Alaska Practice Tests
Alaska Practice Books and Flashcards
Alaska's State Tests at a Glance
In grades 3 through 8, Alaska students take AK STAR (the Alaska System of Academic Readiness) in English language arts and math every year, plus the Alaska Science Assessment in grades 5 and 8. AK STAR continues through grade 9, and science is given again in grade 10. AK STAR is built with NWEA and is connected to the MAP Growth tests many schools give in the fall and winter. Both tests are taken online, and paper copies are printed only for students who need them as an accommodation. Neither test is timed: students may take as much time as they need, and the times below are the state's estimates. Testing takes place each spring.
English Language Arts
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 | Online; adaptive, so questions change with each answer and students cannot go back; one short written response | Untimed; about 180 minutes in all | Reading literature, reading informational text, vocabulary, language (grammar and mechanics), and writing |
Every scored question is tied to a reading passage or a sample student draft: a pair of literary passages with the short written response, one informational passage, a pair of research passages, and 3 to 5 student writing drafts to revise and edit. The written response is scored by hand and is worth up to 3 points.
Mathematics
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 3 and 4 | Online; adaptive, so students cannot go back; two short written responses; no calculator | Untimed; about 180 minutes in all | Operations and algebraic thinking, number and operations, measurement and data, geometry |
| Grade 5 | Online; adaptive, so students cannot go back; two short written responses; no calculator; formula sheet | Untimed; about 180 minutes in all | Operations and algebraic thinking, number and operations, measurement and data, geometry |
| Grades 6 and 7 | Online; adaptive, so students cannot go back; two short written responses; basic or scientific calculator on some questions; formula sheet | Untimed; about 180 minutes in all | Ratios and proportions, the number system, expressions and equations, geometry, statistics and probability |
| Grade 8 | Online; adaptive, so students cannot go back; two short written responses; basic or scientific calculator on some questions; formula sheet | Untimed; about 180 minutes in all | The number system, expressions and equations, functions, geometry, statistics and probability |
The two written responses are hand-scored tasks on mathematical argument and modeling. Calculators are built into the test and appear only on the questions that allow one; students cannot bring their own. Each test also includes questions from the MAP Growth item pool, some from above or below grade level, that produce growth (RIT) scores but do not count toward the AK STAR score.
Science
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 5 and 8 | Three parts; online; basic calculator on all parts | Untimed; about 40 minutes per part, 120 minutes in all | Physical science (30 to 35%), life science (30 to 35%), earth and space science (30 to 35%) |
Schools may give all three parts in one session, on one day with breaks, or on separate days, but each part is finished in one sitting. Questions include multiple choice, multi-select, two-part evidence questions and technology-enhanced items.