Massachusetts math, English language arts and science questions by grade, each answer explained.
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The real tests: what Massachusetts publishes
Tests with a published design
ELA and math: grades 3 to 8 and 10. Science and technology/engineering: grades 5 and 8. Civics: grade 8. High school: Biology and Introductory Physics.
Mathematics
40 questions count in grades 3 to 8, for 48 points in grade 3 and 54 in grades 4 to 8. Grade 10 has 42 questions for 60 points.
English language arts
From 2027, grades 3 to 5: 40 one-point questions and 2 written responses. Grades 6 to 8: 37 one-point questions, 1 written response and 1 essay. 50 points each.
Science and technology/engineering
Grades 5 and 8: 41 questions for 54 points, a quarter of the points each for Earth and space science, life science, physical science and technology/engineering.
Sessions and calculators
ELA, math and science tests each have two sessions. Math allows no calculator in grades 3 to 6; in grades 7, 8 and 10 a calculator is allowed in session 2 only.
Results
English language arts and mathematics are reported in four achievement levels: Exceeding, Meeting, Partially Meeting and Not Meeting Expectations.
A garden bed is divided into 6 equal parts. Beans grow in 5 of the parts. What fraction of the bed has beans?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 3, Number and Operations: Fractions (3.NF)
A parking lot has 8 rows with 7 cars parked in each row. How many cars are parked in the lot?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 3, Operations and Algebraic Thinking (3.OA)
A rectangular rug is 9 feet long and 4 feet wide. What is the area of the rug?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 3, Measurement and Data (3.MD)
Show all 48 questions (45 more)
Grade 3, continued
Mia has 48 beads. She puts the same number on each of 6 bracelets and uses them all. How many beads are on each bracelet?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 3, Operations and Algebraic Thinking (3.OA)
What is 648 rounded to the nearest hundred?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 3, Number and Operations in Base Ten (3.NBT)
Which shape always has four right angles, even when its four sides are not all the same length?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 3, Geometry (3.G)
Grade 4 6
A movie starts at 2:45 p.m. and lasts 1 hour 50 minutes. What time does it end?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 4, Measurement and Data (4.MD)
A pitcher is 2/3 full of juice. Which fraction names the same amount?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 4, Number and Operations: Fractions (4.NF)
A triangle has one angle that measures more than 90 degrees. What kind of triangle is it?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 4, Geometry (4.G)
A van holds 7 students. 45 students are going on a trip. What is the smallest number of vans needed?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 4, Operations and Algebraic Thinking (4.OA)
Sam walked 7/10 of a mile and then 15/100 of a mile. How far did he walk in all?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 4, Number and Operations: Fractions (4.NF)
What is 3,406 × 5?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 4, Number and Operations in Base Ten (4.NBT)
Grade 5 6
A fish tank is 8 inches long, 5 inches wide and 6 inches tall. What is its volume?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 5, Measurement and Data (5.MD)
A point is at (6, 2) on a coordinate grid. How do you reach it from the origin?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 5, Geometry (5.G)
Ana ran 1/2 of a mile before school and 2/5 of a mile after school. How far did she run in all?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 5, Number and Operations: Fractions (5.NF)
Ribbon costs $0.25 for each foot. How much do 4.8 feet of ribbon cost?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 5, Number and Operations in Base Ten (5.NBT)
What is 7,392 ÷ 24?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 5, Number and Operations in Base Ten (5.NBT)
What is the value of 4 × (9 + 3) − 6?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 5, Operations and Algebraic Thinking (5.OA)
Grade 6 6
A board is 2/3 of a yard long. How many pieces that are each 1/6 of a yard long can be cut from it?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 6, The Number System (6.NS)
A recipe uses 3 cups of flour for every 2 cups of milk. How much flour is needed for 8 cups of milk?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 6, Ratios and Proportional Relationships (6.RP)
A suitcase may weigh at most 50 pounds. Which inequality shows the weights w, in pounds, that are allowed?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 6, Expressions and Equations (6.EE)
A triangle has a base of 12 centimeters and a height of 9 centimeters. What is its area?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 6, Geometry (6.G)
The ages of five cousins are 6, 9, 9, 12 and 14. What is the median age?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 6, Statistics and Probability (6.SP)
What is the value of 2x² + 7 when x = 5?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 6, Expressions and Equations (6.EE)
Grade 7 6
