ELA Practice Test

English language arts practice for grades 3 to 10: grammar, vocabulary and short reading texts, explained after every answer.

Choose the correct verb. "The children ___ at the park every Saturday."

Pick an answer, then press Check answer. Then you see Correct or Not quite, with the reason. Keys: A to D pick, Enter checks.

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with any state, school district or test publisher. Bank checked October 7, 2026.

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Grades 3 to 5: all 20 questions

Grammar and punctuation 6

  • A sentence opens with the clause "Before the movie started." Which version puts the comma in the right place? Common Core standard L.5.2.b; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Commas: Quick Rules"
  • Choose the correct verb. "Mom ___ us to the library last week." Common Core standard L.3.1.d; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Irregular Verbs"
  • Choose the correct verb. "The children ___ at the park every Saturday." Common Core standard L.3.1.f; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Making Subjects and Verbs Agree"
Show all 20 questions (17 more)

Grammar and punctuation, continued

  • Choose the correct word. "We walked ___ the store after lunch." Common Core standard L.4.1.g; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Spelling: Common Words that Sound Alike"
  • Which group of words is a complete sentence? Common Core standard L.4.1.f; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Sentence Fragments"
  • Which sentence puts the quotation marks and the comma in the right places? Common Core standard L.4.2.b; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Using Quotation Marks"

Vocabulary 5

  • The bus was still two blocks away when Ben ran for the door. "Hold your horses," said his grandmother. What did she mean? Common Core standard L.4.5.b; meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, entry "horse"
  • The Greek word part micro- means "small." Which tool is made for looking at things too small to see with the eye alone? Common Core standard L.5.4.b; meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, entry "micro-"
  • Read the sentence: "The path was so narrow that the hikers had to walk one behind the other." What does narrow mean? Common Core standard L.4.4.a; meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, entry "narrow"
  • What does the prefix re- mean in the words rewrite, rebuild and refill? Common Core standard L.3.4.b; meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, entry "re-"
  • Which sentence about a lake contains a simile? Common Core standard L.4.5.a; meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, entry "simile"

Reading stories 4

  • Read the passage: "I gripped the rope and looked down. My knees shook, but I kept climbing." From what point of view is the passage told? Common Core standard RL.4.6; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the story: "Dev zipped his coat to his chin and pulled his hat over his ears. His breath made little clouds as he walked to the bus." What can you infer about the weather? Common Core standard RL.4.1; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the story: "Tomas wanted to quit the swim team after he came in last. His coach asked him to try one more week. Tomas practiced his kicks every day, and at the next meet he beat his own best time." What lesson does the story teach? Common Core standard RL.3.2; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the story: "When the new girl dropped her lunch tray, the room went quiet. Priya got up, handed her a napkin and said, 'Sit with us. I have an extra sandwich.'" Which word best describes Priya? Common Core standard RL.3.3; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page

Reading nonfiction 5

  • A student writes: "Our class should start a recycling club." Which sentence gives a reason that supports this point? Common Core standard RI.4.8; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the directions: "First, fill the cup with soil. Next, press one seed into the soil. Then add a little water. Finally, set the cup by a window." What do you do right after you press the seed into the soil? Common Core standard RI.3.3; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the notice: "The book fair opens Monday in the gym. It runs through Thursday. Students may shop before school or during lunch." Which statement is supported by the notice? Common Core standard RI.4.1; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the paragraph: "Our school garden gives students many jobs. Some students water the beds. Others pull weeds or collect seeds. On Fridays a team sells the vegetables." What is the main idea? Common Core standard RI.3.2; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the paragraph: "The town pool closed early because a storm knocked out the power. As a result, swim lessons moved to Saturday." How is this paragraph organized? Common Core standard RI.4.5; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page

How this list was compiled: Our own questions and our own short texts. Each question names the Common Core English language arts standard for grades 3 to 5 that it practices, https://www.thecorestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/, read 2026-10-07. Grammar and punctuation rules were checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/, and word meanings in the American Heritage Dictionary, https://www.ahdictionary.com/, both read 2026-10-07. Reading answers rest on the text printed in the question. Licence: Questions, texts, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

Grades 6 to 8: all 20 questions

Grammar and punctuation 6

  • Choose the correct pronoun. "The principal thanked Luis and ___ for setting up the chairs." Common Core standard L.6.1.a; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Pronoun Case"
  • Which sentence about a rainbow places its opening modifier correctly? Common Core standard L.7.1.c; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Dangling Modifiers and How To Correct Them"
  • Which sentence about the chess team is in the passive voice? Common Core standard L.8.1.b; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Passive Verbs"
Show all 20 questions (17 more)

