Last Updated on May 23, 2024
VCLA Writing Practice Test 2024 (20 Sample Question Answer): Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment VCLA writing test prep. Try our free VCLA Writing Practice Test multiple choice question answers. You can also download PDF.
The original Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLATM) consists of two subtests: a reading subtest and a writing subtest. The VCLA Writing subtest consists of 41 multiple-choice questions, three short-answer items, a writing summary assignment, and a writing composition assignment.
Read the directions for the multiple-choice questions, then read each multiple-choice question carefully and choose the ONE best answer out of the four answer choices provided. Record your answer to each question on the Multiple-Choice Answer Sheet provided. Read the directions for the short-answer items, then read and respond to each item using the lines below each item.
VCLA Writing Practice Test 2024
| Test Name | VCLA Practice Test 2024 |
| Section | Writing |
| Test type | Sample Writing Practice Test |
| Total MCQs | 20 |
| VCLA Web site | www.va.nesinc.com |
Q1. Read this sentence.
Before she participates in the recital, Bridget is been putting in hours of practice.
Which of these is the most accurate and effective revision to the sentence?
- A. Before she participates in the recital, Bridget will put in hours of practice.
- B. Bridget been putting in hours of practice before participating in the recital.
- C. Having participated in the recital, Bridget putting in hours of practice.
- D. Participating in the recital, Bridget will be putting in hours of practice.
Q2. Which of these sentences includes a misspelled word?
- A. The photographer asked the bridal party to align themselves along the stone wall.
- B. His camera was profesional quality, of course; he makes a living taking pictures.
- C. The groom, a lawyer by occupation, towered over his diminutive bride.
- D. Groomsmen in tuxedos accompanied a bevy of elegant bridesmaids.
Q3. Read the paragraph.
The right to vote is something we often take for granted in our free
society. Rest assured that people in newly democratized nations take
it far more seriously. After the end of apartheid, some South African
voters waited patiently for 12 hours to cast their first vote for a
multiracial slate of candidates.
Which sentence best concludes this paragraph?
- A. The voting process must be changed to accommodate urban voters.
- B. South Africa’s National Assembly is made up of 400 representatives.
- C. There are many arguments about which nation is the world’s oldest democracy.
- D. On Election Day, we would do well to remember how crucial a right this is.
Q4. Which of these sentences is punctuated correctly?
- A. The New Visions program, offers high school seniors a nontraditional year of study.
- B. New Visions offers courses in two areas: Life Sciences, and Health and Medical Careers.
- C. Students in New Visions earn concurrent enrollment credits, with the local community college.
- D. Selection into New Visions is based upon grades, recommendations, an interview, and essays.
Q5. Read this sentence.
It was not surprising that we had all awoken at the same instant, since
the crowing of the rooster was not something that most of us, being
from the city, were used to.
Which revision of the sentence best expresses the idea precisely and concisely?
- A. Unsurprising that we had all awoken at the same instant, being that the rooster’s crowing was not something we were used to, being from the city.
- B. Since the crowing of the rooster was unfamiliar to us city-dwellers, it was not surprising that we all awoke at the same instant.
- C. Given that we were from the city and therefore unused to the crowing of a rooster, it was unsurprising that we had all awoken at the same instant.
- D. Waking at the same instant was unsurprising for us who were from the city, unused to crowing roosters.
Q6. Which of these sentences is punctuated correctly?
- A. Mr. Penn’s course on writing fiction was well-attended.
- B. He liked to break-down the writing process into steps.
- C. All thirty-two of the students wrote fiction weekly.
- D. Mr. Penn had to grade all of those cleverly-written stories.
Read this excerpt of a draft of an essay. Then answer questions 7 and 8.
1 Manga are Japanese comics, illustrated in a particular style that
goes back over a century. 2 Although they have been popular in
Japan for decades, manga have only recently become a worldwide
phenomenon.
3 Anime such as Sailor Moon introduced manga characters to
new fans in the United States. 4 The popular Pokemon anime drew in
young viewers and readers. 5 More mature anime such as the Ghost
in the Shell series appealed to an older audience. 6 Today, Japanese
artists are not the only ones creating manga; many American and
European cartoonists have adopted the distinctive style.
Q7. Which sentence would be the most effective addition to the end of the first paragraph?
- A. Since the late 1900s, graphic novels have become increasingly popular.
- B. The author of a manga is known as a mangaka; most mangaka are professional artists.
- C. People outside Japan often first encountered manga through its animated form, anime.
- D. Manga may be serialized in comic books or published in longer graphic novels.
Q8. How could sentences 4 and 5 best be combined?
- A. The popular Pokemon anime drew in young viewers and readers, whereas more mature anime such as the Ghost in the Shell series appealed to an older audience.
- B. Because the popular Pokemon anime drew in young viewers and readers, more mature anime such as the Ghost in the Shell series appealed to an older audience.
- C. The popularity of Pokemon anime and the appeal of more mature anime such as the Ghost in the Shell series drew in young viewers and readers as well as an older audience.
- D. Drawn to Pokemon anime were younger viewers and readers; older audiences were appealed to by more mature anime such as the Ghost in the Shell series.
Q9. Read the paragraph.
They include familiar metals such as gold, silver, platinum, and
copper; but they also include less well-known metals—rhodium,
ruthenium, palladium, osmium, and iridium. These noble metals are
relatively rare, and many are therefore precious.
Which sentence would best open the paragraph to introduce the topic?