A backpack costs $40. It is on sale for 30% off. What is the sale price?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 7, Ratios and Proportional Relationships (7.RP)
A circle has a radius of 5 meters. Which is closest to its circumference? Use 3.14 for π.Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 7, Geometry (7.G)
A spinner has 12 equal sections: 3 red, 4 yellow and 5 purple. What is the probability that it lands on yellow?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 7, Statistics and Probability (7.SP)
Solve for x: 5x − 8 = 27.Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 7, Expressions and Equations (7.EE)
What is −4 − (−11)?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 7, The Number System (7.NS)
Which expression is equivalent to 5(2x − 3) + 6x?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 7, Expressions and Equations (7.EE)
Grade 8 6
A cylinder has a radius of 4 centimeters and a height of 5 centimeters. What is its volume in terms of π?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 8, Geometry (8.G)
A line of best fit for a plant's height h, in centimeters, after d days is h = 2d + 5. What does the 2 tell you?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 8, Statistics and Probability (8.SP)
A line passes through the points (0, 3) and (2, 11). What is its slope?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 8, Functions (8.F)
A right triangle has legs of 12 feet and 16 feet. How long is its hypotenuse?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 8, Geometry (8.G)
A system has the equations y = 2x and x + y = 12. What is the value of x?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 8, The Number System and Expressions and Equations (8.EE)
What is (4 × 10⁵) × (2 × 10²) in scientific notation?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), grade 8, The Number System and Expressions and Equations (8.EE)
Grade 10 12
A cone has a radius of 3 inches and a height of 8 inches. What is its volume in terms of π?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), high school, Geometry (G-GMD)
A line has the equation 3x + 2y = 12. What is its slope?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), high school, Algebra and Functions (A-CED)
A video has 300 views, and the number of views triples every day. Which function gives the number of views after t days?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), high school, Algebra and Functions (F-LE)
The endpoints of a segment are (−2, 5) and (6, −1). What is its midpoint?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), high school, Geometry (G-GPE)
Five seedlings are 12, 15, 16, 18 and 19 centimeters tall. Each one grows 3 centimeters. What happens to the mean height and the range?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), high school, Statistics and Probability (S-ID)
For f(x) = x² − 4x + 1, what is the average rate of change from x = 1 to x = 5?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), high school, Algebra and Functions (F-IF)
In a class of 30 students, 18 play a sport, 12 play an instrument and 5 do both. A student who plays a sport is picked at random. What is the probability that the student also plays an instrument?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), high school, Statistics and Probability (S-CP)
In a right triangle, the leg opposite angle A is 20 and the hypotenuse is 29. What is cos A?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), high school, Geometry (G-SRT)
Triangle ABC is similar to triangle DEF. AB = 6, BC = 9 and DE = 10. What is the length of EF?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), high school, Geometry (G-SRT)
What are the solutions of x² − 3x − 18 = 0?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), high school, Algebra and Functions (A-REI)
What is the value of 8 raised to the power 2/3?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), high school, Number and Quantity (N-RN)
What is √72 in simplest radical form?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (2017), high school, Number and Quantity (N-RN)
How this list was compiled: Outline: MCAS Test Information for Grades 3-8 Mathematics, https://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/tdd/testdesign/g3-8-math.docx, and Next-Generation MCAS Test Information for Grade 10 Mathematics, https://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/tdd/testdesign/g10-math-nextgen.docx, both linked from Mathematics Test Design and Development (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education), https://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/tdd/math.html?section=testdesign, read 2026-10-09. Each question names the reporting category and domain it practices in the 2017 Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics, https://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/math/2017-06.pdf, read 2026-10-09. No released item and no practice test of the department was read. Every answer is arithmetic on the numbers in the question, worked out a second time. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices, passages and explanations were written for this site. Nothing is copied or reworded from an MCAS test, a released item, a practice test of the department or another practice test.
