Unit 3 MSTAR-Style Practice Test — Form A

Ratios & Rates · 10 questions · English only, like the real test · No timer — take the time you need.

These are MSTAR-style questions written for this curriculum to rehearse the format. They are not official Maryland assessment items. MSTAR — Maryland's new state test, first given in spring 2027 — uses the same kinds of questions you see here: selected response, select-all, two-part evidence questions, and written responses.

How this works: Answer every question, then press Submit & Grade. Selected-response parts grade instantly with an explanation for each; written responses go to your teacher. Your answers save on this device.

On the real MSTAR: math runs as three 40-minute sessions, in English, on a computer. Here there is no clock — practice the thinking first; the pacing comes with rehearsal.

Written responses: how should the explain-the-error questions be scored?

Instant scoring checks whether your explanation states the value and uses the reasoning the question is about. It matches words and numbers, so a right answer worded differently can score low — your teacher can always re-score it from the answer key.

16.AT.1Understand Ratios

Select all that apply

Select ALL statements that are true about ratios:

The order of the quantities in a ratio matters. A ratio can compare a part to a whole or a part to another part. 3 : 4 and 6 : 8 describe the same relationship. A ratio must always compare quantities with the same units. A ratio can be written as 3 : 4, 3 to 4, or 3/4.

26.AT.2Understand Rates and Unit Rates

Explain the error

Marisol wanted the cost per pound of apples. The sign read '4 pounds for $6.' She wrote: 'Unit rate = 4 ÷ 6 = about $0.67 per pound.'

Explain Marisol's misconception and give the correct unit rate.

✍️ Written response — 2 points.

36.AT.3aDetermine Equivalent Ratios Using Tables

Part A

A ratio table pairs 3 cups of flour with 2 cups of water. If the recipe is scaled to use 12 cups of flour, how much water is needed?

6 cups 8 cups 11 cups 24 cups

Part B

Why is 11 cups an incorrect answer for Part A?

It divides instead of multiplying. It uses the wrong conversion factor. It adds 9 to both terms instead of multiplying both by the same factor. It reverses flour and water.

46.AT.3aDetermine Equivalent Ratios Using Graphs

Select all that apply

Select ALL statements that are true about graphing equivalent ratios:

The points of a proportional relationship lie on a straight line. The line passes through the origin (0, 0). Each ordered pair comes from a row of the ratio table. The points form a curve that bends upward. The unit rate can be read as the y-value when x = 1.

56.AT.3Compare Ratio Relationships

Part A

Car A travels 180 miles on 6 gallons. Car B travels 225 miles on 9 gallons. Which car gets better gas mileage?

Car B, at 25 miles per gallon Car B, because it traveled farther They are equal Car A, at 30 miles per gallon

Part B

Why is comparing total miles alone NOT enough to decide which car is more efficient?

Total miles is never a useful measurement. The car with fewer miles is always more efficient. The cars used different amounts of gas, so the totals are not comparable until each is expressed per gallon. Efficiency depends only on the size of the gas tank.

66.AT.3Ratio Reasoning: Convert Measurements within the Same System

Explain the error

Tariq converted 240 centimeters to meters. Knowing 1 meter = 100 centimeters, he wrote: '240 × 100 = 24,000 meters.'

Explain Tariq's misconception and give the correct conversion.

✍️ Written response — 2 points.

76.AT.3Ratio Reasoning: Convert Measurements Between Systems

Part A

A backpack weighs 5 kilograms. Using 1 kilogram ≈ 2.2 pounds, about how much does it weigh in pounds?

2.27 pounds 7.2 pounds 10 pounds 11 pounds

Part B

Why is the symbol ≈ used in the conversion 1 kilogram ≈ 2.2 pounds?

The symbol means the units are unrelated. Pounds and kilograms measure different quantities. The conversion between these systems is approximate, not exact. The conversion only works for small numbers.

86.AT.2Solve Problems with Unit Rates

Part A

A store sells 8 notebooks for $20. At the same unit price, what is the cost of 14 notebooks?

$26.00 $28.00 $35.00 $40.00

Part B

Which sequence of steps solves Part A?

Multiply the total cost by the new quantity, then divide by the old quantity's units. Add the difference in notebooks to the original price. Divide the total cost by the quantity to find the unit price, then multiply by the new quantity. Subtract the quantities and multiply by the total cost.

96.AT.3Equivalent Ratios

Select all that apply

Select ALL pairs of ratios that are equivalent:

2/3 and 8/12 5/8 and 10/16 3/4 and 4/5 6/9 and 2/3 7/10 and 14/21

106.AT.3cConvert Measurement Units

Part A

Convert 3 hours to seconds using 1 hour = 60 minutes and 1 minute = 60 seconds.

120 seconds 180 seconds 3,600 seconds 10,800 seconds

Part B

In dimensional analysis, how are the conversion ratios arranged?

So all units are multiplied together and kept. So the largest unit is always on top. So the numbers are as small as possible. So the unwanted units appear in both a numerator and a denominator and cancel.