A RAISIN IN THE SUN Final Test — 40 Questions (Printable PDF)

This A Raisin in the Sun final unit test is designed for grades 9-12 ELA. The 40-question exam covers comprehension, literary knowledge/analysis, and historical context. Download the formatted PDF free below, cut and paste questions from the list, or purchase the A Raisin in the Sun Test Maker for a customizable 145-question bank with answer key.

A Raisin in the Sun Unit Test Options:

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About this A Raisin in the Sun test

The 40-question exam covers the full play and is intended as a final unit assessment. Questions progress from straightforward comprehension to literary analysis, requiring students to demonstrate knowledge of plot, character, theme, symbolism, historical context, and key literary terms. The four open-ended questions ask students to analyze characterization, symbolism, and theme using textual evidence.

The test divides into three sections:

• Section 1 — Comprehension and knowledge (questions 1–15): plot events, character details, and factual recall.
• Section 2 — Literary analysis (questions 16–36): literary terms, historical context, symbolism, structure, theme, and author’s craft.
• Section 3 — Open-ended questions (questions 37–40): short answer analysis using textual evidence.

Why use a final test for A Raisin in the Sun?

A Raisin in the Sun rewards careful, cumulative study. A well-designed final test does two things: it confirms that students engaged with the text, and it asks them to demonstrate the literary analysis skills developed over the course of the unit. A purely comprehension-based test misses the second goal. A purely analysis-based test is unfair to students who struggled with the reading.

This test balances both. The comprehension section is intentionally accessible — students who did the reading should score well. The analysis section requires genuine understanding of how Hansberry develops themes through word choice, symbolism, characterization, and structure. The open-ended questions give stronger students a chance to demonstrate depth.

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A Raisin in the Sun Test Maker: 145 questions

The free test above is a sample drawn from the larger Test Maker resource. The Test Maker includes 145 questions organized by category — comprehension, literary analysis, historical context, vocabulary, and open-ended — with a complete answer key. Build a custom exam by selecting the questions that match your unit’s focus, then format in MS Word or Google Docs.

This is especially useful if your unit emphasizes different aspects year to year, or if you need multiple versions for different class periods.

(PURCHASE) A Raisin in the Sun Test Maker — 145 questions + answer key →

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A Raisin in the Sun test questions

All 40 questions from the free PDF are available below to cut and paste.

Section 1: Comprehension and Knowledge (Questions 1–15)

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) What does Walter Lee want to do with the money from the life insurance policy?
A. Start a business
B. Buy a car
C. Move to another city
D. Give it to charity

3) 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.”

4) 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.)

5) 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

6) How does Walter Lee react to Beneatha’s performance of traditional 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.

7) Which character is the first to determine that Ruth should get an abortion?
A. Walter Lee
B. Mrs. Johnson
C. Beneatha
D. Ruth, herself

8) Which character says, “Let’s face it… your heritage is nothing but a bunch of raggedy-a**ed spirituals and some grass huts!”?
A. George M.
B. Joseph A.
C. Walter Lee
D. Mr. Lindner

9) Which family member selects the Clybourne Park neighborhood in the first place?
A. Walter Lee
B. Big Walter (before he died)
C. Mama
D. Ruth

10) Which choice accurately describes the stage directions written by Lorraine Hansberry?
A. She gives minimal instructions for the director to follow.
B. She lists options for the director to consider.
C. She gives detailed directions about the sets and actions.
D. Trick question! She gives no directions.

11) Who says, “I’ll work twenty hours a day in all the kitchens… 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 Lee

12) Walter Lee calls Mr. Lindner on the phone 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 does not call Lindner.

13) 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 the photograph of his father.

14) At the end of the play, Mama is ashamed of Walter Lee mainly because…
A. He chooses money over his family.
B. He disrespects his father’s memory.
C. He is a “no-good loser.”
D. Trick question! She is proud of him.

15) Beneatha Younger makes her decision about her future clear when…
A. She agrees to marry George.
B. She agrees to marry Joseph.
C. She says that learning is her only love.
D. Trick question! Her decision is not clear.

Section 2: Literary Analysis (Questions 16–36)

16) The idea that all individuals in the U.S. have the opportunity to succeed through their own efforts and talents is called…
A. The Golden Rule.
B. The American Dream.
C. The Fair Bargain.
D. The United States Standard.

17) “He is a lean, intense young man in his middle thirties, inclined to quick nervous movements and erratic speech habits – and always in his voice there is a quality of indictment.” This excerpt is an example of…
A. Word choice (sense of time and place).
B. Characterization (direct).
C. Theme / central idea (symbolism).
D. Word choice (analogies and allusions).