English language arts: all 36 questions
Grades 3 to 5 16
Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence. Yesterday Leo ___ his kite to the park.Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard L.3.1
In which sentence are their, there and they're all used correctly?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard L.4.1
In which sentence do the subject and the verb agree?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard L.3.1
Show all 36 questions (33 more)
Grades 3 to 5, continued
Read the passage. Every fall, the children of Pine Hollow carried paper lanterns down to the pond. This year Noor's lantern tore on the way. She wanted to turn back. Her neighbor, old Mr. Abel, stopped beside her. He took a strip of tape from his coat pocket and pressed it over the tear. "A patched lantern still shines," he said. Noor walked on. At the pond, her light glowed on the water with all the others, and she could not tell which one had the patch. How does Mr. Abel's action change what happens next?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RL.3.3
Read the passage. Every fall, the children of Pine Hollow carried paper lanterns down to the pond. This year Noor's lantern tore on the way. She wanted to turn back. Her neighbor, old Mr. Abel, stopped beside her. He took a strip of tape from his coat pocket and pressed it over the tear. "A patched lantern still shines," he said. Noor walked on. At the pond, her light glowed on the water with all the others, and she could not tell which one had the patch. What does the last sentence suggest about Noor's lantern?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RL.4.1
Read the passage. Every fall, the children of Pine Hollow carried paper lanterns down to the pond. This year Noor's lantern tore on the way. She wanted to turn back. Her neighbor, old Mr. Abel, stopped beside her. He took a strip of tape from his coat pocket and pressed it over the tear. "A patched lantern still shines," he said. Noor walked on. At the pond, her light glowed on the water with all the others, and she could not tell which one had the patch. Which sentence best states the theme of the passage?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RL.4.2
Read the passage. Every fall, the children of Pine Hollow carried paper lanterns down to the pond. This year Noor's lantern tore on the way. She wanted to turn back. Her neighbor, old Mr. Abel, stopped beside her. He took a strip of tape from his coat pocket and pressed it over the tear. "A patched lantern still shines," he said. Noor walked on. At the pond, her light glowed on the water with all the others, and she could not tell which one had the patch. Why does Noor want to turn back?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RL.3.1
Read the passage. The Calder town library lends more than books. In one corner stands a seed shelf. In spring, a visitor may take up to five packets of seeds, such as beans, peas or sunflowers. No library card is needed. In fall, gardeners are asked to save seeds from their best plants and bring some back in a labeled envelope. Because of this, the shelf is refilled each year at no cost. Librarian Rosa Vega says she likes the returned seeds best, because they came from plants that already grew well in town. According to the passage, why is the shelf refilled each year at no cost?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RI.5.5
Read the passage. The Calder town library lends more than books. In one corner stands a seed shelf. In spring, a visitor may take up to five packets of seeds, such as beans, peas or sunflowers. No library card is needed. In fall, gardeners are asked to save seeds from their best plants and bring some back in a labeled envelope. Because of this, the shelf is refilled each year at no cost. Librarian Rosa Vega says she likes the returned seeds best, because they came from plants that already grew well in town. How many packets of seeds may a visitor take in spring?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RI.3.1
Read the passage. The Calder town library lends more than books. In one corner stands a seed shelf. In spring, a visitor may take up to five packets of seeds, such as beans, peas or sunflowers. No library card is needed. In fall, gardeners are asked to save seeds from their best plants and bring some back in a labeled envelope. Because of this, the shelf is refilled each year at no cost. Librarian Rosa Vega says she likes the returned seeds best, because they came from plants that already grew well in town. What is the main idea of the passage?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RI.4.2
Read the passage. The Calder town library lends more than books. In one corner stands a seed shelf. In spring, a visitor may take up to five packets of seeds, such as beans, peas or sunflowers. No library card is needed. In fall, gardeners are asked to save seeds from their best plants and bring some back in a labeled envelope. Because of this, the shelf is refilled each year at no cost. Librarian Rosa Vega says she likes the returned seeds best, because they came from plants that already grew well in town. What reason does Rosa Vega give for liking the returned seeds best?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RI.5.8
Read the poem. Morning Bus. The bus comes yawning up the hill, / its windows gold with early light. / It sighs and kneels beside the curb, / then carries us, like seeds, to school. The poem says the bus "comes yawning up the hill." What does this phrase help the reader picture?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RL.5.4
Read the poem. Morning Bus. The bus comes yawning up the hill, / its windows gold with early light. / It sighs and kneels beside the curb, / then carries us, like seeds, to school. What time of day is it in the poem, and which detail shows it?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RL.4.1
