A baker packs 1,256 muffins into boxes of 6. After filling as many boxes as possible, how many muffins are left over?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 4, indicator 4.A.1.c (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Algebra strand)
A box holds 40 crayons. How many crayons are in 7 boxes?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 3, indicator 3.A.1.h (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Algebra strand)
A rectangular garden bed has a perimeter of 26 feet. Its length is 8 feet. How many feet wide is it?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 3, indicator 3.G.2.a (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Geometry strand)
Show all 30 questions (27 more)
Math, continued
A storage bin is a rectangular prism 6 feet long, 4 feet wide and 3 feet high. What is its volume in cubic feet?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 5, indicator 5.G.4.e (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Geometry strand)
A table lists rain for four days, in inches: 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and 1/2. How many inches of rain fell in all?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 5, indicator 5.D.2.a (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Data strand)
In a picture graph, each sun stands for 4 sunny days. March has 5 suns and April has 3 suns. How many more sunny days did March have than April?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 3, indicator 3.D.2.a (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Data strand)
What is 3 2/6 + 2 3/6?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 4, indicator 4.N.3.c (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Number strand)
What is 3/4 + 1/6?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 5, indicator 5.N.3.e (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Number strand)
What is 2,746 + 1,589?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 3, indicator 3.A.1.a (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Algebra strand)
Which decimal is equal to 59/100?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 4, indicator 4.N.1.d (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Number strand)
Which number is 4,000 + 300 + 7 written in standard form?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 3, indicator 3.N.1.a (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Number strand)
Which of these fractions is the smallest?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 3, indicator 3.N.2.f (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Number strand)
English language arts 12
A book about planets has a glossary at the back. What would a reader use the glossary for?Cambridge Dictionary, "glossary"; Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 3, standard LA.3.RI.4 (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Reading Informational Text)
Read the article. The Maple Street library now opens at 8 a.m. on Saturdays. Librarians made the change after a survey showed that many families shop downtown early and wanted to stop in for books. Since the change, Saturday visits have doubled. What is the central idea?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 3, standard LA.3.RI.1 (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Reading Informational Text)
Read the notice. Bring a water bottle and a hat to Field Day on Friday. Events begin at 9 a.m. on the east field. In case of rain, Field Day moves to the gym. What is the author's main purpose?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 5, standard LA.5.RI.3 (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Reading Informational Text)
Read the paragraph. Our school should start a walking club. Students who walk before class say they feel more awake. Last spring, the 20 students who tried it for a month were late to school less often. What is the author's claim?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 4, standard LA.4.RI.6 (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Reading Informational Text)
Read the passage. I held my breath as the canoe tipped. Dad only laughed and kept paddling, but my hands would not stop shaking. Who is telling this story?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 4, standard LA.4.RP.3 (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Reading Prose and Poetry)
Read the passage. When the power went out, Theo lit a candle and started a card game. His cousin Bea paced by the window, checking her phone for news every minute. How are Theo and Bea different?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 5, standard LA.5.RP.2 (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Reading Prose and Poetry)
Read the sentence. By the last lap, Kai's backpack felt like a sack of bricks. What does the simile mean?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 4, standard LA.4.V.2.a (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Vocabulary)
Read the sentence. The gate was unlocked, so the dog walked right out. What does unlocked mean?Cambridge Dictionary, "un-"; Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 3, standard LA.3.V.1.b (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Vocabulary)
Read the story. Mina wanted the tallest sunflower on the street. Each morning she watered her seeds, even when nothing showed above the dirt. Her brother stopped watering his after a week. By August, Mina's flower reached the top of the fence. What is the lesson of this story?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 3, standard LA.3.RP.1 (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Reading Prose and Poetry)
Which sentence uses a comma correctly?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 5, standard LA.5.W.1.b (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Writing)
Which sentence uses an apostrophe correctly to show that the bike belongs to Rosa?U.S. Government Publishing Office Style Manual (2016), rule 8.3; Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 3, standard LA.3.W.1.b (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Writing)
Which sentence uses their, there and they're correctly?Cambridge Dictionary, "they're", "their" and "there"; Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 4, standard LA.4.W.1.e (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Writing)
Science 6
A student stirs 30 grams of sugar into 250 grams of water in a sealed jar until the sugar can no longer be seen. What is the total weight of what is in the jar?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Science, grade 5, indicator SC.5.3.1.b
Air cannot be seen, yet blowing into a balloon makes it swell. What does this show about air?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Science, grade 5, indicator SC.5.3.1.a
One ball is dropped in Nebraska and another is dropped on the opposite side of Earth. Which way does each ball fall?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Science, grade 5, indicator SC.5.11.3.a
Where do plants get most of the materials they need to grow?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Science, grade 5, indicator SC.5.8.2.b
Where is most of Earth's water found?U.S. Geological Survey, Water Science School, "How Much Water is There on Earth?"; Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Science, grade 5, indicator SC.5.13.4.b
Why does the sun look so much brighter than the stars seen at night?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Science, grade 5, indicator SC.5.11.3.b
How this list was compiled: Outline: the NSCAS pages of the Nebraska Department of Education, https://www.education.ne.gov/assessment/nscas-system/ (NSCAS Overview, NSCAS English Language Arts, NSCAS Mathematics, NSCAS Science), with the NSCAS Math Tables of Specifications for grades 3 to 8, the NSCAS English Language Arts Tables of Specifications for grades 3 to 8 and the NSCAS Science General Assessment Blueprint linked from them. Each question names the Nebraska indicator it practices; the 2024 Nebraska Science Standards were read at https://www.education.ne.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nebraska-Science-Standards_12-17-24-Update-003.pdf. All read 2026-10-07. Mathematics answers are arithmetic on the numbers in the question, worked out twice. Where a question names a dictionary, a style manual or a federal science page, that page was read the same day. Licence: Own work. Questions, reading passages, answer choices and explanations were written for this site. Nothing is copied or reworded from a real test, a released item, a sample or training test of the state or another practice test.
