Kentucky Practice Tests
Kentucky Practice Books and Flashcards
Kentucky's State Tests at a Glance
In grades 3 through 8, the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) covers reading and math every year, plus science in grades 4 and 7 and social studies in grades 5 and 8. The tests are given online in Pearson's TestNav, and paper tests are used only for students who need an accommodated test kit, such as Braille or large print. Each district gives the KSA during its last 14 instructional days. The times below are the state's recommended times for scheduling, and students who are still making progress may be allowed to keep working. The KSA no longer includes the on-demand writing and editing and mechanics tests that grades 5 and 8 used to take.
Reading
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 | Two parts, Part A and Part B, given in one sitting or split across two; online | About 120 to 140 minutes in all; about 60 to 70 minutes per part | Key ideas and details (30 to 35%), craft and structure (30 to 35%), integration of knowledge and ideas (30 to 35%) |
Reading passages are about half literary and half informational in grades 3 to 5, and about 45% literary and 55% informational in grades 6 to 8. Written-answer questions ask students to explain their thinking about what they read.
Mathematics
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | Two parts; no calculator in Part A; on-screen four-function calculator in Part B; no reference sheet | About 120 minutes in all; about 60 minutes per part | Operations and algebraic thinking (30 to 35%), number and operations in base ten (15 to 20%), fractions (20 to 25%), measurement and data (15 to 20%), geometry (10 to 15%) |
| Grades 4 and 5 | Two parts; no calculator in Part A; on-screen four-function calculator in Part B; no reference sheet | About 120 minutes in all; about 60 minutes per part | Operations and algebraic thinking (15 to 20%), number and operations in base ten (25 to 30%), fractions (25 to 30%), measurement and data (10 to 15%), geometry (10 to 15%) |
| Grade 6 | Two parts; no calculator in Part A; on-screen scientific calculator in Part B; no reference sheet | About 120 minutes in all; about 60 minutes per part | Ratios and proportional relationships (10 to 15%), the number system (30 to 35%), expressions and equations (25 to 30%), geometry (15 to 20%), statistics and probability (15 to 20%) |
| Grade 7 | Two parts; no calculator in Part A; on-screen scientific calculator in Part B; no reference sheet | About 120 minutes in all; about 60 minutes per part | Ratios and proportional relationships (20 to 25%), the number system (15 to 20%), expressions and equations (20 to 25%), geometry (20 to 25%), statistics and probability (20 to 25%) |
| Grade 8 | Two parts; no calculator in Part A; on-screen scientific calculator in Part B; no reference sheet | About 120 minutes in all; about 60 minutes per part | Expressions and equations (25 to 30%), functions (25 to 30%), the number system (10 to 15%), geometry (25 to 30%), statistics and probability (10 to 15%) |
Kentucky no longer provides a math reference sheet; any formulas students need are built into the questions. The no-calculator share of the test shrinks as students get older: about 60 to 70% of the questions in grades 3 to 5, 30 to 35% in grades 6 and 7, and 20 to 25% in grade 8.
Science
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 4 | One part; online | About 90 minutes | Physical science (30 to 45%), life science (20 to 35%), earth and space science (25 to 40%), engineering design (5 to 15%) |
| Grade 7 | One part; online | About 90 minutes | Physical science (35 to 50%), life science (15 to 30%), earth and space science (20 to 30%), engineering design (5 to 15%) |
The grade 4 engineering design questions draw on the engineering standards for grades K to 2 and 3 to 5, and the grade 7 questions on those for grades 3 to 5 and middle school.
Social Studies
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 5 and 8 | Two parts, Part A and Part B, given in one sitting or split across two; online | About 120 minutes in all; about 60 minutes per part | Civics (25%), economics (25%), geography (25%), history (25%) |
The grade 5 test covers the social studies standards for kindergarten through grade 5, and the grade 8 test covers grades 6 through 8. About half of the questions in each area also measure inquiry skills.