FSA Practice Test Grade 3 Math: What to Expect

All third grade students in the state of Florida are required to take the FSA Mathematics Test. The test is designed to determine whether students have mastered grade level appropriate mathematics skills and knowledge.

Unlike the Grade 3 FSA Reading Test, students do not need to achieve a certain score on the Mathematics test in order to be promoted to fourth grade. Instead, the test simply gives parents and schools an idea about the performance of the school and teachers, in addition to information about a student’s readiness for Grade 4 mathematics.

After years of test prep experience, we’re confident that the most effective way to prepare for a test like FSA Mathematics is by completing practice questions and practice tests.

That’s why we’ve provided a printable FSA Math Practice Test Grade 3, with answer keys to help your child adequately prepare for this challenging assessment.

This downloadable FSA test is made by the creator of the FSA assessments, so it is the gold standard for practice. That means that this test contains the same kind of material that your child will face on test day.

Just click the button below to get a 3rd grade Math FSA practice test, plus you will receive top five test prep tips for using official FSA practice tests to effectively prepare for test day.

FSA Math Practice Test - Grade 3

In this article, we’ll also provide key information about the test, including the question types your child will encounter, the format of test items, how the test is scored, and additional strategies for success.

Grade 3 FSA Mathematics Basics

The 3rd grade FSA Mathematics test is administered in April or May. The test is computer based, although pencil-paper format is available for students with specific disabilities.

56-66 questions appear on the test,and students answer them in two separate 80-minute sessions.

No calculator or reference sheet is permitted for third grade students, and these resources are not necessary to successfully solve provided problems.

Students receive a “Work Folder,” a packet consisting of scratch paper and graph paper to help them work out problems.

Because the test is computer based, there are several unique question types, which the FSA calls “technology enhanced item types.” Your student may encounter the following:

Editing Task Choice: Students click on a highlighted word or phrase, revealing a drop down menu with options for correcting the error or indicating that there is no error.

Editing Task: Similar to Editing Task Choice, but students simply type a correction for the highlighted word or phrase in a provided text box.

Open Response: Students type a response into a text field, usually no more than 1-2 sentences.

Multiselect: Student is directed to select all correct answers from among a number of options, rather than simply selecting the best answer choice.

Graphic Response Item Display (GRID): Students must select numbers, words, phrases, or images and drag and drop them into the appropriate location on a graphic. This question type may also require students to use point, line, or arrow tools to create a response on a graph.

Equation Editor: Student is presented with a toolbar including a variety of variables, expressions, equations, or numbers (as appropriate to the test item) that can be used to create an answer to the question.

Matching Item: Students must check a box to indicate if the information from a column header matches information from a row.

Table Item: Students are asked to correctly enter numeric values into a provided table.

If these technology enhanced items sound intimidating or challenging, don’t worry. All schools are required to administer at least one official practice test prior to the actual FSA Mathematics test, giving your child an opportunity to work with these question types. Additional computer based practice tests are available on the FSA website as well.

What Skills Are Measured on the Grade 3 FSA Mathematics Test?

FSA Mathematics questions are aligned with Florida’s Mathematics standards for third grade. Like the state standards, question types are divided into three major categories:

Operations, Algebraic Thinking, and Numbers in Base 10

Number and Operations: Fractions

Measurement, Data, and Geometry

Let’s take a closer look at the knowledge and skills measured by each question type.

Operations, Algebraic Thinking, and Numbers in Base 10

These question types require students to understand properties of multiplication, division, and arithmetic. Students must use this understanding to represent and solve problems, including the ability to multiply and divide within 100 and perform multi-digit arithmetic.

Your child will need to be able to do the following:

Interpret products of whole numbers.

Interpret whole number quotients of whole numbers.

Use multiplication and division within 100 to solve grade level appropriate word problems.

Determine an unknown whole number in a multiplication or division equation relating three whole numbers, as in the example below.

Apply properties like the associative, commutative, and distributive properties as strategies to multiply and divide.

Understand division as an unknown-factor problem. This involves understanding that multiplication can be used to solve a division problem, as seen here:

Fluently multiply and divide within 100, using strategies such as properties of operations and the relationship between multiplication and division.

Solve 2-step word problems using the four operations.

Identify arithmetic patterns and explain these patterns using properties of operations.

Use understanding of place values and properties of operations to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using algorithms and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.

Multiply one-digit whole numbers by multiples of ten ranging from 10-90 using appropriate strategies.

Number and Operations: Fractions

To correctly answer these questions, students must understand fractions as numbers and have a basic understanding of some of the properties of fractions.

More specifically, students should be able to:

Represent fractions on a number line diagram.

Explain equivalence of fractions in special cases and compare fractions by reasoning about their size.

Express whole numbers as fractions and recognize fractions that are equivalent to whole numbers.

