HSPT practice, Grade 8

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Scholar Tests · Set 3

HSPT practice test, Grade 8

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Verbal Skills

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 5 minutes.

  1. 1.

    Which word does NOT belong with the others?

    1. Arectangle
    2. Bpentagon
    3. Ccircle
    4. Doctagon
  2. 2.

    NOVICE

    Which word means most nearly the same as the word in capital letters?

    1. Astudent
    2. Bexpert
    3. Cneighbor
    4. Dbeginner
  3. 3.

    Priya has more than 35 marbles. Hector has fewer marbles than Priya.
    Hector has more than 35 marbles.

    If the first two statements are true, the third statement (in bold) is

    1. Atrue
    2. Bfalse
    3. Cuncertain
  4. 4.

    PENSIVE

    Which word means the OPPOSITE of the word in capital letters?

    1. Acarefree
    2. Bthoughtful
    3. Csad
    4. Dexpensive
  5. 5.

    HAUGHTY

    Which word means most nearly the same as the word in capital letters?

    1. Aarrogant
    2. Bhungry
    3. Chumble
    4. Dhasty
  6. 6.

    Which word does NOT belong with the others?

    1. Asalamander
    2. Blizard
    3. Cturtle
    4. Dsnake
  7. 7.

    Drought is to water as famine is to

    1. Afarm
    2. Bhunger
    3. Cmoney
    4. Dfood
  8. 8.

    Which word does NOT belong with the others?

    1. Amicroscopic
    2. Bhefty
    3. Cpetite
    4. Dtiny
  9. 9.

    Iris has more than 20 marbles. Wes has fewer marbles than Iris.
    Wes has more than 20 marbles.

    If the first two statements are true, the third statement (in bold) is

    1. Atrue
    2. Bfalse
    3. Cuncertain
  10. 10.

    Fable is to moral as riddle is to

    1. Aanswer
    2. Bjoke
    3. Cquestion
    4. Dstory

Quantitative Skills

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 6 minutes.

  1. 1.

    (a) half of 62
    (b) 186 ÷ 6
    (c) 42 ÷ 6

    Look at (a), (b) and (c). Which statement is true?

    1. A(b) is greater than (a).
    2. B(b) = (c), and both are less than (a).
    3. C(c) is greater than (a).
    4. D(b) is greater than (c).
  2. 2.

    Half of a number is 7 more than 21. What is the number?

    1. A56
    2. B14
    3. C57
    4. D28
  3. 3.

    Look at the three figures. Each is cut into equal parts.

    Which statement is true?

    1. AThe shaded parts of (a) and (b) together are as large as the shaded part of (c).
    2. B(b) and (c) are equally shaded, and both are more shaded than (a).
    3. C(a) and (c) are equally shaded, and both are less shaded than (b).
    4. D(a) and (c) are equally shaded, and both are more shaded than (b).
  4. 4.

    Look at this series: 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100, ...

    What number should come next?

    1. A119
    2. B122
    3. C142
    4. D121
  5. 5.

    What is 10% of the sum of 14 and 6?

    1. A20
    2. B7
    3. C10
    4. D2
  6. 6.

    (a) 9 × 2
    (b) 1/3 of 111
    (c) (2 + 1) × 4

    Look at (a), (b) and (c). Which statement is true?

    1. A(c) > (a) > (b)
    2. B(b) > (a) > (c)
    3. C(a) = (c), and both are less than (b).
    4. D(c) > (b) > (a)
  7. 7.

    Look at this series: 16, 20, 25, 31, 38, 46, 55, ...

    What number should come next?

    1. A65
    2. B74
    3. C64
    4. D63
  8. 8.

    Look at the three figures. Each is cut into equal parts.

    Which statement is true?

    1. A(a) is more shaded than (c) but less shaded than (b).
    2. B(c) is more shaded than (a) but less shaded than (b).
    3. C(a) and (c) are equally shaded.
    4. D(b) is more shaded than (c) but less shaded than (a).
  9. 9.

    What is the average of 12, 5 and 19?

    1. A13
    2. B36
    3. C12
    4. D18
  10. 10.

    Look at this series: 6, 11, 18, 27, 38, 51, 66, ...

    What number should come next?

    1. A85
    2. B98
    3. C83
    4. D51

Reading

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 5 minutes.

