Smarter Balanced Practice Test PDF 5th Grade

Thirty-six math and twenty-four English language arts questions for fifth graders, to answer here, print, or save as a PDF.

Subject

  1. 1.What is 3/8 + 1/6?
  2. 2.Nadia has 3 1/2 yards of ribbon. She uses 1 5/8 yards for a banner. How much ribbon is left?
  3. 3.Which expression has the same value as 5/6 − 1/4?
  4. 4.A box is 6 centimeters long, 4 centimeters wide and 5 centimeters tall. What is its volume?
  5. 5.A rectangular prism is built from unit cubes. Each layer has 3 rows of 4 cubes, and there are 5 layers. How many unit cubes are in the prism?
  6. 6.A shape is made of two rectangular prisms that do not overlap. One is 4 feet by 3 feet by 2 feet. The other is 5 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet. What is the volume of the whole shape?
  7. 7.What is 5/8 × 2/3?
  8. 8.One batch of granola uses 2/3 cup of oats. How many cups of oats do 4 1/2 batches use?
  9. 9.A 4-foot board is cut into pieces that are each 1/3 foot long. How many pieces are there?
  10. 10.Five students share 1/2 pound of clay equally. How much clay does each student get?
  11. 11.What is 36 × 248?
  12. 12.What is 3.4 × 0.25?
  13. 13.What is 0.37 × 10³?
  14. 14.What is 9.537 rounded to the nearest tenth?
  15. 15.Point P is at (3, 7) on a coordinate plane. How do you reach P from the origin?
  16. 16.Which statement is true of every rhombus?
  17. 17.Which expression means "add 9 and 6, then multiply the sum by 4"?
  18. 18.A pitcher holds 3.5 liters of juice. How many milliliters is that?
  19. 19.A school orders 14 boxes of pencils with 144 pencils in each box. The pencils are shared equally among 28 classes. How many pencils does each class get?
  20. 20.Jon wants to run 10 miles this week. He ran 2 3/4 miles on Monday and 3 1/2 miles on Wednesday. How many more miles does he need to run?
  21. 21.A 50-inch ribbon is cut into pieces that are 8 inches long. Mel finds that 50 ÷ 8 = 6.25. What does the 0.25 mean here?
  22. 22.Tickets cost $9 for an adult and $5 for a child. A family buys 2 adult tickets and 3 child tickets and pays with a $50 bill. How much change does the family get?
  23. 23.A garden bed is 8 feet long and 3 1/2 feet wide. Soil will fill it to a depth of 1/2 foot. How many cubic feet of soil are needed?
  24. 24.Six seedlings were measured. Two are 1/2 inch tall and four are 3/4 inch tall. If the total height were shared equally, how tall would each seedling be?
  25. 25.Lena estimates the cost of 19 notebooks at $2.89 each by working out 20 × $3 = $60. Which statement about her estimate is true?
  26. 26.Maya buys 3 pounds of apples at $1.85 a pound and a loaf of bread for $3.49. What is the total cost?
  27. 27.A printer prints 24 pages each minute, so pages = 24 × minutes. How many minutes does it take to print 360 pages?
  28. 28.Kai says, "When you multiply a number by a fraction, the answer is always smaller than the number." Which example shows that Kai is wrong?
  29. 29.Tess added 1/2 + 1/3 and got 2/5. What was her mistake?
  30. 30.Without multiplying, what can you say about 7/8 × 350?
  31. 31.A square is split into 4 equal columns, and 3 of them are shaded. Then the square is split into 2 equal rows, and only the shaded parts in the top row are colored dark. Which equation does the dark part show?
  32. 32.Is the statement "Every square is a rectangle" true?
  33. 33.Omar says, "0.5 is greater than 0.47 because 0.5 has fewer digits." Which statement is correct?
  34. 34.Which statement explains why 6 ÷ 1/4 = 24?
  35. 35.Priya says a box that is 2 feet by 3 feet by 4 feet has a volume of 9 cubic feet, because 2 + 3 + 4 = 9. What should she do instead?
  36. 36.Dan says, "10 × 4.07 = 4.070, because you add a zero." What is the correct product, and why?
What is 3/8 + 1/6?

