Printable ELA Practice Test 4th Grade + 5 Tips to Ace ELA State Tests!

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Printable ELA Practice Test 4th Grade

Fourth grade students enrolled in public school in the United States share at least one common experience: state testing in both English Language Arts and Mathematics.

Although these students don’t all take the same test, there are two state tests that are particularly common, and all fourth grade students are tested on similar skills.

In this article, we’ll focus on ELA state exams that fourth graders take, and provide a printable practice 4th grade ELA test. You can download the test by clicking the button below.

In addition to receiving the practice test, we will also send you a bonus PDF "5 Proven Test Prep Strategies for Using Practice Tests" to help you develop a study plan.

In this article, we’ll also discuss the most popular ELA state tests, give you tips for success, and provide a printable ELA practice test 4th grade.

What 4th Grade ELA State Test Will My Child Take?

The test your child will take depends on your location. However, most current English Language Arts state tests measure very similar skills.

The majority of 4th grade ELA state tests are at least loosely based on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), a set of national standards for ELA and Mathematics that are designed to prepare students for college and careers.

Two state tests in particular were designed to be linked to CCSS: PARCC and SBAC. Both the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC) and the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) received funds from the Department of Education for this purpose.

PARCC states include:

  • Colorado

  • Illinois

  • Maryland

  • New Jersey

  • New Mexico

  • Rhode Island

  • Massachusetts (participates, but doesn’t fully utilize PARCC)

  • Louisiana (participates, but doesn’t fully utilize PARCC)

    • SBAC members include:

  • California

  • Hawaii

  • North Dakota

  • South Dakota

  • Oregon

  • Washington

  • West Virginia

    • Again, even if you’re not in an SBAC or PARCC state, your child’s 4th grade ELA state test will likely measure skills that are related to CCSS. Florida, for example, administers the FSA, which is extremely similar to PARCC.

    Common Core English Language Arts

    So what exactly are the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts?

    According to CCSS, 4th grade students should be able to demonstrate the following skills:

  • Refer to details and examples in a text to explain what the text says explicitly and to support inferences from the text

  • Determine theme and identify details that develop the theme

    • Printable ELA Practice Test 4th Grade - Theme Question

    Printable ELA Practice Test 4th Grade - Theme Question

  • Summarize a text

  • Describe characters, settings, and events in detail

    • ELA 4th Grade sample question- Characters 

    ELA 4th Grade sample question- Characters 

  • Determine the meaning of words and phrases in the context of a passage

  • Explain major differences between two texts

    • ELA 4th Grade sample question-  - Comparing texts

    ELA 4th Grade sample question-  - Comparing texts

  • Refer to the structure of poems (verse, rhythm, and meter) and drama (settings, dialogue, stage directions, casts of characters)

  • Compare and contrast point of view, including understanding the difference between 1st and 3rd person

  • Determine main idea and explain how it is supported by key details

  • Describe the overall structure of a text (comparison, problem/solution cause/effect, chronological order)

    • ELA 4th Grade sample question- - Structure Question

    ELA 4th Grade sample question- - Structure Question

  • Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support specific points in a text

  • Write opinion pieces, narratives, and informational texts for a variety of purposes and audiences

  • Clearly organize ideas and support them with evidence and examples in writing

  • Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud

  • Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support specific points

  • Demonstrate command of the conventions of English language and grammar

    • The majority of 4th grade ELA state tests will ask questions designed to test mastery of some or all of these skills.

    One major focus of ELA CCSS is the ability to provide evidence to support claims. As a result, many ELA state tests ask two-part questions. In Part 1, students answer a multiple choice question. In Part 2, students select details from the text that support their answer to Part 1.

    As you can see from the Common Core sample questions grade 4 above, CCSS expects students to not only comprehend a text, but thoroughly analyze it as well. To view more Common Core sample questions grade 4, be sure to check out the printable ELA practice test 4th grade.

    PARCC ELA 4th Grade

    One of the most commonly used 4th grade ELA state tests is the PARCC. The PARCC test is computer-based and is divided into three sections called “units.” Fourth grade students are given 90 minutes for each of the three units.

