ELPAC Grades 11–12 Practice Tests

Part 1 — Listen to a Short Exchange

Listen to the conversation. Then answer the question.

1. What does the girl mean when she says she is “down to the wire”? (A) She needs help getting her computer online. (B) She has very little time left to finish. (C) She has already turned in her essay.

Part 2 — Listen to a Short Exchange

Listen to the conversation. Then answer the question.

1. What will the boy most likely do next? (A) Skip his cousin's wedding. (B) Help Sophie study for her exams. (C) Ask another coworker to take his shift.

Part 3 — Listen to a Short Exchange

Listen to the conversation. Then answer the question.

1. What does the student plan to do? (A) Rewrite the conclusion of his report. (B) Collect new data for the experiment. (C) Start a completely new lab report.

Part 4 — Listen to a Classroom Conversation

Listen to the conversation. Then answer the questions.

1. What problem does the group have? (A) They have not finished their research. (B) They disagree about how to begin the presentation. (C) They do not understand what interest rates are.
2. What does the teacher suggest? (A) Begin with an example and then explain the term. (B) Give the definition first and skip the examples. (C) Ask the class to calculate their own loans.
3. What will Dylan do tonight? (A) Write the slide that defines the term. (B) Find sources about used car prices. (C) Build an example with a loan calculator.

Part 5 — Listen to an Oral Presentation

Listen to the presentation. Then answer the questions.

1. What is the main purpose of the presentation? (A) To compare different kinds of map apps (B) To describe how satellites are launched into space (C) To explain how GPS figures out a person's location
2. According to the speaker, how does a phone use a satellite signal? (A) It measures how long the signal took to arrive. (B) It sends the signal back to the satellite. (C) It uses the signal to set the satellite's clock.
3. Why does the receiver need a signal from a fourth satellite? (A) To find which satellite is closest (B) To correct the receiver's less accurate clock (C) To measure the speed of the radio signal
4. What can be inferred from the speaker's point about relativity? (A) GPS would quickly become unreliable without the adjustment. (B) Clocks on the ground are more accurate than atomic clocks. (C) Scientists still do not agree about Einstein's theories.

Part 6 — Listen to an Oral Presentation

Listen to the presentation. Then answer the questions.

1. Why did Lange begin taking pictures outside her studio? (A) A newspaper asked her to photograph the city. (B) She was moved by the unemployed workers she saw nearby. (C) Her portrait studio had closed during the Depression.
2. What does the speaker suggest by saying Lange “almost kept going”? (A) Lange was lost and could not find the camp. (B) Lange did not think farm workers were important. (C) The famous photograph very nearly did not happen.
3. According to the speaker, what was the effect of framing the photo tightly? (A) It keeps the viewer's attention on the family. (B) It shows the size of the pea pickers' camp. (C) It hides the faces of all the children.
4. What happened soon after the photographs were published? (A) Lange opened a new portrait studio. (B) The government sent food to the camp. (C) The family moved to San Francisco.

Part 7 — Listen to a Speaker Support an Opinion

Listen to the speaker. Then answer the questions.

1. What is the speaker's main claim? (A) The district should require two years of a world language. (B) Students should be allowed to choose any elective they want. (C) Spanish should be the only language taught in the district.
2. Which evidence does the speaker give to support her second reason? (A) A list of jobs that require two languages (B) A comparison with schools in other states (C) The results of a student council survey
3. How does the speaker respond to the concern that schedules are too crowded? (A) She says science and art classes are less important. (B) She suggests starting the requirement in ninth grade. (C) She argues that the school day should be made longer.
4. Why does the speaker mention trying to order lunch in another language? (A) To show that traveling abroad can be expensive (B) To explain why she chose to study Spanish (C) To show that language study builds empathy

Part 8 — Listen to a Speaker Support an Opinion

Listen to the speaker. Then answer the questions.

1. What is the speaker's position? (A) Every student should take a year off after high school. (B) A planned gap year can be a smart choice for many students. (C) Students should begin working full-time instead of going to college.
2. Why does the speaker tell the story about his sister? (A) To show a gap year can help students pick a major (B) To prove that veterinary clinics hire many students (C) To explain why college tuition is so expensive
3. How does the speaker address the argument that students may never start college? (A) He says the argument is completely false. (B) He says colleges should not allow students to delay. (C) He agrees it is a risk and explains how planning reduces it.
4. What does the speaker mean when he calls a gap year “a year on—on purpose”? (A) A gap year should be active and have clear goals. (B) A gap year should be spent studying online. (C) A gap year should last longer than one year.

