A book has 90 pages. Ella reads 10 pages a day for 4 days. How many pages does she have left?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 3.OA.8
A farmer plants 6 rows of tomato plants with 8 plants in each row. How many plants is that?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 3.OA.3
A square has sides 6 inches long. What is its perimeter?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 3.MD.8
A table top is 5 feet long and 3 feet wide. What is its area?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 3.MD.7b
Show all 48 questions (44 more)
Grade 3 mathematics, continued
What is 54 ÷ 9?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 3.OA.7
What is 500 − 164?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 3.NBT.2
Which fraction is equal to the whole number 2?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 3.NF.3c
Which of these unit fractions is the greatest?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 3.NF.3d
Grade 3 English language arts 8
Read the passage. Nora's bean seed had not sprouted. Every morning she checked the cup on the windowsill, and every morning she saw only dirt. Her brother's seed already had two leaves. Nora wanted to dump her cup in the trash. Instead she moved it to a sunnier spot and kept watering. On the ninth day, a pale green loop pushed up through the soil. What does "sprouted" mean in the passage?Cambridge Dictionary, "sprout"; Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.3.4a
Read the passage. Nora's bean seed had not sprouted. Every morning she checked the cup on the windowsill, and every morning she saw only dirt. Her brother's seed already had two leaves. Nora wanted to dump her cup in the trash. Instead she moved it to a sunnier spot and kept watering. On the ninth day, a pale green loop pushed up through the soil. What does Nora do when she feels like giving up?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.3.1
Read the passage. Nora's bean seed had not sprouted. Every morning she checked the cup on the windowsill, and every morning she saw only dirt. Her brother's seed already had two leaves. Nora wanted to dump her cup in the trash. Instead she moved it to a sunnier spot and kept watering. On the ninth day, a pale green loop pushed up through the soil. What lesson does the story teach?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.3.2
Read the passage. Nora's bean seed had not sprouted. Every morning she checked the cup on the windowsill, and every morning she saw only dirt. Her brother's seed already had two leaves. Nora wanted to dump her cup in the trash. Instead she moved it to a sunnier spot and kept watering. On the ninth day, a pale green loop pushed up through the soil. Why does Nora want to dump her cup in the trash?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.3.3
Read the passage. The Elm Street School garden has a job chart. Each week one class waters the beds, and another class pulls weeds. A third class weighs the vegetables that are picked and writes the numbers on a poster in the hall. Last fall the poster showed 85 pounds of squash. The cooks used the squash in the lunchroom soup. What does "beds" mean in the passage?Cambridge Dictionary, "bed"; Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.3.4a
Read the passage. The Elm Street School garden has a job chart. Each week one class waters the beds, and another class pulls weeds. A third class weighs the vegetables that are picked and writes the numbers on a poster in the hall. Last fall the poster showed 85 pounds of squash. The cooks used the squash in the lunchroom soup. What does the third class do?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.3.1
Read the passage. The Elm Street School garden has a job chart. Each week one class waters the beds, and another class pulls weeds. A third class weighs the vegetables that are picked and writes the numbers on a poster in the hall. Last fall the poster showed 85 pounds of squash. The cooks used the squash in the lunchroom soup. What happened to the squash after it was weighed?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.3.3
Read the passage. The Elm Street School garden has a job chart. Each week one class waters the beds, and another class pulls weeds. A third class weighs the vegetables that are picked and writes the numbers on a poster in the hall. Last fall the poster showed 85 pounds of squash. The cooks used the squash in the lunchroom soup. What is the passage mostly about?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.3.2
Grade 4 mathematics 8
A rectangle is 12 meters long and 5 meters wide. What is its perimeter?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 4.MD.3
A school orders 12 boxes of 30 markers and hands out 275 markers. How many markers are left?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 4.OA.3
What is 3 × 2/5?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 4.NF.4b
