A Raisin in the Sun reading comprehension questions available in two formats for grades 9-12: three act quizzes (10 questions each) and a full reading test (42 multiple choice questions plus short answer and an essay prompt). Cut and paste individual questions below or purchase the formatted PDF versions with answer keys.
Jump ahead to the A Raisin in the Sun whole-book test
A Raisin in the Sun Reading Quizzes Acts 1-3
FREE: Cut and paste quiz questions from the list below.
PURCHASE: A Raisin in the Sun Reading Quizzes by Act — formatted and ready to print. Includes answer key.
PURCHASE: A Raisin in the Sun Unit and Materials — Includes the act quizzes, 21 complete lessons, and more.
A Raisin in the Sun Quiz Questions for Act I
1) The Youngers’ apartment is best described as…
A. Luxurious but messy.
B. Shabby but clean and orderly.
C. Luxurious and spotless.
D. Shabby and filthy.
2) The relationship between Ruth and Walter is best described as…
A. Tense.
B. Loving.
C. Violent.
D. Indifferent (they ignore each other).
3) What does Walter want to do with the life insurance money?
A. Start a business
B. Buy a new car
C. Move to another city
D. Trick question! He offers no opinion.
4) What does Beneatha want to do with her future?
A. Marry a rich man
B. Become a flight attendant
C. Become an author
D. Become a doctor
5) Why does the family have a hectic (rushed and confused) routine in the morning?
A. The bus is unpredictable.
B. They must contend (fight) for use of the bathroom.
C. They never know when Walter will be called to work.
D. Mama needs constant attention and assistance.
6) Beneatha practices the religion of…
A. Buddhism.
B. Christianity.
C. Islam.
D. Trick question! She is not religious.
7) If Mama had the means (opportunity and time), her hobby would be…
A. Singing in the choir.
B. Gardening.
C. Traveling.
D. Fine arts (painting, sculpting, etc.)
8) Ruth’s big news to the family is that…
A. She lost her job.
B. She is pregnant.
C. She got a better job.
D. She filed for divorce.
9) What gifts does Joseph Asagai bring for Beneatha?
A. Records (music) and clothes
B. A telephone and soft gloves
C. Flowers and chocolates
D. A camera and film
10) How does Mama react to the arrival of the insurance check?
A. She is joyful.
B. She is sad.
C. She is angry.
D. Trick question! The check does not arrive.
A Raisin in the Sun Quiz Questions for Act II
1) How does Walter react to Beneatha’s performance of African heritage?
A. He demands that she stop.
B. He watches it and makes fun of her.
C. He joins in.
D. He gets angry and leaves.
2) Walter is trying to convince George Murchison to…
A. Stop dating Beneatha.
B. Propose marriage to Beneatha.
C. Set up a business meeting.
D. Give him marriage advice.
3) What business does Mama conduct when she goes off on her own for the day?
A. She cancels Ruth’s abortion.
B. She buys a house.
C. She takes out a loan to help Walter start his business.
D. She files a police report.
4) George tells Beneatha that he is mostly interested in her…
A. Help with school assignments.
B. Money.
C. Intelligence and conversation.
D. Looks.
5) What has Walter been doing instead of going to his usual job?
A. Starting his new business.
B. Hanging around and getting drunk.
C. Going to a new job.
D. Having an affair with a rich woman.
6) Mama decides that the best thing to do about Walter Jr. is…
A. Trust him with the money.
B. Stop trusting him with anything.
C. Throw him out of the house.
D. Find him a new job.
7) Mrs. Johnson predicts that the Younger family…
A. Will never move out of the apartment.
B. Will move and be happy.
C. Will move and get attacked.
D. Trick question! She makes no prediction.
8) Mr. Lindner is mainly trying to…
A. Encourage the family to move.
B. Discourage the family from moving.
C. Cheat the family out of the insurance money.
D. Join in Walter’s business plan.
9) Mama explains that her _____________ expresses her identity.
A. Apartment
B. Music
C. Quilt (the hand-sewn blanket)
D. Plant
10) How does Walter find out that he has been scammed?
A. He gets a call from the bank.
B. His friend Bobo tells him.
C. His boss calls him to a private meeting.
D. Trick question! The audience knows, but he does not.
A Raisin in the Sun Quiz Questions for Act III
1) What is Joseph’s dream for his future?
A. Marry Beneatha and grow rich in America
B. Own a newspaper
C. Compete in the Olympics
D. Become a leader in Africa
2) Joseph says that Beneatha’s reaction to losing her college money is…
A. Appropriate.
B. Inappropriate because she is overreacting.
C. Inappropriate because she is calm and collected.
D. Trick question! He says nothing.
3) What is Joseph’s suggestion for Beneatha’s future?
