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AEPA practice questions

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Question 1Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

Evaluate the expression: 6 + 2 × (5 − 1)

  1. 32
  2. 15
  3. 8
  4. 14 Correct answer.

Explanation

Order of operations calls for evaluating the parentheses first, then multiplication, then addition. The parentheses give 4; multiplying by 2 gives 8; adding 6 gives 14.

Question 2Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

Read the sentence: "The committee's cursory review of the proposal raised concerns that important details had been overlooked." As used in the sentence, cursory most nearly means

  1. brief and shallow Correct answer.
  2. heavily illustrated
  3. angry in tone
  4. thorough and detailed

Explanation

Cursory describes work done quickly and without attention to detail. The sentence's remark that important details were overlooked confirms this meaning.

Question 3Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence: "Neither the principal nor the teachers ______ aware of the schedule change."

  1. has been
  2. were Correct answer.
  3. was
  4. is

Explanation

When subjects are joined by "neither ... nor," the verb agrees with the subject closer to it. "Teachers" is plural, so the plural past-tense form "were" is required.

Question 4Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

What is the value of 3/4 ÷ 1/2 ?

  1. 3/8
  2. 3/2 Correct answer.
  3. 2/3
  4. 1/4

Explanation

Dividing by a fraction is equivalent to multiplying by its reciprocal, so 3/4 × 2/1 = 6/4, which simplifies to 3/2.

Question 5Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

Read the passage: "Many cities have replaced their older streetlights with LED fixtures. The new lights use roughly half the electricity of the bulbs they replace and last years longer, which lowers maintenance costs. The fixtures do cost more to buy, though, and most municipalities need several years of savings before the purchase pays for itself." Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Most cities regret switching to LED streetlights.
  2. Cities should replace every streetlight immediately.
  3. Maintenance is the largest expense in city budgets.
  4. LED streetlights cost more at first but save money later. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage balances a higher purchase price against lower electricity and maintenance costs that eventually recover the expense, which is exactly the main-idea statement.

Question 6Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

  1. The experiment failed however, the team learned a great deal.
  2. The experiment failed; however, the team learned a great deal. Correct answer.
  3. The experiment failed; however the team, learned a great deal.
  4. The experiment failed, however the team learned a great deal.

Explanation

A conjunctive adverb such as "however" joining two independent clauses takes a semicolon before it and a comma after it. Only this version supplies both marks.

Question 7Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

A jacket priced at $80 is marked down 25%, and the sale price is then taxed at 8%. What is the total cost?

  1. $65.00
  2. $62.40
  3. $64.80 Correct answer.
  4. $60.00

Explanation

A 25% markdown leaves 75% of $80, or $60. Sales tax is then computed on that $60, giving $60 × 1.08 = $64.80.

Question 8Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

Read the passage: "When the bell rang, Mara gathered her books slowly, lingering at her desk until the hallway emptied. She had read the announcement three times that morning, and still the words refused to feel real." The passage most strongly suggests that Mara

  1. is unsettled by news she has received. Correct answer.
  2. is eager for the school day to end.
  3. cannot remember where her next class meets.
  4. is angry with the teacher who posted the announcement.

Explanation

Lingering, moving slowly, and rereading an announcement that "refused to feel real" together convey shock or unease rather than any ordinary reaction to the bell.

Question 9Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

Solve for x: 3(x − 4) = 2x + 5

  1. 7
  2. 17 Correct answer.
  3. 1
  4. −17

Explanation

Distributing gives 3x − 12 = 2x + 5. Subtracting 2x from both sides leaves x − 12 = 5, and adding 12 gives x = 17.

Question 10Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

Read the sentence: "Smartphones have become so ubiquitous that it is unusual to see someone under thirty without one." As used in the sentence, ubiquitous most nearly means

  1. found nearly everywhere Correct answer.
  2. difficult to operate
  3. restricted to certain regions
  4. increasingly expensive

Explanation

Ubiquitous means present everywhere at once. The remark that seeing someone without a phone is unusual confirms that the devices are widespread.

Question 11Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

  1. Walking through the museum, the students were impressed by the paintings. Correct answer.
  2. Walking through the museum, there were paintings that impressed the students.
  3. Walking through the museum, the paintings impressed the students.
  4. Walking through the museum, the paintings were impressive to the students.