What is 4/6 + 1/6?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 4.NF.3a
What is 7 × 426?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 4.NBT.5
What is 918 ÷ 3?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 4.NBT.6
Which decimal is equal to 9/10?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 4.NF.6
Which of these fractions is less than 1/2?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 4.NF.2
Grade 4 English language arts 8
Read the passage. Maple Hollow's library lends more than books. In its Tool Corner, a member can borrow a drill, a ladder or a sewing machine for one week. The idea came from a member who needed a saw for a single afternoon and did not want to buy one. Today the Tool Corner holds 140 items. Members must watch a short safety video before borrowing anything with a motor. What does "lends" mean in the passage?Cambridge Dictionary, "lend"; Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.4.4a
Read the passage. Maple Hollow's library lends more than books. In its Tool Corner, a member can borrow a drill, a ladder or a sewing machine for one week. The idea came from a member who needed a saw for a single afternoon and did not want to buy one. Today the Tool Corner holds 140 items. Members must watch a short safety video before borrowing anything with a motor. What is the main idea of the passage?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.4.2
Read the passage. Maple Hollow's library lends more than books. In its Tool Corner, a member can borrow a drill, a ladder or a sewing machine for one week. The idea came from a member who needed a saw for a single afternoon and did not want to buy one. Today the Tool Corner holds 140 items. Members must watch a short safety video before borrowing anything with a motor. What must a member do before borrowing a drill?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.4.1
Read the passage. Maple Hollow's library lends more than books. In its Tool Corner, a member can borrow a drill, a ladder or a sewing machine for one week. The idea came from a member who needed a saw for a single afternoon and did not want to buy one. Today the Tool Corner holds 140 items. Members must watch a short safety video before borrowing anything with a motor. Why was the Tool Corner started?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.4.3
Read the passage. The whole team groaned when Coach read the lineup. Priya, the smallest player, would take the last kick. She walked to the ball with her knees shaking. Then she remembered the hundred kicks she had practiced against the garage door. She stopped looking at the crowd and looked only at the corner of the net. The ball landed exactly there. What does "groaned" mean in the passage?Cambridge Dictionary, "groan"; Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.4.4a
Read the passage. The whole team groaned when Coach read the lineup. Priya, the smallest player, would take the last kick. She walked to the ball with her knees shaking. Then she remembered the hundred kicks she had practiced against the garage door. She stopped looking at the crowd and looked only at the corner of the net. The ball landed exactly there. What helps Priya steady herself before the kick?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.4.3
Read the passage. The whole team groaned when Coach read the lineup. Priya, the smallest player, would take the last kick. She walked to the ball with her knees shaking. Then she remembered the hundred kicks she had practiced against the garage door. She stopped looking at the crowd and looked only at the corner of the net. The ball landed exactly there. Where had Priya practiced her kicks?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.4.1
Read the passage. The whole team groaned when Coach read the lineup. Priya, the smallest player, would take the last kick. She walked to the ball with her knees shaking. Then she remembered the hundred kicks she had practiced against the garage door. She stopped looking at the crowd and looked only at the corner of the net. The ball landed exactly there. Which sentence best states the theme of the story?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.4.2
Grade 5 mathematics 8
A box is 5 centimeters long, 4 centimeters wide and 3 centimeters high. What is its volume?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 5.MD.5b
What is 2/5 of 30?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 5.NF.4a
What is 5 ÷ 1/3?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 5.NF.7b
What is 5/6 − 1/2?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 5.NF.1
What is 8.4 − 2.75?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 5.NBT.7
What is 125 × 48?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 5.NBT.5
What is 2,070 ÷ 18?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 5.NBT.6
What is the value of 40 − (6 + 4) × 3?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 5.OA.1
Grade 5 English language arts 8
