Question Types and the Test Interface

The essay is only part of the test. Most of your time is spent answering questions about passages, and those questions come in a few different formats on the computer screen. Knowing the formats and the on-screen tools before test day means no surprises — you can spend your attention on the passages instead of figuring out how the buttons work.

The reading section uses several question types — multiple choice, drop-down, and drag-and-drop — answered on an on-screen interface with simple tools. All of them ask about the passages you read, so the skill being tested is always careful reading, not computer wizardry.

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The Question Types

Most questions are multiple choice: a question with four answer options, where you click the best one. A few use other formats. Drop-down questions place a small menu inside a sentence or passage; you click it and choose the option that makes the sentence correct or complete — these often test grammar and word choice. Drag-and-drop questions ask you to move items with your mouse, for example dragging details into a chart or putting events in order. None of these formats is harder than the others; they are just different ways of clicking. Read the directions for each so you know what a question wants, and remember that every answer still comes straight from the passage in front of you.

Using the On-Screen Tools

The test interface gives you a few helpful tools. Passages usually appear on one side of the screen and questions on the other, so you can look back at the text as you answer. There is a flag button to mark a question you want to return to, and a review screen at the end that shows which questions you have answered and flagged. Answers you have not filled in are marked, so nothing gets lost. Getting comfortable with these tools ahead of time means you will not waste minutes hunting for them during the test. When you sit down, take a breath, notice where the passage, the answer choices, and the flag button are, and then focus on reading.

Watch: A Short Video Lesson

David Cohen gives a clear overview to go with this lesson:

A Routine for the Interface

1. Expect mostly multiple choice, plus drop-down and drag-and-drop.
2. Read each question’s directions so you know the format.
3. Look back at the passage — every answer is there.
4. Use the flag button and review screen to stay organized.

Practice

1. Name the three question types described.
2. What do drop-down questions often test?
3. What might a drag-and-drop question ask you to do?
4. Where do the answers to reading questions come from?
5. What does the flag button do?
6. What does the review screen show at the end?

Answers

1. Multiple choice, drop-down, and drag-and-drop.
2. Grammar and word choice.
3. Move items, such as ordering events or filling a chart.
4. From the passage.
5. Marks a question so you can return to it.
6. Which questions are answered, unanswered, and flagged.

Where This Fits in Your RLA Prep

Answering these questions well starts with active reading strategies, and a smart order for tackling them is covered in working through a passage set. See every topic on the Language Arts Prep Hub.

Recommended Prep Books

Keep building momentum with a full study guide and practice tests:

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