TASC English Inquiry case studies
TASC English Inquiry · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The TASC English Inquiry is a study resource for the English language arts portion of the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC), a high school equivalency credential for adults who did not finish high school. Passing the TASC battery-which also covers mathematics, science, and social studies-earns a state-issued high school equivalency diploma accepted by employers, colleges, and the military, though requirements vary by state. This page focuses on the reading, writing, and language skills the English section measures: close reading of literary and informational passages, identifying central ideas and how authors build arguments, drafting extended responses in different modes, revising and editing for clarity and organization, using evidence from sources, and applying standard English conventions and vocabulary in context. The exam mixes multiple-choice items with constructed responses, so preparation should combine passage-based practice with timed essay writing and review of grammar and usage rules. The TASC English Inquiry case studies are 5 cases and about 2,336 words.
1The Missing Margin Note
A student reads a short memoir in which the narrator describes returning to a childhood home. The first paragraph says the house 'looked smaller, as if the years had shrunk it.' The third paragraph describes a neighbor who 'still wore the same green coat' and waved from the same porch.
501 words, about 3 min2Two Sources on a School Start Time
A student is writing a short argument about whether a district should move high school start times from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. She has two sources.
463 words, about 2 min3The Run-On in the Scholarship Essay
A student drafts a 250-word scholarship essay. One sentence reads: 'I volunteered at the shelter every Saturday for two years it taught me patience and how to listen and I also learned to organize donations which I now do at my church.' The essay otherwise reads clearly.
465 words, about 2 min4Choosing a Word: 'Notorious' in a Tribute
A student writes a tribute to a retiring choir director. A draft sentence reads: 'Ms.
424 words, about 2 min5The Uncited Paragraph
A student writes a research paper on urban trees. One paragraph reads: 'Cities with more tree canopy report lower summer temperatures, and residents in greener neighborhoods describe better mental health.
483 words, about 2 min