According to Mr. Okonkwo, what went wrong with Sofia's essay?
Listen to a Short Exchange · ELPAC Grades 6–8 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
A two-turn exchange between two speakers, followed by a question about it.
Listen to the conversation between Sofia and Mr. Okonkwo. Then answer the question.
The Missing Essay
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Show transcript
Sofia: Mr. Okonkwo, I turned in my essay through the portal last night, but my grade page still says missing.
Mr. Okonkwo: Let me look. It shows an upload at eleven fifty-eight, so something did arrive.
Sofia: Then why does it say missing?
Mr. Okonkwo: Because I cannot open it. You uploaded a link to a document instead of the document itself, and the link is set to private.
Sofia: So the essay is there, but nobody can read it.
Mr. Okonkwo: Exactly. Change the sharing setting, or upload it again as a PDF before the end of the day.
The question
Choose the best answer.
According to Mr. Okonkwo, what went wrong with Sofia's essay?
- She uploaded it after the deadline had passed.
- The portal never recorded her upload.
- She uploaded a private link instead of the file, so nobody else can open it.Correct answer
- She saved it in a format the portal does not accept.
Why “She uploaded a private link instead of the file, so nobody else can open it.” is correct
This tests a cause that is explained across two sentences rather than named in one. Mr. Okonkwo first rules out the obvious explanations — the upload is recorded, at eleven fifty-eight — and then gives the real one: the file is a link, and the link is set to private. Sofia's own summary, 'So the essay is there, but nobody can read it', is the confirmation to listen for.
Why the other answers are wrong
- She uploaded it after the deadline had passed. — The timestamp shows the upload arrived at eleven fifty-eight, and neither speaker calls it late.
- The portal never recorded her upload. — Mr. Okonkwo says the opposite: the portal does show an upload, which is why he can give her a time.
- She saved it in a format the portal does not accept. — A PDF is offered as one possible fix, but the problem is the sharing setting on a link, not the file format.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Grades 6–8, or see the ELPAC practice test for grades 6–8. For other grades, see free ELPAC practice tests by grade.
This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the California Department of Education or the official ELPAC program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published task formats.