Read the poem. Morning Bus. The bus comes yawning up the hill, / its windows gold with early light. / It sighs and kneels beside the curb, / then carries us, like seeds, to school. Which line of the poem contains a simile?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard L.5.5
Which compound sentence is punctuated correctly?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard L.4.2
Which sentence keeps the same verb tense all the way through?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard L.5.1
Grades 6 to 8 12
In which sentence is the phrase "wrapped in foil" placed so that the meaning is clear?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard L.6.1
Read the passage. Should Harlow Middle School start at 8:45 instead of 7:50? The student council says yes. In a survey it ran last month, 212 of 300 students said they slept less than eight hours on school nights. Council members argue that a later bell would mean better rested students. Bus manager Dale Ruiz disagrees. The same buses serve the elementary school next, he notes, so a later start would push its day back as well. He adds that the survey asked nothing about bedtimes. Dale Ruiz says the survey "asked nothing about bedtimes." What weakness is he pointing to?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RI.8.8
Read the passage. Should Harlow Middle School start at 8:45 instead of 7:50? The student council says yes. In a survey it ran last month, 212 of 300 students said they slept less than eight hours on school nights. Council members argue that a later bell would mean better rested students. Bus manager Dale Ruiz disagrees. The same buses serve the elementary school next, he notes, so a later start would push its day back as well. He adds that the survey asked nothing about bedtimes. How does the author treat the two sides of the question?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RI.6.6
Read the passage. Should Harlow Middle School start at 8:45 instead of 7:50? The student council says yes. In a survey it ran last month, 212 of 300 students said they slept less than eight hours on school nights. Council members argue that a later bell would mean better rested students. Bus manager Dale Ruiz disagrees. The same buses serve the elementary school next, he notes, so a later start would push its day back as well. He adds that the survey asked nothing about bedtimes. What is the passage mainly about?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RI.6.2
Read the passage. Should Harlow Middle School start at 8:45 instead of 7:50? The student council says yes. In a survey it ran last month, 212 of 300 students said they slept less than eight hours on school nights. Council members argue that a later bell would mean better rested students. Bus manager Dale Ruiz disagrees. The same buses serve the elementary school next, he notes, so a later start would push its day back as well. He adds that the survey asked nothing about bedtimes. Which evidence does the student council use to support its position?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RI.7.8
Read the passage. The gym smelled of floor wax and nerves. Tomas stood at the free-throw line with the score tied, bouncing the ball exactly three times, the way his sister had taught him in their driveway. She was in the stands tonight, home from college, pretending to read her phone. He knew that trick. When he missed the first shot, the crowd groaned, but she only tapped three fingers against her knee. Three bounces. He breathed out, bounced the ball, and stopped hearing the gym at all. What does the detail "pretending to read her phone" reveal about the sister?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RL.8.3
Read the passage. The gym smelled of floor wax and nerves. Tomas stood at the free-throw line with the score tied, bouncing the ball exactly three times, the way his sister had taught him in their driveway. She was in the stands tonight, home from college, pretending to read her phone. He knew that trick. When he missed the first shot, the crowd groaned, but she only tapped three fingers against her knee. Three bounces. He breathed out, bounced the ball, and stopped hearing the gym at all. What does the last sentence suggest about Tomas?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RL.8.1
Read the passage. The gym smelled of floor wax and nerves. Tomas stood at the free-throw line with the score tied, bouncing the ball exactly three times, the way his sister had taught him in their driveway. She was in the stands tonight, home from college, pretending to read her phone. He knew that trick. When he missed the first shot, the crowd groaned, but she only tapped three fingers against her knee. Three bounces. He breathed out, bounced the ball, and stopped hearing the gym at all. What does the phrase "smelled of floor wax and nerves" suggest about the gym?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RL.7.4
Read the passage. The gym smelled of floor wax and nerves. Tomas stood at the free-throw line with the score tied, bouncing the ball exactly three times, the way his sister had taught him in their driveway. She was in the stands tonight, home from college, pretending to read her phone. He knew that trick. When he missed the first shot, the crowd groaned, but she only tapped three fingers against her knee. Three bounces. He breathed out, bounced the ball, and stopped hearing the gym at all. Why does Tomas's sister tap three fingers against her knee?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RL.6.1
Which sentence contains a pronoun whose meaning is unclear?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard L.7.1
Which sentence is written in the passive voice?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard L.8.1
Which sentence punctuates its two adjectives correctly?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard L.7.2
Grade 10 8
