Ninth grade questions for all seven subtests of TASK 1, the first high school level of the Stanford 10.
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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with Pearson, which publishes the Stanford 10. Bank checked October 13, 2026.
The real test: Stanford 10 in ninth grade
Grades
TASK 1 covers grades 9.0 to 9.9. The chart also runs Advanced 2 from grade 8.5 to 9.9, so ninth grade falls inside both ranges.
Mathematics
One Mathematics subtest: 50 questions in 50 minutes. Advanced 2 has two, Problem Solving (48) and Procedures (32).
Reading
Reading Vocabulary, 30 questions in 20 minutes. Reading Comprehension, 54 in 40.
Language and spelling
Language, 48 questions in 40 minutes. Spelling, 40 in 30.
Science and social science
Science, 40 questions in 25 minutes. Social Science, 40 in 25. No Listening subtest at TASK 1. In all: 302 multiple-choice questions and 3 hours 50 minutes.
Timing and scores
Untimed: the times are guidelines for planning. Scores are percentile rank, stanine, GE and NCE by grade, plus scaled scores. On paper or online.
A system has the equations 3x + y = 13 and x − y = 3. Which ordered pair (x, y) is its solution?Stanford 10 Mathematics subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, standard HSA.REI.C.6
The area of a triangle is A = ½bh. Which equation gives the height h?Stanford 10 Mathematics subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, standard HSA.CED.A.4
Solve the inequality: 7 − 3x > 19Stanford 10 Mathematics subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, standard HSA.REI.B.3
Show all 11 questions (8 more)
Algebra, continued
Which is the factored form of x² − 9x + 20?Stanford 10 Mathematics subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, standard HSA.SSE.A.2
Which values of x satisfy x² + x − 42 = 0?Stanford 10 Mathematics subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, standard HSA.REI.B.4.b
Functions 3
A dish holds 200 bacteria, and the number doubles every hour. Which function gives the number N after t hours?Stanford 10 Mathematics subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, standard HSF.LE.A.2
Between x = 3 and x = 6, what is the average rate of change of g(x) = x² − x?Stanford 10 Mathematics subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, standard HSF.IF.B.6
If f(x) = 3x² − 2x, what is f(−2)?Stanford 10 Mathematics subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, standard HSF.IF.A.2
Geometry and data 3
For the data set 4, 6, 7, 9, 34, the mean is 12 and the median is 7. Why does the median describe a typical value better?Stanford 10 Mathematics subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, standard HSS.ID.A.3
In a right triangle, the side opposite angle A is 6 and the hypotenuse is 10. What is cos A?Stanford 10 Mathematics subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, standard HSG.SRT.C.8
Line k passes through the points (0, 1) and (5, 4). What is the slope of a line perpendicular to k?Stanford 10 Mathematics subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, standard HSG.GPE.B.5
All four words describe a person who holds to a decision. Which one has the most negative connotation?Stanford 10 Reading Vocabulary subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; "pigheaded" read in Wiktionary; Common Core standard L.9-10.5.b
"The coach gave a candid review of the game: the defense had simply been outplayed." What does candid mean?Stanford 10 Reading Vocabulary subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; "candid" read in Wiktionary; Common Core standard L.9-10.4.a
Ephemeral comes from Greek words meaning "on" and "day." What does ephemeral mean?Stanford 10 Reading Vocabulary subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; "ephemeral" read in Wiktionary; Common Core standard L.9-10.4.c
Show all 17 questions (14 more)
Reading Vocabulary, continued
"Instead of arguing about who was to blame, the pragmatic manager asked what could be fixed by Friday." What does pragmatic mean?Stanford 10 Reading Vocabulary subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; "pragmatic" read in Wiktionary; Common Core standard L.9-10.4.a
"The reporter could not substantiate the rumor, so the paper did not print it." What does substantiate mean?Stanford 10 Reading Vocabulary subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; "substantiate" read in Wiktionary; Common Core standard L.9-10.4.a
"The senator later qualified her promise, saying it applied only if the budget passed." What does qualified mean in this sentence?Stanford 10 Reading Vocabulary subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; "qualify" read in Wiktionary; Common Core standard L.9-10.4.a
Reading Comprehension 11
"The letter from the conservatory had sat on the kitchen table for two days, its seal unbroken. Odalys walked past it to practice, and her scales that week were flawless, almost angry. 'You could open it,' her father said at last, not looking up from the stove. 'I could,' she agreed, and tuned her cello again. On the third morning the envelope was gone. She found it propped against her music stand, slit neatly along the top, the letter still folded inside." How does the author create suspense?Stanford 10 Reading Comprehension subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.9-10.5