Read the passage. Grandpa's boat had sat under a tarp for three summers. "She's finished," he said, tapping the cracked hull. Mateo ran his hand along the wood and said nothing. That week he sanded before breakfast and painted after supper. On Sunday he pulled off the tarp. Grandpa stared at the bright blue hull for a long time. Then he went to find the oars. How does Mateo respond to Grandpa's words "She's finished"?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.5.2
Read the passage. Grandpa's boat had sat under a tarp for three summers. "She's finished," he said, tapping the cracked hull. Mateo ran his hand along the wood and said nothing. That week he sanded before breakfast and painted after supper. On Sunday he pulled off the tarp. Grandpa stared at the bright blue hull for a long time. Then he went to find the oars. What does "hull" mean in the passage?Cambridge Dictionary, "hull"; Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.5.4a
Read the passage. Grandpa's boat had sat under a tarp for three summers. "She's finished," he said, tapping the cracked hull. Mateo ran his hand along the wood and said nothing. That week he sanded before breakfast and painted after supper. On Sunday he pulled off the tarp. Grandpa stared at the bright blue hull for a long time. Then he went to find the oars. What does Grandpa's last action suggest?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.5.1
Read the passage. Grandpa's boat had sat under a tarp for three summers. "She's finished," he said, tapping the cracked hull. Mateo ran his hand along the wood and said nothing. That week he sanded before breakfast and painted after supper. On Sunday he pulled off the tarp. Grandpa stared at the bright blue hull for a long time. Then he went to find the oars. Which is a theme of the story?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.5.2
Read the passage. Students at Birchwood School should start class at 9:00, not 8:00. In a school survey, 7 of every 10 fifth graders said they feel sleepy during first period. Teachers report that the most late slips are written on Mondays. Some parents worry that a later start would cut into sports practice. That is a fair concern, but practice could simply begin an hour later too. How does the author answer the parents' worry?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.5.8
Read the passage. Students at Birchwood School should start class at 9:00, not 8:00. In a school survey, 7 of every 10 fifth graders said they feel sleepy during first period. Teachers report that the most late slips are written on Mondays. Some parents worry that a later start would cut into sports practice. That is a fair concern, but practice could simply begin an hour later too. What does "concern" mean in the passage?Cambridge Dictionary, "concern"; Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.5.4a
Read the passage. Students at Birchwood School should start class at 9:00, not 8:00. In a school survey, 7 of every 10 fifth graders said they feel sleepy during first period. Teachers report that the most late slips are written on Mondays. Some parents worry that a later start would cut into sports practice. That is a fair concern, but practice could simply begin an hour later too. What is the author's main claim?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.5.2
Read the passage. Students at Birchwood School should start class at 9:00, not 8:00. In a school survey, 7 of every 10 fifth graders said they feel sleepy during first period. Teachers report that the most late slips are written on Mondays. Some parents worry that a later start would cut into sports practice. That is a fair concern, but practice could simply begin an hour later too. Which detail does the author use as evidence that students are tired?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.5.8
How this list was compiled: Outline: the Illinois State Board of Education's Illinois Assessment of Readiness page, https://www.isbe.net/Pages/IAR.aspx, with the grade mathematics blueprints and the ELA Section Times and Blueprints it links, https://www.isbe.net/Documents/ELA-High-Level-Blueprints.pdf, read 2026-10-07. Each question names the standard it practices in the Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, https://www.isbe.net/Documents/math-standards.pdf, or for English Language Arts, https://www.isbe.net/Documents/ela-standards.pdf, read 2026-10-07. Mathematics answers were worked out a second time from the numbers in the question. Every reading answer is found in the short text printed with the question; word meanings were checked in the Cambridge Dictionary, named under those answers, on 2026-10-07. Licence: Own work. Questions, short texts, answer choices and explanations were written for this site. Nothing is copied or reworded from the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, a practice item or released item of the state, an example in the standards or another practice test.
