Give your third grader the confidence to succeed on the Kentucky Grade 3 Math state test.
This Smart Stars practice book provides five full-length, standards-aligned practice tests that mirror the format and item mix of the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) Mathematics test. Every question was written by experienced educators, reviewed for accuracy, and built around the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Mathematics for Grade 3.
The KSA is given each spring to Kentucky students in Grades 3-8, and again in high school, in reading and mathematics. It is overseen by the Kentucky Department of Education and delivered online by Pearson. The Grade 3 Math test is given in two parts: Part A is completed without a calculator, and Part B allows a four-function on-screen calculator. Together the two parts contain 42 questions that count toward the score, and the state allots about 120 minutes. This book is built to that same test-day experience: two parts per test, a no-calculator Part A followed by a Part B where a four-function calculator is allowed, and 42 questions in all: so your student practices the complete range of question types, math skills, and reporting domains they could meet on test day.
What’s inside
- Five full-length practice tests, with detailed Answers and Explanations after every test
- The real two-part KSA structure: a no-calculator Part A and a four-function-calculator Part B, 42 questions per test, just like the real exam
- Coverage of every Grade 3 math standard across the five domains of the Kentucky Academic Standards: Operations and Algebraic Thinking; Number and Operations in Base Ten; Number and Operations: Fractions; Measurement and Data; and Geometry
- Practice in every item format Kentucky uses: multiple choice, multiple select (“choose all that apply”), technology-enhanced questions (plotting a point on a number line, drag-and-drop, and drop-down menus), short typed-in answers, and two-part questions
- Figure-based questions of every kind: picture graphs, scaled bar graphs, line plots, number lines (including side-by-side number lines for equivalent fractions), area models, composite (L-shaped) figures, fraction models, and shape diagrams
- Every explanation gives a full worked solution plus a labeled Strategy and a Tip, Check, or Estimate, so students learn the reasoning, not just the answer
- A graduated set of tests that step up in difficulty from Test 1 to Test 5, so students build steadily toward the hardest grade-level problems
- Real-world contexts throughout: gardens and orchards, libraries and classrooms, sports and games, cooking and baking, science and nature, and community life
- A Grade 3 Math Study Reference Sheet to learn and review between tests (the state does not provide one on test day)
- A combined Quick Answer Key at the back of the book, with a worked answer for every one of the 42 questions on each test
- A family letter that explains the KSA performance levels and where Grade 3 Proficient begins, so you can turn a practice score into an estimated level (Novice, Apprentice, Proficient, or Distinguished)
- A test-taking tips section for students
- Calculator guidance matching the official Grade 3 policy: complete Part A with paper and pencil only, then use a four-function calculator for Part B
Topics covered
- Place value to thousands, and reading and writing whole numbers within 1,000
- Rounding whole numbers to the nearest ten and hundred
- Addition and subtraction within 1,000, including regrouping and borrowing across zero
- Multiplication and division within 100, using equal groups, arrays, and area
- Multiplying one-digit numbers by multiples of ten
- The relationship between multiplication and division, including unknown-factor and fact-family problems
- Two-step and three-step word problems using the four operations and judging whether an answer is reasonable
- Number and shape patterns and arithmetic rules, such as odd and even and the properties of operations
- Fractions as numbers: unit fractions and locating fractions on a number line
- Equivalent fractions, and comparing and ordering fractions with the same numerator or the same denominator
- Telling time to the nearest minute and finding elapsed time, including across the hour
- Liquid volume and mass in grams, kilograms, and liters
- Area and perimeter, including composite (L-shaped) figures, finding a missing side, and comparing two areas
- Reading and interpreting scaled picture graphs, bar graphs, and line plots
- Classifying quadrilaterals and other shapes, and partitioning shapes into equal parts and unit fractions
Why parents and teachers choose Smart Stars
- Educator-authored. Every question is written and reviewed by classroom-experienced educators.
- Mirrors test day. Each practice test matches the official KSA format, two-part no-calculator/calculator structure, item mix, and policy.
- Built for Kentucky. Aligned to the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Mathematics, and organized around the same five domains the KSA reports.
- Explanations teach the why. Every Answers and Explanations entry gives a full worked solution, then a labeled Strategy and a Tip, Check, or Estimate, so students learn the move, not just the answer.
- Varied and graduated. Question types, slot positions, contexts, names, and number choices rotate test-to-test, and the five tests step up in difficulty so no two feel like the same practice run.