Grades 6 to 8: all 31 questions
Math 13
12 students in a club play chess. They are 30% of the club. How many students are in the club?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 6, indicator 6.R.1.c (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Ratios and Proportions strand)
A $40 backpack is on sale for 15% off. What is the sale price?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 7, indicator 7.R.1.c (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Ratios and Proportions strand)
A circular stage has a radius of 10 feet. Using 3.14 for pi, what is the area of the stage in square feet?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 7, indicator 7.G.3.c (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Geometry strand)
Show all 31 questions (28 more)
Math, continued
A right triangle has legs of 8 centimeters and 15 centimeters. How many centimeters long is its hypotenuse?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 8, indicator 8.G.3.b (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Geometry strand)
Find the median of these quiz scores: 7, 9, 4, 10, 5.Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 6, indicator 6.D.2.c (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Data strand)
The probability that a spinner lands on red is 0.4. What is the probability that it does not land on red?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 7, indicator 7.D.3.b (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Data strand)
Solve for x: 4x − 9 = 23Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 7, indicator 7.A.1.c (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Algebra strand)
Solve for x: 5x + 6 = 2x + 27Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 8, indicator 8.A.1.b (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Algebra strand)
Solve for x: x ÷ 4 = 9.5Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 6, indicator 6.A.1.d (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Algebra strand)
The triangular base of a prism has an area of 14 square centimeters. The prism is 8 centimeters long. What is its volume in cubic centimeters?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 6, indicator 6.G.3.c (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Geometry strand)
What is the absolute value of −7.5?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 6, indicator 6.N.1.d (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Number strand)
What is the greatest common factor of 28 and 42?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 6, indicator 6.N.1.a (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Number strand)
What is the square root of 196?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, grade 8, indicator 8.N.2.a (NSCAS Math Table of Specifications, Number strand)
English language arts 12
Read the argument. Students in the garden club learn to plan, measure and work as a team. Last year, club members grew 90 pounds of vegetables for the food pantry. The school should fund the club again. Which sentence is the claim that the others support?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 7, standard LA.7.RI.6 (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Reading Informational Text)
Read the article. The student council voted to move recess before lunch. Teachers at two nearby schools reported that students ate more of their meals and returned to class calmer after the same switch. The council will review the change in January. What is the central idea?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 6, standard LA.6.RI.1 (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Reading Informational Text)
Read the passage. "Take mine," Priya said, sliding her umbrella across the bench before the stranger could answer. She pulled up her hood and stepped into the rain. What does Priya's line of dialogue reveal about her?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 7, standard LA.7.RP.2 (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Reading Prose and Poetry)
Read the passage. Jalen practiced his speech in the empty gym until his voice went hoarse. On contest day he forgot a line, paused, and carried on. He did not win, but the judge told him, "You never looked away." Jalen walked home taller than he had come. Which theme does the passage develop?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 6, standard LA.6.RP.1 (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Reading Prose and Poetry)
Read the passage. Our town pool closes at 5 p.m., just as most parents finish work. Families deserve evening hours. Keeping the pool open until 8 would cost little and give children a safe place to be. What is the author's purpose?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 6, standard LA.6.RI.3 (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Reading Informational Text)
Read the passage. Some say a later school start would cut into after-school jobs. That concern is real, but most student jobs here begin after 4 p.m., and a start time of 8:45 would still end the day by 3:30. How does the author respond to the opposing view?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 8, standard LA.8.RI.3 (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Reading Informational Text)
Read the passage. The audience has just watched Marco hide his sister's birthday cake in the oven. Now his sister walks into the kitchen and says, "I'll heat this up for dinner." Why does the scene create suspense?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 8, standard LA.8.RP.3 (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Reading Prose and Poetry)