Identify shaded areas that represent fractions, as seen in the example below.

Measurement, Data, and Geometry

This question type requires students to solve problems involving measurement, time, mass, and volume and to represent and interpret data. Students also need to understand concepts of shapes and their attributes, area, and perimeter.

In order to answer these questions correctly, students should be able to:

Tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure time intervals in minutes.

Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in minutes, such as by representing the problem on a number line diagram.

Measure and estimate liquid volume and mass of objects using grams, kilograms, and lit4ers.

Add, subtract, multiply, or divide to solve one-step word problems involving masses or volumes given in the same unit of measurement.

Draw a scaled picture graph and scaled bar graph to represent a given data set with several categories, as seen below.

Measure lengths using rulers marked with ½ and ¼ of an inch. Show data by creating line plots.

Understand concepts of area and relate area to multiplication and division.

Recognize area as additive.

Recognize perimeter as an attribute of plane figures.

Solve real world and mathematical problems involving perimeters of polygons.

Reason with shapes and their attributes. This involves the ability to classify shapes and the attributes that define various shapes, as seen in the two examples below.

This extensive list of required skills and knowledge may look far too challenging, but keep in mind that this list comes directly from Florida’s third grade standards for Mathematics.

That means that your child’s teacher will be using this same list to direct her mathematics curriculum throughout the school year. Your child is simply being tested on the skills that were taught in the classroom for the duration of the year.

Although there are several examples here, many more examples are available to practice and view online. Our FSA Practice Test Grade 3 is a great place to start!

How is the Grade 3 FSA Mathematics Test Scored?

On all FSA assessments, there are five possible achievement levels, and students receive a score ranging from 1 to 5. Each achievement level specifies how well students have mastered grade level appropriate skills as defined by Florida standards.

Below is an explanation of what each achievement level represents, in addition to the scaled score ranges that fit into each category.

Level 1: Inadequate. A student who scores a 1 is considered “highly likely to need substantial support” in the next grade. Scores from 240-284 fall into this category.

Level 2: Below Satisfactory. Level 2 students are “likely to need substantial support” as they transition to fourth grade mathematics. Level 2 scores range from a 285 to a 296.

Level 3: Satisfactory. Students in this category “may need additional support” in fourth grade. Scores from 297-310** qualify as Level 3.

Level 3 is considered passing, so students must score a 297 to pass the test.

Level 4: Proficient. Students who are deemed proficient are “likely to excel” as they begin working on fourth grade mathematics. Proficient students have scores ranging from 311 to 326.

Level 5: Mastery. These students are “highly likely to excel” in fourth grade mathematics, and they must have scored in the 327-360 range.

On your child’s score report, you will also receive information about the points earned and the points possible in each of the assessment’s three categories (Operations, Algebraic Thinking, and Numbers in Base 10; Number and Operations: Fractions; and Measurement, Data, and Geometry).

This can give you a better idea of your child’s relative strengths and weaknesses, indicating what your child needs to continue working on in the future to begin more adept at mathematics.

You will also be given the percentage of students in your child’s school, district, and grade who achieved each performance level. This allows you to see how your child’s mathematical abilities compare to those of his or her peers.

How Can I Help My Child Succeed on the Grade 3 FSA Reading Test?

To start with, remind your child to pay attention in class throughout the year, asking questions as needed on homework and classwork. The Mathematics curriculum should follow the exact standards and skills that will be tested on the FSA.

Your child’s teacher is also likely to engage the class in multiple test prep lessons and activities throughout the school year, so discuss with your child the importance of focusing and understanding this material.

Another extremely effective strategy is to practice, practice, practice. Have your child work on practice questions and complete at least 2-3 full length practice tests. Our FSA Practice Test Grade 3 should be an excellent starting point.

However, simply answering the questions and then moving on will not yield much improvement. If your child misses a question, discuss why the correct answer is indeed correct. Come up with alternate approaches to this question type that may be more effective in the future.

Have your child explain her answer to each question. This gives you the opportunity to reinforce logical thinking and correct misconceptions as needed.

Teach your child helpful test-taking strategies such as the following:

Use your “Work Folder” to write out problems, create charts and graphs, or draw pictures and diagrams as necessary. This portion is not graded, so do whatever you think will help you visualize and correctly solve the problem.

If you get stuck on a question, skip it and come back to it after answering easier questions.

There is no penalty for incorrect answers, so answer every question, even if you ultimately have to guess. On multiple choice questions, a 25% chance of answering correctly is still much better than no chance.

Don’t panic when you get stuck on a question. Take a deep breath and remember that you are intelligent and prepared. No one is expected to answer every single question correctly.

Prior to the test, ensure that your child has a solid night of sleep and eats a nourishing breakfast.

By following the tips here and utilizing the FSA Practice Test Grade 3, you’ll help your child perform her best on this rigorous assessment.