OAKS Practice Test Online + How to Ace the Oregon SBAC

In the state of Oregon, public school students are assessed in English Language Arts and Mathematics in grades 3-8 and again in grade 11. Students are tested in Social Sciences and Science in grades 5, 8, and 11.

Social Sciences and Science tests are assessed using the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS). English Language Arts and Mathematics are assessed through Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) tests, as of the 2014-2015 school year.

In this article, we’ll provide directions for accessing OAKS practice tests online, offer SBAC tests for download, and give you all the tips and information you need to prepare your child for Oregon state tests.

SBAC Oregon Basics

Oregon students take SBAC tests in English Language Arts and Mathematics in grades 3-8 and grade 11. If you want your child to use a downloadable PDF of the test, please click on one of the buttons below to download a grade-appropriate SBAC test.

Along with the SBAC practice test PDF, you will also receive a bonus PDF "5 Top Tips to Use Practice Tests Effectively" to help your child study for the test.

SBAC Practice Test Grade 3

SBAC Practice Test Grade 4

SBAC Practice Test Grade 5

SBAC Practice Test Grade 6

SBAC Practice Test Grade 7

SBAC Practice Test Grade 8

These tests are aligned with the Common Core standards ; Oregon is one of many states teaching a curriculum based on Common Core and assessing students accordingly. Common Core standards focus on higher level thinking skills , and the SBAC measures student mastery of these abilities.

All SBAC tests are untimed and consist of two parts: a computer adaptive test and a Performance Task.

The computer adaptive test asks increasingly rigorous questions if students are answering correctly and less challenging questions if students answer incorrectly. This allows for more accurate test scores and more precise information about student strengths and weaknesses.

On the computer adaptive test, question types for both ELA and Mathematics include:

Selected response items (multiple choice)

Constructed response items (requiring students to write short answers)

Non-traditional response items (questions that may ask students to drag and drop numbers or text, edit text, draw objects, complete a chart or graphic organizer, etc.)

Performance Tasks take about 45 minutes to complete and require students to apply grade level appropriate skills and knowledge, as well as critical thinking and problem solving, to respond to complex real-world problems.

In the next sections, we’ll take a closer look at the skills assessed on both SBAC exams.

SBAC English Language Arts

The English Language Arts exam assesses four major skills:

Reading: Students can read closely and analytically to comprehend a range of increasingly complex literary and informational texts.

Writing: Students can produce effective and well-grounded writing for a range of purposes and audiences.

Speaking and Listening: Students can employ effective speaking and listening skills for a range of purposes and audiences.

Research/Inquiry: Students can engage in research and inquiry to investigate topics and to analyze, integrate, and present information.

Reading

Students read a variety of grade-level appropriate texts, both literary and informational. They may be required to compare, integrate, and analyze information across multiple texts.

Reading comprehension questions may focus on:

Making inferences/drawing conclusions from the text

OAKS Practice Test - 6th grade Inference sample

Providing reasoning and evidence to support claims/responses (see 11th grade question)

OAKS Practice Test - 11th grade Evidence sample

Central ideas and key details (see 5th grade question)

OAKS Practice Test  - 5th grade Central Idea sample

Characterization (see 8th grade question)

OAKS Practice Test  - 8th grade Characterization sample

Figurative language (see 4th grade question)

OAKS Practice Test  - 4th grade Figurative Language sample

Author’s purpose and author/narrator point of view

Determining the meaning of vocabulary in context, including when a word has multiple meanings (see 3rd grade question)

OAKS Practice Test  - 3rd grade Vocab sample

Text structure and text features

Analyzing how particular sections of the text affect or contribute to the text as a whole

OAKS Practice Test  - 7th gradeSections of Text sample

Writing

Students are assessed on the ability to revise, edit, and compose both informational and narrative written texts.

Students respond to both passage-based and stand-alone questions related to revising and editing. Students may be asked to correct sentences, better organize a text, improve word choice, etc.

OAKS Practice Test  - 11th gradeRevising and Editing sample

Questions also include brief writes, which require students to write short narrative, informational, and opinion-based texts (or add information to existing texts).

OAKS Practice Test  - 8th gradeBrief Write sample

Lastly, students complete a Performance Task, which requires them to read several provided sources and take purposeful notes. Students then answer three questions about the sources and write an informational article or an opinion piece about a related prompt.

Below are the directions for a 7th grade ELA Performance Task:

OAKS Practice Test - 7th grade ELA Performance Task sample

Speaking and Listening

To demonstrate listening skills, students listen to several one-minute informational audio presentations and respond to comprehension questions.

The content of these questions is essentially identical to the content of the reading comprehension questions, as in this 3rd grade sample question based on an audio presentation about the Northern Lights:

OAKS Practice Test - 3rd grade Listening sample

Students may rewind the audio or pause to take notes as needed.

Research/Inquiry

Students answer multiple choice questions related to paraphrasing texts, avoiding plagiarism, evaluating the credibility of sources, choosing relevant evidence to support claims, and taking purposeful notes.

OAKS Practice Test - 6th grade Research sample

Research skills are also assessed using the Performance Task mentioned in the above writing section. As part of the Performance Task, students respond to research-based questions on the provided sources.

OAKS - 7th grade Performance task Research Question sample

ELA SBAC is a challenging assessment, but students can utilize SBAC Oregon practice tests to prepare effectively.

SBAC Oregon Mathematics

The Mathematics test also assesses four major skill areas:

Concepts and Procedures: Students can explain and apply mathematical concepts and interpret and carry out mathematical procedures with precision and fluency.