Grammar and punctuation, continued

  • Which sentence has a vague pronoun, one that could refer to more than one person? Common Core standard L.6.1.d; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Using Pronouns Clearly"
  • Which sentence punctuates its pair of adjectives correctly? Common Core standard L.7.2.a; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Extended Rules for Commas"
  • Which sentence punctuates the nonessential phrase correctly? Common Core standard L.6.2.a; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Commas with Nonessential Elements"

Vocabulary 5

  • All four words name a smell. Which one has the most negative connotation? Common Core standard L.6.5.c; meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, entry "stench"
  • The Latin root "spect" comes from a word meaning "to watch." Which word names a person who watches an event? Common Core standard L.6.4.b; meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, entry "spectator"
  • Rain pours down as Mia steps outside. She says, "What lovely weather for a picnic." What is this an example of? Common Core standard L.8.5.a; meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, entry "irony"
  • Read the sentence: "The four hikers shared a meager lunch: one apple and a handful of crackers." What does meager mean? Common Core standard L.6.4.a; meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, entry "meager"
  • Which sentence uses personification? Common Core standard L.6.5.a; meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, entry "personification"

Reading stories 4

  • Read the passage: "Everyone said the lake trail was easy. I believed them until the first hill, when my legs told me otherwise." What does the first-person narrator let readers know? Common Core standard RL.6.6; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the passage: "Marcus read the list twice. His name was not on it. He folded the paper into a tiny square, pushed it deep into his pocket and told his mother the tryouts had been 'fine.'" What does Marcus's response reveal? Common Core standard RL.8.3; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the sentence: "The old house groaned in the wind, and its dark windows stared down at us like empty eyes." What mood do the author's word choices create? Common Core standard RL.6.4; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the story: "Nora hid her brother's glove so he would stop teasing her. When he had to sit out the game, she watched him on the bench and felt worse than she had all week. That night she left the glove on his pillow." Which theme does the story develop? Common Core standard RL.6.2; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page

Reading nonfiction 5

  • A writer claims: "The school should keep its library open after classes." Which evidence best supports the claim? Common Core standard RI.6.8; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • An author argues that the town should build a skate park. Which sentence is irrelevant to that argument? Common Core standard RI.8.8; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the paragraph: "Every student deserves a safe route to school. The crossing at Pine and Third has no signal, and drivers rarely slow down. The city council should install a light before winter." What is the author's purpose? Common Core standard RI.6.6; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the paragraph: "The Oak Street library now lends more than books. Members can borrow sewing machines, telescopes and cake pans. Last month the tool shelf had more checkouts than the DVD shelf." What is the central idea? Common Core standard RI.6.2; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the passage: "Plastic bottles pile up in the school's trash every day. To cut the waste, the student council put in two water-filling stations and gave each student a metal bottle." How is the passage organized? Common Core standard RI.7.5; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page

How this list was compiled: Our own questions and our own short texts. Each question names the Common Core English language arts standard for grades 6 to 8 that it practices, https://www.thecorestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/, read 2026-10-07. Grammar and punctuation rules were checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/, and word meanings in the American Heritage Dictionary, https://www.ahdictionary.com/, both read 2026-10-07. Reading answers rest on the text printed in the question. Licence: Questions, texts, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

Grades 9 and 10: all 20 questions

Grammar and punctuation 6

  • In the sentence "Although the trail was steep, we reached the summit by noon," what is the group of words before the comma? Common Core standard L.9-10.1.b; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Independent and Dependent Clauses"
  • Which sentence about the intern uses parallel structure? Common Core standard L.9-10.1.a; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Parallel Structure"
  • Which sentence about the lab contains a comma splice? Common Core standard L.9-10.2.a; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Punctuation Overview"
Show all 20 questions (17 more)

Grammar and punctuation, continued

  • Which sentence about the late bus punctuates the word however correctly? Common Core standard L.9-10.2.a; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Punctuation Overview"
  • Which sentence joins its two clauses with a semicolon correctly? Common Core standard L.9-10.2.a; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Punctuation Overview"
  • Which sentence uses a colon correctly before a list? Common Core standard L.9-10.2.b; rule checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Punctuation Overview"

