Idaho Practice Tests
Idaho Practice Books and Flashcards
Idaho's State Tests at a Glance
In grades 3 through 8, the Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) covers English language arts and math every year, plus science in grades 5 and 8. The tests are given online, and students who cannot use a digital device may test on paper. The ISAT is untimed, so the times below are the state's estimates for scheduling. Testing takes place each spring, from March through May, and each school sets its own schedule inside the state window.
English Language Arts
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 | Online; two parts: a computer-adaptive test with listening questions, and a performance task given in two sessions that ends with a full essay | Untimed; about 2 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours in all (45 minutes to 1 hour for the adaptive test and 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours for the performance task) | Reading and listening, and writing and research; the essay is scored for organization and purpose, evidence and elaboration, and conventions |
Idaho's ELA and math tests are the Smarter Balanced assessments. Idaho recommends giving the adaptive test and the performance task on separate days, in either order. Students in kindergarten through grade 3 also take the Idaho Reading Indicator, an early reading check given in the fall and the spring.
Mathematics
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 3, 4 and 5 | Online; two parts: a computer-adaptive test and a performance task; no calculator | Untimed; about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours in all (45 minutes to 1 hour for each part) | Concepts and procedures; problem solving, communicating reasoning, and modeling and data analysis |
| Grades 6, 7 and 8 | Online; two parts: a computer-adaptive test and a performance task; on-screen calculator for some questions (four-function in grade 6, scientific in grades 7 and 8) | Untimed; about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes in all (1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes for the adaptive test and 45 minutes to 1 hour for the performance task) | Concepts and procedures; problem solving, communicating reasoning, and modeling and data analysis |
On the adaptive test the questions adjust to each student's answers, so the number of questions varies from student to student. Math can be taken in Spanish, or with Spanish text-to-speech.
Science
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 | Online; computer-adaptive; one part, usually one session; question clusters and stand-alone questions built around a science phenomenon; on-screen four-function calculator | Untimed; about 1 hour to 1 hour 50 minutes | Earth and space science, life science, physical science (equal shares) |
| Grade 8 | Online; computer-adaptive; one part, usually one session; question clusters and stand-alone questions built around a science phenomenon; on-screen scientific calculator; periodic table | Untimed; about 1 hour to 1 hour 50 minutes | Earth and space science, life science, physical science (equal shares) |
The grade 5 test covers Idaho's science standards for grades 3 to 5, and the grade 8 test covers the middle school standards for grades 6 to 8. Science can be taken in Spanish.