Explanation

An introductory participial phrase must modify the subject of the main clause. Only in this sentence does the subject, "the students," name the people doing the walking.

Question 12Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

A circle has a circumference of 12π. What is the area of the circle?

  1. 36π Correct answer.
  2. 12π
  3. 144π
  4. 6π

Explanation

Circumference equals 2πr, so 2πr = 12π and r = 6. The area is πr² = π(6)² = 36π.

Question 13Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

Read the passage: "For ten years our town has debated whether to fund a new library. In that time the children's section has lost half its shelf space, computers sit in a converted closet, and weekend hours have been cut. On election day, vote yes on the library bond." What is the writer's primary purpose?

  1. to entertain readers with a story about a library
  2. to describe the daily operation of a library
  3. to persuade readers to support a ballot measure Correct answer.
  4. to explain how municipal bonds are financed

Explanation

The writer lists concrete problems and closes with a direct appeal to vote yes, so the passage is organized to persuade readers to back the bond.

Question 14Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

For the data set 4, 7, 7, 9, 13, 20, what is the median?

  1. 7
  2. 9
  3. 8 Correct answer.
  4. 10

Explanation

The values are already in order, and with six values the median is the mean of the third and fourth: (7 + 9) ÷ 2 = 8.

Question 15Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

Which sentence uses commas correctly?

  1. My brother who lives in Tucson is, visiting.
  2. My brother, who lives in Tucson, is visiting. Correct answer.
  3. My brother who lives in Tucson, is visiting.
  4. My brother, who lives in Tucson is visiting.

Explanation

The clause "who lives in Tucson" does not identify which brother is meant, so it is nonessential and must be set off by commas on both sides.

Question 16Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

A recipe that makes 12 muffins calls for 3 cups of flour. At the same rate, how many cups of flour are needed for 20 muffins?

  1. 5 Correct answer.
  2. 4.5
  3. 6
  4. 4

Explanation

The rate is 3 cups per 12 muffins, or 0.25 cup per muffin. Multiplying 20 muffins by 0.25 cup gives 5 cups.

Question 17Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

A bag contains 5 red, 3 blue, and 2 green marbles. Two marbles are drawn at random without replacement. What is the probability that both are red?

  1. 5/20
  2. 1/5
  3. 2/9 Correct answer.
  4. 1/4

Explanation

The first draw is red with probability 5/10. Given that, 4 red marbles remain among 9 total, so the second draw is red with probability 4/9. Multiplying gives 20/90, which simplifies to 2/9.

Question 18Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

Read the argument: "Since the bike-share station opened downtown, ridership has risen 40 percent. City officials argue that building stations in every neighborhood will therefore raise ridership by a similar amount citywide." Which criticism of the argument is strongest?

  1. It quotes city officials instead of ordinary riders.
  2. It assumes that other neighborhoods resemble downtown in the ways that matter. Correct answer.
  3. It discusses one city and ignores national trends.
  4. It fails to state the exact cost of building a station.

Explanation

The conclusion extends a result from one location to all neighborhoods, which is only warranted if those areas share the density, layout, and travel patterns that made the downtown station succeed.

Question 19Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

Which sentence uses punctuation correctly?

  1. The professor returned the essays, she discussed the most common errors.
  2. The professor returned the essays; she then reviewed common errors. Correct answer.
  3. The professor returned the essays: she then reviewed, common errors.
  4. The professor returned the essays; and discussed the most common errors.

Explanation

A semicolon may join two closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction, and both halves here are complete sentences.

Question 20Essential Academic Skills Subtests I, II, and III

The solutions of x² − 5x + 6 = 0 are p and q. What is the value of p² + q²?

  1. 13 Correct answer.
  2. 11
  3. 36
  4. 25

Explanation

The quadratic factors as (x − 2)(x − 3), so the solutions are 2 and 3. Then p² + q² = 4 + 9 = 13.

Question 21Elementary Education Subtests I and II

Which word contains a consonant digraph?

  1. bend
  2. ship Correct answer.
  3. stop
  4. camp

Explanation

A consonant digraph is a pair of consonants that together stand for one sound. In "ship," the letters s and h spell the single sound /sh/. The other choices contain consonant blends, in which both sounds are heard.

