A flyer for families of new kindergartners reads: "Pursuant to district policy 4.12, enrollment documentation must be remitted prior to the commencement of the instructional term." Why is this wording poorly suited to its audience?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework: "Determine the appropriateness of written material for a specific purpose or audience", competency 0003
"A late frost killed most of the valley's apple blossoms in April. With few apples to press, the two cider mills cut their fall hiring in half." According to the passage, why did the mills hire fewer workers?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework: "Identify cause-and-effect relationships", competency 0004
A student outlines a report. Heading I reads "Causes of the river flood." Under it are A, "Heavy spring rain," and C, "Paved land that sheds water." Which entry belongs at B?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework: "Recognize effective ways of organizing information presented in written material (e.g., outlining, text mapping)", competency 0005
Show all 56 questions (53 more)
Subtest I: Reading, continued
A table shows the number of books borrowed from a school library: September 420, October 510, November 480, December 300. Between which two months did borrowing fall the most?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework: "Interpret information presented in charts, tables, diagrams, maps, or other graphic forms", competency 0005
"After an hour of debate the council tabled the parking plan and moved on to the budget. The plan will come up again in the spring." What does tabled mean here?Wiktionary, "table". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework, competency 0001
"Asked whether the new schedule was working, the principal gave a candid answer: 'No. We rushed it, and the students are paying for it.'" Which word is the best synonym for candid?Wiktionary, "candid". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework, competency 0001
"Both a bicycle and an electric scooter can shorten a trip across town. The bicycle costs nothing to run and gives its rider exercise, while the scooter must be charged but takes little effort. The scooter is easier on a steep hill; the bicycle goes farther in a day." How is this passage organized?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework: "Recognize effective ways of organizing information presented in written material", competency 0005
"The committee did not revise the budget. It gutted it." What is the likely effect on a reader of the word gutted?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework: "Recognize the likely effects on a reader of a writer's choice of words or phrases", competency 0003
"Community gardens do more than grow vegetables. Neighbors who rarely spoke now trade seeds over the fence. Children learn where food comes from. And a vacant lot that once collected trash has become a place people look after." Which sentence states the main idea of the passage?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework: "Identify the stated main idea of a paragraph or passage", competency 0002
"The first bus leaves the depot at 5:10. By 5:40 every seat is taken by nurses, bakers and janitors. At 6:30, when office workers begin to gather at the stops, these riders have already clocked in." What is the implied main idea?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework: "Identify the implied main idea of a paragraph or passage", competency 0002
"For the small bakery, the glowing newspaper review was a double-edged sword: customers lined up down the block, and its two ovens could not keep up." What does the phrase double-edged sword mean?Wiktionary, "double-edged sword". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework, competency 0001
"For years the Eastside pantry handed every family the same packed box, and much of the food went uneaten. Last spring the pantry set up shelves and let families choose. Waste dropped, and volunteers now spend less time packing and more time greeting visitors." Which is the best summary?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework: "Identify an effective summary of a paragraph or passage", competency 0005
"Good trail design begins with water. A path that runs straight down a slope becomes a stream in every storm, and the stream carries the soil away. Builders therefore cut trails across the slope and tilt them slightly outward, so rain runs off the edge." What is the passage mainly about?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework: "Identify the stated main idea of a paragraph or passage", competency 0002
"The library board voted to curtail Saturday hours, so the building that once stayed open until six now closes at one." What does curtail mean in this sentence?Wiktionary, "curtail". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework, competency 0001
"Maya checked the sign-up sheet again. Eleven names. The bus held forty, and the deposit was due Friday. She folded the sheet and began an email to the museum." What can a reader conclude?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework: "Draw conclusions from information stated or implied in a paragraph or passage", competency 0004
"The Pell Creek Bridge opened in 1931. It is 412 feet long and carries about nine thousand cars a day. It is also the most graceful structure in the county." Which statement from the passage is an opinion?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework: "Distinguish between fact and opinion in a paragraph or passage", competency 0004
"Starting March 3, the Elm Street lot will close for repaving. Permit holders may park in the Garfield garage at no charge; show your permit at the gate. The lot is expected to reopen on March 24." What is the writer's main purpose?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework: "Recognize a writer's stated or implied purpose for writing", competency 0003
"Supporters call the new stadium an investment. That is a generous word for a building that will sit empty three hundred days a year while the roads around it crumble." What is the writer's opinion of the stadium?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework: "Interpret the content, word choice, and phrasing of a passage to determine a writer's opinion or point of view", competency 0003
"The town should replace its crossing guards with flashing signs, because the signs cost less to run each year." On which unstated assumption does this argument depend?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework: "Recognize the stated or implied assumptions on which the validity of an argument depends", competency 0004