Part 1 — Talk About a Scene

1. What is this student doing?
2. What are these?
3. What are the students learning about?
4. Tell me what students can do at this table.

Part 2 — Speech Functions

1. You work part-time at a grocery store. You want to ask your manager for Saturday off so you can tour a college you are applying to. What would you say to your manager?
2. You are applying for a scholarship. You want your school counselor to write a letter of recommendation for you. What would you say to your counselor?

Part 3 — Support an Opinion

1. Your school can add only one new elective next year. It can add a computer coding class or a public speaking class. Which class do you think the school should add?

Part 4 — Support an Opinion

1. The senior class needs to raise money for its graduation celebration. Students can hold a car wash or put on a talent show. Which do you think is the better way to raise money?

Part 5 — Present and Discuss Information

1. What does the graph show about seniors' plans after graduation? Include details from the graph in your answer.
2. Is the following claim supported or not supported based on the information in the graph? “A larger share of seniors planned to attend community college in 2025 than in 2023.” Give details from the graph to support your answer.

Part 6 — Summarize an Academic Presentation

1. Summarize the information you heard. Be sure to • explain the relationship between coral and algae • describe what happens during coral bleaching • explain what can happen to coral after bleaching • use relevant details and clear language.

Part 7 — Summarize an Academic Presentation

1. Summarize the information you heard. Be sure to • explain why the Pony Express was needed • describe how the Pony Express worked • explain why the Pony Express ended • use relevant details and clear language.

Part 1 — Read a Short Informational Passage

Read the passage. Then answer the questions.

Winter Visitors on the Coast

Every fall, western monarch butterflies travel hundreds of miles to spend the winter along the California coast. Adult monarchs cannot survive long periods of freezing weather, so they gather in groves of eucalyptus, pine, and cypress trees near the ocean, where temperatures stay mild. Hanging together in tight clusters on the branches helps them conserve heat and energy until spring.

Each year around Thanksgiving, volunteers count these clusters, and the results have alarmed scientists. In the 1980s, experts estimated that more than a million monarchs spent the winter on the coast. By 2020, volunteers counted fewer than two thousand. Researchers point to several causes, including the loss of milkweed, the only plant monarch caterpillars can eat, as well as pesticide use and changes in climate.

Counts rose to more than two hundred thousand in the next few winters, but then dropped sharply again. Scientists caution that the population can change quickly from year to year. Many communities are now planting native milkweed and protecting winter groves to give the butterflies a better chance.

1. What is the main idea of the passage? (A) Monarch butterflies can only survive the winter in eucalyptus trees. (B) Volunteers enjoy counting butterflies each year at Thanksgiving. (C) Western monarch numbers have dropped sharply and remain unstable. (D) Milkweed plants grow best in groves along the California coast.
2. According to the passage, why do monarchs gather in tight clusters? (A) To conserve heat and energy (B) To hide from volunteers (C) To find milkweed to eat (D) To prepare to lay eggs
3. In the last paragraph, what does the word “caution” mean? (A) celebrate (B) discover (C) disagree (D) warn

Part 2 — Read a Short Informational Passage

Read the passage. Then answer the questions.

What Is a Credit Score?

When you apply for a car loan, an apartment, or a credit card, the company will often check your credit score. A credit score is a three-digit number, usually between 300 and 850, that estimates how likely you are to repay borrowed money on time. The higher the score, the less risky you appear to lenders, and the lower the interest rate you are likely to be offered.

Several factors shape a credit score. The most important is payment history. Paying every bill on time, month after month, builds a strong record, while late payments can lower a score for years. The amount you owe compared with your credit limits also matters; using only a small portion of your available credit tends to help. The length of your credit history counts, too.

Many young adults have no credit history at all, which can make borrowing difficult. Opening one small account, keeping the balance low, and paying the full amount each month is a common way to begin building credit responsibly.