A. Marry George Murchison.
B. Move to Africa.
C. Become a nurse.
D. Stop bothering him.
4) Who argues forcefully that the family should still move to the new house?
A. Walter
B. Beneatha
C. Mama
D. Ruth
5) Walter calls Mr. Lindner because he wants to tell him that…
A. They will take the money.
B. They will NOT take the money.
C. They will be good neighbors.
D. Trick question! He refuses to call Mr. Lindner.
6) The family is most ashamed of Walter when he…
A. Slaps Ruth.
B. Acts out a racist stereotype.
C. Lies to Travis.
D. Spits on his father’s portrait.
7) Walter tells Mr. Lindner that the most important thing to the Younger family is…
A. Money.
B. The new house.
C. Pride.
D. Making the world a better place.
8) Besides Mr. Lindner and Joseph Asagai, who comes to the apartment in Act III?
A. Mr. Hendershot (landlord)
B. Mr. Krestein (banker)
C. Movers
D. New tenants (the people moving in)
9) Beneatha’s decision about her future is made clear when…
A. She agrees to marry George.
B. She agrees to marry Joseph.
C. She tells Mama that finishing school will be her only focus.
D. Trick question! We do not know what she will do.
10) What is the very last action of the play?
A. Walter packs his father’s picture.
B. Beneatha stomps on a cockroach.
C. Mama leaves with her plant.
D. Ruth goes off by herself and sings a hymn (religious song).
A Raisin in the Sun Reading Test Questions (Entire Play)
The reading test covers the full play with 42 multiple choice questions, 7 short answer questions, and an essay prompt. The formatted PDF with answer key is available for purchase above. Cut and paste individual questions below.
FREE: Cut and paste test items from the list below.
PURCHASE: A Raisin in the Sun Reading Test — formatted and ready to print or customize. Includes answer key.
Multiple Choice Questions
1) This play is set in ____________ in the _______.
A. Atlanta (in the) 1890s
B. New York (in the) 1910s
C. Los Angeles (in the) 1930s
D. Chicago (in the) 1950s
2) The Youngers’ apartment is best described as…
A. Luxurious but messy.
B. Shabby but clean.
C. Luxurious and spotless.
D. Shabby and filthy.
3) What is Beneatha Younger’s main hobby?
A. Singing in the chorus
B. Writing plays
C. Photography
D. Trick question! She likes to jump from one hobby to another.
4) What does Walter Younger want to do with the life insurance money?
A. Start a business
B. Buy a new car
C. Move to another city
D. Gift it to a charity.
5) What does Beneatha plan to do with her future at the start of the play?
A. Marry a rich man
B. Get a job as a flight attendant
C. Publish books and articles (writer)
D. Practice medicine (doctor)
6) Beneatha is not serious about dating George Murchison because…
A. He does not share her values.
B. He is too old.
C. He is too poor.
D. They do not have “the special spark.”
7) Beneatha practices the religion of…
A. Buddhism.
B. Christianity.
C. Islam.
D. Trick question! She is not religious.
8) If Mama had the means (opportunity and time), her hobby would be…
A. Singing in the choir.
B. Gardening.
C. Traveling.
D. Fine arts (painting, sculpting, etc.)
9) What do both Ruth and Mama do for employment?
A. Assembly (factory work)
B. Serving (in a restaurant)
C. Domestic work (housekeeping and cooking)
D. Trick question! They cannot find work.
10) What do Beneatha and Joseph Asagai mainly discuss throughout the play?
A. Politics and elections
B. A class assignment
C. The best ways to get rich
D. Their relationship
11) What does Walter think of his job?
A. It is difficult, but it pays well.
B. It is leading him nowhere.
C. It is fun and exciting, but it pays too little.
D. It will lead to something better over time if he can be patient.
12) How does Walter react to Beneatha’s performance of African culture?
A. He demands that she stop.
B. He laughs at it and makes fun of her.
C. He joins in.
D. He gets angry and leaves.
13) Mama implies that Big Walter (her husband) died from…
A. Guilt over his past.
B. Living an “unclean” life.
C. Working too hard.
D. Keeping his anger inside.
14) When George Murchison stops by the apartment, Walter tries to convince him to…
A. Stop dating Beneatha.
B. Marry Beneatha.
C. Set up a business meeting.
D. Help him move furniture and boxes.
15) What news about Ruth shocks Walter?
A. She plans to have an abortion.
B. She plans to divorce him.
C. She has been having an extramarital affair (cheating on him).
D. She was married once before.
16) Who selects the Clybourne Park neighborhood for the Youngers in the first place?
