Mastering the Reading
HSPE
There are four types of questions
on the Reading HSPE:

Multiple Choice

Short Answer

Stand Alone

Completion
Sample Multiple Choice:
What is the main conflict in the poem?
A.
A tortoise emerges from hibernation.
B.
A tortoise demonstrates curiosity.
C. A tortoise seeks his former home.
D. A tortoise lives near the ocean.
Sample Short Answer:
Contrast how postal service
was paid for in the 1800s
and how it is paid for today.
Include two details from the
selection in your answer.
Sample Stand Alone:
Which of these websites
would provide the most
reliable information about
the history of apples in
Washington State?
Choose based on info:

A. Washington State Produce Directory the process
from seed to harvest is a tome consuming endeavor…

B. Apples Online
discover the best types of
apples…

C. Washington Orchards

D. Welcome to Apple Country
Apples first found their
way to WA in 1826 on a Hudson’s Bay Co sailing…
many sizes…
Apples come in
Completion:

Read this sentence:
Our love is like a red, red rose.
In this sentence, the author uses
simile to show/compare ______
and ________.
Reading questions are designed
to cover two types of texts:

Literary
(poems, stories, biographies,
excerpts from novels, etc.)

Informational
(current events, historical or
scientific articles, charts,
diagrams, ads, etc.)
If your text is literary, the
questions will focus on the
following skills:





Understanding theme or
message
Summarizing with evidence from
the text
Making inferences or predictions
Interpreting vocabulary from text
Understanding literary elements
(plot, character, setting, etc.)
If your text is literary, the
questions will focus on the
following skills:





Comparing/contrasting literary
elements (characters, events,
etc.) in a piece of text
Comparing/contrasting two
different texts
Analyzing author’s purpose (tone,
fact/opinion, message, etc.)
Evaluating reasoning in
characters/ideas
Extending beyond the text
If your text is informational, the
questions will focus on the
following skills:





Understanding major ideas and
supporting details
Summarizing with evidence from
the reading
Making inferences or predictions
Interpreting vocabulary from text
Understanding text features (titles,
headings, table of contents,
indexes, captions, glossaries,
appendices, charts, graphs, etc.)
If your text is informational, the
questions will focus on the
following skills:





Comparing/contrasting
information from the text
Comparing/contrasting two
different texts
Analyzing author’s purpose (tone,
persuasive devices, fact v.
opinion, stereotypes, bias)
Evaluating reasoning of ideas
Extending beyond the text
Before you read, pre-read!

•
•
•
•
•
Look at:
Title
Source (Sports Illustrated v. Voice of the Valley)
Photos or illustrations
Charts or graphs
Boldface print
Before you read, pre-read!

Think about your background
knowledge. (What do you
already know about this topic?)

Think about questions you may
have about the topic.
Pre-reading:
•
•
•
Think about one thing you
already know about this
topic
Think about one question
you have about this topic
READ THE QUESTIONS!!!!
Reading: Once you begin
reading, interact with the text.
In the margins, write:




Questions
(What is confusing? What does this make
you wonder?)
Connections
(How does this relate to: personal
experience, school learning, history,
current events, a book you’ve read, music,
art, etc.?)
Predictions
(What do you think is going to happen?)
Objections
(What do you disagree with? What bothers
you?)
Reading: As you read, pause
every few paragraphs to:

Stop and re-read parts that
are confusing

Summarize the content

Predict where the article or
story is heading
Reading:

Write a one-sentence
summary of the paragraph
you just read.

Predict what you think the
rest of the article will
discuss.
Post-reading:
After you’re finished:










Summarize the article or story
Think about:
Author’s point of view
Biases: yours or the author’s
Purpose of the piece
Tone
Main idea
Problem/solution
Intended audience
Voice/style
Now let’s try it!
Pencil
Packet
Ready
Testing:

All questions on the Reading
HSPE will directly relate to the
skills outlined earlier.

All questions are also designed so
that you will look back at the
reading (not automatically know
the answer).
Reading HSPE Tips:

Do NOT write outside the lines provided.
Anything that extends beyond the lines will
NOT be graded.

Always include one MORE detail than the
prompt asks for. You don’t want graders to
have any doubt that you’ve answered the
question completely.

WRITE! You can’t write yourself into a
wrong answer or out of a correct one. You
CAN write too little.
Reading HSPE Tips:

You will not be punished for guessing on
the multiple choice. If you don’t know the
answer, look for it in the text, eliminate as
many choices as you can, and then
guess. Never leave a multiple
choice answer blank.

Take your time. The HSPE is not a timed
test, so there is no need to rush through
anything (even if your classmates do).
Reading HSPE Tips:

There are many resources available to you
if you would like to learn more about the
HSPE, or even try a practice test.
http://www.k12.wa.us/Reading/Assessment/S
ampleReleasedMaterialsGradeHS.aspx

There are no tricks. The HSPE measures
10th grade skills from 10th grade readings. If
a question seems easy, it’s probably
because your teachers have prepared you
well. 
The HSPE takes place on the
following dates:
March 12, 13, 14, 2013

If you are not present on the day of
the test, you are not eligible to pass