Vocabulary 5

  • A company announces that it is "letting some employees go." What is this phrase an example of? Common Core standard L.9-10.5.a; meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, entry "euphemism"
  • Each of these words means "to look." Which one suggests looking with anger? Common Core standard L.9-10.5.b; meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, entry "glare"
  • Read the sentence: "The speech was so verbose that reporters stopped taking notes after the first hour of repeated points." What does verbose mean? Common Core standard L.9-10.4.a; meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, entry "verbose"
  • Which phrase is an oxymoron? Common Core standard L.9-10.5.a; meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, entry "oxymoron"
  • Which word is the adjective form of the noun persuasion? Common Core standard L.9-10.4.b; meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, entry "persuasive"

Reading stories 4

  • A story opens with a woman standing in the ruins of a burned house, then goes back to the morning before the fire. What effect does this structure create? Common Core standard RL.9-10.5; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the passage: "Elena praised her rival's speech to the judges, then quietly moved her own name one line higher on the sign-up sheet." What does this reveal about Elena? Common Core standard RL.9-10.3; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the passage: "For thirty years Mr. Hale kept the lighthouse lamp burning, though no ship had passed in ten. When the county offered him a cottage in town, he trimmed the wick and said the dark would not light itself." Which theme does the passage suggest? Common Core standard RL.9-10.2; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the passage: "The clerk stamped the form, slid it back without looking up, and called 'Next' before Ray could finish his question." What tone do the details create? Common Core standard RL.9-10.4; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page

Reading nonfiction 5

  • A paragraph begins: "Few students at Ridge High eat breakfast." The next sentence reads: "In a count taken at the door one Monday, only 5 of 30 first-period students had eaten." What does the second sentence do? Common Core standard RI.9-10.5; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • A speaker says: "We can patch this bridge again, as we have patched it for twenty years, or we can build one our grandchildren will cross." How does the speaker advance the argument? Common Core standard RI.9-10.6; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the paragraph: "The museum extended its hours on Fridays. Within a month, Friday ticket sales had doubled, and the café ran out of sandwiches by seven." Which inference is best supported? Common Core standard RI.9-10.1; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Read the paragraph: "The town's new bike lanes drew complaints at first. A year later, shop owners on Main Street report more foot traffic, and the bus line beside the lanes carries more riders than before." What is the central idea? Common Core standard RI.9-10.2; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page
  • Which statement shows faulty reasoning? Common Core standard RI.9-10.8; the answer rests on the text printed in the question, which was written for this page

How this list was compiled: Our own questions and our own short texts. Each question names the Common Core English language arts standard for grades 9 and 10 that it practices, https://www.thecorestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/, read 2026-10-07. Grammar and punctuation rules were checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/, and word meanings in the American Heritage Dictionary, https://www.ahdictionary.com/, both read 2026-10-07. Reading answers rest on the text printed in the question. Licence: Questions, texts, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

How it works

This ELA practice test is an unofficial quiz: 60 English language arts questions of our own in three grade bands, each tied to a Common Core standard. It is not any state's test, and no test length or pass mark is implied.

Read the full guide

Which band to pick

Choose the band that holds the student's grade. Each band has 20 questions, and a student who finds one band easy can move up to the next.

What the questions practice

Each question names the Common Core English language arts standard it practices, read October 7, 2026. A reading question prints a short text of our own and asks about its main idea, its evidence, its structure or its word choices. Passages on a real test are longer.

How the answers are checked

Grammar and punctuation rules were checked at the Purdue Online Writing Lab, and word meanings in the American Heritage Dictionary. A reading answer rests on the text printed in its question.

  • Read the question before the short text, so you know what to look for.
  • For a vocabulary question, put each choice in place of the word and read the sentence again.

Questions and answers

What is on an ELA test?

Each state sets its own. This page practices four parts of the Common Core English language arts standards: grammar and punctuation, vocabulary, reading stories and reading nonfiction. Writing an essay is not covered here.

Is this an online ELA practice test for my state's exam?

No. For questions that follow one state's published design, try the NJSLA practice test, the M-STEP practice test or the Georgia Milestones grade 6 practice test.

Which grades is this ELA practice test for?

Grades 3 to 10, in three bands: 3 to 5, 6 to 8, and 9 and 10. The code after each answer shows the grade: L.4.1.f is a grade 4 Language standard, and RI.6.2 is a grade 6 standard for reading nonfiction.

Can I print the ELA practice test?

Yes. After a round, the questions of the band on screen print as a paper test, with an answer key if you tick it. Choose Save as PDF in the print window to keep it.

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