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. Bank checked October 7, 2026.

The real tests: Smarter Balanced, grade 5

Subjects in grade 5
English language arts/literacy and mathematics. California gives both as part of CAASPP; its grade 5 science test, the CAST, is a separate test.
Mathematics
An adaptive test and one performance task of 4 to 6 items. Concepts and Procedures 17 to 20 items; Problem Solving and Modeling 8 to 10; Reasoning 8 to 10.
English language arts
Reading 14 to 16 items, half literary and half informational; Listening 8 or 9; Research 9; Writing 6 items and one full written piece.
Calculator
None. The mathematics tests for grades 3 to 5 do not allow a calculator.
Time
Untimed. Estimates for grades 3 to 5: 3 hours 30 minutes for English language arts and 2 hours 30 minutes for mathematics.
Scores
Four achievement levels; no pass mark is published. In grade 5, Level 3 is 2502 to 2581 in English language arts and 2528 to 2578 in mathematics.

Checked October 7, 2026 against the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium's mathematics and English language arts blueprints, estimated testing times, calculator rules and score levels. Rules change, so confirm with the agency itself before your test.

The consortium's own practice and training tests

Next step Next year: grade 6 math and EnglishThe other grade 5 test in California: science

Math: all 36 questions

Concepts and Procedures 18

  • A 4-foot board is cut into pieces that are each 1/3 foot long. How many pieces are there? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target F: apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division to multiply and divide fractions
  • A box is 6 centimeters long, 4 centimeters wide and 5 centimeters tall. What is its volume? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target I: geometric measurement, understand concepts of volume and relate volume to multiplication and to addition
  • A pitcher holds 3.5 liters of juice. How many milliliters is that? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target G: convert like measurement units within a given measurement system; the meaning of milli is from the SI prefix table of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
Show all 36 questions (33 more)

Concepts and Procedures, continued

  • A rectangular prism is built from unit cubes. Each layer has 3 rows of 4 cubes, and there are 5 layers. How many unit cubes are in the prism? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target I: geometric measurement, understand concepts of volume and relate volume to multiplication and to addition
  • A shape is made of two rectangular prisms that do not overlap. One is 4 feet by 3 feet by 2 feet. The other is 5 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet. What is the volume of the whole shape? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target I: geometric measurement, understand concepts of volume and relate volume to multiplication and to addition
  • Five students share 1/2 pound of clay equally. How much clay does each student get? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target F: apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division to multiply and divide fractions
  • Nadia has 3 1/2 yards of ribbon. She uses 1 5/8 yards for a banner. How much ribbon is left? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target E: use equivalent fractions as a strategy to add and subtract fractions
  • One batch of granola uses 2/3 cup of oats. How many cups of oats do 4 1/2 batches use? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target F: apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division to multiply and divide fractions
  • Point P is at (3, 7) on a coordinate plane. How do you reach P from the origin? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target J: graph points on the coordinate plane to solve real-world and mathematical problems
  • What is 0.37 × 10³? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target C: understand the place value system
  • What is 3.4 × 0.25? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target D: perform operations with multi-digit whole numbers and with decimals to hundredths
  • What is 3/8 + 1/6? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target E: use equivalent fractions as a strategy to add and subtract fractions
  • What is 5/8 × 2/3? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target F: apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division to multiply and divide fractions
  • What is 9.537 rounded to the nearest tenth? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target C: understand the place value system
  • What is 36 × 248? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target D: perform operations with multi-digit whole numbers and with decimals to hundredths
  • Which expression has the same value as 5/6 − 1/4? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target E: use equivalent fractions as a strategy to add and subtract fractions
  • Which expression means "add 9 and 6, then multiply the sum by 4"? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target A: write and interpret numerical expressions
  • Which statement is true of every rhombus? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures), target K: classify two-dimensional figures into categories based on their properties