Read the sentence. After the all-day rehearsal the dancers were famished and emptied the snack table in minutes. What does famished most likely mean?Cambridge Dictionary, "famished"; Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 7, standard LA.7.V.1.a (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Vocabulary)
Which sentence is written in the active voice?Cambridge Dictionary, "active"; Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 8, standard LA.8.W.1.d (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Writing)
Which sentence uses a comma correctly between adjectives?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 7, standard LA.7.W.1.b (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Writing)
Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 6, standard LA.6.W.1.c (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Writing)
The words telescope, telephone and television share the Greek part tele-. What does tele- mean?Cambridge Dictionary, "tele-"; Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts, grade 6, standard LA.6.V.1.b (NSCAS ELA Table of Specifications, Vocabulary)
Science 6
A book is lifted from the floor to a high shelf. What happens to the gravitational potential energy stored in the system of the book and Earth?U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Forms of energy"; Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Science, grade 8, indicator SC.8.4.3.b
A skater pushes against a wall. According to Newton's third law, what does the wall do?NASA Glenn Research Center, "Newton's Laws of Motion"; Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Science, grade 8, indicator SC.8.1.1.a
A structural change to a gene is called a mutation. Which statement about mutations is correct?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Science, grade 8, indicator SC.8.9.4.a
In a snowy region, some rabbits in a population have white fur and some have brown fur. Hawks spot the brown rabbits more easily. Over many generations, what is most likely to happen?Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Science, grade 8, indicator SC.8.10.5.c
The same cart rolls down a ramp twice. On the second run it is moving faster at the bottom. What is true of its kinetic (motion) energy on the second run?U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Forms of energy"; Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Science, grade 8, indicator SC.8.4.3.a
What causes Earth's seasons?NASA Space Place, "What Causes the Seasons?"; Nebraska's College and Career Ready Standards for Science, grade 8, indicator SC.8.11.6.a
How this list was compiled: Outline: the NSCAS pages of the Nebraska Department of Education, https://www.education.ne.gov/assessment/nscas-system/ (NSCAS Overview, NSCAS English Language Arts, NSCAS Mathematics, NSCAS Science), with the NSCAS Math Tables of Specifications for grades 3 to 8, the NSCAS English Language Arts Tables of Specifications for grades 3 to 8 and the NSCAS Science General Assessment Blueprint linked from them. Each question names the Nebraska indicator it practices; the 2024 Nebraska Science Standards were read at https://www.education.ne.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nebraska-Science-Standards_12-17-24-Update-003.pdf. All read 2026-10-07. Mathematics answers are arithmetic on the numbers in the question, worked out twice. Where a question names a dictionary, a style manual or a federal science page, that page was read the same day. Licence: Own work. Questions, reading passages, answer choices and explanations were written for this site. Nothing is copied or reworded from a real test, a released item, a sample or training test of the state or another practice test.
How it works
Unofficial practice for Nebraska's NSCAS tests in two grade bands. No question comes from a real test or a state sample. Not affiliated with the Nebraska Department of Education, which owns the Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System (NSCAS).
Read the full guide
What is in each band
Each band mixes mathematics, English language arts and science, with each strand given about the share the state's table of specifications gives it. Science follows the grade 5 blueprint in the lower band and the grade 8 blueprint in the upper one, the two grades Nebraska tests.
How the answers are checked
Each question names the Nebraska indicator it practices. Math answers are worked out a second time from the numbers in the question. Science answers rest on the wording of Nebraska's science standards or a named federal page, and word meanings and punctuation on a named dictionary or style manual.
Questions and answers
Is there an NSCAS online practice test?
Yes, two kinds. The state's own sample tests, called item type samplers, are on its testing company's Nebraska portal, linked under the questions. This page is separate and unofficial, and it runs online with no sign-in.
What grades take the NSCAS?
Grades 3 to 8 take English language arts and mathematics, and grades 5 and 8 also take science. Third-year high school students take the ACT instead of an NSCAS general test.
What is on the NSCAS math test?
Four strands in every grade: number, algebra, geometry and data. Grades 6 and 7 add ratios and proportions. In grades 3 to 5 number carries the most weight, 35 to 45 percent of the test.
How are NSCAS practice tests scored?
Here each answer is marked right or wrong and explained. The state describes real results in achievement levels: Developing, On Track and Advanced. A score on this page predicts nothing about the real test.