The Complete Guide to SBAC Test Question Types

Prepared by Jonathan Green Educational Technology CoordinatorMonterey County Office of Education

Traditional Test Type Questions Technology Enhanced Questions

Question Types Currently on Practice Tests ELA Types Math Types Combined

Question Types Not Currently on Practice Tests Universal Tools

Index

Short Answer Multiple Choice True-False Calculator Entry Table Entry

Traditional Question Types

Students use the keyboard to construct a paragraph-level response.

Short Answer

Students choose from a list of possible responses.

Multiple Choice

Students select whether a series of statements are true or false (or sometimes, like in the below question, affirmative or negative).

True or False

Students answer the question by clicking on calculator keys or by typing in the response using their keyboard. The test allows for students to answer in different formats. The demo question below can be correctly answered using .75, 3/4, or equivalent fractions.

Calculator Entry

Students use the keyboard to input one or more values in a table.

Table Entry

Questions Currently on Practice Tests ELA Math Combined

Technology Enhanced Items

Technology Enhanced Items

ELA - currently on Practice Tests Re-order Text Select Text

This task requires a student to place sentences in a logical order.

Reorder Text

This task requires students to select one or more subsections of a text.

Select Text

Technology Enhanced Items

Math (on Practice Tests)

Object Transform Selecting Points and

Ranges on Number Lines

Classification Placing Points Select and Order Select Defined

Partitions

Select Objects Single Lines Tiling Objects Tiling Numbers Single Ray Vertex-Based

Triangles Vertex Based

Quadrilaterals

This task requires a student to transform (translate, rotate, dilate, or reflect) digital content objects.

Object Transform

This task requires a student to identify one or more points, and possibly regions between points, on one or more number lines.

Selecting Points and Ranges on Number Lines

This task asks students to classify a set of equations, expressions, or quantities into a set of predefined categories. To answer, students must click on an object, move the mouse to the desired category, and then click to drop it into that space.

Classification

This task requires a student to place a number of points on a grid based on given coordinates.

Placing Points

This task requires a student to put a number or object into the correct spot on a diagram. Each spot can only hold one answer.

Select and Order

This task requires a student to select pre-defined segments of an object (graph or shape).

Select Defined Partitions

The student must select one or more objects.

Select Objects

This task requires a student to create a line and allows the student to modify the line.

Single Lines

This task requires a student to place numbers into pre-defined regions.

Tiling Numbers

This task requires a student to place objects into pre-defined regions.

Tiling Objects

This task requires a student to create and modify a ray.

Single Ray

This task requires a student to create triangles.

Vertex Based Triangles

This task requires a student to create quadrilaterals.

Vertex Based Quadrilaterals

Technology Enhanced Items

Math and ELA (on Practice Tests) Connections

This interaction requires the student to click on a digital content object in one section of the screen and then click on a digital content object in a different section of the screen. After the second click, the two objects will be connected with a line

Connections

Technology Enhanced Items

ELA (not currently on Practice Tests but could be added)* Drop Downs Select and Change Text

* Many of these items have neither pictures nor sample videos.

This task requires a student to select one option from one or more groups of options, represented as drop-down menus. Menus can contain text strings.

Drop Downs

Select and Change Text

In this task, students select a block of text and then edit the text in a text-box.

(no picture or sample question available)

Technology Enhanced Items

Math (not currently on Practice Tests but could be added) Multiple Lines then Select Partition Object Then Select Single Line Then Select Single Angle Straight Lines Single Parabola

*Many of these items have neither pictures nor sample videos.

Multiple Lines Then Select

This task requires a student to create lines and allows the student to modify the lines. The student selects one of the sections created by the intersection of the lines.

This task requires a student to partition a number line and then select one or more of the partition points on the line (placing one or more markers on each selected partition point).

Partition Line then Place Points

Single Line Then Select

This task requires a student to create a line and allows the student to modify the line. The student is then required to select one of the two sections of the plane created by the line.

Single Line Then Select

This task requires a student to create a line and allows the student to modify the line. The student is then required to select one of the two sections of the plane created by the line.

Single Angle

This task requires a student to create an angle and allows the student to modify that angle.

Straight Lines

This task requires a student to create and modify multiple lines. The correct response to an item created from this template is a set of more than one line, although a student response might contain only a single line

Single Parabola

This task requires a student to create a parabola and allows the student to modify the parabola.

Universal Tools

Strikethrough Calculator Highlighter Mark for Review Digital Notepad

Students can right click on multiple choice items and cross them out to facilitate the process of elimination.

Strikethrough

Students can use a calculator to help them answer questions. The calculator shown below is the fully featured version. For some tests, the calculator may appear in more simplified forms.

Calculator

Students can highlight blocks of text in essays, stories, and questions.

Highlighter

Students can mark questions to come back to later. At the end of the test, they are prompted to go back to those questions before submitting.

Mark for Review

Students can take notes on questions as they progress through the test.

Digital Notepad