Problem Solving and Modeling 9

  • A 50-inch ribbon is cut into pieces that are 8 inches long. Mel finds that 50 ÷ 8 = 6.25. What does the 0.25 mean here? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 2 (Problem Solving), target C: interpret results in the context of a situation
  • A garden bed is 8 feet long and 3 1/2 feet wide. Soil will fill it to a depth of 1/2 foot. How many cubic feet of soil are needed? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 4 (Modeling and Data Analysis), target A: apply mathematics to solve problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace
  • A printer prints 24 pages each minute, so pages = 24 × minutes. How many minutes does it take to print 360 pages? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 4 (Modeling and Data Analysis), target F: identify important quantities in a practical situation and map their relationships
  • A school orders 14 boxes of pencils with 144 pencils in each box. The pencils are shared equally among 28 classes. How many pencils does each class get? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 2 (Problem Solving), target A: apply mathematics to solve well-posed problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace
  • Jon wants to run 10 miles this week. He ran 2 3/4 miles on Monday and 3 1/2 miles on Wednesday. How many more miles does he need to run? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 2 (Problem Solving), target A: apply mathematics to solve well-posed problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace
  • Lena estimates the cost of 19 notebooks at $2.89 each by working out 20 × $3 = $60. Which statement about her estimate is true? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 4 (Modeling and Data Analysis), target E: analyze the adequacy of and make improvements to an existing model
  • Maya buys 3 pounds of apples at $1.85 a pound and a loaf of bread for $3.49. What is the total cost? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 2 (Problem Solving), target A: apply mathematics to solve well-posed problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace
  • Six seedlings were measured. Two are 1/2 inch tall and four are 3/4 inch tall. If the total height were shared equally, how tall would each seedling be? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 4 (Modeling and Data Analysis), target D: interpret results in the context of a situation
  • Tickets cost $9 for an adult and $5 for a child. A family buys 2 adult tickets and 3 child tickets and pays with a $50 bill. How much change does the family get? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 2 (Problem Solving), target D: identify important quantities in a practical situation and map their relationships

Communicating Reasoning 9

  • A square is split into 4 equal columns, and 3 of them are shaded. Then the square is split into 2 equal rows, and only the shaded parts in the top row are colored dark. Which equation does the dark part show? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 3 (Communicating Reasoning), target F: base arguments on concrete referents such as objects, drawings, diagrams, and actions
  • Dan says, "10 × 4.07 = 4.070, because you add a zero." What is the correct product, and why? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 3 (Communicating Reasoning), target A: test propositions or conjectures with specific examples
  • Is the statement "Every square is a rectangle" true? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 3 (Communicating Reasoning), target A: test propositions or conjectures with specific examples (content of target K, classify two-dimensional figures)
  • Kai says, "When you multiply a number by a fraction, the answer is always smaller than the number." Which example shows that Kai is wrong? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 3 (Communicating Reasoning), target A: test propositions or conjectures with specific examples
  • Omar says, "0.5 is greater than 0.47 because 0.5 has fewer digits." Which statement is correct? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 3 (Communicating Reasoning), target D: use the technique of breaking an argument into cases
  • Priya says a box that is 2 feet by 3 feet by 4 feet has a volume of 9 cubic feet, because 2 + 3 + 4 = 9. What should she do instead? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 3 (Communicating Reasoning), target E: distinguish correct logic or reasoning from that which is flawed and explain the flaw
  • Tess added 1/2 + 1/3 and got 2/5. What was her mistake? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 3 (Communicating Reasoning), target E: distinguish correct logic or reasoning from that which is flawed and explain the flaw
  • Which statement explains why 6 ÷ 1/4 = 24? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 3 (Communicating Reasoning), target B: construct chains of reasoning that will justify or refute propositions or conjectures
  • Without multiplying, what can you say about 7/8 × 350? Smarter Balanced Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint, grade 5, Claim 3 (Communicating Reasoning), target B: construct chains of reasoning that will justify or refute propositions or conjectures

