Free CAEC practice test

Question 1

Passage: "Registration for the city's free tax clinic opens February 2. The clinic helps residents with modest incomes file their returns and runs every Wednesday in March at the Birchwood Public Library. Volunteers cannot help with business or rental income returns. Residents should bring a photo ID and all tax slips to their appointment." According to the passage, where does the tax clinic take place?

1. A.At City Hall
2. B.At the Birchwood Public Library
3. C.At residents' homes
4. D.Online through the city's website

Question 2

Passage: "For years this page argued that widening Highway 7 would ease congestion. Yet after the last widening, traffic returned to its old crawl within eighteen months as new drivers filled the added lanes. Perhaps it is time to spend those millions on the rapid bus line instead." What would the author most likely say about a new proposal to widen the highway again?

1. A.It should be approved, since the last widening eased congestion.
2. B.All road construction in the city should stop.
3. C.Buses are more comfortable than cars for most commuters.
4. D.The new lanes would likely fill up again, so the money is better spent on transit.

Question 3

Passage: "That year Daniel changed jobs twice, moved apartments, and watched his oldest friend leave for Calgary. Through it all, his grandmother's Sunday dinners were an anchor. No matter what the week had brought, he knew exactly where he would be at six o'clock on Sunday." What does the author mean by calling the Sunday dinners "an anchor"?

1. A.They were a trip Daniel took by boat each week
2. B.They were a heavy burden that held Daniel back
3. C.They were a metal device used to moor a ship
4. D.They were a source of stability during a year of change

Question 4

A prompt asks whether the city should require homeowners to clear the sidewalk in front of their homes within 24 hours of a snowfall. One writer opens with: "The city is deciding whether homeowners should have to clear their sidewalks within 24 hours of snowfall." Why does this opening fail as a position?

1. A.It restates the prompt without taking any side on it.
2. B.It takes an extreme position that ignores homeowners' needs.
3. C.It shows a serious misunderstanding of what the bylaw would require.
4. D.Its tone is too informal for a letter to the city.

Question 5

In a letter to city council you draft: The package of proposed changes ___ too expensive to ignore. Which verb completes the sentence correctly?

1. A.are
2. B.were
3. C.is
4. D.have been

Question 6

What is 12 + 25?

1. A.37
2. B.910
3. C.310
4. D.15

Question 7

Evaluate: (4 − 7)² × 2

1. A.−94
2. B.−18
3. C.−6
4. D.18

Question 8

Solve for x: x + 12 + 6 = 25

1. A.7
2. B.13
3. C.19
4. D.43

Question 9

A $45.00 shirt is marked 20% off. What is the sale price, before tax?

1. A.$9.00
2. B.$25.00
3. C.$36.00
4. D.$54.00

Question 10

At a community centre event there are 24 adults and 16 children. What is the ratio of adults to children in simplest form?

1. A.3 : 2
2. B.2 : 3
3. C.24 : 16
4. D.3 : 5

Question 11

A fair coin is flipped twice. What is the probability of getting tails both times?

1. A.14
2. B.12
3. C.18
4. D.24

Question 12

Miguel's winter electricity bill is high. He wonders whether lowering the thermostat at night would reduce how much electricity his home uses. Which question fits his situation and could be tested?

1. A.Why are electricity bills so high these days?
2. B.Is 17 C too cold for a bedroom to be comfortable?
3. C.Is daily electricity use, read in kWh from the meter, lower during a week with the thermostat set to 17 C overnight than during a similar week set to 21 C overnight?
4. D.Does his neighbour's house use more electricity than his house?

Question 13

A student leaves his bike outside for three weeks during a rainy month, then examines the chain. He writes: the chain has changed from silver to orange-brown; the chain's mass increased by 2 g on the balance; orange flakes are on the ground under the bike; the rain caused the chain to rust. Which statement is an observation?

1. A.The rain caused the chain to rust
2. B.The chain's mass increased by 2 g on the balance
3. C.The chain rusted because it was left outside too long
4. D.The chain will snap if it is not oiled soon

Question 14

A student tests whether a foam sleeve keeps coffee hot longer. He pours 250 mL of 90-degree coffee into each of two identical mugs, slides a foam sleeve onto one mug, and leaves both on the same counter. Every 10 minutes he measures the temperature of the coffee in each mug. Which of the following is a controlled variable in this experiment?

1. A.Whether a mug has a foam sleeve
2. B.The temperature of the coffee over time
3. C.The mug that has no foam sleeve
4. D.The amount and starting temperature of the coffee

Question 15

A bill introduced in the House of Commons has just passed third reading there. What happens next?

1. A.It immediately receives Royal Assent and becomes law
2. B.It goes to the Senate for review and votes
3. C.It is sent to the Supreme Court for approval
4. D.It is returned to the Prime Minister to be signed

Question 16

Maria has been receiving Employment Insurance since losing her job, and she wants to write to a government representative about the benefit rules. To which level of government should she write?

1. A.Municipal, because she applied at an office in her city
2. B.Provincial, because jobs and workplaces are close-to-home matters
3. C.Federal, because Employment Insurance is a federal program
4. D.All three levels, because they share Employment Insurance equally

Question 17

A late spring frost destroys much of the Okanagan peach crop. Demand for peaches stays about the same. What is the most likely effect on peach prices?

1. A.Prices rise, because far fewer peaches are available to the same number of buyers
2. B.Prices fall, because stores will want to sell their peaches quickly
3. C.Prices stay the same, because demand did not change
4. D.Prices fall, because people will want fewer peaches after the frost