day, “I must see Bruno. Either you take me by car; or I will go myself by bus or train myself.” So I took her by car. <br> <br> Friends had conjectured that the bear would not recognize her. I had thought so too. But while she was yet some yards from his cage Bruno saw her and recognized her. He howled with happiness. She ran up to him, petted him through the bars, and he stood on his head in delight. For the next three hours she would not leave that cage. She gave him tea, lemonade, cakes, ice cream and what not. Then ‘closing time’ came and we had to leave. My wife cried bitterly; Bruno cried bitterly; even the hardened curator and the keepers felt depressed. As for me, I had reconciled myself to what I knew was going to happen next.<br> <br> “Oh please, sir,” she asked the curator, “may I have my Bruno back”? Hesitantly, he answered, “Madam, he belongs to the zoo and is Government property now. I cannot give away Government property. But if my boss, the superintendent agrees, certainly you may have him back.” <br> <br> There followed the return journey home and a visit to the superintendent’s office. A tearful pleading: “Bruno and I are both fretting for each other. Will you please give him back to me?” He was a kind-hearted man and consented. Not only that, but he wrote to the curator telling him to lend us a cage for transporting the bear back home. <br> Back we went to the zoo again, armed with the superintendent’s letter. Bruno was driven into a small cage and hoisted on top of the car; the cage was tied securely, and a slow and careful return journey back home was accomplished. <br> <br> Once home, a squad of workers were engaged for special work around our yard. An island was made for Bruno. It was twenty feet long and fifteen feet wide, and was surrounded by a dry moat, six feet wide and seven feet deep. A wooden box that once housed fowls was brought and put on the island for Bruno to sleep in at night. Straw was placed inside to keep him warm, and his ‘baby’, the gnarled stump, along with his ‘gun’, the piece of bamboo, both of which had been sentimentally preserved since he had been sent away to the zoo, were put back for him to play with. <br> In a few days the workers hoisted the cage on to the island and Bruno was released. He was delighted; standing on his hind legs, he pointed his ‘gun’ and cradled his ‘baby’. My wife spent hours sitting on a chair there while he sat on her lap. He was fifteen months old and pretty heavy too! <br> <br> The way my wife reaches the island and leaves it is interesting. I have tied a rope to the overhanging branch of a maple tree with a loop at its end. Putting one foot in the loop, she kicks off with the other, to bridge the six-foot gap that constitutes the width of the surrounding moat. The return journey back is made the same way. <br> <br> But who can say now that a sloth bear has no sense of affection, no memory and no individual characteristics? <br> <br> Question: What did Bruno do when he recognized the narrator's wife during her visit to the zoo?

• He became angry and tried to break out of the cage.
• He refused to eat and lay down quietly.
• He ignored her and stayed in a corner.
• He howled with happiness, stood on his head in delight, and interacted with her through the bars. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: He howled with happiness, stood on his head in delight, and interacted with her through the bars.

The passage explicitly describes Bruno's reaction upon seeing the narrator's wife at the zoo. It states, 'He howled with happiness. She ran up to him, petted him through the bars, and he stood on his head in delight.' This directly matches the actions detailed in option A, showing his immense joy and affection.

Question 39: What is this story about?

• about Sam’s athletic ability
• about Sam’s mom’s birthday
• about Sam’s predicament (Correct answer)
• about Sam’s dream

Correct answer: about Sam’s predicament

Given the correct answer, the story must have focused on a challenging or difficult situation that Sam was experiencing. A 'predicament' implies a troublesome or embarrassing situation from which it is hard to extricate oneself. Therefore, the narrative revolved around Sam's struggle with a particular problem.

Question 40: What is the primary purpose of the First Amendment?

• The right to a fair trial
• Protection from unreasonable searches
• Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition (Correct answer)
• The right to bear arms

Correct answer: Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition

The First Amendment protects five fundamental freedoms: speech, religion, press, peaceful assembly, and petitioning the government.

Question 41: Which grades in Colorado are required to take the CMAS assessments?

• Grades 3–8 and 11 (Correct answer)
• Grades K–4
• Grades 1–5
• Grades 6–12

Correct answer: Grades 3–8 and 11

CMAS is administered to students in grades 3–8 and grade 11 across Colorado.