A. Walter Lee
B. Big Walter (before he died)
C. Mama
D. Ruth
17) Which choice accurately describes Mrs. Johnson as a neighbor?
A. Supportive and caring
B. Unpredictable and dangerous
C. Quiet and mysterious
D. Petty and annoying
18) Based on the details of the play, which of these characters is the most religious?
A. Mama
B. Walter
C. Beneatha
D. Joseph
19) Walter tries to escape his troubles and homelife by…
A. Seeing another woman.
B. Painting fantastic scenes.
C. Getting drunk in a bar.
D. Zoning out in front of the TV (sports).
20) George Murchison feels that African Americans ought to…
A. Segregate themselves from white culture in all ways possible.
B. Try to fit in to mainstream culture and get ahead financially.
C. Move to Africa and create new lives.
D. Stop trying to succeed and accept life as it is.
21) What does Mama do to lift Walter Lee’s spirits?
A. She throws him a party.
B. She helps him buy a car.
C. She gives him more responsibility in the family.
D. Trick question! She decides that he needs to solve his own problems.
22) Walter says, “…I mean, after a day of conferences and secretaries getting things wrong the way they do…’cause an executive’s life is hell, man…I’ll pull the car up on the driveway… just a plain black Chrysler, I think, with white walls — no — black tires. More elegant. Rich people don’t have to be flashy…” To whom is he speaking?
A. Mama
B. Ruth
C. Travis
D. Bobo
23) Which character explicitly (directly) states that the family will suffer for moving into the white neighborhood?
A. George
B. Mrs. Johnson
C. Joseph
D. Bobo
24) What is Mr. Lindner’s main goal?
A. Encourage the family to move.
B. Discourage the family from moving.
C. Cheat the family out of their money.
D. Join in Walter’s business plans.
25) Mama explains that her _________________ expresses her identity.
A. Apartment
B. Music
C. Quilt (the hand-sewn blanket)
D. Plant
26) Who cheats the Younger family out of thousands of dollars?
A. Samuel Kretzen (the banker)
B. Willy Harris (Walter’s friend)
C. Mr. Lindner (Clybourne Park Improvement Association)
D. Deborah Scandling (the realtor)
27) How does Walter find out that the family’s money is gone?
A. He gets a call from the bank.
B. His boss calls him to a private meeting.
C. Beneatha tells Walter what she did.
D. Bobo tells him.
28) Which character is most concerned with finding her/his identity?
A. Walter
B. Ruth
C. Joseph
D. Beneatha
29) What is Joseph Asagai’s dream for his future?
A. Marry Beneatha and grow rich in America
B. Own a newspaper company
C. Compete in the Olympics
D. Become a leader in Africa
30) Joseph says that Beneatha’s reaction to losing her college money is…
A. Appropriate and reasonable.
B. Inappropriate because she is overreacting.
C. Inappropriate because she is too calm.
D. Trick question! He says nothing.
31) What is Joseph’s suggestion for Beneatha’s future?
A. Marry George Murchison.
B. Move to Africa.
C. Become a nurse.
D. Stop bothering him.
32) Who says, “I’ll work twenty hours a day in all the kitchens in Chicago…if I have to and scrub all the floors in America and wash all the sheets in America if I have to — but we got to MOVE!”
A. Mama
B. Beneatha
C. Ruth
D. Walter
33) Walter calls Mr. Lindner because he wants to tell him that…
A. They will accept his offer.
B. They will NOT take his money.
C. They will be good neighbors.
D. Trick question! He refuses to call Mr. Lindner.
34) The family is most ashamed of Walter Lee when he…
A. Slaps Ruth.
B. Acts out a racist stereotype.
C. Lies to Travis.
D. Spits on his father’s portrait.
35) The second time Walter meets with Lindner, he explains that the most important thing to the Younger family is…
A. Money.
B. Moving to the new house.
C. Pride.
D. Making the world a better place.
36) Besides Mr. Lindner and Joseph Asagai, who comes to the apartment in the final act?
A. Mr. Hendershot (landlord)
B. Mr. Kretzen (banker)
C. Movers
D. New tenants (the people moving in)
37) By the end of the play, Mama is ashamed of her son mainly because…
A. He chooses his money over his family.
B. He disrespects his father’s memory.
C. He is a “no-good drunk.”
D. Trick question! She is proud of him.
38) Which character changes the most by the end of the play?
A. Mama
B. Walter
C. Travis
D. Ruth
39) Match the characters to their values by choosing the list that best matches this order: Walter, Mama, Beneatha, Joseph.
A. Identity, money, progress, dignity
B. Progress, money, dignity, progress
C. Money, dignity, identity, progress
D. Dignity, progress, identity, money
40) Beneatha makes her decision about her future clear when…
A. She agrees to marry George.
B. She agrees to marry Joseph.
C. She tells Mama that finishing school is her only focus.
D. Trick question! We do not know what she will do.
41) What is the very last action of the play?