"When Ridgeview High moved its first bell from 7:20 to 8:30, teachers expected little change. They were wrong. First-period absences fell by a third, and the nurse saw fewer students asking to lie down before lunch." Which detail supports the idea that the later start helped students?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest I: Reading (001) framework: "Recognize ideas that support, illustrate, or elaborate the main idea of a paragraph or passage", competency 0002
Subtest II: Writing 16
(1) The city's new bike lanes have changed the morning commute. (2) Riders now have a protected path from the river to downtown. (3) My cousin once owned a bicycle shop in another state. (4) Since the lanes opened, the count of cyclists at Main Street has doubled. Which sentence should be removed to improve the unity of the paragraph?The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Paragraphs". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest II: Writing (002) framework, competency 0001
(1) Then she sanded the old paint away. (2) Rosa found the chair at a yard sale. (3) Finally she brushed on two coats of blue. (4) She carried it home and washed off the dust. Which order makes the paragraph most coherent?The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Paragraphs". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest II: Writing (002) framework, competency 0001
A lounge is shared by all twelve teachers at a school. Which phrase names it correctly?Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Apostrophe Introduction". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest II: Writing (002) framework, competency 0003
A student is writing to the school board to ask for longer library hours. Which sentence best suits that audience and purpose?The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Audience". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest II: Writing (002) framework, competency 0001
"The coach asked the players to arrive early, to stretch carefully, and ______." Which ending keeps the sentence parallel?Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Parallel Structure". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest II: Writing (002) framework, competency 0002
"The list of supplies for the art classes ______ posted by the door." Which verb completes the sentence correctly?Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Making Subjects and Verbs Agree". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest II: Writing (002) framework, competency 0002
"The museum has extended ______ summer hours." Which word completes the sentence correctly?Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Apostrophe Introduction". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest II: Writing (002) framework, competency 0003
"The principal thanked Marcus and ______ for organizing the book drive." Which pronoun completes the sentence correctly?Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Pronoun Case". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest II: Writing (002) framework, competency 0003
"The team practiced in the rain all week. ______, it played its best game of the season on Saturday's muddy field." Which transition best fills the blank?The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Transitions". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest II: Writing (002) framework, competency 0001
"When hikers reach the summit, they can see three states. You should bring a jacket, because the wind is strong." Which revision of the second sentence corrects the shift in point of view?Our own passage. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest II: Writing (002) framework: "Recognize shifts in point of view (e.g., from first to third person)", competency 0001
Which of the following is a sentence fragment?The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Fragments and Run-ons". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest II: Writing (002) framework, competency 0002
Which sentence is free of a dangling modifier?Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Dangling Modifiers and How To Correct Them". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest II: Writing (002) framework, competency 0002
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Fragments and Run-ons". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest II: Writing (002) framework, competency 0002
Which sentence uses a comma correctly?The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Commas". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest II: Writing (002) framework, competency 0003
Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly?The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Semicolons, Colons, and Dashes". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest II: Writing (002) framework, competency 0003
Which sentence would serve best as the thesis statement of an essay that argues for a later start to the high school day?The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Thesis Statements". Outline: NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest II: Writing (002) framework, competency 0001
Subtest III: Mathematics 20
A bag holds 4 red, 6 blue and 10 green marbles. One marble is drawn at random. What is the probability that it is blue?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Calculate the probability of a given outcome", competency 0004
A bowler scores 132, 147, 118, 155 and 138 in five games. What is the mean score?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Compute and interpret the mean, median, and mode of data", competency 0004
A closed box is 4 cm long, 3 cm wide and 2 cm high. What is its surface area?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Solve problems involving the length, perimeter, and area of basic shapes and the surface area and volume of rectangular solids", competency 0003
A hiker covers 7 miles in 2.5 hours. At the same rate, how far does the hiker go in 4 hours?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Solve word problems involving integers, fractions, decimals, percents, ratios, and proportions", competency 0001
A lamp with a regular price of $64 is marked 12.5% off. What is the sale price?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Solve word problems involving integers, fractions, decimals, percents, ratios, and proportions", competency 0001
A rectangular field is 9 meters wide and 40 meters long. A path runs straight from one corner to the opposite corner. How long is the path?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Solve real-world problems involving basic measurement and geometric concepts, including the Pythagorean theorem", competency 0003