Question 42: What does the interquartile range (IQR) measure in a data set?

• The most frequently occurring value
• The difference between the maximum and minimum values
• The average of all values
• The spread of the middle 50% of the data (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The spread of the middle 50% of the data

The IQR is calculated as Q3 – Q1 and represents the spread of the middle 50% of the data, making it resistant to outliers.

Question 43: How is the CMAS assessment primarily delivered to students?

• Computer-based testing (Correct answer)
• Paper and pencil only
• Portfolio review
• Oral examination only

Correct answer: Computer-based testing

CMAS is a computer-based assessment, though paper accommodations exist for students with specific needs.

Question 44: Which of the following is a true statement?

• The above passage summarizes the fall weather.
• The above passage explains how and why the leaves change colors in fall. (Correct answer)
• The above passage is all about weather.
• The above passage is science fiction.

Correct answer: The above passage explains how and why the leaves change colors in fall.

Given the correct answer, the missing passage must have detailed the scientific process of how and why leaves change colors during the autumn season. It would likely explain the role of chlorophyll, carotenoids, and anthocyanins, and how environmental factors influence these changes. This makes option C the most accurate summary of such a passage's content.

Question 45: What does CMAS stand for?

• Comprehensive Multi-Assessment System
• Colorado Mastery and Achievement Standards
• Colorado Measures of Academic Success (Correct answer)
• Colorado Math and Arts Standards

Correct answer: Colorado Measures of Academic Success

CMAS stands for Colorado Measures of Academic Success, the state's standardized testing program.

Question 46: What is the effect of using sensory details in a CMAS narrative writing task?

• It is only appropriate in informative writing, not narratives
• It makes the essay harder to read and confuses the reader
• It replaces the need for a plot or characters
• It helps readers visualize the scene and become more engaged in the story (Correct answer)

Correct answer: It helps readers visualize the scene and become more engaged in the story

Sensory details (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) create vivid imagery that draws readers into the narrative.

Question 47: Denver is located at approximately 5,280 feet above sea level, earning it which famous nickname?

• The Mile High City (Correct answer)
• The Silver City
• The Centennial Capital
• The Mountain Capital

Correct answer: The Mile High City

Denver's elevation of approximately 5,280 feet — exactly one mile — earned it the nickname 'The Mile High City.'

Question 48: Which of the following is a primary source of historical information?

• A diary written by a soldier during World War II (Correct answer)
• A textbook summarizing World War II
• An encyclopedia entry on World War II
• A documentary film about World War II

Correct answer: A diary written by a soldier during World War II

A primary source is a firsthand account or original material from the time period being studied. A diary written by someone who directly experienced World War II offers an immediate, unfiltered perspective of events as they happened. Textbooks, documentaries, and encyclopedias are secondary sources, as they interpret or summarize primary information.

Question 49: Curtains in theaters prevent sound waves from being reflected as echoes. Which model best explains why curtains prevent echoes?

• A ball thrown toward a surface will come in contact faster with a soft surface than with a hard surface.
• A ball dropped on a surface will bounce more on a hard surface than on a soft surface. (Correct answer)
• A ball thrown at a surface will hit with a greater force on a soft surface than on a hard surface.
• A ball rolled across a surface will roll more quickly on a hard surface than on a soft surface.

Correct answer: A ball dropped on a surface will bounce more on a hard surface than on a soft surface.

Echoes occur when sound waves reflect off hard, smooth surfaces. Curtains are soft and absorbent, meaning they absorb sound energy rather than reflecting it. This is analogous to a ball bouncing less (or not at all) on a soft surface compared to a hard surface, where it would bounce significantly more, representing reflection.

Question 50: On a CMAS math performance task, what should a student do if they are unsure of the final answer?

• Leave the response blank
• Write only the final number without any steps
• Guess randomly
• Show all work and reasoning for partial credit consideration (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Show all work and reasoning for partial credit consideration

Showing work and reasoning on performance tasks can earn partial credit even if the final answer is incorrect.

Question 51: What is the supreme law of the United States?

• The Constitution (Correct answer)
• The Federalist Papers
• The Declaration of Independence
• The Bill of Rights

Correct answer: The Constitution

The U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land, establishing the framework for the federal government.