Question 22Elementary Education Subtests I and II

Monarch butterflies travel thousands of miles each fall to reach wintering forests in Mexico. They navigate using the sun and Earth's magnetic field. Scientists still study how the insects find the same forests year after year. Which sentence best states the main idea of the passage?

  1. Monarch butterflies prefer to fly at night.
  2. Monarchs make a long migration guided by unusual navigation. Correct answer.
  3. Scientists have mapped every route the butterflies use.
  4. Monarch butterflies are found only in Mexico.

Explanation

The main idea must cover the whole passage: the long migration and the navigation that makes it possible. The other choices add details that the passage does not support or that are too narrow.

Question 23Elementary Education Subtests I and II

In the number 47,382, what is the value of the digit 7?

  1. 7,000 Correct answer.
  2. 700
  3. 70,000
  4. 70

Explanation

The digit 7 sits in the thousands place, so its value is 7 × 1,000 = 7,000. Place value depends on the position of the digit within the number.

Question 24Elementary Education Subtests I and II

Which process of the water cycle changes water vapor into liquid droplets?

  1. Precipitation
  2. Condensation Correct answer.
  3. Evaporation
  4. Transpiration

Explanation

Condensation is the change from water vapor to liquid water, and it forms clouds and dew. Evaporation and transpiration add vapor to the air, while precipitation returns water to the ground.

Question 25Elementary Education Subtests I and II

Which statement best describes a gas?

  1. It has a fixed shape and a fixed volume.
  2. It has a fixed volume but no fixed shape.
  3. It has no fixed shape and no fixed volume. Correct answer.
  4. It has a fixed shape but no fixed volume.

Explanation

Gas particles move freely and spread out to fill whatever container holds them, so a gas has neither a definite shape nor a definite volume. A fixed volume with no fixed shape describes a liquid.

Question 26Elementary Education Subtests I and II

Which classroom activity most directly develops phonemic awareness?

  1. Matching pictures that begin with the same letter
  2. Reading a decodable text aloud with a partner
  3. Blending spoken sounds into the word /m/ /a/ /p/ Correct answer.
  4. Writing each spelling word five times

Explanation

Phonemic awareness is the ability to notice and work with individual sounds in spoken words. Orally blending sounds into a word practices that skill without using print.

Question 27Elementary Education Subtests I and II

Which fraction is equivalent to 3/4?

  1. 9/12 Correct answer.
  2. 6/9
  3. 5/8
  4. 4/5

Explanation

Multiplying both the numerator and the denominator of 3/4 by 3 gives 9/12, so the two fractions name the same amount. Equivalent fractions are formed only when both parts are multiplied or divided by the same nonzero number.

Question 28Elementary Education Subtests I and II

A rectangle has a length of 8 cm and a width of 5 cm. What is its perimeter?

  1. 26 cm Correct answer.
  2. 80 cm
  3. 13 cm
  4. 40 cm

Explanation

Perimeter is the distance around the figure, found with 2(length + width) = 2(8 + 5) = 26 cm. Multiplying length by width gives area, not perimeter.

Question 29Elementary Education Subtests I and II

Evaluate: 6 + 2 × (5 − 1)

  1. 14 Correct answer.
  2. 12
  3. 24
  4. 32

Explanation

Following the order of operations, evaluate the parentheses first (5 − 1 = 4), then multiply (2 × 4 = 8), and finally add (6 + 8 = 14).

Question 30Elementary Education Subtests I and II

In a food chain, which organism is a producer?

  1. Hawk
  2. Grass Correct answer.
  3. Snake
  4. Grasshopper

Explanation

Producers make their own food through photosynthesis, and grass is the only organism listed that does so. All the animals listed must consume other organisms for energy.

Question 31Elementary Education Subtests I and II

Which branch of the U.S. federal government has the power to declare a law unconstitutional?

  1. The legislative branch
  2. The electoral branch
  3. The executive branch
  4. The judicial branch Correct answer.

Explanation

The judicial branch exercises judicial review, established in Marbury v. Madison, and may strike down laws that violate the Constitution. Congress writes laws and the president carries them out.

