Which drill allows prompts not limited to a single element of the pattern?

• A. Variable substitution drill
• B. Chain drill
• C. Discrete-point test
• D. Cognitive psychology

Answer: (A)

The focus here is on drills that let prompts reach beyond just one element of a pattern and apply to different parts of that pattern. A variable substitution drill does this by keeping the pattern structure intact while substituting different elements (variables) in various positions. This creates prompts that touch different aspects of the pattern, not just a single piece, which is exactly what the question is asking for.

In contrast, a chain drill emphasizes moving step by step through a sequence, often relying on the previous response to shape the next prompt. A discrete-point test assesses individual items or points, which doesn’t push the learner to apply the pattern across multiple elements. Cognitive psychology is a field rather than a drill type, so it doesn’t describe a method for prompting across pattern elements.

So, the drill that best fits “prompts not limited to a single element of the pattern” is the variable substitution drill.