How this list was compiled: Outline: the Mathematics Summative Assessment Blueprint of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (as of the 2018-19 test administration), https://portal.smarterbalanced.org/library/en/mathematics-summative-assessment-blueprint.pdf, linked from https://contentexplorer.smarterbalanced.org/test-development, read 2026-10-07: the blueprint table for grades 3 to 5 and the two pages headed Target Sampling Mathematics Grade 5. Each question names the claim and the assessment target it practices. Every answer is arithmetic on the numbers in the question, worked out again. The meaning of the prefix milli is from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, https://www.nist.gov/pml/owm/metric-si-prefixes, read 2026-10-07. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site. Nothing is copied or reworded from a Smarter Balanced test, practice test, training test, sample item or another practice test.

English language arts: all 24 questions

Reading 12

  • Read the passage. The Willowmere Library lends more than books. In a wooden cabinet near the front desk, visitors find small envelopes of seeds: beans, sunflowers, lettuce. Anyone with a library card may take up to five envelopes each spring. The library asks for one thing in return. In the fall, gardeners save seeds from their best plants and bring some back. Because of this, the cabinet is refilled each year without the library buying a single seed. Last year, borrowers returned twice as many envelopes as they took. How many envelopes of seeds may a visitor take each spring? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 1 (Reading), informational target 8: Key Details
  • Read the passage. The Willowmere Library lends more than books. In a wooden cabinet near the front desk, visitors find small envelopes of seeds: beans, sunflowers, lettuce. Anyone with a library card may take up to five envelopes each spring. The library asks for one thing in return. In the fall, gardeners save seeds from their best plants and bring some back. Because of this, the cabinet is refilled each year without the library buying a single seed. Last year, borrowers returned twice as many envelopes as they took. The words "Because of this" show which kind of connection between ideas? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 1 (Reading), informational target 13: Text Structures and Features
  • Read the passage. The Willowmere Library lends more than books. In a wooden cabinet near the front desk, visitors find small envelopes of seeds: beans, sunflowers, lettuce. Anyone with a library card may take up to five envelopes each spring. The library asks for one thing in return. In the fall, gardeners save seeds from their best plants and bring some back. Because of this, the cabinet is refilled each year without the library buying a single seed. Last year, borrowers returned twice as many envelopes as they took. What does the word "borrowers" mean in the last sentence? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 1 (Reading), informational target 10: Word Meanings; word meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, "borrow"
Show all 24 questions (21 more)

