ELPAC Practice

A team turns in its entry form three days late, and a teacher has signed it. According to the notice, what happens?

Read a Short Informational Passage · ELPAC Grades 6–8 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.

A brief factual text — a notice, a label, a set of instructions — followed by questions.

Read the notice. Then answer the questions.

Science Fair Entry Rules

Projects for the school science fair may be entered by individual students or by teams of no more than three. Every project must include a display board and a lab notebook with a dated entry for each step of the investigation. Projects that involve live animals must be approved by the science department before any testing begins; projects that use plants, soil or water samples do not need approval. Entry forms are due in Room 21 two weeks before the fair. A late form will be accepted only if a teacher has signed it, and projects with late forms are placed on a waiting list and given a table only if one is still open.

The question

Choose the best answer.

A team turns in its entry form three days late, and a teacher has signed it. According to the notice, what happens?

  • The form is turned down, and the team cannot enter the fair.
  • The project is treated exactly like one that was turned in on time.
  • The team must drop to two members before it can enter.
  • The project goes on a waiting list and gets a table only if one is still open.Correct answer

Why “The project goes on a waiting list and gets a table only if one is still open.” is correct

This tests reading the final sentence of the notice closely, because it contains two separate conditions. A teacher's signature means the late form "will be accepted", but projects with late forms are still "placed on a waiting list and given a table only if one is still open". Students who stop after the first condition choose the on-time answer, so the skill is reading to the end of a rule.

Why the other answers are wrong

  • The form is turned down, and the team cannot enter the fair. — The notice says a signed late form will be accepted, so the team is not shut out.
  • The project is treated exactly like one that was turned in on time. — Being accepted is not the same as being treated like an on-time entry; late projects still go on the waiting list.
  • The team must drop to two members before it can enter. — Team size is limited to three, but lateness has nothing to do with it.

Practice more of this

More reading 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.