Grades 6 to 8: all 48 questions
Grade 6 mathematics 8
A machine fills 240 bottles in 8 minutes. At that rate, how many bottles does it fill in 15 minutes?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 6.RP.3b
A triangle has a base of 12 inches and a height of 7 inches. What is its area?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 6.G.1
Solve: x − 9 = 26.Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 6.EE.7
What is 5/6 ÷ 5/12?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 6.NS.1
What is 12.5 − 3.86?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 6.NS.3
What is 15% of 80?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 6.RP.3c
What is the value of 5a − 2b when a = 4 and b = 3?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 6.EE.2c
Which comparison of integers is true?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 6.NS.7a
Show all 48 questions (40 more)
Grade 6 English language arts 8
Read the passage. Every spring, volunteers in the town of Pell Creek count frogs. They do not catch them. Instead, they stand by a pond after dark and listen for three minutes, writing down each kind of call they hear. Ten years of these counts show which ponds are getting quieter. When a pond goes quiet, the town tests its water. Twice, the tests have found a leak from a nearby road. How do the volunteers count frogs?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.6.1
Read the passage. Every spring, volunteers in the town of Pell Creek count frogs. They do not catch them. Instead, they stand by a pond after dark and listen for three minutes, writing down each kind of call they hear. Ten years of these counts show which ponds are getting quieter. When a pond goes quiet, the town tests its water. Twice, the tests have found a leak from a nearby road. How does the author show that the counts are useful?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.6.3
Read the passage. Every spring, volunteers in the town of Pell Creek count frogs. They do not catch them. Instead, they stand by a pond after dark and listen for three minutes, writing down each kind of call they hear. Ten years of these counts show which ponds are getting quieter. When a pond goes quiet, the town tests its water. Twice, the tests have found a leak from a nearby road. What does "volunteers" mean in the passage?Cambridge Dictionary, "volunteer"; Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.6.4a
Read the passage. Every spring, volunteers in the town of Pell Creek count frogs. They do not catch them. Instead, they stand by a pond after dark and listen for three minutes, writing down each kind of call they hear. Ten years of these counts show which ponds are getting quieter. When a pond goes quiet, the town tests its water. Twice, the tests have found a leak from a nearby road. What is the central idea of the passage?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.6.2
Read the passage. The spelling bee was down to two. Imani's word was "rhythm." She had missed it at practice, twice. Her hands went cold. Across the stage, Leo gave her the smallest nod, though her miss would hand him the trophy. Imani closed her eyes and saw the word the way she had written it on her wall, letter by letter. She spelled it slowly. The judge smiled. How does Imani respond to the pressure?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.6.3
Read the passage. The spelling bee was down to two. Imani's word was "rhythm." She had missed it at practice, twice. Her hands went cold. Across the stage, Leo gave her the smallest nod, though her miss would hand him the trophy. Imani closed her eyes and saw the word the way she had written it on her wall, letter by letter. She spelled it slowly. The judge smiled. What does "Her hands went cold" show?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.6.5a
Read the passage. The spelling bee was down to two. Imani's word was "rhythm." She had missed it at practice, twice. Her hands went cold. Across the stage, Leo gave her the smallest nod, though her miss would hand him the trophy. Imani closed her eyes and saw the word the way she had written it on her wall, letter by letter. She spelled it slowly. The judge smiled. What does Leo's nod suggest about him?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.6.1
Read the passage. The spelling bee was down to two. Imani's word was "rhythm." She had missed it at practice, twice. Her hands went cold. Across the stage, Leo gave her the smallest nod, though her miss would hand him the trophy. Imani closed her eyes and saw the word the way she had written it on her wall, letter by letter. She spelled it slowly. The judge smiled. Why does the author tell us Imani had missed the word twice at practice?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.6.5
Grade 7 mathematics 8
A circle has a diameter of 20 centimeters. Using 3.14 for π, what is its circumference?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 7.G.4
A number cube has faces numbered 1 to 6. What is the probability of rolling a number less than 3?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 7.SP.7a
A recipe uses 3 cups of flour for every 2 cups of sugar. How many cups of flour does it use for each cup of sugar?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 7.RP.2b
A shirt costs $24 before a 7.5% sales tax. What is the total cost?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 7.RP.3
Solve: x/4 − 2 = 5.Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 7.EE.4a
What is −3.2 × 5?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 7.NS.2a
What is −12 − 7?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 7.NS.1c
Which expression is equivalent to 7x − (2x − 3)?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 7.EE.1
Grade 7 English language arts 8