Reading, continued

  • Read the passage. The Willowmere Library lends more than books. In a wooden cabinet near the front desk, visitors find small envelopes of seeds: beans, sunflowers, lettuce. Anyone with a library card may take up to five envelopes each spring. The library asks for one thing in return. In the fall, gardeners save seeds from their best plants and bring some back. Because of this, the cabinet is refilled each year without the library buying a single seed. Last year, borrowers returned twice as many envelopes as they took. What is the main idea of the passage? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 1 (Reading), informational target 9: Central Ideas
  • Read the passage. The Willowmere Library lends more than books. In a wooden cabinet near the front desk, visitors find small envelopes of seeds: beans, sunflowers, lettuce. Anyone with a library card may take up to five envelopes each spring. The library asks for one thing in return. In the fall, gardeners save seeds from their best plants and bring some back. Because of this, the cabinet is refilled each year without the library buying a single seed. Last year, borrowers returned twice as many envelopes as they took. Which sentence best supports the idea that the program is working well? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 1 (Reading), informational target 11: Reasoning and Evidence
  • Read the passage. The Willowmere Library lends more than books. In a wooden cabinet near the front desk, visitors find small envelopes of seeds: beans, sunflowers, lettuce. Anyone with a library card may take up to five envelopes each spring. The library asks for one thing in return. In the fall, gardeners save seeds from their best plants and bring some back. Because of this, the cabinet is refilled each year without the library buying a single seed. Last year, borrowers returned twice as many envelopes as they took. Why does the author add "without the library buying a single seed"? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 1 (Reading), informational target 12: Analysis within/across Texts
  • Read the passage. Theo had practiced his lines for the class play until he could say them in his sleep. But when the curtain opened and he saw the rows of faces, his mind went as blank as a new sheet of paper. From the wings, Ines mouthed the first three words. Theo swallowed, said them aloud, and felt the rest of the speech come tumbling back. After the bows, he found Ines and handed her the paper star from his costume. "You earned this more than I did," he said. How does Theo change from the middle of the story to the end? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 1 (Reading), literary target 5: Analysis within/across Texts
  • Read the passage. Theo had practiced his lines for the class play until he could say them in his sleep. But when the curtain opened and he saw the rows of faces, his mind went as blank as a new sheet of paper. From the wings, Ines mouthed the first three words. Theo swallowed, said them aloud, and felt the rest of the speech come tumbling back. After the bows, he found Ines and handed her the paper star from his costume. "You earned this more than I did," he said. The author writes that Theo's mind "went as blank as a new sheet of paper." What does this comparison show? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 1 (Reading), literary target 7: Language Use; "simile" checked in the American Heritage Dictionary
  • Read the passage. Theo had practiced his lines for the class play until he could say them in his sleep. But when the curtain opened and he saw the rows of faces, his mind went as blank as a new sheet of paper. From the wings, Ines mouthed the first three words. Theo swallowed, said them aloud, and felt the rest of the speech come tumbling back. After the bows, he found Ines and handed her the paper star from his costume. "You earned this more than I did," he said. What does "the wings" mean in this passage? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 1 (Reading), literary target 3: Word Meanings; word meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, "wing"
  • Read the passage. Theo had practiced his lines for the class play until he could say them in his sleep. But when the curtain opened and he saw the rows of faces, his mind went as blank as a new sheet of paper. From the wings, Ines mouthed the first three words. Theo swallowed, said them aloud, and felt the rest of the speech come tumbling back. After the bows, he found Ines and handed her the paper star from his costume. "You earned this more than I did," he said. What helps Theo remember his speech? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 1 (Reading), literary target 1: Key Details
  • Read the passage. Theo had practiced his lines for the class play until he could say them in his sleep. But when the curtain opened and he saw the rows of faces, his mind went as blank as a new sheet of paper. From the wings, Ines mouthed the first three words. Theo swallowed, said them aloud, and felt the rest of the speech come tumbling back. After the bows, he found Ines and handed her the paper star from his costume. "You earned this more than I did," he said. Which detail best shows that Theo is grateful to Ines? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 1 (Reading), literary target 4: Reasoning and Evidence
  • Read the passage. Theo had practiced his lines for the class play until he could say them in his sleep. But when the curtain opened and he saw the rows of faces, his mind went as blank as a new sheet of paper. From the wings, Ines mouthed the first three words. Theo swallowed, said them aloud, and felt the rest of the speech come tumbling back. After the bows, he found Ines and handed her the paper star from his costume. "You earned this more than I did," he said. Which sentence best states a theme of the story? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 1 (Reading), literary target 2: Central Ideas

Writing and language 6

  • A student is writing directions. "____ First, fill the water bottle each morning. Next, add a spoonful of food to the dish. Finally, change the bedding every Friday." Which sentence best begins the paragraph? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 2 (Writing), target 1b/3b/6b: Revise Brief Texts (Organization/Purpose)
  • A student writes the opinion, "Our town should build a bike path along the river." Which sentence best supports this opinion? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 2 (Writing), target 1b/3b/6b: Revise Brief Texts (Evidence/Elaboration)
  • A student writes, "After the long climb, the hikers were very tired." Which word best replaces "very tired" with one exact word? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 2 (Writing), target 8: Language and Vocabulary Use; word meaning checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, "exhaust"
  • Choose the verb that completes the sentence. "By the time the bell rang, Marcus ____ his project." Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 2 (Writing), target 9: Edit/Clarify; rule from Common Core language standard L.5.1.b, form and use the perfect verb tenses
  • Which sentence uses a comma correctly? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 2 (Writing), target 9: Edit/Clarify; rule from Common Core language standard L.5.2.b
  • Which sentence uses a pair of conjunctions correctly? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 2 (Writing), target 9: Edit/Clarify; rule from Common Core language standard L.5.1.e, correlative conjunctions