1. What is the author's main purpose? (A) To persuade readers to apply for a car loan (B) To explain what a credit score is and what affects it (C) To compare different types of credit cards (D) To warn readers never to borrow money
2. According to the passage, which factor is the most important in a credit score? (A) The length of credit history (B) The number of accounts a person has (C) The amount of money a person earns (D) Whether bills are paid on time
3. Based on the passage, which statement is most likely true? (A) A person with a higher score will probably pay less interest on a loan. (B) A person with no credit history has the highest possible score. (C) Using all of your available credit helps your score. (D) Credit scores are only checked when someone buys a house.

Part 3 — Read a Student Essay

Read the essay a student wrote. Then answer the questions.

Why Our School Should Expand Dual Enrollment

(1) Many high school juniors and seniors are ready for a bigger academic challenge than their regular classes can offer. (2) Our school should expand its dual enrollment program so that more students can take college classes while still in high school. (3) Dual enrollment allows students to earn high school and college credit at the same time. (4) Right now, only twelve students at our school participate, and most of them found out about the program by accident.

(5) The first benefit is cost. (6) In California, community college classes taken through dual enrollment are usually free for high school students. (7) A student who completes four or five classes before graduation could save a family hundreds or even thousands of dollars in tuition later.

(8) The second benefit is confidence. (9) My cousin took a psychology course at the community college during her junior year. (10) She said the course, which met twice a week in the evening, taught her how to manage long reading assignments without a teacher reminding her every day. (11) The college campus also has a very large parking lot. (12) When she started at a university, she already knew how to study like a college student.

(13) Some people worry that college classes are too difficult for teenagers. (14) This concern is understandable. (15) However, students could be required to meet with a counselor before enrolling in their first college course. (16) The counselor could help each student choose one class that matches his or her interests and schedule.

(17) To make the program grow, our school needs to do two things. (18) First, counselors should present the program in every junior English class each fall so that no one misses the chance. (19) Second, the school could offer a bus pass or a carpool list for students who need rides to the college campus. (20) Dual enrollment gives students a head start on college, and it is a good thing.

1. Which sentence states the writer's main claim? (A) Sentence 1 (B) Sentence 2 (C) Sentence 3 (D) Sentence 5
2. Which sentence does NOT support the ideas in the third paragraph and should be removed? (A) Sentence 9 (B) Sentence 10 (C) Sentence 11 (D) Sentence 12
3. Which transition would best fit at the beginning of sentence 12? (A) As a result, (B) In contrast, (C) For example, (D) Nevertheless,
4. What is the best way to combine sentences 13 and 14? (A) Some people worry that college classes are too difficult for teenagers, this concern is understandable. (B) Some people worry, understandably, and college classes are too difficult for teenagers. (C) Although college classes are too difficult for teenagers, some people worry. (D) Some people worry, understandably, that college classes are too difficult for teenagers.
5. Which revision of sentence 20 makes the strongest conclusion? (A) Dual enrollment gives students a head start on college, and it is a nice thing for students. (B) Dual enrollment gives students a head start on college, so our school should expand it. (C) Dual enrollment is something that some schools in California have, and others do not. (D) Dual enrollment gives students a head start, but some of the college classes are hard.
6. The writer wants to add this sentence: “Students who earn college credits early may also be able to finish college sooner, which saves even more money.” Where would it best fit? (A) After sentence 3 (B) After sentence 7 (C) After sentence 10 (D) After sentence 16
7. Which sentence best supports the idea that students need more information about the program? (A) Sentence 4 (B) Sentence 6 (C) Sentence 9 (D) Sentence 15
8. In sentence 19, which word should replace “could” to match the strength of sentence 18? (A) might (B) would (C) should (D) can

Part 4 — Read a Literary Passage

Read the story. Then answer the questions.

The Last Shift

[1] The bell above the door of Harlow's Diner jingled at 5:58 a.m., two minutes before opening, the way it had every Saturday for four years. Owen Blake tied his apron, flipped the sign to OPEN, and switched on the old coffee machine, which groaned like a tired dog being asked to get up.

[2] “Last one,” said Mrs. Pratt from behind the counter. She did not look up from the order pads she was sorting, but Owen noticed she had sorted the same stack twice.

[3] “Last one,” he agreed. In four days he would be on a plane to Boston, where a dorm room the size of a walk-in closet was waiting for him. He had pictured this moment for months: the new city, the new classes, the independence. He had not pictured the lump that now sat in his throat.

