Give your students the chance to practice multi-select multiple choice questions throughout the school year!
CommonLit’s library of free lessons allow students to practice multi-select, Part A/Part B questions, and open-ended assessment questions.
We have a variety of multiple choice questions so that your students can be prepared for state exams and so that they can engage deeply with passages. Here are some of my favorite texts with multi-select assessment questions!
5th Grade:
“What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything” by Avi (Question 4)
Edward Irving Wortis, best known by his pen name Avi, is an American author of young adult and children’s literature. In this short story, a boy hopes to learn the cure for unhappiness from a beggar.
“The Market Square Dog” by James Herriot (Question 2)
James Alfred Wight, known by the pen name James Herriot, was a British veterinarian and writer. Herriot used his years of experience as a veterinarian to write books about animals and their owners. In this short story, a veterinarian helps a stray dog that is injured.
6th Grade:
“Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein (Question 4)
Silverstein was an American poet, cartoonist, and author of children’s books. “Where the Sidewalk Ends” is a poem from Silverstein’s collection by the same name, which features poems alongside illustrations.
“The Selfish Giant” By Oscar Wilde (Questions 1 and 2)
Wilde was an Irish playwright, novelist, essayist, and poet. In this short story, a selfish giant meets a child who teaches him about love and friendship.
7th Grade:
“Jupiter and His Mighty Company End in the Golden Age” by James Baldwin (Question 2)
Baldwin was an educator, children’s book author, and an activist through his writing. He re-wrote many classic legends and myths for young readers. In this myth, James Baldwin retells the tale of Jupiter and His Mighty Company in an accessible style.
“Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll (Question 4)
Carroll was an English writer who is best known for his novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. This poem, about a young boy called upon to face a creature called the Jabberwock, appeared in the sequel to Alice in Wonderland.
8th Grade:
“The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs (Question 4)
In this horror short story, Jacobs tells the story of an older couple, their adult son, and a visitor who brings them fantastic stories and a mysterious souvenir from his travels in India.
“If We Must Die” by Claude McKay (Question 10)
McKay was a Jamaican-American writer, poet, and a seminal figure during the Harlem Renaissance. He dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of oppressed people, and this poem reflects McKay’s perspective on black people’s experiences in America during the early 20th century.
9th Grade:
The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe (Question 4)
Poe was an American author, poet, and literary critic whose works are still widely read today. “The Raven” is his most famous poem, and follows the speaker as he is visited by a raven.
“The Bet” by Anton Chekhov (Question 4)
Chekhov was a Russian playwright and short story writer who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short fiction in history. This short story follows a a lawyer and a banker that make a bet.
10th Grade:
“Excerpt from Frankenstein: The Creature’s Request” by Mary Shelley (Question 6)
Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein follows the brilliant scientist Victor Frankenstein and his creation of “the creature.” In this excerpt, the creature pleads with Dr. Frankenstein to listen to him as he complains of the pains he has felt since he was brought to life.
“Excerpt from the Harvest Gypsies: Article I” by John Steinbeck (Question 2)
Nobel Laureate John Steinbeck is best known for his fiction works The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, but he also wrote a series of articles focusing on migrant farm workers for the San Francisco News. In this excerpt he discusses the role of migrant workers in California’s agriculture industry.
11th Grade:
“Excerpt from A Room of One’s Own: Chapter 3” by Virginia Woolf (Questions 1 and 2)
In this chapter of Woolf’s famous essay, she explores the experiences of female artists. She discusses the small number of female artists that are supported and the struggles they face.
“‘To Be or Not To Be’ Soliloquy” by William Shakespeare (Question 4)
In Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Hamlet, Prince Hamlet is faced with many decisions after his father is murdered by his uncle Claudius. In this soliloquy, he is plagued by the thought of death and suicide as he waits for his love Ophelia.
12th Grade:
“Excerpt from ‘Civil Disobedience’” by Henry David Thoreau (Questions 1 and 2)
Thoreau was an author, poet, philosopher and fervent abolitionist — his disgust of slavery was the main inspiration behind many of his works. In this excerpt of his famous essay “Civil Disobedience,” he talks about how individuals can create change.
“Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston (Questions 1, 2, and 4)
Hurston was an African American novelist, short story writer, folklorist, anthropologist, and one of the most important figures of the Harlem Renaissance. In this short story, the relationship between a woman and her husband reaches a breaking point.
Next Steps
Want to see more texts with multi-select assessment questions? More Part A /Part B assessment questions? Send us a message at curriculum@commonlit.org with your feedback!
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