Research 6

  • A chart shows the number of books each room read: Room A, 120; Room B, 95; Room C, 140. Which statement does the chart support? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 4 (Research), target 2: Interpret and Integrate Information
  • A student claims, "Our school uses less paper than it did last year." Which note best supports the claim? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 4 (Research), target 4: Use Evidence
  • A student has two notes. Note 1: "The school garden grew 40 pounds of tomatoes last year." Note 2: "The kitchen used 25 pounds of the garden tomatoes, and the rest went home with families." Which conclusion do both notes support? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 4 (Research), target 2: Interpret and Integrate Information
  • A student is writing a report on how to keep a pet rabbit healthy. Which source is most trustworthy? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 4 (Research), target 3: Analyze Information/Sources
  • A student's research question is, "How did our town's park get its name?" Which note is most useful? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 4 (Research), target 3: Analyze Information/Sources
  • Which sentence is a fact that can be checked, and not an opinion? Smarter Balanced ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint, grades 3 to 5, Claim 4 (Research), target 3: Analyze Information/Sources

How this list was compiled: Outline: the ELA/Literacy Summative Assessment Blueprint of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (as of the 2018-19 test administration), https://portal.smarterbalanced.org/library/en/elaliteracy-summative-assessment-blueprint.pdf, linked from https://contentexplorer.smarterbalanced.org/test-development, read 2026-10-07: the blueprint table and the target sampling pages for grades 3 to 5. Each question names the claim and the assessment target it practices. Every reading answer is found in the text printed with the question. The grammar and punctuation rules are the grade 5 language standards of the Common Core State Standards, https://www.thecorestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/L/5/, and four word meanings were checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, https://www.ahdictionary.com/, each named under its answer, all read 2026-10-07. Licence: Own work. Questions, reading passages, answer choices and explanations were written for this site. Nothing is copied or reworded from a Smarter Balanced test, practice test, training test, sample item or another practice test.

How it works

Unofficial fifth grade practice for the Smarter Balanced (SBAC) math and English language arts tests, which California gives as its CAASPP tests. Every question is our own. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium.

Read the full guide

What the grade 5 tests weigh

In mathematics about half of the items are Concepts and Procedures, where fractions and volume come up most. The rest is split between problem solving with modeling and communicating reasoning. In English language arts, reading has 14 to 16 items, half on stories and half on informational texts; listening, research and writing follow.

How the answers are checked

Every math answer is worked out again from the numbers in the question. Each reading answer is found in the text printed with it. Grammar rules are the grade 5 Common Core language standards, and four word meanings were checked in the American Heritage Dictionary.

  • No calculator is allowed on the real grade 5 math test, so work each math question here on scratch paper.

Questions and answers

Is there a Smarter Balanced practice test PDF for 5th grade?

Yes, of this practice. Each subject prints as a paper test with its answer key, and the print window can save it as a PDF. The consortium's own grade 5 practice tests run online, in its testing software.

Is the 5th grade CAASPP practice test the same as the SBAC?

In English language arts and mathematics, yes. California's CAASPP system gives the Smarter Balanced tests in grades 3 to 8 and 11, so 5th grade SBAC practice is CAASPP practice. California's grade 5 science test, the CAST, is a separate test.

How long is the 5th grade Smarter Balanced test?

It is untimed. For grades 3 to 5 the consortium estimates 3 hours 30 minutes for English language arts and 2 hours 30 minutes for mathematics, performance tasks included.

What is a good score on the 5th grade SBAC?

No pass mark is published. Scores fall in four achievement levels; in grade 5, Level 3 runs from 2502 to 2581 in English language arts and from 2528 to 2578 in mathematics. A percent right here is not a scaled score.

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