"The letter from the conservatory had sat on the kitchen table for two days, its seal unbroken. Odalys walked past it to practice, and her scales that week were flawless, almost angry. 'You could open it,' her father said at last, not looking up from the stove. 'I could,' she agreed, and tuned her cello again. On the third morning the envelope was gone. She found it propped against her music stand, slit neatly along the top, the letter still folded inside." What does the phrase "almost angry" suggest about her playing?Stanford 10 Reading Comprehension subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.9-10.4
"The letter from the conservatory had sat on the kitchen table for two days, its seal unbroken. Odalys walked past it to practice, and her scales that week were flawless, almost angry. 'You could open it,' her father said at last, not looking up from the stove. 'I could,' she agreed, and tuned her cello again. On the third morning the envelope was gone. She found it propped against her music stand, slit neatly along the top, the letter still folded inside." What does the state of the envelope on the third morning suggest about her father?Stanford 10 Reading Comprehension subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.9-10.3
"The letter from the conservatory had sat on the kitchen table for two days, its seal unbroken. Odalys walked past it to practice, and her scales that week were flawless, almost angry. 'You could open it,' her father said at last, not looking up from the stove. 'I could,' she agreed, and tuned her cello again. On the third morning the envelope was gone. She found it propped against her music stand, slit neatly along the top, the letter still folded inside." Which detail best supports the inference that Odalys is anxious about the letter?Stanford 10 Reading Comprehension subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.9-10.1
"Our district should stop ranking students by grade point average. Supporters of ranking say it rewards hard work, and it does reward something. But consider what: last year, according to the counseling office, 61 seniors dropped an arts or shop elective for a study hall because an unweighted A would have lowered their rank. A system that punishes a student for taking ceramics is not measuring effort. It is measuring caution. Colleges, meanwhile, can read a transcript without our help." As it is used in the passage, what does "caution" mean?Stanford 10 Reading Comprehension subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.9-10.4
"Our district should stop ranking students by grade point average. Supporters of ranking say it rewards hard work, and it does reward something. But consider what: last year, according to the counseling office, 61 seniors dropped an arts or shop elective for a study hall because an unweighted A would have lowered their rank. A system that punishes a student for taking ceramics is not measuring effort. It is measuring caution. Colleges, meanwhile, can read a transcript without our help." What is the writer's central claim?Stanford 10 Reading Comprehension subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.9-10.2
"Our district should stop ranking students by grade point average. Supporters of ranking say it rewards hard work, and it does reward something. But consider what: last year, according to the counseling office, 61 seniors dropped an arts or shop elective for a study hall because an unweighted A would have lowered their rank. A system that punishes a student for taking ceramics is not measuring effort. It is measuring caution. Colleges, meanwhile, can read a transcript without our help." Which part of the passage offers evidence, not opinion?Stanford 10 Reading Comprehension subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.9-10.8
"Our district should stop ranking students by grade point average. Supporters of ranking say it rewards hard work, and it does reward something. But consider what: last year, according to the counseling office, 61 seniors dropped an arts or shop elective for a study hall because an unweighted A would have lowered their rank. A system that punishes a student for taking ceramics is not measuring effort. It is measuring caution. Colleges, meanwhile, can read a transcript without our help." Why does the writer admit that ranking "does reward something"?Stanford 10 Reading Comprehension subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.9-10.6
"When the Tessmer County library stopped charging late fines in 2021, the board expected to lose about $40,000 a year. It did. What the board had not predicted was the return of 3,200 long-overdue items in the first six months, or the 14 percent rise in new library cards among households in the county's two lowest-income zip codes. 'The fine was never really a fee,' the director told the board. 'It was a locked door.'" How does the passage order its ideas?Stanford 10 Reading Comprehension subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.9-10.3
"When the Tessmer County library stopped charging late fines in 2021, the board expected to lose about $40,000 a year. It did. What the board had not predicted was the return of 3,200 long-overdue items in the first six months, or the 14 percent rise in new library cards among households in the county's two lowest-income zip codes. 'The fine was never really a fee,' the director told the board. 'It was a locked door.'" What does the director mean by calling the fine "a locked door"?Stanford 10 Reading Comprehension subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.9-10.4
"When the Tessmer County library stopped charging late fines in 2021, the board expected to lose about $40,000 a year. It did. What the board had not predicted was the return of 3,200 long-overdue items in the first six months, or the 14 percent rise in new library cards among households in the county's two lowest-income zip codes. 'The fine was never really a fee,' the director told the board. 'It was a locked door.'" Which result had the board expected?Stanford 10 Reading Comprehension subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.9-10.1
