What is in this literary devices test
This is a free 90-question practice test on literary devices, written by the mentors at Reportcards
— A Learning Centre in Jaipur and used with our own Grade 9 and 10 students. It is pitched at
Grade 9 and 10 across Cambridge IGCSE 0500. You can take it without an account. Log in with a free account and your score is saved, with points
and badges; otherwise it stays on the device you answer on.
The 90 questions are spread across these topics, so a weak area shows up as a pattern rather than as one
unlucky question:
- Repetition and Rhetoric · 18 questions
- Comparison and Imagery · 16 questions
- Sound and Rhythm · 14 questions
- Irony and Contrast · 12 questions
- Narrative Craft · 12 questions
- Meaning and Emphasis · 10 questions
- Sentence Craft · 8 questions
How the marking works
Each question is marked the moment it is answered, and the explanation appears straight away while the question is
still fresh. That is deliberate: a test that only gives a score at the end teaches a student what they scored, while a
test that explains each answer teaches them why. At the end you get a marked paper listing every question that was
missed, so the next revision session has somewhere obvious to start.
A question from this test
Which device involves the addition of one or more unstressed syllables at the beginning of a line of verse before the regular metrical pattern begins?
- Anacrusis
- Caesura
- Meter
- Stanza
Answer: Anacrusis
Anacrusis refers to the extra unaccented syllables preceding the first regular metrical foot. Meter refers to the overall rhythmic structure, while caesura is a pause within a line.
How to use it at home
Sit the test once cold, without notes, and keep the marked paper. Revise only the topics the paper flags, then
take it again a week later: the second score is the one worth talking about, because it measures what changed rather
than what was already known. Parents often find the marked paper more useful than the score itself, since it names
the topic rather than saying the child is "weak in literary devices".
Related on this site: the 64-device reference worksheet, our IGCSE 0500 preparation guide, the IGCSE 0500 workbooks.
Questions parents ask
Is this literary devices test free?
Yes. It is completely free and works without an account. Log in with a free account if you want your scores saved, with points, streaks and badges; otherwise the score stays on your own device.
How long does it take?
Most students finish the 90 questions in one sitting. You can stop part way and resume later on the same device, because your progress is saved in the browser.
Which class and board is it for?
It is written for Grade 9 and 10 students following Cambridge IGCSE 0500, though any student covering the same topics can use it.
Are the answers explained?
Yes. Every question is marked as soon as it is answered and each answer carries a short explanation, and the marked paper at the end lists every question that was missed.