    Students respond to questions about both fiction and nonfiction passages, and they may also listen to audio or watch video. In some cases, they will be required to synthesize and integrate information from two texts into a written response.

    There are three major question types on PARCC exams:

  • Evidence-Based Selected Response: This is by far the most common question type, and it combines a traditional multiple choice question with a question asking students to select evidence from the text supporting their response.

    On some multiple choice questions, students may be asked to select multiple correct answers.

  • Technology-Enhanced Constructed Response: Students use technology (drag and drop, cut and paste, move items to show relationship) to demonstrate critical thinking, analysis, and comprehension abilities.

  • Range of Prose Constructed Response: These questions verify that students have understood a text(s) and can communicate that understanding through written expression, demonstrating knowledge of language and conventions. Four of these questions appear on each test.

    • The PARCC test is known for being rigorous, but keep in mind that your child will be preparing for this test and practicing these skills throughout the school year. Extra preparation at home with a PARCC practice test 4th grade is also extremely helpful.

    SBAC ELA 4th Grade

    The SBAC test is administered via a computer adaptive test. The computer adaptive test, unlike most standardized tests, adjusts the difficulty of questions based on a child’s responses.

    If a student misses many questions, the questions will become less difficult. If a student answers the majority of questions correctly, questions will increase in difficulty. This allows the SBAC to provide a more accurate score than a test that asks every student the same set of questions.

    The SBAC test is untimed, but the 4th grade ELA test is estimated to take about 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete.

    Test questions fall into the following four categories:

  • Reading: Students read informational and literary texts and respond to comprehend questions based on CCSS.

  • Writing: Students compose, revise, and/or edit both shorter and longer literary and informational texts for a variety of purposes (narrative, informational/explanatory, and opinion/argumentative).

    Students are assessed with multiple choice questions, brief writes, and a Performance Task. The Performance Task is scored based on focus/purpose, evidence/elaboration, and conventions. The task involves reading sources, taking purposeful notes, and then writing and revising a response to a given topic.

  • Speaking and Listening: Students listen to a variety of one-minute informational texts and respond to listening comprehension questions. Students have the ability to individually rewind the audio or pause to take notes as needed. The listening comprehension questions are very similar in content to the reading comprehension questions.

  • Research/Inquiry: Students answer questions that focus on the ability to paraphrase text, avoid plagiarism, identify credible sources, and evaluate the strength of information to support a claim or the appropriateness of information for a stated purpose.

    Students also complete a Performance Task in which they will explore a topic, issue, or complex problem and interpret, analyze, and synthesize related information from a variety of sources.

    Students will be asked three research questions about the materials and will be given a writing task requiring them to respond to a prompt or problem.

    • Like the PARCC, the SBAC is a challenging test. It helps to practice with an SBAC ELA practice test. Your child’s teacher will also provide guidance throughout the school year.

    How to Prepare: 5 Tips to Ace the ELA State Test

    No matter which 4th grade ELA state test your child takes, the following tips can help:

  • Pay attention in Language Arts class at school. Your teacher’s curriculum will be based on the CCSS, just like the state tests. If you struggle, ask your teacher for extra help or find a tutor.

  • Read a certain amount of pages or minutes each week. Reading consistently will improve reading comprehension and vocabulary, two crucial skills on ELA state tests.

  • Practice finding evidence to support claims. Any time you answer a question, ask yourself how you know. Find specific details in the text that can support your answer. This is perhaps the most important, most tested skill on current ELA state tests.

  • Write frequently. Learn to express your ideas in writing. Even keeping a diary, writing fun stories, etc. can help you practice organizing your ideas, providing details, and using appropriate grammar and spelling.

  • Practice with the printable ELA practice test 4th grade. One of the best ways to prepare is by answering practice questions, helping you build familiarity with test content. Take the time to understand why right answers are correct and to develop better strategies for questions that you answer incorrectly.

    • The information and tips provided here, plus the printable ELA practice test 4th grade, should put your child on the right track for success on the 4th grade ELA state test.