Read the passage. My grandmother kept her recipes in her head and her opinions on the table. When I asked how much salt went into the stew, she said, "Until it tastes like Sunday." I wrote that down anyway. For years I believed the notebook was failing me, that some missing measurement stood between my pot and hers. Only after she was gone did I understand that she had been giving me the instruction all along. She was not withholding a number. She was telling me to pay attention. As it is used in the passage, the word "withholding" most nearly meansMassachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard L.9-10.4
Read the passage. My grandmother kept her recipes in her head and her opinions on the table. When I asked how much salt went into the stew, she said, "Until it tastes like Sunday." I wrote that down anyway. For years I believed the notebook was failing me, that some missing measurement stood between my pot and hers. Only after she was gone did I understand that she had been giving me the instruction all along. She was not withholding a number. She was telling me to pay attention. How does the narrator's understanding change by the end of the passage?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RL.9-10.3
Read the passage. My grandmother kept her recipes in her head and her opinions on the table. When I asked how much salt went into the stew, she said, "Until it tastes like Sunday." I wrote that down anyway. For years I believed the notebook was failing me, that some missing measurement stood between my pot and hers. Only after she was gone did I understand that she had been giving me the instruction all along. She was not withholding a number. She was telling me to pay attention. What does the phrase "her opinions on the table" suggest about the grandmother?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RL.9-10.4
Read the passage. My grandmother kept her recipes in her head and her opinions on the table. When I asked how much salt went into the stew, she said, "Until it tastes like Sunday." I wrote that down anyway. For years I believed the notebook was failing me, that some missing measurement stood between my pot and hers. Only after she was gone did I understand that she had been giving me the instruction all along. She was not withholding a number. She was telling me to pay attention. Which statement best expresses a central idea of the passage?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RL.9-10.2
Read the passage. The town of Easton plans to replace the benches in Mill Park with single seats set six feet apart. Officials call the design "flexible." It is not. A bench lets a parent sit beside a child, lets two old friends share a thermos, lets a stranger make room. Single seats permit exactly one arrangement: alone. The plan's supporters point out that the seats cost less to repair, and that is true. But a park is not judged by its repair bill. It is judged by whether people stay. How does the author respond to the point that single seats cost less to repair?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RI.9-10.8
Read the passage. The town of Easton plans to replace the benches in Mill Park with single seats set six feet apart. Officials call the design "flexible." It is not. A bench lets a parent sit beside a child, lets two old friends share a thermos, lets a stranger make room. Single seats permit exactly one arrangement: alone. The plan's supporters point out that the seats cost less to repair, and that is true. But a park is not judged by its repair bill. It is judged by whether people stay. In the sentence that begins "A bench lets," what is the effect of repeating "lets"?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RI.9-10.5
Read the passage. The town of Easton plans to replace the benches in Mill Park with single seats set six feet apart. Officials call the design "flexible." It is not. A bench lets a parent sit beside a child, lets two old friends share a thermos, lets a stranger make room. Single seats permit exactly one arrangement: alone. The plan's supporters point out that the seats cost less to repair, and that is true. But a park is not judged by its repair bill. It is judged by whether people stay. What is the author's main purpose in the passage?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard RI.9-10.6
Read the passage. The town of Easton plans to replace the benches in Mill Park with single seats set six feet apart. Officials call the design "flexible." It is not. A bench lets a parent sit beside a child, lets two old friends share a thermos, lets a stranger make room. Single seats permit exactly one arrangement: alone. The plan's supporters point out that the seats cost less to repair, and that is true. But a park is not judged by its repair bill. It is judged by whether people stay. Which word could replace "permit" in the passage with the least change in meaning?Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy (2017), standard L.9-10.5
How this list was compiled: Outline: Grades 3-8 English Language Arts Assessment Test Design for 2027 and Beyond, https://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/tdd/testdesign/g3-8-ela.docx, and MCAS Grade 10 English Language Arts Test Information, https://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/tdd/testdesign/g10-ela.docx, both linked from English Language Arts Test Design and Development (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education), https://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/tdd/ela.html?section=testdesign, read 2026-10-09. Each question names the standard it practices in the 2017 Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts and Literacy, https://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/ela/2017-06.pdf, read 2026-10-09. Every reading answer is found in the passage printed with the question. No released item and no practice test of the department was read. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices, passages and explanations were written for this site. Nothing is copied or reworded from an MCAS test, a released item, a practice test of the department or another practice test.