Read the passage. Dear Committee, I am writing about the mural contest. My sketch did not win, and at first I wanted to say the judging was unfair. Then I walked past the winning wall. A little kid was tracing its painted river with one finger, all the way to the sea. My sketch had no river. It had nothing a finger could follow. I would like to help paint next year. Signed, Tomas. How does the letter form help show Tomas's change?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.7.5
Read the passage. Dear Committee, I am writing about the mural contest. My sketch did not win, and at first I wanted to say the judging was unfair. Then I walked past the winning wall. A little kid was tracing its painted river with one finger, all the way to the sea. My sketch had no river. It had nothing a finger could follow. I would like to help paint next year. Signed, Tomas. What does Tomas mean by "It had nothing a finger could follow"?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.7.4
Read the passage. Dear Committee, I am writing about the mural contest. My sketch did not win, and at first I wanted to say the judging was unfair. Then I walked past the winning wall. A little kid was tracing its painted river with one finger, all the way to the sea. My sketch had no river. It had nothing a finger could follow. I would like to help paint next year. Signed, Tomas. Which is a theme of the letter?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.7.2
Read the passage. Dear Committee, I am writing about the mural contest. My sketch did not win, and at first I wanted to say the judging was unfair. Then I walked past the winning wall. A little kid was tracing its painted river with one finger, all the way to the sea. My sketch had no river. It had nothing a finger could follow. I would like to help paint next year. Signed, Tomas. Why does Tomas change his mind about the judging?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.7.1
Read the passage. The Oakdale council wants to replace the Main Street parking lot with a small park. Shop owners say customers need the 30 spaces. But the council counted cars for a month and found the lot more than half empty on most days. A park, the council argues, would bring families downtown on weekends, when shops are slowest. The lot behind the bank would stay open. According to the council, how would a park help the shops?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.7.3
Read the passage. The Oakdale council wants to replace the Main Street parking lot with a small park. Shop owners say customers need the 30 spaces. But the council counted cars for a month and found the lot more than half empty on most days. A park, the council argues, would bring families downtown on weekends, when shops are slowest. The lot behind the bank would stay open. What does "council" mean in the passage?Cambridge Dictionary, "council"; Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.7.4a
Read the passage. The Oakdale council wants to replace the Main Street parking lot with a small park. Shop owners say customers need the 30 spaces. But the council counted cars for a month and found the lot more than half empty on most days. A park, the council argues, would bring families downtown on weekends, when shops are slowest. The lot behind the bank would stay open. What evidence does the council give that the lot is not needed?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.7.8
Read the passage. The Oakdale council wants to replace the Main Street parking lot with a small park. Shop owners say customers need the 30 spaces. But the council counted cars for a month and found the lot more than half empty on most days. A park, the council argues, would bring families downtown on weekends, when shops are slowest. The lot behind the bank would stay open. What is the shop owners' point of view?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.7.1
Grade 8 mathematics 8
A gym charges a $25 joining fee plus $15 a month. What is the total cost for 8 months?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 8.F.4
A right triangle has legs of 8 and 15 units. How long is the hypotenuse?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 8.G.7
A triangle has angles of 35° and 90°. What is its third angle?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 8.G.5
Solve the system: y = x + 3 and y = 3x − 1.Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 8.EE.8b
Solve: 3(x + 2) = x + 14.Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 8.EE.7b
What is (8 × 10⁶) ÷ (2 × 10²)?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 8.EE.4
Which expression is equivalent to (5²)³?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 8.EE.1
Which is the best estimate of √40?Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, standard 8.NS.2
Grade 8 English language arts 8
Read the passage. A city bus in Larch Bay costs the same $2 whether a rider travels two stops or twenty. Planners call this a flat fare. Its strength is simplicity: riders always know the price, and boarding is quick. Its weakness is fairness, since a short trip costs as much as a long one. Some planners now favor fares based on distance. Critics reply that distance fares would slow boarding and confuse new riders. How does the passage present the fare question?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.8.5
Read the passage. A city bus in Larch Bay costs the same $2 whether a rider travels two stops or twenty. Planners call this a flat fare. Its strength is simplicity: riders always know the price, and boarding is quick. Its weakness is fairness, since a short trip costs as much as a long one. Some planners now favor fares based on distance. Critics reply that distance fares would slow boarding and confuse new riders. What does "critics" mean in the passage?Cambridge Dictionary, "critic"; Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.8.4a
