TASC Question Types
Whether you take the computer or pen-and-paper TASC, you’ll come across a few different question types. Read on to learn more about each.
Multiple-Choice Questions on the TASC
Whether you take the TASC test on paper or on a computer, most of the questions you see will be multiple-choice questions, with four options. For each of those questions, only one answer choice is correct. An example is below.
Because of the narrator’s point of view, what does the reader know?
A. only Bobby Stark’s actions
B. thoughts and feelings of the characters
C. the actions and speech of the characters
D. only Daphne’s thoughts and feelings
Gridded Response on the TASC
On both the computer version of the TASC and the paper-and-pencil version, you will see gridded response items on the Mathematics Test. Gridded response items allow you to enter a numerical response, including (if appropriate) fractions and decimals. The two images below show you what the gridded response answer grid will look like. In both of these images, a test taker has entered an answer of “3.” You may enter your answer into a grid either starting from the left or starting from the right.
Gridded Response on the Paper-and-Pencil TASC
Fill in the appropriate bubbles with your pencil, and write your answer in the top row of boxes.
Gridded Response on the Computer-Based TASC
Multiple-Response Questions on the TASC
Some items on the TASC test may ask you to provide multiple responses. Multiple-response items may look at first glance like multiple-choice items, but multiple-response items will include an instruction telling you to select all the choices that apply. Sometimes you will be told how many answer choices to select; in other questions, you must use your own judgment about how many answer choices to select. There is no “partial credit” on these items; you must select all the correct answer choices in order for the question to be counted as correct. An example is below.
United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War lasted from 1959 to 1974, but the roots of the conflict go back much farther. Which of the following factors are mentioned in the passage above and also describe aspects of the Vietnam War? Select three.
the reduction of French imperialism
the destruction of Kiev
the splitting of one nation into two
tension between communist and democratic powers
the migration of displaced persons from Eastern Europe
Combined Multiple-Response and Multiple-Choice Questions on the TASC
What is meant by the following quote from paragraph 1? “Most times Pa had a struggle to dig down so deep.”
A. It was difficult for Pa to find it within himself to be generous.
B. Pa had so few coins that they were usually far down in his pockets.
C. Pa often searched for reasons not to give coppers to Cleo and her sisters.
D. Pa could not really afford to give Cleo and her sisters money.
Which of the following excerpts from the passage support your answer to the previous question? Select two.
“He gave them each a copper, too, though he could hardly spare it . . .”
“Pa couldn’t bring himself to tell Mama.”
“Four coppers a day, six days a week, was half a day’s pay . . .”
“When that firstborn was a girl, she could trample on his heart . . .”
Drag and Drop Questions on the TASC
If you are taking the computer-based TASC test, you may also see drag and drop items. Drag and drop items require you to use the computer’s mouse to arrange objects on the computer screen. Sometimes the order in which you drag and drop the items will matter; at other times the order will not matter. That will depend on the subject matter. An example is below.
Imtaez works as a server in a restaurant. On a certain night, he collected $157 in tips and paid y dollars to the food runner who helped him. The amount Imtaez had remaining after paying the runner was equal to ($101 + y).
Arrange terms from the options below to construct the equation you would use to determine how much Imtaez paid to the food runner. (You may not need to use all of the terms offered as options. Use any term only once.)
