Skip navigation

The Nation's Report Card


CIVICS Overall Results Results by Demographic Groups Sample Questions Civics Sample Questions Test Yourself Technical Notes Information for... Media Parents Educators Policymakers Researchers Resources About the Nation's Report Card Data Tools FAQ Contacts
 

Sample Questions in Civics

GRADE 4
 GRADE 8
 GRADE 12

Test Yourself...then see how the students responded to the same questions on NAEP. The following grade 4 short constructed-response question requires the intellectual skill of "evaluating, taking, and defending a position" in the content area, "What are the roles of citizens in American democracy?" Student responses were scored according to a 3-point scale as "Complete," "Partial," or "Unacceptable." The sample response below is an example of a "Complete" response.

Overall, 26 percent of students were scored as having a "Complete" response. When only the students in the Proficient category are considered, 43 percent scored "Complete."

Grade 4 Short Constructed-Response question. National percentage

See more about this question in the NAEP Questions Tool.

View this question, at score 244, on a map of NAEP civics items.

Find out what the civics assessment measures.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2006 Civics Assessment.

Download Civics Report Card Download Civics Report Card