18) Which choice accurately identifies the main conflict of the play?
A. Beneatha must choose between George Murchison and Joseph Asagai.
B. The family must decide how to use the insurance money.
C. The Younger family vs. Clybourne Park
D. Lorraine Hansberry vs. racism

19) “…but the carpet has fought back by showing its weariness, with depressing uniformity, elsewhere on its surface.” This quote is a prime example of…
A. Allusion (literary).
B. Characterization (indirect).
C. Structure (rising action).
D. Word choice (personification).

20) “…Bitter? Man, I’m a volcano. Bitter? Here I am a giant surrounded by ants! Ants who can’t even understand what it is the giant is talking about.” This line is a prime example of…
A. Structure (pacing).
B. Structure (climax).
C. Word choice (figurative language).
D. Word choice (sense of time and place).

21) In a drama the term motivation refers to…
A. Why a character does what they do.
B. Events that move the plot forward.
C. The impression the author wants to make on the audience.
D. The staged movements and actions of the main characters.

22) Which choice accurately identifies the inciting incident of the plot?
A. Joseph proposes marriage.
B. Walter Lee refuses Mr. Lindner’s money.
C. Lindner offers to pay off the family.
D. The insurance check arrives in the mail.

23) Which choice is the definition of dialect?
A. A word’s feelings and associations.
B. A form of a language that is specific to a region or group.
C. The narrator’s attitude toward the subject of conversation.
D. How the words help the reader imagine with their senses.

24) The symbolic elements of plants and light are mostly connected to which theme subject?
A. African heritage
B. Hopes and dreams
C. Dignity / pride
D. Sexism

25) Which character represents the concept of systemic racism?
A. Mr. Lindner
B. Bobo
C. Beneatha
D. Mrs. Johnson

26) When the play refers to an idea or passage from the Bible, it is an example of…
A. Bibliography.
B. Allusion.
C. Symbolism.
D. Imagery.

27) Which method was NOT used by racists to keep black people out of some neighborhoods?
A. Restrictive rules in home buying contracts
B. Intimidation and violence
C. Unfair banking practices (loaning money)
D. Trick question! All of these.

28) Based on To Be Young, Gifted, and Black, which choice is NOT a connection between Hansberry’s real life and the play?
A. Hansberry grew up in the South Side neighborhood of Chicago.
B. The Hansberry family lived in abject (extreme) poverty.
C. The Hansberry family integrated a predominantly white neighborhood.
D. Her father was a major influence on her.

29) Which of the following would NOT be an example of a primary source?
A. Photograph
B. Piece of clothing
C. History textbook
D. Handwritten letter

30) Booker T. Washington advised African Americans of his time to…
A. Move to West Africa.
B. Work hard, save money, and overcome prejudice gradually.
C. Use whatever means necessary (even violence) to exercise voting rights.
D. Gain advanced degrees as doctors, lawyers, professors, and engineers.

31) Which choice is LEAST important as an aspect of the play’s historical context?
A. The Great Depression
B. Decolonization in Africa
C. The Civil Rights Movement
D. The Women’s Movement

32) The scene where Walter Lee must decide if he will take money from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association is best identified as…
A. Satirical.
B. Allegorical.
C. Metaphorical.
D. Climactic.

33) What is the term for the dismissal of one’s own culture in order to adopt majority culture?
A. Indoctrination.
B. Cohabitation.
C. Assimilation.
D. Misappropriation.

34) The ___________ of Walter’s performance as Flaming Spear shifts from silly to serious.
A. Point of view
B. Aspect
C. Tone
D. Imagery

35) Which choice is NOT an effect of structure?
A. Mystery
B. Motivation
C. Tension
D. Suspense

36) Which choice is the best example of Hansberry’s use of ambiguity?
A. Travis takes joy in the killing of the rat.
B. The outcome of the move is unknown.
C. Walter Lee uses the N-word.
D. Mama reveals that her little plant is actually a grape vine.

Section 3: Open-Ended Questions (Questions 37–40)

37) Explain the thematic importance of Beneatha’s hair in A Raisin in the Sun.

38) Joseph Asagai explains that Alaiyo means “One for whom food is not enough.” What is the significance of this nickname?

39) Explain this excerpt in terms of characterization:

WALTER (As he dances with RUTH) You know, when these New Negroes have their convention— (Pointing at his sister)—that is going to be the chairman of the Committee on Unending Agitation. (He goes on dancing, then stops) Race, race, race! … Girl, I do believe you are the first person in the history of the entire human race to successfully brainwash yourself.

40) Explain this quote in terms of symbol and theme:

MAMA Fixing my plant so it won’t get hurt none on the way. …BENEATHA That raggedy-looking old thing? MAMA (Stopping and looking at her) It expresses ME!

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The free test above contains 40 exam items drawn from the A Raisin in the Sun Test Maker, which includes 145 questions and a complete answer key. For the complete unit including lessons, quizzes, and all assessments, see the A Raisin in the Sun Unit and Materials. Browse all posts at A Raisin in the Sun teaching resources →.

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