Read the passage. A city bus in Larch Bay costs the same $2 whether a rider travels two stops or twenty. Planners call this a flat fare. Its strength is simplicity: riders always know the price, and boarding is quick. Its weakness is fairness, since a short trip costs as much as a long one. Some planners now favor fares based on distance. Critics reply that distance fares would slow boarding and confuse new riders. What is a flat fare?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.8.1
Read the passage. A city bus in Larch Bay costs the same $2 whether a rider travels two stops or twenty. Planners call this a flat fare. Its strength is simplicity: riders always know the price, and boarding is quick. Its weakness is fairness, since a short trip costs as much as a long one. Some planners now favor fares based on distance. Critics reply that distance fares would slow boarding and confuse new riders. Which is given as a weakness of the flat fare?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RI.8.3
Read the passage. The audition list went up at noon. Wren's name was on it, but beside the wrong part: not the lead, the narrator. She read it twice, as if the letters might rearrange themselves. All afternoon she practiced being gracious, and by the first rehearsal she almost was. Then she opened the script. The narrator spoke first, spoke last, and never left the stage. What does "as if the letters might rearrange themselves" show?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.8.4
Read the passage. The audition list went up at noon. Wren's name was on it, but beside the wrong part: not the lead, the narrator. She read it twice, as if the letters might rearrange themselves. All afternoon she practiced being gracious, and by the first rehearsal she almost was. Then she opened the script. The narrator spoke first, spoke last, and never left the stage. What does "gracious" mean in the passage?Cambridge Dictionary, "gracious"; Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard L.8.4a
Read the passage. The audition list went up at noon. Wren's name was on it, but beside the wrong part: not the lead, the narrator. She read it twice, as if the letters might rearrange themselves. All afternoon she practiced being gracious, and by the first rehearsal she almost was. Then she opened the script. The narrator spoke first, spoke last, and never left the stage. What does Wren discover when she opens the script?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.8.1
Read the passage. The audition list went up at noon. Wren's name was on it, but beside the wrong part: not the lead, the narrator. She read it twice, as if the letters might rearrange themselves. All afternoon she practiced being gracious, and by the first rehearsal she almost was. Then she opened the script. The narrator spoke first, spoke last, and never left the stage. What is ironic about the ending?Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts, standard RL.8.6
How this list was compiled: Outline: the Illinois State Board of Education's Illinois Assessment of Readiness page, https://www.isbe.net/Pages/IAR.aspx, with the grade mathematics blueprints and the ELA Section Times and Blueprints it links, https://www.isbe.net/Documents/ELA-High-Level-Blueprints.pdf, read 2026-10-07. Each question names the standard it practices in the Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics, https://www.isbe.net/Documents/math-standards.pdf, or for English Language Arts, https://www.isbe.net/Documents/ela-standards.pdf, read 2026-10-07. Mathematics answers were worked out a second time from the numbers in the question. Every reading answer is found in the short text printed with the question; word meanings were checked in the Cambridge Dictionary, named under those answers, on 2026-10-07. Licence: Own work. Questions, short texts, answer choices and explanations were written for this site. Nothing is copied or reworded from the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, a practice item or released item of the state, an example in the standards or another practice test.
How it works
Unofficial test prep for the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), the state test in mathematics and English language arts for grades 3 to 8. The questions and texts are our own. Not affiliated with the Illinois State Board of Education.
Read the full guide
What is on this page
Two grade bands. Each grade has eight math questions, then eight English language arts questions on two short texts: a story and an informational piece, each with one vocabulary question. Literary text, informational text and vocabulary are the three reading categories of the state's blueprint.
How the real test differs
The real English language arts test uses longer texts and asks for two written responses, which the blueprint says make up about half of the score. The math test adds reasoning and modeling tasks answered in writing. Here every question is multiple choice, and its explanation names the Illinois standard it practices.
A written response cannot be marked here. After a text, write one paragraph that answers a question about it with two details from the text.
Questions and answers
What is the IAR test in Illinois?
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness is the state's assessment and accountability measure for students in public school districts. It tests English language arts and mathematics, on the Illinois Learning Standards, in grades 3 to 8.
How long is the IAR test?
English language arts has two sections: 75 minutes each in grade 3 and 90 minutes each in grades 4 to 8. Mathematics has three sections of 60 minutes each in every grade.
What is a good IAR score?
Scores run from 650 to 850 in four levels. Proficient begins at 735 in grade 3 English language arts and rises to 745 in grade 8. In math it begins at 732 in grade 3 and reaches 745 in grades 7 and 8.
Where are the official IAR practice tests for Illinois?
On the state testing site, under Practice Test Items, which the Illinois State Board of Education's IAR page links to. They show the real question kinds for each grade. The button in the box under the questions opens them.