Question 32Elementary Education Subtests I and II

Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects freedom of speech and freedom of religion?

  1. Tenth
  2. Second
  3. Fifth
  4. First Correct answer.

Explanation

The First Amendment protects freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. The other amendments listed address different rights.

Question 33Elementary Education Subtests I and II

According to Piaget, a child who understands conservation of liquid quantity but cannot yet reason about abstract ideas is most likely in which stage?

  1. Preoperational
  2. Sensorimotor
  3. Formal operational
  4. Concrete operational Correct answer.

Explanation

Conservation is a hallmark of the concrete operational stage, roughly ages 7 to 11, when children reason logically about concrete objects but not yet about abstractions. Formal operational thinking is what allows abstract reasoning.

Question 34Elementary Education Subtests I and II

A teacher gives a quick exit ticket at the end of a lesson to decide what to reteach the next day. This practice is best described as:

  1. A formative assessment Correct answer.
  2. A norm-referenced test
  3. A standardized achievement test
  4. A summative assessment

Explanation

Formative assessment is used during instruction to gather information and adjust teaching. Summative assessment, by contrast, evaluates learning at the end of a unit.

Question 35Elementary Education Subtests I and II

Read the sentence: "The arid desert received less than two inches of rain all year." What does the word arid most likely mean?

  1. Very dry Correct answer.
  2. Crowded
  3. Cold
  4. Fertile

Explanation

The sentence clue that the desert received very little rain signals that arid means extremely dry. Using context clues means relying on surrounding words rather than guessing.

Question 36Elementary Education Subtests I and II

A store sells notebooks for $2.50 each and pens for $1.25 each. Maya buys 4 notebooks and 6 pens and pays with a $20 bill. How much change should she receive?

  1. $2.50 Correct answer.
  2. $3.75
  3. $1.25
  4. $5.00

Explanation

The notebooks cost 4 × $2.50 = $10.00 and the pens cost 6 × $1.25 = $7.50, for a total of $17.50. Subtracting from $20.00 leaves $2.50 in change.

Question 37Elementary Education Subtests I and II

A student wants to test whether fertilizer affects plant growth. She gives one plant fertilizer plus water and another plant only water, but she places the fertilized plant in a sunnier window. What is the main flaw in her investigation?

  1. She did not plan to measure plant height.
  2. She changed more than one variable at a time. Correct answer.
  3. She used too few plants in the experiment.
  4. She watered the plants instead of using distilled water.

Explanation

A controlled experiment changes only the independent variable, here fertilizer, while holding all other conditions constant. Because light also differs between the plants, any growth difference cannot be attributed to fertilizer alone.

Question 38Elementary Education Subtests I and II

Coral reefs cover less than one percent of the ocean floor, yet they support about a quarter of all marine species. When water grows too warm, corals expel the algae that feed them, a process called bleaching. Without those algae, corals starve and turn white. Which text structure is used in this passage?

  1. Chronological order
  2. Problem and solution
  3. Cause and effect Correct answer.
  4. Compare and contrast

Explanation

The passage explains how warming water leads to the loss of algae and then to starving, white corals, which is a chain of causes and results. No solution is proposed and no two subjects are compared point by point.

Question 39Elementary Education Subtests I and II

On a map, 1 inch represents 25 miles. Two cities are 3.5 inches apart on the map. What is the actual distance between them?

  1. 75 miles
  2. 87.5 miles Correct answer.
  3. 28.5 miles
  4. 8.75 miles

Explanation

Using the scale, multiply the map distance by the number of miles each inch represents: 3.5 × 25 = 87.5 miles. Setting up the proportion 1/25 = 3.5/x gives the same result.

Question 40Content-area subject tests (e.g., Art, Biology, Chemistry, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Science)

On a standard color wheel used in painting, which color is the complement of red?

  1. Purple
  2. Yellow
  3. Blue
  4. Green Correct answer.

Explanation

Complementary colors sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel, so mixing them neutralizes hue. The color opposite red on a traditional painter's wheel is green.

Question 41Content-area subject tests (e.g., Art, Biology, Chemistry, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Science)

What is the primary function of the mitochondrion in a eukaryotic cell?

