Items from IALS have not been released for disclosure concerns, as unreleased items can be used in current and future adult literacy assessments, which allows for trend analysis with IALS. However, the links below contain examples of the tasks that were developed for the pilot study. These tasks were not used for the main survey, but they provide an idea of the types of tasks used in the final selection of items. The tables accompanying these tasks provide a broad analysis of each item, the theoretical difficulty summary score that was assigned (ranging from 5, easiest, to 19, most difficult), and the difficulty statistics that were gathered during the pilot study.
Document Literacy Sample Items
Question 1 and Answer:
Question: Which full-featured clock radio is rated highest on performance?
Answer: Magnavox AND/OR AJ3900
Question 2 and Answer:
Question: What two features are not on any basic clock radio?
Answer: Mentions BOTH of the following:
- 10 AND/OR Reversible time setting
- 11 AND/OR Dual Alarm
Question 3 and Answer:
Question: What is the average advertised price for the basic clock radio receiving the highest overall score?
Answer: ($)18 or ($)18.00
Question 1 and Answer
Question: In what year were the fewest number of people in the Netherlands injured by fireworks?
Answer: (19)84
Question 2 and Answer
Question: According to the charts, what was the value, in US dollars, of fireworks sold in the Netherlands in 1991?
Answer: ($)28 million [million is a required part of the answer]
Question 3 and Answer
Question: Describe the relationship between the sales of fireworks and injuries due to fireworks.
Answer: As sales increase so do injuries [Accept “they both went up” without requiring a causal relationship to be implied]
Question 1 and Answer
Question: What is the percentage of women in the teaching profession in Greece?
Answer: Mentions ONE of the following:
- 51.2(%)
- 51(%)
Question 2 and Answer
Question: List all the countries where the percentage of women teachers is between 60% and 75%.
Answer: Mentions all FOUR of the following:
- France
- Luxembourg
- Ireland
- Italy
Question 3 and Answer
Question: In which country, other than the Netherlands, are women in the teaching profession in the minority?
Answer: Denmark
Prose Literacy Sample Items
Question 1 and Answer
Question: According to the pamphlet, what two things should you do to prepare for an interview?
Answer: Paraphrases or gives examples of the following two things:
- Learn more about the business or company
- Find out about the specific job. [Accept: find out about the position.]
Question 2 and Answer
Question: Using the information in the pamphlet, describe in your own words one difference between the panel interview and the group interview.
Answer: Discusses at least ONE of the following
- Discusses who is in each type:
- Panel - group of interviewers
- Group - group of interviewees
OR
- Panel - one interviewee
- Group - group of interviewees
- Discusses the dynamics of each group
- Panel - shows how interviewee reacts to questions from group of interviewers
- Group - shows how interviewee reacts to others in a group
OR
- Panel - answers questions
- Group - listen to presentation AND/OR join in discussion
- Only describes one of the types of interviews explicitly, but the wording of the response implies that a comparison is being made
Question 3 and Answer
Question: According to the pamphlet, what is the main purpose of the postinterview review?
Answer: Mentions ONE of the following:
- To help you prepare for a future interview
- To learn which questions cause you difficulty
- To learn which questions allowed you to show strong points
- To learn from the experience
[Do not accept: ”To highlight your strong points” or “To help with weak points”; responses must include the idea that the postinterview allows you to learn or to prepare.]
Question 1 and Answer
Question: What is the maximum number of days you should take this medicine?
Answer: Seven or 7
Question 2 and Answer
Question: List three situations for which you should consult a doctor.
Answer: Mentions at least THREE of the following:
- (Before giving medication to children with) chicken pox
- (Before giving medication to children with) influenza (Reyes syndrome)
- (During) lactation
- (During) pregnancy
- If symptoms persist
- (Accidental) overdose
Question 1 and Answer
Question: What bicycle frame sizes should you consider if your legs are 810mm long?
Answer: Mentions at least TWO of the following:
- 530 (mm) OR 53 (cm)
- 560 (mm) OR 56 (cm)
- 580 (mm) OR 58 (cm)
Question 2 and Answer
Question: According to the manual, how should you check to make sure the seat is in the correct position?
Answer: Mentions at least TWO of the following:
- Knee (slightly) bent
- Sole or equivalent part of foot on pedal
- Pedal in the lowest position
Question 3 and Answer
Question: Underline the sentence that explains why you should be careful to follow all of the directions.
Answer: Underlines OR circles the sentence OR a part of the sentence that contains "The manufacturer is not responsible for failure, injury, or damage caused by improper completion of assembly."
Quantitative Literacy Sample Items
Question 1 and Answer
Question: In total, how many bottles are in the two full cases?
Answer: 48
Question 1 and Answer
Question: What is the price per can during the sale?
Answer: Mentions ONE of the following:
- 30(¢) OR thirty (cents)
- ($).30 OR ($)0.30
- ($) .3 OR ($) 0.3
Question 2 and Answer
Question: What is the percent of this discount?
Answer: 20 (%) or twenty (percent)
Question 1 and Answer
Question: The gas tank in this truck holds 48 gallons. About how many gallons of gas remain in the tank? (Assume the gas gauge is accurate.)
Answer: Any answer that falls in the range of 33 to 39 (gallons) (about or approximately)
Question 1 and Answer
Question: Describe how the amount of Dioxin changed from 1975 to 1995.
Answer: Any answer that mentions ONE of the following or similar statements: [with any corroborating explanation or no explanation].
- it went down or decreased
- it dropped or went down by 0.4
- it dropped or went down from 0.8 to 0.4
- it halved
Question 2 and Answer
Question: Compare the percent of change in the Dioxin level from 1975 to 1985 with the percent of change from 1985 to 1995. Which percent of change is larger? Explain your answer.
Answer: Mentions BOTH of the following:
- Larger in 1985-1995 than in 1975-1985.
- Supporting numbers: Change was 33 1/3 % from 1985-1995 while the previous was 25%. OR the same comparison using fractions (1/3 vs 1/4) or decimals (0.33 vs 0.25) OR Supporting explanation such as, "The original amount in 1985 was less than the original amount in 1975, so the percent change was larger."