[4] The regulars arrived in their usual order. Mr. Duffy took the corner booth and asked for “the usual, and don't tell my doctor.” The Walsh twins, who were in fourth grade, argued over who got the seat closest to the pie case. A nurse coming off the night shift ordered pancakes and nearly fell asleep over them. Owen knew all their orders by heart. He realized, pouring Mr. Duffy's coffee, that nobody in Boston would know his.

[5] When Owen had first started at the diner at fourteen, he had been so shy that he wrote the daily specials on a notepad so he would not have to say them out loud. Mrs. Pratt had taken the notepad away on his second day. “People don't come here just for eggs,” she had told him. “They come to be seen. Look them in the eye.” It had felt like being pushed into a cold pool. Now he could talk to anyone.

[6] Around ten, the rush thinned. Mrs. Pratt set a slice of lemon pie on the counter in front of the stool where he sometimes did his homework.

[7] “I didn't order that,” Owen said.

[8] “It's not an order. It's a bribe. You'll send me a postcard.”

[9] He laughed, but when he looked up, her eyes were shiny. She turned quickly toward the grill and began scraping it with far more energy than it needed.

[10] At noon, Mr. Duffy stood up slowly and walked to the register. Instead of handing over his usual bills, he placed an envelope on the counter. On the front, in shaky capital letters, it said FOR THE COLLEGE MAN. Inside was a card signed by what seemed like half the town—the Walsh twins had signed in purple marker—and a gift card for a bookstore near his new campus.

[11] “We took a collection,” Mr. Duffy said. “Didn't want you living on instant noodles and reading nothing.”

[12] Owen opened his mouth, but for once, the words Mrs. Pratt had taught him to find would not come. He simply nodded, and Mr. Duffy nodded back, and that seemed to be enough.

[13] At two o'clock, Owen untied his apron for the last time and hung it on the hook by the kitchen door. Mrs. Pratt took it down again and pressed it into his hands.

[14] “Keep it,” she said. “So you remember what you're capable of.”

[15] Outside, the afternoon sun made the diner's windows glow. Owen stood on the sidewalk for a long moment, the folded apron under his arm. For months he had thought of leaving as a door closing behind him. Now, holding the apron, he thought it might be more like a door he could always walk back through.

1. Which statement best expresses a theme of the story? (A) Hard work at any job always leads to a large reward. (B) It is better to stay in your hometown than to move away. (C) Young people should not have jobs while they are still in school. (D) Leaving is hard, but the people and lessons of home stay with us.
2. In paragraph 1, what does the comparison of the coffee machine to “a tired dog being asked to get up” suggest? (A) The machine is old and slow to start. (B) The machine is broken and cannot be used. (C) The machine makes the diner feel like a home for pets. (D) The machine is the newest thing in the diner.
3. What does paragraph 2 suggest about Mrs. Pratt? (A) She is too busy with work to talk to Owen. (B) She is angry that Owen is late again. (C) She is sad Owen is leaving but hides it. (D) She has forgotten that it is Owen's last day.
4. How has Owen changed since he started working at the diner? (A) He has become less interested in his customers. (B) He has grown from shy to confident with people. (C) He has learned to cook every dish on the menu. (D) He has decided not to go to college.
5. From which point of view is the story told? (A) Owen, who tells the story using “I” (B) Mrs. Pratt, who describes her best employee (C) A narrator who shares the thoughts of every character (D) A narrator who shares mainly Owen's thoughts and feelings
6. How does the last paragraph develop the story's ideas? (A) It shows that Owen now sees leaving as something he can return from. (B) It shows that Owen has decided to stay and work at the diner. (C) It shows that Owen is still afraid of moving to Boston. (D) It shows that the diner is closing for good.

Part 5 — Read an Informational Passage

Read the passage. Then answer the questions.

The Tiny Switch That Changed the World

[1] Look at almost any device you use today—a phone, a laptop, a car's dashboard, even a microwave—and you will find electronics that depend on a tiny part called the transistor. A transistor is a switch with no moving parts. It can turn an electric current on or off, or it can make a weak electrical signal stronger. Put billions of these switches together, and you have the “brain” of a modern computer.