Problem Solving: Students can solve a range of complex well-posed problems in pure and applied mathematics, making productive use of knowledge and problem solving strategies.

Communicating Reasoning: Students can clearly and precisely construct viable arguments to support their own reasoning and to critique the reasoning of others.

Modeling and Data Analysis: Students can analyze complex, real-world scenarios and can construct and use mathematical models to interpret and solve problems.

Concepts and Procedures

Depending on grade level, students answer questions related to topics such as:

Algebra or Algebraic Operations (see seventh grade question)

OAKS Practice Test  - 7th grade Algebra sample

Geometry (see fifth grade question)

OAKS Practice Test  - 5th gradeGeometry sample

Fractions (see fourth grade question)

OAKS Practice Test Online - 4th gradeFractions sample

Measurement and Data (see third grade question)

OAKS  - 3rd grade Data sample

Numbers and Operations (see 8th grade question. For younger students, these questions may be related to place value)

OAKS  - 8th gradeNumber and Operations sample

Probability and Statistics (see 11th grade question)

11th grade Prob and Stats sample

Problem Solving

These questions require students to apply grade-level appropriate mathematics to solve complex real-world problems.

5th gradeProblem Solving sample

It’s also important for students to be able to identify key information in a practical situation and map the relationship using diagrams, graphs, formulas, etc.

Communicating Reasoning

Students should be able to explain and justify their reasoning as they answer mathematical problems.

They should also be able to explain flaws in reasoning. Students may be asked to critique, prove, justify, or investigate mathematical conjectures and logic and complete longer “investigations.”

Modeling and Data Analysis

This skill is assessed using a Performance Task. Students must apply math to real world situations at a deeper level of understanding.

They may be asked to develop mathematical models of their own or improve upon provided models, make reasoned estimates, and plan, design, evaluate, and recommend tasks.

Below is the information used to answer questions in a 6th grade Mathematics Performance Task.

6th grade Performance task  Intro sample

This information was then used to answer questions like the following:

OAKS Practice Test Online - 6th grade Performance task Question sample

For this assessment, too, SBAC Oregon practice tests are an excellent preparation tool that can help your child build confidence and familiarity with test content.

OAKS Basics

Oregon students take OAKS tests in Science and Social Sciences in grades 5, 8, and 11.

Like the SBAC, OAKS assessments are untimed and administered via a computer adaptive test.Questions may be selected response or constructed response.

OAKS Science

There are six score reporting categories:

Structure and Function (the characteristics, form, and function of living and non-living things)

11th grade Structure and Function sample

Interaction and Change (how components in a system interact and cause change)

 5th gradeInteraction sample

Physical Science (structures and properties of matter, forms of energy, and changes that occur in the physical world)

5th gradePhysical Science sample

Life Science (structures, functions, and interactions of living organisms and the environment)

oaks test 11th grade Life Science sample

Earth and Space Science (physical properties of the Earth and how those properties change; Earth’s relationship to other objects in the universe)

OAKS Test  - 8th gradeEarth and Space sample

Scientific Inquiry and Engineering Design (science process concepts and skills that characterize the nature and practice of science; the process of formulating problem statements, identifying criteria and constraints, testing solutions, and incorporating modifications based on test data)

OAKS Test Online - 8th gradeScientific Inquiry sample

To view more sample questions, take an OAKS practice test through the OAKS Portal.

OAKS Social Sciences

There are six reporting categories for this test also:

Historical Skills (chronological relationships, cause and effect, patterns of change, perspectives and interpretation)

OAKS - 11th gradeHistorical Skills sample

U.S. History (historical influences, state history, local history)

OAKS Practice Test Online - 8th gradeU.S. History sample

Civics and Government (principles of U.S. government, levels of government, separation of powers, rights of citizens, citizen responsibility, influencing government, international relations, forms of government)

OAKS - 11th grade Civ and Gov sample

Economics (scarcity, costs and benefits, supply and demand, international economics, function of money, money management)

OAKS Practice Test Online -5th gradeEconomics sample

Geography (geographical terms, geographical representation, geographical features, religions and cultures, cultural convergence, population changes, effects of humans, effects of the physical environment)

OAKS Practice Test Online - 5th gradeGeography sample

World History (not tested at 5th grade level-focuses on world development over time)

OAKS Practice Test Online - 8th grade World History sample

To access additional sample questions, visit the OAKS Portal and take an OAKS practice test.

Using the OAKS Portal to Access Practice Tests

Through the OAKS Portal, you and your child can take practice tests for SBAC ELA and Math and OAKS Science or Social Sciences at any grade level.

Follow the steps below:

Visit the website http://oaksportal.org/students/.

Click on the “Practice Tests” icon.

Click “Sign In.” (You don’t have to delete or change of the Guest sign-in information.)

On the “Is This You?” screen, select a grade level from the drop down menu. Then click “Yes.”

Select the practice test you would like to work on.

Click “Select.”

Choose “Yes.”

Select “Begin Test Now.”

Preparing for OAKS and SBAC Oregon

First, remember that both OAKS and SBAC are based on the standards that your child will be learning throughout the school year. More than ever, paying attention in class is crucial for your child. Encourage him to take notes, complete all assignments, and ask for help when needed.

If your child struggles in a key area, ask the teacher for extra help or consider hiring a tutor.

You can also help your child work on SBAC and OAKS practice tests through the OAKS Portal. Be sure that your child understands why right answers are correct and wrong answers are incorrect.

Instead of simply answering questions, also take the time to discuss them and find the best approaches to various question types.

By following these tips and consistently using SBAC Oregon and OAKS practice tests, you’re setting your child up for success on state testing.