A company announces that it will "let go" forty workers. What does the euphemism "let go" mean here?Stanford 10 Language subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.9-10.5.a
A sentence lists the three tools in a kit. Which version uses its colon correctly?Stanford 10 Language subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.9-10.2.b
"Although the bridge was closed, the race went on." What is the clause "Although the bridge was closed"?Stanford 10 Language subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.9-10.1.b
Show all 18 questions (15 more)
Language, continued
"Her hands shaking, Priya opened the envelope." What kind of phrase is "Her hands shaking"?Stanford 10 Language subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.9-10.1.b
"Neither the coach nor the players ___ ready." Which verb completes the sentence?Stanford 10 Language subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.9-10.1
The phrase "deafening silence" is an example of which figure of speech?Stanford 10 Language subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.9-10.5.a
"She likes hiking, to swim, and biking." Which revision makes the sentence parallel?Stanford 10 Language subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.9-10.1.a
Which sentence about a bakery contains a comma splice?Stanford 10 Language subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.9-10.2.a
Which sentence about a delivery job uses parallel structure?Stanford 10 Language subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.9-10.1.a
Which sentence about a snow forecast uses a semicolon correctly?Stanford 10 Language subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.9-10.2.a
Spelling 8
"Each visitor filled out a short questionnare." Which word is spelled wrong?Stanford 10 Spelling subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; "questionnaire" checked in Wiktionary; Common Core standard L.9-10.2.c
"The hotel can accommadate two hundred guests." Which word is spelled wrong?Stanford 10 Spelling subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; "accommodate" checked in Wiktionary; Common Core standard L.9-10.2.c
"It was a rhetoricle question, so nobody answered." Which word is spelled wrong?Stanford 10 Spelling subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; "rhetorical" checked in Wiktionary; Common Core standard L.9-10.2.c
"She served as the liasion between the two offices." Which word is spelled wrong?Stanford 10 Spelling subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; "liaison" checked in Wiktionary; Common Core standard L.9-10.2.c
Which spelling is right for the word that means "careful to do what is right"?Stanford 10 Spelling subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; "conscientious" checked in Wiktionary; Common Core standard L.9-10.2.c
Which spelling is right for the word that means "government by many offices and officials"?Stanford 10 Spelling subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; "bureaucracy" checked in Wiktionary; Common Core standard L.9-10.2.c
Which spelling is right for the word that means "playfully causing trouble"?Stanford 10 Spelling subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; "mischievous" checked in Wiktionary; Common Core standard L.9-10.2.c
Which spelling is right for the word that means "steady effort in spite of difficulty"?Stanford 10 Spelling subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; "perseverance" checked in Wiktionary; Common Core standard L.9-10.2.c
A cell is building a new protein. In which of its structures is the protein put together?Stanford 10 Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at National Human Genome Research Institute, Talking Glossary, "Ribosome"
A copying error changes one letter in the DNA sequence of an organism. What is such a change called?Stanford 10 Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at National Human Genome Research Institute, Talking Glossary, "Mutation"
In an experiment on a new fertilizer, one set of plants gets no fertilizer at all. What is this set called?Stanford 10 Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at Wiktionary, "control group"
Show all 18 questions (15 more)
Science, continued
Parents pass traits such as eye color to their offspring. What is the basic unit of that inheritance?Stanford 10 Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at National Human Genome Research Institute, Talking Glossary, "Gene"
The same force pushes an empty cart and a cart loaded with bricks. According to Newton's second law, which cart has the greater acceleration?Stanford 10 Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at NASA Glenn Research Center, "Newton's Laws of Motion"
Which color of visible light has the shortest wavelength?Stanford 10 Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at NASA Science, "Visible Light"
Which kind of electromagnetic wave has the longest wavelength?Stanford 10 Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at NASA Science, "Introduction to the Electromagnetic Spectrum"
Which kind of rock forms when high temperature and pressure change an existing rock?Stanford 10 Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at National Park Service, Geology, "Metamorphic Rocks"
Which process does the term "greenhouse effect" name?Stanford 10 Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at NASA Science, "What is the greenhouse effect?"
