Book excerpt: Updated and Expanded for the 2014 Standards and the 2014-2015 State Tests! This practice test book is the perfect preparation tool for the New York Common Core English Language Arts tests. It will develop all the skills that students need and provide ongoing practice with all the tasks found on the real state test. Prepares Students for the New York Common Core ELA Test - Includes practice for all the tasks students will complete on the Common Core ELA Test - Covers all the skills assessed on the real test - Flexible format allows practice sets to be completed to suit any schedule - Helps students transition to the more rigorous Common Core tests - Format allows for review after each set to provide feedback and promote improvement Developed Specifically to Match the 2014-2015 New York Common Core Tests - Covers all the Common Core skills assessed on the real tests - Includes literary texts, informational texts, and paired texts - Provides practice with multiple-choice, short-response, and extended-response questions - More rigorous questions prepare students for the higher difficulty of the new tests - Strong focus on key Common Core features including close reading, using evidence from text, and analyzing and evaluating texts - Full answer key lists the Common Core Learning Standard (CCLS) for each question Key Benefits of this Book - Builds confidence by helping students prepare before taking the real test - Develops all the language, reading, and writing skills that students need - Provides experience answering all types of questions - Reduces test anxiety by allowing low-stress practice - More rigorous tasks prepare students for the new assessments - Detailed answer key allows for student work to be reviewed and improved on