  1. Earth's Traveling Water

    The water in your glass may once have fallen as snow on a mountain, floated in a cloud over the ocean, or flowed through a river. That is because Earth's water is always moving, in a never-ending journey called the water cycle.

    The cycle is powered by the sun. When sunlight warms oceans, lakes and puddles, some of the water evaporates, turning from liquid into an invisible gas called water vapor. Plants add more vapor through their leaves. The warm, moist air rises.

    As the air rises, it cools. Cool air cannot hold as much water vapor as warm air, so some of the vapor condenses into tiny droplets of liquid water. Billions of these droplets, gathered around specks of dust, form clouds.

    Inside a cloud, droplets bump into one another and join together. When they grow heavy enough, they fall as precipitation: rain, snow, sleet or hail, depending on the temperature.

    Precipitation that reaches the ground does several things. Some soaks into the soil and becomes groundwater, which can feed wells and springs. Some runs off into streams and rivers that carry it back to the sea. Some freezes into glaciers and may stay there for thousands of years before it melts and moves on.

    Almost all of Earth's water is salty ocean water, and much of the fresh water is locked in ice. Only a small fraction is fresh water that people can easily use. The water cycle constantly renews that supply, which is one reason keeping rivers, lakes and groundwater clean matters so much.

    1.

    Which statement best expresses the main idea of the passage?

    1. APlants use up most of Earth's water.
    2. BMost of Earth's water is frozen in glaciers.
    3. CEarth's water constantly moves through a cycle powered by the sun.
    4. DGroundwater is the only safe drinking water.
  2. 2.

    What causes water vapor to condense into droplets?

    1. AThe air rises and cools.
    2. BThe sun heats the ocean.
    3. CDroplets bump into each other.
    4. DPlants release vapor from their leaves.
  3. 3.

    Based on the passage, why is keeping fresh water clean especially important?

    1. AFresh water never returns to the ocean.
    2. BGlaciers melt only when water is clean.
    3. CSalt water cannot form clouds.
    4. DOnly a small part of Earth's water is fresh water that people can easily use.
  4. 4.

    In the passage, the word "renews" most nearly means

    1. Arefills or makes fresh again
    2. Bfreezes
    3. Cuses up
    4. Dmeasures
  5. 5.

    How does the writer organize the description of the water cycle?

    1. ABy arguing against a common belief
    2. BBy listing the countries with the most rain
    3. CBy following the water through each stage in order
    4. DBy describing problems and their solutions

  6. Second Chair

    The list was taped to the band room door, and a knot of students had already gathered in front of it. Elena slipped between two trombone players and found her name. Violin, second chair.

    Second. Not first. Just behind Marcus, who had joined the orchestra in January and who, as far as Elena could tell, never practiced at all.

    She walked home without stopping at the corner store, without noticing the dog that always barked at her from the green house. At dinner she pushed rice around her plate until her father asked what was wrong.

    "I practiced every day," she said. "Every single day. And Marcus got first chair."

    Her father nodded slowly. "Did you hear him play the audition piece?"

    Elena hesitated. She had. Marcus had played the slow middle section so softly that the whole room had gone still. She had played every note correctly. He had played it as if the music meant something.

    "He made it sound sad," she admitted. "I just made it sound right."

    "Then maybe," her father said, "you already know what to practice next."

    The next afternoon, Elena stayed after rehearsal. Marcus was packing up his case. She almost walked past him. Instead, she stopped.

    "How do you make the slow part sound like that?" she asked.

    Marcus looked surprised, and then a little shy. "I imagine I'm telling someone something I can't say out loud," he said. "My grandpa taught me that." He paused. "You play the fast part way better than me, though. Want to trade tips?"

    Elena unpacked her violin. "Deal," she said.

    6.

    Which statement best describes the main conflict of the story?

    1. AElena is disappointed that she placed behind another player and must decide how to respond.
    2. BElena cannot find the list of chair placements.
    3. CElena and Marcus argue about who should play the slow section.
    4. DMarcus refuses to share his music with Elena.
  7. 7.

    Which word means almost the same as inexpensive but has a more positive connotation?

    1. Aaffordable
    2. Bstraightforward
    3. Cdiscerning
    4. Dcheap
  8. 8.

    Which word means "complete control of a product or business by one company"?

    1. Aproton
    2. Bmonopoly
    3. Cvelocity
    4. Dabolitionist
  9. 9.

    The guide words on a dictionary page are diverse and dove.