Social Science 9
An economist adds up the value of all the final goods and services a country produces. What is this total called?Stanford 10 Social Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, "Gross Domestic Product"
Congress proposes an amendment to the Constitution. How many of the states must then ratify it?Stanford 10 Social Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at National Archives, "The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription," Article V
The Constitution orders a count of the population, used to divide House seats among the states. How often must the count be made?Stanford 10 Social Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at National Archives, "The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription," Article I, Section 2
In Brown v. Board of Education (1954), what did the Supreme Court rule about state-sanctioned segregation of public schools?Stanford 10 Social Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at National Archives, Milestone Documents, "Brown v. Board of Education (1954)"
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in 1848, ended a war between the United States and which country?Stanford 10 Social Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at National Archives, Milestone Documents, "Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)"
Under the Constitution, how long is a senator's term?Stanford 10 Social Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at National Archives, "The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription," Article I, Section 3
What did the Monroe Doctrine of 1823 warn European powers not to do?Stanford 10 Social Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at National Archives, Milestone Documents, "Monroe Doctrine (1823)"
Which amendment, ratified on August 18, 1920, granted women the right to vote?Stanford 10 Social Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at National Archives, Milestone Documents, "19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Women's Right to Vote (1920)"
Which is the largest and deepest of the world's ocean basins?Stanford 10 Social Science subtest, on Pearson's Scope & Sequence chart; fact read at NOAA National Ocean Service, "What is the largest ocean basin on Earth?"
How this list was compiled: Outline: Stanford Achievement Test Series, Tenth Edition, Scope & Sequence chart (Pearson), https://www.pearsonassessments.com/content/dam/school/global/clinical/us/assets/sat10/sat10-scope-sequence.pdf, linked from the publisher's product page, https://www.pearsonassessments.com/en-us/Store/Professional-Assessments/Academic-Learning/Stanford-Achievement-Test-Series-%7C-Tenth-Edition/p/100000415, both read 2026-10-13. The publisher's product page says the Science subtest covers the life, physical and earth sciences and the nature of science, and that the Social Science subtest measures concepts important for citizenship. Each fact was read on the public page named on its question (National Human Genome Research Institute, NASA, NOAA, National Park Service, National Archives, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Wiktionary), all 2026-10-13. Licence: Own work. Questions, passages, answer choices and explanations were written for this site. Nothing is copied or reworded from a Stanford 10 test, from a sample or practice item of the publisher, or from another practice test.
How it works
Ninth grade is where the Stanford Achievement Test (Stanford 10) moves to its high school levels. This unofficial set of 64 questions, written for this site, follows TASK 1 subtest by subtest. Not affiliated with Pearson, the publisher.
Read the full guide
What changes at TASK 1
On Pearson's chart TASK 1 is for grades 9.0 to 9.9. The two mathematics subtests of the lower levels merge into one of 50 questions, Listening drops out, and the complete battery falls from 372 questions to 302. The mathematics here is first-year high school work: factoring, inequalities, systems, functions and right triangles.
If the school gives Advanced 2
The chart runs Advanced 2 up to grade 9.9 as well, so ask the school which level it gives. Advanced 2 keeps two mathematics subtests and Listening; its nine subtests are practiced on the 8th grade page.
Questions and answers
What is on the Stanford Achievement Test in 9th grade?
At TASK 1 there are seven subtests: Reading Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, Language, Spelling, Science and Social Science. Every one has a practice set on this page.
How long is the Stanford 10 for 9th grade?
Pearson's chart plans 3 hours 50 minutes for the 302 questions of the complete TASK 1 battery, and 2 hours 40 minutes for the abbreviated battery of 200. The test is untimed, so these are planning guidelines.
Do 9th graders take the Stanford 10 online?
They can. The publisher sells the test on paper for kindergarten through grade 12 and online for grades 3 through 12, and it scores online tests immediately in its platform.
Is the Stanford Achievement Test the same as the SAT?
No. The Stanford Achievement Test Series, Tenth Edition, is a school achievement battery with national norms, sometimes written SAT 10. It is unrelated to the SAT that colleges use for admission.