New York State Assessment Questions
This is designed to be a compellation of the different types of questions that may be found on New York State Exams. In addition to DBQ's, there are several types of questions found in Part I that can throw off any middle school student.
Classic Multiple Choice
Example:
What was the immediate cause of the secession of Southern states from the Union prior to the start of the Civil War?
(1) election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency
(2) passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act
(3) raid on Harpers Ferry by John Brown
(4) decision of the Supreme Court in the Dred Scott case
Strategies:
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Read the question before you look at the answer.
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Come up with the answer in your head before looking at the possible answers, this way the choices given on the test won't throw you off.
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Eliminate answers you know aren't right from the start. There is usually at least one answer that is obviously unrelated to the content of the question.
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Check if any answers contradict, or only coincide. If three coincide and one contradicts, then it must be the choice which disagrees with the other three.
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Read all the choices before choosing your answer.
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Avoid changing answers, usually your first choice is the right one.
Multiple Choice - "not" question (Which of these is not...)
Example:
Which of the following choices was NOT an effect of the Columbian Exchange
(1) Millions of Native Americans died of disease
(2) Thousands of African Slaves were brought to the New World
(3) England's population was overcrowded
(4) Horses increased technology and transportation in Colonial America
Strategies:
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Treat each of the choices as though it was a True/False question. If the answer is false, then it is the correct answer.
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Look at the time periods of the choices, if one stands out as a different time period, it may be the correct answer (this usually only works in cause/effect cases).
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Eliminate answers you know aren't right from the start. There is usually at least one answer that is obviously unrelated to the content of the question.
Partial Outline Multiple Choice
Example:
Which choice is the most appropriate title for the partial outline below
I. _____________________
a) Break tools and farm equipment
b) Nat Turner's Rebellion
c) "The Liberator"
d) Underground Railroad
***For these questions, you need to fill in the blank with what would be the best title for the list a-d.
(1) Slaves rebel against the southern planters
(2) Slaves form their own identity
(3) Harriet Tubman's Life
(4) Government reform of slavery
Strategies
Charts and Diagrams (Reading and Inference)
Often the exam will present a chart or diagram, and ask the reader to make a conclusion based on the chart. Sometimes, the first question will be a direct conclusion and the second question will be an inference based on the diagram and your knowledge of history.
Example 1:
A conclusion best supported by this illustration is that the Columbian Exchange
(1) increased the isolation between Europe and the Americas
(2) ended the slave trade in the Eastern Hemisphere
(3) led to the spread of disease to the natives of the Americas
(4) resulted in a decrease in trade between North America and Europe
Example 2:
The arrangement of this Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) village shows that
(1) the League of Five Nations had been established
(2) cooperation with nearby tribes was necessary
(3) protection from enemies was important
(4) farming was carried out by slaves
This illustration suggests that the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) people were
(1) nomadic
(2) a patriarchal society
(3) organized for living in groups
(4) dependent only on hunting as a food source
Example 3:
Which conclusion related to the Civil War can be drawn from the information in this chart?
(1) The South had more large cities than the North.
(2) Sectionalism was based on social and economic differences.
(3) The South was well prepared to win a war against the North.
(4) Agriculture was no longer important to the United States economy.
Strategies:
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Treat each of the choices individually. The correct choice is about PROVING something through the chart. Look at each choice and ask yourself "Does the chart prove this?"
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There will usually be one choice that does not relate to the theme of the chart (Ex 3: the chart relates to the Civil War, but does not express any information about the Civil War, so it should not be 3) (Ex. 2: Slavery was nonexistant in Iroquois culture)
Map Analysis
Example:
This map supports the conclusion that by 1900 the United States was committed to a foreign policy of
(1) containment
(2) isolationism
(3) imperialism
(4) neutrality
Strategies:
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More often than not, they will ask the context of the map, more so than what it supports. The best thing to do is look at the dates on the map and apply them to the context of what historical events were happening at the time.
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In the case of this example, map reading is not the key to success, a knowledge of vocabulary words will lead you to the correct answer.
Graphs
Example 1:
Which statement is best supported by the information on the graph?
(1) Many of the people who lived in the urban areas were poor.
(2) The percentage of urban population increased between 1850 and 1900.
(3) By 1890, 70% of the population lived in rural areas.
(4) Industrialization led to an increase in the rural population in the late 1800s.
Example 2:
During the Great Depression, unemployment reached its highest level between
(1) 1928 and 1930
(2) 1932 and 1934
(3) 1930 and 1932
(4) 1934 and 1936
36 If the graph were extended through 1945, unemployment would continue to show a decrease due to the
(1) increased production of military supplies
(2) elimination of child labor
(3) decrease in college enrollment
(4) adoption of workmen�s compensation insurance
Strategies:
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Similar to charts/diagrams, the test is asking you to prove something. Look not only for specific facts when prompted, but also to PATTERNS that you see in the graph.
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Treat each choice individually - read each choice, look at the graph, and ask yourself "Can this be proven correct by the graph?"
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Think about the historical context of the dates presented, not simply the information on the graph.
Example:
Which statement most accurately expresses the point of view of the cartoonist?
(1) The government has successfully stopped pollution.
(2) Industrialization has caused environmental problems.
(3) Consumer dependence on foreign oil has decreased.
(4) Big business has been good for the American environment.
Strategies:
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Political Cartoon questions are all about understanding the cartoonists point of view. First, figure out how sarcasm is being used to show a point, then use other strategies to find the answer.
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Again, go through each choice and ask yourself "Can this be proven by the choice I am selecting?"
Photograph Analysis
Example:
As a way of criticizing the federal government during the early 1930s, areas such as those shown in this photograph were often referred to as
(1) tenements
(2) Levittowns
(3) ghettos
(4) Hoovervilles
Strategies:
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A picture says 1000 words, but it does not say the historical context, YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THE CAPTION, TITLE, AND SOURCE TO UNDERSTAND THEM. Often, the answer can be found in these other areas.
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Again, go through each choice and ask yourself "Can this be proven by the choice I am selecting?"
TOP THREE STRATEGIES
1. Treat each choice individually - read each choice, look at the graph, and ask yourself "Can this be proven correct by the information given?"
2. LOOK AT THE CAPTION, TITLE, AND SOURCE TO UNDERSTAND THEM. Often, the answer can be found in these other areas.
3. Eliminate answers you know aren't right from the start. There is usually at least one answer that is obviously unrelated to the content of the question.
