MCT2 Practice Tests

The practice tests below are aligned with the 2006 Mississippi Language Arts Curriculum Framework - Revised and the 2007 Mississippi Mathematics Framework Revised. Please note that the distribution of items across the PLD categories and the alignment of the item DOK to the DOK of the framework objective are similar but not identical to the distribution and alignment for the operational tests. The distribution and alignment on both the practice tests and operational tests will vary slightly from year to year as the MDE gathers data on operational items from live administrations and infuses new items into the operational forms based upon field-test data. As teachers review the DOK of the items, they need to remember that the four answer options are considered when assigning the DOK level. For example, the stem of an item may lead teachers initially to believe they are seeing a DOK 3 level item. However, if one or two of the three distractor options are "too obvious" and can be eliminated without a higher level of understanding, the item would be assigned a DOK 2 level.

Set 1 Released 2008

Set 2 Released 2009

NOTE: If an item addresses an objective/subobjective that was to be mastered at an earlier grade, that objective/subobjective to which the item is assigned may not appear in the Performance Level Descriptor for the "next" grade. Therefore, such an item may be classified as Basic and/or may have a lower DOK than that stated in the framework for the earlier grade. For example, in the 2006 Mississippi Language Arts Framework, Revised, students are to master compound sentences in grade 2 (4c); therefore, an item even in grade 3 asking about compound sentences could be assigned a DOK 1 and labeled Basic, even though the Basic descriptor for grade 3 does not address compound sentences. The same situation can exist for mathematics. 04/07/09

Language Arts

The use of semi-colons as punctuation with compound sentences is a specific subobjective for grade 5, competency 4, objective b. Therefore, students in grades 5 - 8 are responsible for knowing the rule for using semi-colons with compound sentences.

Another rule calls for the use of the semi-colon with a coordinating conjunction IF either sentence already has commas within it. This rule, however, varies among textbooks and is not captured in the 2006 Mississippi Language Arts Curriculum Framework, Revised; therefore, the MDE made the decision that while we will not test the semi-colon based upon this rule, we are applying the rule within passages and items to be consistent. Passages and items for the MCT2 will use a semi-colon with a coordinating conjunction IF either sentence has even one comma. Students will **not** be tested upon this use of the semi-colon, nor should this use of the semi-colon affect students' answer choices. For example, if an item asks students which option (A, B, C, or D) is a complex sentence, the students may see a semi-colon used with a coordinating conjunction if either sentence already contains a comma; however, the use of the semi-colon will not be the determining indicator of which option is a complex sentence. In items other than those that specifically target the semi-colon used between compound sentences, students should **not** look for the semi-colon to be the mistake. An item that may target the semi-colon for its use between compound sentences may be stated simply as "Which sentence is punctuated correctly?" In this case, students will **not** see options with semi-colons used with coordinating conjunctions.

Mathematics