  1. Generating ATP for the cell Correct answer.
  2. Storing genetic material
  3. Synthesizing proteins from amino acids
  4. Modifying and packaging proteins

Explanation

Mitochondria carry out aerobic cellular respiration, using the electron transport chain to produce most of the cell's ATP. Protein synthesis occurs on ribosomes, and packaging occurs in the Golgi apparatus.

Question 42Content-area subject tests (e.g., Art, Biology, Chemistry, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Science)

How many moles of water are present in 36 grams of water? (Molar mass of H2O = 18 g/mol)

  1. 1.0 mol
  2. 2.0 mol Correct answer.
  3. 0.5 mol
  4. 18 mol

Explanation

Moles are found by dividing mass by molar mass: 36 g ÷ 18 g/mol = 2.0 mol. The mole ratio converts a measured mass into a countable number of particles.

Question 43Content-area subject tests (e.g., Art, Biology, Chemistry, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Science)

Which sentence contains alliteration?

  1. Brave Ben boldly battled bears. Correct answer.
  2. The moon was a silver coin.
  3. Her smile was bright as sunshine.
  4. The thunder grumbled like a bear.

Explanation

Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words. Only the last sentence repeats the /b/ sound across several consecutive words.

Question 44Content-area subject tests (e.g., Art, Biology, Chemistry, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Science)

What is the slope of the line that passes through the points (2, 3) and (6, 11)?

  1. 1/2
  2. 4
  3. -2
  4. 2 Correct answer.

Explanation

Slope equals the change in y divided by the change in x: (11 − 3)/(6 − 2) = 8/4 = 2. A positive slope indicates the line rises from left to right.

Question 45Content-area subject tests (e.g., Art, Biology, Chemistry, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Science)

If demand for a good increases while supply stays unchanged, what happens to the equilibrium price?

  1. Cannot be determined
  2. Falls
  3. Rises Correct answer.
  4. Remains the same

Explanation

An increase in demand shifts the demand curve to the right along an unchanged supply curve. The new intersection occurs at a higher price and a larger quantity.

Question 46Content-area subject tests (e.g., Art, Biology, Chemistry, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Science)

In one-point linear perspective, receding parallel lines appear to converge at which element?

  1. ground line
  2. picture plane
  3. station point
  4. vanishing point Correct answer.

Explanation

Lines that recede perpendicular to the picture plane converge at a single vanishing point located on the horizon line. This construction creates the illusion of depth on a flat surface.

Question 47Content-area subject tests (e.g., Art, Biology, Chemistry, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Science)

The light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis take place in which structure of the chloroplast?

  1. Stroma
  2. Cytoplasm
  3. Mitochondrial matrix
  4. Thylakoid membrane Correct answer.

Explanation

Photosystems, electron transport chains, and ATP synthase are embedded in the thylakoid membranes, where light energy is converted to ATP and NADPH. The stroma hosts the Calvin cycle.

Question 48Content-area subject tests (e.g., Art, Biology, Chemistry, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Science)

A solution has a hydrogen ion concentration of 1 × 10⁻⁴ M. What is its pH?

  1. 14
  2. 4 Correct answer.
  3. 10
  4. −4

Explanation

pH is the negative base-10 logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration: −log(10⁻⁴) = 4. A pH of 4 indicates an acidic solution.

Question 49Content-area subject tests (e.g., Art, Biology, Chemistry, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Science)

Which sentence would serve best as the thesis statement of an analytical essay?

  1. This essay will discuss the novel in detail.
  2. The novel is very interesting and well written.
  3. The hero's fall critiques unchecked ambition. Correct answer.
  4. Many critics have written about this novel.

Explanation

A thesis must make a specific, arguable claim that the essay can support with evidence. Only this sentence advances an interpretive position about the work's meaning.

Question 50Content-area subject tests (e.g., Art, Biology, Chemistry, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Science)

A bag contains 3 red marbles and 5 blue marbles. If one marble is drawn at random, what is the probability that it is red?

  1. 3/8 Correct answer.
  2. 1/2
  3. 3/5
  4. 5/8

Explanation

Probability equals favorable outcomes divided by total outcomes: 3 red out of 8 total marbles, or 3/8. The denominator must count all marbles, not just the blue ones.