    Which word would you find on that page?

    1. Adecomposer
    2. Bdeference
    3. Cdocile
    4. Ddespondent
  10. 10.

    The brazen thief stole the bike in broad daylight, right in front of the police station.

    What does the word brazen mean in this sentence?

    1. Ashy and careful
    2. Bopenly bold, without any shame
    3. Cslow and tired
    4. Dkind and gentle

Mathematics

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 7 minutes.

  1. 1.

    Which inequality is the solution of 9x + 10 ≤ 19?

    1. Ax ≥ 1
    2. Bx ≤ 29/9
    3. Cx ≤ −1
    4. Dx ≤ 1
  2. 2.

    The dot plot shows how many goals a soccer team scored in each game of its season. What is the median number of goals?

    1. A3
    2. B6
    3. C2
    4. D4
  3. 3.

    A rectangular vegetable garden is 23 yd long and 10 yd wide. A path 3 yd wide runs all the way around the outside of it. What is the area of the path?

    1. A234 sq yd
    2. B270 sq yd
    3. C108 sq yd
    4. D198 sq yd
  4. 4.

    In a bag, the ratio of blue to white tiles is 5 : 3, and the ratio of white to black tiles is 1 : 5. What is the ratio of blue to black in simplest form?

    1. A25 : 3
    2. B1 : 5
    3. C5 : 3
    4. D1 : 3
  5. 5.

    How many tickets were sold at Chess altogether over the two months?

    1. A39
    2. B44
    3. C54
    4. D34
  6. 6.

    The two lines with arrowheads on them are parallel. What is the size of the angle marked with a question mark?

    1. A105°
    2. B75°
    3. C15°
    4. D115°
  7. 7.

    Angle M and angle N are complementary. Angle M measures 74°. What is the measure of angle N?

    1. A164°
    2. B16°
    3. C106°
    4. D74°
  8. 8.

    A wildlife park holds only turkeys and raccoons. Altogether there are 39 animals and 120 legs. How many turkeys are there?

    1. A30
    2. B60
    3. C81
    4. D18
  9. 9.

    As a decimal, 1/13 = 0.076923076923..., where the digits 076923 repeat forever. What is the 23rd digit after the decimal point?

    1. A2
    2. B6
    3. C9
    4. D3
  10. 10.

    Start at 416 and count back in steps of 8. What is the first number you reach that is less than 154?

    1. A144
    2. B152
    3. C160
    4. D168

Language

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 5 minutes.

  1. 1.

    Which sentence has a mistake in capitalization, punctuation or usage?

    If none of them has a mistake, choose "No mistakes."

    1. AThe Garcias and we shared a campsite at Yellowstone last summer.
    2. BA short video will precede the main presentation at the assembly.
    3. COur neighbor left a note on the front door for my brother and me.
    4. DNo mistakes
  2. 2.

    Which sentence has a mistake in capitalization, punctuation or usage?

    If none of them has a mistake, choose "No mistakes."

    1. AThe students who finished their projects early were allowed to read quietly.
    2. BNeither the twins nor their older brother is at home right now.
    3. CMs. Grant, our homeroom teacher, chose Jalen and he to lead the tour for new families.
    4. DNo mistakes
  3. 3.

    Which sentence has a mistake in capitalization, punctuation or usage?

    If none of them has a mistake, choose "No mistakes."

    1. AWe finished our lab report, and than we washed the beakers.
    2. BDivers carry air tanks so they can breathe underwater.
    3. CAfter the game, they and their coach went out for pizza.
    4. DNo mistakes
  4. 4.

    Which sentence has a mistake in capitalization, punctuation or usage?

    If none of them has a mistake, choose "No mistakes."

    1. AUncle Ray taught my sister and me his recipe for cornbread.
    2. BHannah found an old leather journal in a dark, dusty, attic.
    3. CThe bakery on Elm Street sells Italian bread.
    4. DNo mistakes
  5. 5.

    Which sentence has a mistake in capitalization, punctuation or usage?

    If none of them has a mistake, choose "No mistakes."

    1. AThe lost puppy trotted toward Ethan and them with its tail wagging.
    2. BJupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, has dozens of moons.
    3. COur neighbor from Brazil taught us to cook a brazilian stew last winter.
    4. DNo mistakes
  6. 6.