A shelf is 4.5 feet long. How long is it in inches?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Convert units within and between standard and metric measurement systems", competency 0003
A table pairs x-values 1, 2, 3, 4 with y-values 1, 5, 9, 13. Which equation fits the table?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Identify the linear equation that best represents data presented in tabular or graphic form", competency 0002
Every member of the chess club is in grade 8. Tomas is a member of the chess club. Which conclusion follows?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Use deductive reasoning to draw conclusions and evaluate arguments", competency 0005
Four houses on a street sold for $200,000 each and a fifth sold for $1,200,000. Which statistic best describes the typical sale price on the street?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Recognize appropriate and inappropriate uses of basic statistics", competency 0004
Solve for x: 5x − 7 = 2x + 11Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Solve linear algebraic equations and inequalities in one variable", competency 0002
The vertex angle of an isosceles triangle measures 38°. What is the measure of each base angle?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Analyze fundamental properties of triangles, quadrilaterals, and circles", competency 0003
What is 5/6 − 3/8?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Apply operations with positive and negative integers, fractions, decimals, and percents", competency 0001
What is the median of 14, 8, 21, 10, 17 and 12?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Compute and interpret the mean, median, and mode of data", competency 0004
What is the next number in the pattern 5, 8, 13, 20, 29, ...?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Use inductive reasoning to identify missing terms in numerical and graphical patterns", competency 0005
What is the value of 2x² + 5x when x = −3?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Evaluate algebraic expressions by substituting numbers for variables", competency 0002
Which equation says "seven less than twice a number is 15"?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Translate between written English and mathematical terminology, concepts, and notation", competency 0005
Which expression is equivalent to 5(3x − 2) − (x − 6)?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Identify equivalent algebraic expressions", competency 0002
Which is the best estimate of 6,870 ÷ 71?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Estimate the solution to a given problem", competency 0005
Which of these numbers is the least?Worked arithmetic. The skill is listed in the NES Essential Academic Skills Subtest III: Mathematics (003) framework: "Demonstrate knowledge of place value and the relative magnitude of numbers", competency 0001
How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the three test frameworks for NES Essential Academic Skills, read 2026-10-09 on the National Evaluation Series site: Subtest I: Reading, test 001 (https://www.nestest.com/static/docs/NES_Framework_001.pdf, five competencies), Subtest II: Writing, test 002 (NES_Framework_002.pdf, three multiple-choice competencies, 75% of the score, and one written assignment, 25%) and Subtest III: Mathematics, test 003 (NES_Framework_003.pdf, five competencies). The bank holds 20, 16 and 20 questions; the real subtests have 45, 36 and 45 multiple-choice questions. Reading passages are our own and each answer is in the wording of its passage; word meanings were read at Wiktionary. Writing rules were read on 2026-10-09 in the handouts of the Writing Center of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Purdue Online Writing Lab. Mathematics answers are arithmetic worked in each explanation. Licence: Questions, passages, choices and explanations are original work of this site.
How it works
This free NES Essential Academic Skills reading practice test opens on 20 reading questions of our own, followed by 16 on writing and 20 on mathematics. It is unofficial and not affiliated with Pearson, which owns the National Evaluation Series.
Read the full guide
Study guide: what the three subtests cover
By the frameworks read October 9, 2026, Reading (001) has five competencies, from word meaning to reading tables. Writing (002) has three multiple-choice competencies, 75% of its score, and a written assignment, 25%. Mathematics (003) has five, from number operations to reasoning.
What this page practices
Four questions for each reading and mathematics competency, five or six for each writing one. A timed run asks 45 in 60 minutes, like the real Reading subtest. The written assignment is not imitated.
Where the answers come from
Reading passages are our own, and each explanation points to the words that settle the answer. Writing rules cite university writing handouts. Mathematics is worked step by step.
The Reading test page lists no reference materials, so practice finding every answer in the passage itself.
The three subtests have their own test codes, 001, 002 and 003, so find out which ones your state asks for.
Questions and answers
Is this NES Essential Academic Skills practice test the real exam?
No. All 56 questions and every reading passage were written for this site from the published frameworks. Nothing is taken or reworded from the real subtests, their sample questions or the paid practice tests, and a result here does not forecast a score.
How many questions are on the NES Essential Academic Skills Reading subtest?
45 multiple-choice questions in 1 hour of testing, inside an appointment of 1 hour and 15 minutes. Mathematics is the same length. Writing has 36 multiple-choice questions and one written assignment in 1 hour and 15 minutes of testing.
What is a passing score on the NES Essential Academic Skills test?
The Reading subtest page gives a national benchmark score of 220 and a link to Arizona's passing score. States that accept the tests may set their own, so confirm it with your licensing agency. A count of right answers here is not a scaled score.
Is the NES Essential Academic Skills test still part of the MTLE in Minnesota?
The Minnesota testing site, mtle.nesinc.com, read October 9, 2026, lists no Essential Academic Skills test. Its page on required tests sends candidates to the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board for the current basic skills options, so check there before you study.
Are NES tests 005, 006 and 007 the same as 001, 002 and 003?
No. They are the redeveloped Essential Academic Skills subtests, first given October 31, 2022, and the older versions remain available. This page follows the 001 to 003 frameworks, so ask your state which codes it requires.