A. Walter packs up his father’s picture.
B. Beneatha stomps on a cockroach.
C. Mama grabs her plant and leaves.
D. Ruth sings a hymn (religious song).
42) Which choice accurately describes the stage directions written by Lorraine Hansberry?
A. She provides minimal instructions for the director of the play.
B. She includes lists of options for the director to consider.
C. She gives detailed directions about the sets and actions.
D. Trick question! She gives no instructions; the script contains spoken lines only.
Short Answer Questions
The short answer questions and essay prompt below are included in the reading test PDF. The formatted version with lined response space and answer key is available for purchase above.
43) Character values: Choose ONE of the main characters (Walter Lee, Mama, Beneatha, or Ruth) and describe his/her personality and values. Include details from the play in your description.
44) Walter Lee Younger is one of the most memorable characters of American drama. He has been played by Sidney Poitier, Danny Glover, Denzel Washington, Sean Combs, and many others. Who is Walter Lee Younger? How does Hansberry bring him to life for the audience? What details reveal his character?
45) African heritage: One element of A Raisin in the Sun is an exploration of the importance of heritage to African Americans. How does Hansberry use the characters to explore this topic? (Hint: Opposing points of view are demonstrated.)
46) Key detail: Several discussions in A Raisin in the Sun revolve around Beneatha’s hair. Summarize the content of these discussions and explain the importance of this detail. Why does Hansberry give Beneatha’s hair so much attention?
47) A dynamic character is a character that changes in important ways over the course of the story. Which of the characters in A Raisin in the Sun changes the most? Support your answer with details from the drama.
48) Minor characters: The minor characters of A Raisin in the Sun (Travis, Mr. Lindner, Bobo, Mrs. Johnson, George Murchison, or Joseph Asagai) have major importance. Choose ONE and explain how she/he impacts the events or messages of the play.
49) Theme: A theme is a message communicated through a story. Hansberry communicates many messages in A Raisin in the Sun, but which is the most important? What is the key message of A Raisin in the Sun and how do you know?
Essay Prompt
50) Hopes and dreams: Hansberry took the title of A Raisin in the Sun from a poem about the hopes and dreams of African Americans. Write an essay explaining how Hansberry uses her characters to explore the subject of hopes and dreams.
Introduction: Answer the prompt.
Body Paragraph 1: 1st character’s hopes and dreams
Body Paragraph 2: 2nd character’s hopes and dreams
Body Paragraph 3: 3rd character’s hopes and dreams
Conclusion: Restate your answer.
Why use A Raisin in the Sun comprehension quizzes?
Regular reading accountability is one of the most effective tools in a high school ELA classroom. When students know a short quiz is coming, they read. When they read, class time becomes productive. When class time is productive, discussions are richer, essays are stronger, and student achievement rises across the board.
The act quizzes are built specifically for this purpose. Ten multiple choice questions per act means administration takes less than ten minutes and scoring is fast. Questions appear in chronological order, so you can quickly identify which students read thoroughly and which quit halfway through. That data drives differentiation, parent conversations, and accountability without turning grading into a second job.
The reading test serves a different function. It checks comprehension of the entire play and pairs naturally with the short answer questions and essay prompt to assess both recall and higher-order thinking. Teachers who want a single summative assessment for the unit have everything they need in one document.
Both assessments are easy to customize. The formatted PDFs are clean and ready to print as-is, but every question is available above to cut, paste, and modify for your classroom context, grade level, and pacing.
A Raisin in the Sun generates some of the most genuine student discussion of any text in the high school canon. Hansberry’s characters are vivid, her themes are urgent, and her play speaks directly to the experiences of many students in ways that canonical texts often do not. Protecting that class time, by making sure students arrive having actually read, is what these assessments are designed to do.
The formatted PDF versions with answer keys are available at the links below.
(PURCHASE) A Raisin in the Sun Reading Quizzes by Act
(PURCHASE) A Raisin in the Sun Reading Test
(PURCHASE) A Raisin in the Sun Unit and Materials
More A Raisin in the Sun teaching posts:
- A Raisin in the Sun Discussion Questions
- A Raisin in the Sun Unit Plan
- A Raisin in the Sun Pre-Reading Activities
- A Raisin in the Sun Activities
- Teaching A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
- All A Raisin in the Sun posts →
M. Towle is a veteran Language Arts and Social Studies teacher with fourteen years of classroom experience in urban schools in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. M. Towle holds an M.A. in Holocaust and Genocide Studies and is the founder of TeachNovels.com.