    Which sentence has a mistake in capitalization, punctuation or usage?

    If none of them has a mistake, choose "No mistakes."

    1. AWe watched the sunset from Mount Hood the tallest peak in Oregon.
    2. BAre we ready to start, Coach?
    3. COur science fair, however, was moved to the gym because of the rain.
    4. DNo mistakes
  7. 7.

    Which sentence has a spelling mistake?

    If none of them has a mistake, choose "No mistakes."

    1. AGetting a building permit took months because of the city's bureaucracy.
    2. BYour practice must be consistent if you want to improve.
    3. CThe buzzing mosquitoes were a nuisanse at the campsite.
    4. DNo mistakes
  8. 8.

    Kenji is writing a proposal to the student council about adding recycling bins to the cafeteria.

    Which sentence best keeps the formal style of this writing?

    1. ASeriously, guys, we throw out a ton of stuff, so let's get some recycling bins.
    2. BOur cafeteria trash is the worst thing ever, and recycling bins would totally fix it.
    3. CRecycling bins in the cafeteria would be super awesome for cutting down on trash.
    4. DAdding recycling bins to the cafeteria would reduce the amount of trash our school sends to the landfill.
  9. 9.

    Which sentence is written correctly?

    1. AWritten in 1787, many Americans still study the United States Constitution today.
    2. BMia gave the puppy with brown spots to her neighbor.
    3. CPaddling down the Mississippi River, a bald eagle caught Hannah's eye.
    4. DStudying late every night, Amara's grade in history improved.
  10. 10.

    1. Following these steps will give you results that you and others can trust.
    2. After you write the question, form a hypothesis, which is your best prediction of the answer.
    3. Once the plan is ready, run the test several times and record every measurement in a table.
    4. Next, plan a test that changes only one variable while keeping every other condition the same.

    In what order should these sentences go?

    1. A2, 1, 3, 4
    2. B2, 4, 3, 1
    3. C2, 4, 1, 3
    4. D2, 3, 4, 1

Science (optional test)

Circle the letter of the best answer. About 6 minutes.

  1. 1.

    Which digestive juice is made by the liver?

    1. APancreatic juice
    2. BSaliva
    3. CHydrochloric acid
    4. DBile
  2. 2.

    For iron to rust, it must be in contact with

    1. Anitrogen and moisture
    2. Bcarbon dioxide only
    3. Coxygen and moisture
    4. Dhydrogen and nitrogen
  3. 3.

    Vinegar is added to baking soda. The gas that bubbles out turns limewater milky. The gas is

    1. Aoxygen
    2. Bcarbon dioxide
    3. Chydrogen
    4. Dnitrogen
  4. 4.

    The Pole Star seems to stay in one place in the sky because it

    1. Ais the star closest to the earth
    2. Blies almost in line with the earth's axis
    3. Cis a planet and not a real star
    4. Dmoves at the same speed as the earth
  5. 5.

    After a long, fast run, the leg muscles ache. This is due to a build-up of

    1. Aalcohol
    2. Bcarbon dioxide
    3. Cglucose
    4. Dlactic acid
  6. 6.

    Which microorganism is used to make bread dough rise?

    1. ALactobacillus
    2. BAmoeba
    3. CRhizobium
    4. DYeast
  7. 7.

    Why do sprinters wear shoes with spikes?

    1. ATo make the shoes much lighter
    2. BTo keep the soles cool on hot ground
    3. CTo increase friction for a better grip
    4. DTo reduce friction and slide forward
  8. 8.

    Which of these gases traps heat in the atmosphere and adds to global warming?

    1. AOxygen
    2. BCarbon dioxide
    3. CArgon
    4. DNitrogen
  9. 9.

    The human ear can usually hear sounds with frequencies from about

    1. A0 Hz to 20 Hz
    2. B200 Hz to 2,000,000 Hz
    3. C2 Hz to 200 Hz
    4. D20 Hz to 20,000 Hz
  10. 10.

    Two bulbs are joined one after the other in a single loop with a cell. If one bulb fuses, what happens to the other?

    1. AIt goes off, as the circuit is broken
    2. BIt keeps glowing just as before
    3. CIt glows more brightly than before
    4. DIt glows more dimly than before

Written by Scholar Tests in the style of the published HSPT question types. Not a real HSPT test, and a practice score is not a real score.