How Hard is the Exit Exam?

February 2006
The CAHSEE is a pass/fail test consisting of two parts—English language arts and math. The English section covers California’s content standards through 10th grade in a multiple-choice format with one essay. The math section, also multiple-choice, covers math standards through 6th and 7th grade and Algebra I. Students must score approximately 55% in math and 60% in English to pass. The essay counts for 20% of the English test score. (The state expects to raise the minimum passing scores over time.)

If students pass one section of the test, they do not take that section again. The CAHSEE is not a timed test, though the state expects that most students will take three to four hours on each section. The test is administered over two days.

Students who progress through grades 10–12 at the normal pace have six opportunities to pass the test during high school—once as sophomores, twice as juniors, and three times as seniors—one of which can be after graduation.

In math, the exam includes statistics, data analysis and probability, number sense, measurement and geometry, mathematical reasoning, and algebra. It also includes questions on working with decimals, fractions, and percents to test students’ knowledge of computation and arithmetic.

The English portion tests students’ reading and writing abilities, including questions on vocabulary, decoding, comprehension, and analysis of information. It also has questions on writing strategies and the fundamentals of the English language, such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

The class of 2004 was the first to take the CAHSEE, but concern about adequate time to learn the material led policymakers to postpone the exit exam requirement until the class of 2006, thereby giving schools more time to implement standards-based curricula.

Sample questions

Three Sample Math Questions:

1. Heather flipped a coin five times, and each time it came up heads. If Heather flips the coin one more time, what is the theoretical probability that it will come up tails?

1. 1/6
2. 1/2
3. 3/5
4. 5/6

2. Three-fourths of the 36 members of a club attended a meeting. Ten of those attending the meeting were female. Which one of the following questions can be answered with the information given?

1. How many males are in the club?
2. How many females are in the club?
3. How many male members of the club attended the meeting?
4. How many female members of the club did not attend the meeting?

3. If x is an integer, what is the solution to | x - 3| < 1?

1. {-3}
2. {-3, -2, -1, 0, 1}
3. {3}
4. {-1, 0, 1, 2, 3}

Three Sample English Questions:

1. What does the phrase "disappear over the horizon" mean in the following sentence?

The reward in working with a trained falcon is the companionship of creatures that can choose at any time to disappear over the horizon forever.

1. return to the falconer
2. abandon the falconer
3. go behind some trees
4. fly very high

2. Fill in the blank

_______________ going to be late if they don’t hurry.

1. They’re
2. Their
3. There
4. They’ll

3. Some students at your school expressed an interest in making the school more attractive by getting rid of the trash on the school grounds.

Write a persuasive essay for your school paper in which you convince the readers of the importance of getting rid of the trash and making the school more attractive. Convince your readers through the use of specific reasons and examples.

Answers

Math

1. B
2. C
3. C

English

1. B
2. A

For a more in-depth look at the CAHSEE, see:

The California High School Exit Exam Gets Real