Science: all 36 questions
Grade 5 16
A class must design a bird feeder using only recycled materials and one class period. In engineering design, what are these two limits called?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 3.3-5-ETS1-1
A drawing of Earth shows three people: one at the North Pole, one at the equator and one at the South Pole. Each one drops a ball. Toward what does every ball fall?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 5-PS2-1
A student seals 50 grams of ice in a jar. The ice melts, and the jar stays closed. What is the mass of the water in the jar?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 5-PS1-2
Show all 36 questions (33 more)
Grade 5, continued
A student sees a book on a desk in a lit room. What must happen for the student to see the book?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 4-PS4-2
A student stirs sand into a cup of iron filings. She pulls the iron back out with a magnet, and both materials look the same as before. What did she make?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 5-PS1-4
A team wants to know whether a wider base makes its model tower steadier. Which test is the fairest?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 4.3-5-ETS1-3
A town gets its electricity from four sources. Which one uses a non-renewable resource?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 4-ESS3-1
In a forest, fungi and bacteria break down a fallen log. What do these organisms do for the ecosystem?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 5-LS2-1
Rain falls on a hillside. Some of it soaks into the soil, and the rest flows downhill over the land into a stream. What is the water that flows over the land called?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 5-ESS2-1
Some rose bushes of one species have slightly longer thorns than others. Deer eat fewer of the long-thorned bushes. What does this show?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 3-LS4-2
The Sun is a star. Why does it look so much larger and brighter than the stars seen at night?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 5-ESS1-1
Three students each sketch a way to keep leaves from clogging a storm drain. What should the team do to choose one?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 3.3-5-ETS1-2
Two bean plants grew from seeds of the same parent plant. One was given very little water and is short. The other was watered well and is tall. What best explains the difference?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 3-LS3-2
Water seeps into a crack in a rock and freezes again and again. After many winters the rock splits in two. Which process broke the rock?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 4-ESS2-1
Which is an example of an innovation, an improvement to a technology that already exists?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 5.3-5-ETS3-1(MA)
Which three things do plants use to produce the sugars they need to grow?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 5-LS1-1
Grade 8 20
A block has a mass of 60 grams and a volume of 20 cubic centimeters. What is its density?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 6.MS-PS1-7(MA)
A box sits still while two students push on it from opposite sides with equal force. What is true of the box?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 8.MS-PS2-2
A cold metal spoon is placed in a bowl of hot soup. In which direction is thermal energy transferred?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 7.MS-PS3-6(MA)
A plant reproduces asexually by sending out runners that grow into new plants. How does the genetic information of the offspring compare with the parent's?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 8.MS-LS3-2
A small worm lives inside a fish and takes nutrients from it. The worm benefits and the fish is harmed. What kind of relationship is this?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 7.MS-LS2-2
A team lists three bridge designs in a table, scores each one against every criterion and constraint, and compares the totals. What is this tool called?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 7.MS-ETS1-2
A weather map shows high air pressure over a lake and low air pressure over a nearby city. Which way will the air tend to flow?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 8.MS-ESS2-5
An engineer must choose a material for the handle of a cooking pot so that the handle stays cool. Which property matters most?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 6.MS-ETS2-2(MA)
Before a text message is sent, it is turned into a coded pattern of signals. Which component of a communication system does this?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 7.MS-ETS3-1(MA)
Chromosomes contain many genes. What does each gene hold the instructions for?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 8.MS-LS3-3(MA)