[2] Before transistors, electronic devices relied on vacuum tubes. These glass tubes, roughly the size of a light bulb, could also control electric current, and they made radio, television, and the first electronic computers possible. But vacuum tubes had serious drawbacks. They were bulky, they gave off a great deal of heat, they used large amounts of power, and they burned out often. ENIAC, one of the first general-purpose electronic computers, was unveiled in 1946. It used about 18,000 vacuum tubes and filled a large room, and workers spent much of their time finding and replacing tubes that had failed.

[3] In the 1940s, scientists at Bell Telephone Laboratories in New Jersey set out to find a smaller, more reliable replacement. They studied semiconductors, materials such as germanium and silicon that conduct electricity better than an insulator but not as well as a metal like copper. In December 1947, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain demonstrated the first working transistor. It was a clumsy-looking device made from a slab of germanium, strips of gold foil, and a plastic wedge, but it could amplify a signal. In 1956, Bardeen, Brattain, and their team leader, William Shockley, shared the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work.

[4] At first, transistors appeared in products such as hearing aids and small radios. Transistor radios, which became popular in the 1950s, were small enough to carry anywhere, and they changed how young people listened to music. Computers also began switching from tubes to transistors in the late 1950s, becoming smaller, faster, and far more dependable.

[5] The next leap came when engineers learned to build many transistors, and the connections between them, on a single piece of material. In 1958, an engineer in Texas named Jack Kilby built the first integrated circuit. A few months later, Robert Noyce in California developed a silicon version that was easier to manufacture. Instead of wiring individual parts together by hand, factories could now produce complete circuits on a small chip.

[6] From then on, progress was remarkably fast. In 1965, engineer Gordon Moore observed that the number of transistors that could fit on a chip was doubling about every year; he later changed his estimate to about every two years. This prediction, known as Moore's law, held true for decades. The first microprocessors, made in the early 1970s, contained a few thousand transistors. Today, a single chip in a smartphone can hold billions of them, and each one is so small that more than a thousand could fit side by side across the width of a human hair.

[7] Engineers now face new challenges. As the smallest parts of transistors shrink to just a few dozen atoms across, it becomes harder to make them smaller without problems such as overheating and leaking current. Researchers are experimenting with new materials and designs to keep improving performance. Whatever comes next, it will build on a small, strange-looking device first demonstrated in a New Jersey laboratory more than seventy-five years ago.

1. What is the central idea of the passage? (A) Vacuum tubes are still the best way to control electric current. (B) Bell Laboratories was the most important company of the 1900s. (C) The transistor replaced vacuum tubes and made modern electronics possible. (D) Moore's law will continue to be true forever.
2. According to paragraph 2, what was one drawback of vacuum tubes? (A) They could not control electric current. (B) They were made of germanium. (C) They were too small to handle. (D) They burned out often and had to be replaced.
3. In paragraph 3, what does the word “amplify” mean? (A) measure (B) make stronger (C) turn off (D) send far away
4. Why does the author mention transistor radios in paragraph 4? (A) To explain how radio signals travel (B) To show that radios were more important than computers (C) To give an example of how transistors changed everyday life (D) To prove that vacuum tubes were better for music
5. How is paragraph 6 mainly organized? (A) It describes changes in chips over time. (B) It compares two inventors' opinions. (C) It explains a problem and several solutions. (D) It lists the steps for building a chip.
6. Which sentence from the passage best supports the idea that transistors have become extremely small? (A) “A transistor is a switch with no moving parts.” (B) “These glass tubes, roughly the size of a light bulb, could also control electric current …” (C) “It was a clumsy-looking device made from a slab of germanium …” (D) “… each one is so small that more than a thousand could fit side by side across the width of a human hair.”

Part 1 — Describe a Picture

Look at the picture. Your class is writing about volunteer projects. Your partner wrote a paragraph about the picture. Read your partner's paragraph. Then answer the questions.

Part 2 — Describe a Picture

Look at the picture. Your class is writing about volunteer projects. Your partner wrote a paragraph about the picture. Read your partner's paragraph. Then answer the questions.

Part 3 — Write About an Experience

Read the question. Then write your answer in the box. Write a paragraph.

Part 4 — Write About Academic Information

Look at the graphic organizer. Then answer the question.

Part 5 — Write About Academic Information

Look at the graphic organizer again. Then answer the question.

Part 6 — Justify an Opinion

Read the information. Then write your answer in the box.