- A. The noble metals, unlike base metals, do not corrode or rust.
- B. The English chemist William Hyde Wollaston discovered two noble metals.
- C. Platinum and gold, being resistant to tarnish, make fine jewelry.
- D. A metal may be an element, a compound, or an alloy.
Q10. Read this sentence.
Emmanuel Vargas, a recent arrival from Spain, gave us a rousing speech.
How could you revise the sentence to stress the quality of the speech?
- A. A recent arrival from Spain named Emmanuel Vargas gave us a rousing speech.
- B. We heard a rousing speech from Emmanuel Vargas, a recent arrival from Spain.
- C. Emmanuel Vargas gave us a rousing speech; he is a recent arrival from Spain.
- D. A recent arrival from Spain, Emmanuel Vargas, gave us a rousing speech.
Q11. Which of these sentences contains an error or errors in capitalization?
- A. Did your English class read To Kill a Mockingbird this spring?
- B. You should definitely read Harper Lee’s masterwork more than once.
- C. Young children enjoy the story of Scout, her brother, and their friend Dill.
- D. Older readers understand the underlying themes of Racism and Empathy.
Read this excerpt of a draft of an essay. Then answer questions 12–14.
1 State lotteries are popular games in all but six of the United States. 2 _____ they are an important source of revenue for those states, they appeal most to those people who can least afford the cost of a ticket.
3 Lotteries also contribute to the gambling epidemic. 4 Many people in Gamblers Anonymous report relying on the weekly purchase of lottery tickets to fulfill their craving. 5 It is not uncommon for such gamblers to spend $50 a week on tickets. 6 The odds of winning a lottery are astronomical; it is truly a sucker’s game. 7 The odds of winning a game with 6 numbers drawn out of 49 are 1 in 13,983,816. 8 There is even a website on which you can plug in numbers to determine your odds in any given game.
Q12. Which word would best fit in the blank in sentence 2 to clarify the transition between ideas?
- A. Since
- B. Nonetheless
- C. Although
- D. Assuming
Q13. Which sentence would be the most effective addition to the end of the first paragraph?
- A. Usually, the higher the cost of a lottery ticket, the more money can be collected by the lucky winner.
- B. Lotteries are often called “a tax on the poor” because households with the lowest incomes spend as much as 5 percent of their earnings on tickets.
- C. There are ample stories, true or exaggerated, about lottery winners who blew through their winnings and lost everything.
- D. Some people use birthdates to pick their lucky numbers; others simply let the lottery machine randomly pick for them.
Q14. Where might the author add a paragraph break to better organize the text?
- A. between sentences 4 and 5
- B. between sentences 5 and 6
- C. between sentences 6 and 7
- D. between sentences 7 and 8
Q15. Read this sentence.
When I took the algebra test, I was a bit concerned beforehand
because I had not taken a course in algebra (or used the skill,
actually) for at least a year.
Which of these is the most accurate and effective revision to the sentence?
- A. In taking the algebra test, I was concerned a bit beforehand due to not having taken an algebra course or used the actual skill for at least a year.
- B. Before taking the algebra test, I was a bit concerned, having not taken a course in algebra or actually not used the skill for at least a year.
- C. Not taking an algebra course or using the skill for about a year made me concerned beforehand on taking the algebra test.
- D. I was a bit concerned before taking the algebra test because I had neither taken an algebra course nor used the skill for at least a year.
Q16. Which of these sentences contains a misspelled word?
- A. Devin knew that attendance at a good college was something worth pursuing.
- B. His principal concern was financial; college would be expensive!
- C. He luckily landed a job as a maintainance worker at his former school.
- D. The salary was more than adequate, and Devin could work evenings and nights.
Q17. Read this sentence.
Wanda has always lived in the city, for that reason, she does not yet have a driver’s license.
What change should be made to correct the sentence’s punctuation?
- A. Change the first comma to a semicolon.
- B. Change the second comma to a semicolon.
- C. Eliminate the apostrophe.
- D. Eliminate both commas.
Q18. Read this sentence.
An award for “most-improved writer” was given to Jabez by the committee.
Which revision of the sentence is most correct and concise?
- A. By the committee was given an award for “most-improved writer” to Jabez.
- B. Jabez received from the committee an award for “most-improved writer.”
- C. The committee gave Jabez an award for “most-improved writer.”
- D. The award by the committee for “most-improved writer” was given to Jabez.
Q19. Read the paragraph.
If “chance favors the prepared mind,” as Louis Pasteur once said, it may not really matter whether you study with a specific career in mind. By getting a sound, basic, well-rounded education, you will prepare your mind to be ready for any opportunity. It is not easy to predict today what careers will be available four or five years from now.
Which sentence best concludes this paragraph?
- A. A decade ago, few could have predicted the rise of handheld devices.
- B. Studying a broad range of subjects may prepare you best for any eventuality.
- C. If Louis Pasteur were living today, he would be amazed at the possibilities.
- D. Focusing on technology or engineering is probably your best bet.
Q20. Which of these sentences contains a grammatical error?
- A. Either Danielle or her sisters are planning the event.
- B. Marianne and Felicia have the list of invited guests.
- C. Danielle and she will arrange for all of the food.
- D. You should respond to she or Marianne this week.
See also:
VCLA Practice Test 2024 with Study Guide (Official)
VCLA Reading Practice Test 2024
VCLA Writing Practice Test 2024
Sample Reading Tests
Sample Math Tests
Sample English Grammar Tests
Sample Critical Reading Tests