Convection inside Earth cycles the crust. Where is new ocean floor generated?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 8.MS-ESS2-1
The engine of a car, and the parts that turn its wheels, belong to which subsystem of the vehicle?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 7.MS-ETS3-3(MA)
In a chemical reaction, the reactants contain 4 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms. How many atoms in total are in the products?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 8.MS-PS1-5
In a factory, a machine cuts a large sheet of metal into smaller pieces. Which basic manufacturing process is this?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 8.MS-ETS2-5(MA)
In a population of beetles, some are green and some are brown. Birds find and eat more of the green beetles. Over many generations, what will most likely happen?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 8.MS-LS4-4
Thermal energy is added to a solid until it starts to melt. What happens to its particles as the energy is added?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 8.MS-PS1-4
What causes the yearly pattern of seasons on Earth?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 8.MS-ESS1-1b
Which cell part uses cellular respiration to release the energy in food?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 6.MS-LS1-2
Which force holds the planets in orbit around the Sun and also plays a role in ocean tides?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 8.MS-ESS1-2
Which list is in order from smallest to largest?Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework (2016), standard 6.MS-ESS1-5(MA)
How this list was compiled: Outline: MCAS Grades 5 & 8 Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) Test Information, https://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/tdd/testdesign/g5-g8-ste-nextgen.docx, linked from Science and Technology/Engineering Test Design and Development (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education), https://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/tdd/sci.html?section=testdesign, read 2026-10-09. Each question names the standard it practices in the 2016 Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, https://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/scitech/2016-04.pdf, read 2026-10-09; each fact in an answer is one that standard or its clarification statement gives, or is worked out from the numbers in the question. No released item and no practice test of the department was read. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices, passages and explanations were written for this site. Nothing is copied or reworded from an MCAS test, a released item, a practice test of the department or another practice test.
How it works
Unofficial test prep for MCAS, the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System: math for grades 3 to 8 and 10, English language arts, and grade 5 and 8 science. Our own questions. Not affiliated with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Read the full guide
What is on this page
Math has six questions for each grade from 3 to 8 and twelve for grade 10, spread over the reporting categories of each grade's test design. English language arts has reading questions on seven short passages, plus grammar and punctuation questions for grades 3 to 8. Science and technology/engineering has a grade 5 set and a grade 8 set. Grade 8 civics and high school Biology and Introductory Physics are not here.
How the real test differs
The real tests mix multiple choice with multiple-select, technology-enhanced and written-response questions; the written responses cannot be marked here. On this page every question is multiple choice, and its explanation names the Massachusetts standard or reporting category it practices.
Questions and answers
Is there an MCAS practice test from 2019?
A practice test from 2017, 2018 or 2019 follows the test as it was then. From 2027 the grades 3 to 8 English test has stand-alone language questions and no essay in grades 3 to 5. This page follows the designs the state publishes now.
What grades take the MCAS?
The state publishes test designs for English language arts and mathematics in grades 3 to 8 and grade 10, for science and technology/engineering in grades 5 and 8, for civics in grade 8, and for high school Biology and Introductory Physics.
How many questions are on the MCAS?
Math: 40 questions count in grades 3 to 8 and 42 in grade 10. Science in grades 5 and 8: 41. English language arts in grades 3 to 5, from 2027: 40 one-point questions and two written responses.
Can you use a calculator on the MCAS?
Not in grades 3 to 6. In grades 7, 8 and 10 the math test has two sessions: session 1 allows no calculator and session 2 allows one.
Where are the DESE MCAS practice tests?
The department links its own practice tests and released questions from one page, which the button under the questions opens. Nothing here comes from them: every question was written for this site from the state's standards.