Rhode Island Practice Tests
Rhode Island Practice Books and Flashcards
Rhode Island's State Tests at a Glance
In grades 3 through 8, Rhode Island students take the Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS) in English language arts and math every year, plus the Rhode Island Next Generation Science Assessment (NGSA) in grades 5 and 8. RICAS is based on Massachusetts's MCAS tests and reports results under the MCAS reporting categories. All three tests are given on a computer in the spring in two sessions each, and paper tests are used only for students who need one as an accommodation. RICAS sessions are untimed, so the RICAS times below are the state's recommended times for scheduling.
English Language Arts
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 3 and 4 | Two sessions; online; reading passages followed by selected-response questions, short written responses and essay questions | Untimed; about 2 to 2½ hours per session recommended | Reading, language, writing |
| Grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 | Two sessions; online; reading passages followed by selected-response questions and essays | Untimed; about 2 to 2½ hours per session recommended | Reading, language, writing |
Written answers and essays are based on the passages students read. No reference materials are allowed on the ELA test, except approved word-to-word bilingual dictionaries and glossaries for current and former English learners.
Mathematics
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 3 and 4 | Two sessions; online; no calculator; no reference sheet; on-screen centimeter and eighth-inch rulers | Untimed; about 1½ hours per session recommended | Operations and algebraic thinking, number and operations in base ten, fractions, measurement and data, geometry |
| Grade 5 | Two sessions; online; no calculator; reference sheet; on-screen rulers | Untimed; about 1½ hours per session recommended | Operations and algebraic thinking, number and operations in base ten, fractions, measurement and data, geometry |
| Grade 6 | Two sessions; online; no calculator; reference sheet; on-screen rulers | Untimed; about 1½ hours per session recommended | Ratios and proportional relationships, the number system, expressions and equations, geometry, statistics and probability |
| Grade 7 | Two sessions; online; no calculator in Session 1; basic or scientific calculator in Session 2; reference sheet; on-screen rulers | Untimed; about 1½ hours per session recommended | Ratios and proportional relationships, the number system, expressions and equations, geometry, statistics and probability |
| Grade 8 | Two sessions; online; no calculator in Session 1; scientific or graphing calculator in Session 2; reference sheet; on-screen rulers | Untimed; about 1½ hours per session recommended | The number system with expressions and equations, functions, geometry, statistics and probability |
Questions are selected response, short answer and constructed response; when a question asks students to show or explain their work, they must do so to earn full credit. A Spanish and English edition of the math test is available.
Science
| Grade | Format | Time | What’s tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 5 and 8 | Two sessions; online; not adaptive; item clusters built around a real-world phenomenon plus stand-alone questions; on-screen calculator | 75 minutes per session; students still working productively may take more time | Life science, physical science, earth and space science |
The NGSA is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards. Each item cluster opens with a real-world phenomenon and asks two or more questions about it, and different students receive different clusters and stand-alone questions. Both sessions may be given on the same day or on two separate days, and the test is also offered online in Spanish and English.