Explore questions from the long-term trend reading assessment, and see how the NAEP long-term trend reading questions relate to student performance. Sample questions shown are from the 2008 assessment; no items were released from the 2012 assessment.
Select one of the age tabs below to try out questions from the NAEP long-term reading assessment. After answering all the questions, select "submit" and compare your answers to those of students who took the assessment.
Age 9 Sample Questions
Read the passage for this question.
Which statement best describes the frontier women?
A. They lived dangerous lives and tamed the West. B. They hunted to provide food for their families. C. They frequently worried about the safety of their homes. D. They worked hard and possessed many skills
Read the passage for Questions 2 and 3.
If your cat doesn't finish its bowl of food one morning, what should you do?
A. Call the veterinarian. B. Take its bowl away until evening. C. Leave the food in the bowl for it. D. Give its food to the kitten.
These are things that have two wings and fly. They are much smaller than airplanes, and they are alive. Sometimes these things make a lot of noise with their chirping and singing. All of them have feathers, and they come in different colors. What are these?
A. Birds B. Butterflies C. Horseflies D. Jet airplanes
Age 13 Sample Questions
Read the passage for these questions.
What is the main purpose of this article?
A. To explain why elephant seals are important to humans. B. To convince the reader that elephant seals are not harmful to humans. C. To describe the appearance and habits of elephant seals. D. To convince the reader that laws should be made to protect elephant seals
Why do elephant seals come ashore each year?
A. To eat and store up food. B. To escape the winter migration of the white sharks and to avoid the cold water. C. To rest up from their hard life at sea and hibernate. D. To escape the saltwater and to give birth to their young.
The article states that elephant seal "blubber is also a very rich source of oil." What does the word BLUBBER mean in this sentence?
A. Hair B. Fat C. Energy D. Weight
Age 17 Sample Questions
In what year did the first United States congresswoman take office?
A. 1890 B. 1900 C. 1917 D. 1920
A state senator said that women would lose their beauty and charm if they were allowed to vote. What did Rose Schneiderman say?
A. She argued that working conditions were more likely than voting rights to lead to the loss of a woman's beauty and charm. B. She agreed with him but insisted on voting rights for women anyway. C. She showed him that beauty and charming women were voting in some western states. D. She responded that women with beauty and charm probably did not need to vote.
According to the article, how did the First World War help the cause of the suffragists?
A. It gave garment workers opportunity to get better jobs. B. It helped union leaders to get better conditions for their workers. C. It encouraged women to protest the war. D. It drew national attention to the contributions of women.