Test Prep by State
Iowa Practice Tests
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Grade 3
Grade 4
Iowa's State Tests at a Glance
In grades 3 through 8, the ISASP covers English language arts (a Reading test and a Language/Writing test) and math every year, plus science in grades 5 and 8. The tests are given online or on paper. The online Reading, math and science tests are adaptive: they are built in stages, and the questions in each later stage depend on how the student did on the stage before, always on grade level. The ISASP is untimed, and the times below are the state's recommended times for scheduling. Testing takes place in the spring, with each district setting its own schedule inside the state's window.
English Language Arts
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 3 and 4 | Two tests: Reading (one section, adaptive online) and Language/Writing (a Language section and a Writing section with one extended essay); online or paper | Untimed; about 85 minutes recommended for Reading and 80 minutes for Language/Writing (35 for Language, 45 for Writing) | Reading: key ideas and details (40 to 60%), craft and structure (30 to 45%), integration of knowledge and ideas (9 to 20%); language and writing: conventions of standard English and knowledge of language (35 to 50%), text types and purposes (20 to 35%), and vocabulary, production and distribution of writing, and research to build and present knowledge (5 to 15% each) |
| Grade 5 | Two tests: Reading (one section, adaptive online) and Language/Writing (a Language section and a Writing section with one extended essay); online or paper | Untimed; about 85 minutes recommended for Reading and 80 minutes for Language/Writing (35 for Language, 45 for Writing) | Reading: key ideas and details (40 to 60%), craft and structure (30 to 45%), integration of knowledge and ideas (8 to 20%); language and writing: conventions of standard English and knowledge of language (35 to 50%), text types and purposes (20 to 35%), and vocabulary, production and distribution of writing, and research to build and present knowledge (5 to 15% each) |
| Grade 6 | Two tests: Reading (one section, adaptive online) and Language/Writing (a Language section and a Writing section with one extended essay); online or paper | Untimed; about 80 minutes recommended for Reading and 70 minutes for Language/Writing (35 for Language, 35 for Writing) | Reading: key ideas and details (40 to 60%), craft and structure (30 to 45%), integration of knowledge and ideas (8 to 20%); language and writing: conventions of standard English and knowledge of language (35 to 50%), text types and purposes (20 to 35%), and vocabulary, production and distribution of writing, and research to build and present knowledge (5 to 15% each) |
| Grades 7 and 8 | Two tests: Reading (one section, adaptive online) and Language/Writing (a Language section and a Writing section with one extended essay); online or paper | Untimed; about 80 minutes recommended for Reading and 70 minutes for Language/Writing (35 for Language, 35 for Writing) | Reading: key ideas and details (40 to 60%), craft and structure (30 to 45%), integration of knowledge and ideas (7 to 20%); language and writing: conventions of standard English and knowledge of language (35 to 50%), text types and purposes (20 to 35%), and vocabulary, production and distribution of writing, and research to build and present knowledge (5 to 15% each) |
Students finish the Language section before starting the Writing section. The two sections can be given on the same day with breaks or on different days, but a section started on one day is finished that same day.
Mathematics
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | One section; adaptive online, in two stages; online or paper; four-function calculator allowed; no formula sheet | Untimed; about 85 minutes recommended | Operations and algebraic thinking (38 to 43%), measurement and data (19 to 24%), fractions (14 to 19%), number and operations in base ten (10 to 14%), geometry (10 to 12%) |
| Grade 4 | One section; adaptive online, in two stages; online or paper; four-function calculator allowed; no formula sheet | Untimed; about 85 minutes recommended | Fractions (27 to 32%), operations and algebraic thinking (23 to 27%), number and operations in base ten (20 to 25%), measurement and data (16 to 20%), geometry (9 to 14%) |
| Grade 5 | One section; adaptive online, in two stages; online or paper; four-function calculator allowed; no formula sheet | Untimed; about 85 minutes recommended | Number and operations in base ten (30 to 34%), fractions (30 to 34%), measurement and data (15 to 19%), operations and algebraic thinking (11 to 15%), geometry (11 to 15%) |
| Grade 6 | One section; adaptive online, in two stages; online or paper; four-function calculator with a percent key allowed; formula sheet | Untimed; about 80 minutes recommended | Expressions and equations (33 to 37%), ratios and proportional relationships (20 to 25%), the number system (18 to 22%), geometry (10 to 14%), statistics and probability (10 to 14%) |
| Grade 7 | One section; adaptive online, in two stages; online or paper; scientific calculator allowed; formula sheet | Untimed; about 80 minutes recommended | Expressions and equations (25 to 29%), ratios and proportional relationships (21 to 27%), the number system (19 to 25%), geometry (15 to 19%), statistics and probability (10 to 13%) |
| Grade 8 | One section; adaptive online, in two stages; online or paper; scientific calculator allowed; formula sheet | Untimed; about 80 minutes recommended | Expressions and equations (30 to 33%), functions (20 to 24%), geometry (17 to 20%), statistics and probability (7 to 17%), the number system (7 to 11%) |
A calculator is built into the online test, and students may also use a district-approved calculator; phone, tablet and computer apps and calculators with computer algebra systems are not allowed. In the adaptive test, students answer each question before moving on and cannot go back to a stage once it is submitted. The math test is also offered in Spanish.
Science
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 | One section; adaptive online, in two stages; online or paper; calculator allowed | Untimed; about 75 minutes recommended | Life science, physical science, earth and space sciences (25 to 45% each) |
| Grade 8 | One section; adaptive online, in two stages; online or paper; calculator allowed | Untimed; about 70 minutes recommended | Life science, physical science, earth and space sciences (25 to 45% each) |
Science questions are grouped around passages and scenarios, and the science test is also offered in Spanish.