NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test + How to Ace the MAP Test

The NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) has developed a series of tests known as MAP (Measures of Academic Progress). These tests are online assessments that are aligned with the Common Core standards.

Although these tests are available for grades K-12, in this article we’ll focus on 3rd grade MAP tests. Tests for 3rd grade students include Reading, Mathematics, Language Usage, and Science.

In this article, we’ll provide information, tips, and NWEA practice tests 3rd grade to help you and your child effectively prepare.

3rd Grade MAP Basics

All MAP tests are computer adaptive, meaning the test questions adapt to a student’s performance level. All students begin with a grade-level appropriate question.

Next, if a student is answering questions correctly, questions increase in difficulty to continue challenging the student. If a student struggles, questions get easier to avoid overwhelming a student who is performing below grade level. Adaptive tests also allow for a more precise, accurate score.

Questions are both multiple choice and technology enhanced items. Technology enhanced items may ask students to drag and drop, select text, choose more than one correct answer, etc.

MAP test are untimed, so students can take as much time as needed to finish the test. Most students complete MAP tests in less than an hour.

Unlike most standardized assessments, MAP tests are typically administered three times annually: at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. This allows schools to track student progress over the course of the year, and the teacher can use student data to make more informed instructional decisions.

Results of the MAP test are generally available within 48 hours.

MAP Reading 3rd Grade

On the NWEA’s Reading test, 3rd grade students must are evaluated in three major areas:

Word Recognition, Structure, and Vocabulary

Reading Literary Texts

Reading Informational Texts

To demonstrate skills related to Word Recognition, Structure, and Vocabulary, 3rd grade students should be able to:

Determine the meaning of words in context

Complete sentences

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Complete Sentence sample

Use a glossary

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Glossary sample

Recognize basic roots, prefixes, and suffixes

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Roots sample

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Prefixes sample

As students read brief literary and informational passages, they’ll be asked questions testing their ability to comprehend and analyze these texts. Students may be asked to do the following:

Determine main idea and supporting details

Make inferences based on the information provided in a passage

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Inference sample

Analyze theme

Analyze plot, setting, characterization, and conflict

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Characterization sample

Determine author’s purpose and author/narrator point of view

Understand what the text says explicitly

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Stated Explicitly sample

Provide a summary of the text

Analyze text structure

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Structure sample

Define vocabulary in context

If you feel your child could use some additional preparation prior to the assessment, be sure to check out the available NWEA practice tests 3rd grade. To help your child become familiar and confident with test items, it’s important to get plenty of MAP test practice 3rd grade.

MAP Language Usage 3rd Grade

The MAP Language Usage test assesses the following skills:

Writing Process: Students can demonstrate skills related to writing processes such as researching, composing, editing, and proofreading.

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Writing Process sample

Writing Types and Purposes: Students can recognize different types of writing and understanding their purposes.

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Type of Writing sample

Grammar and Usage: Students understand grade-level appropriate grammar and usage conventions.

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Grammar sample

Writing Conventions: Students understand the conventions of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Punctuation sample

Most questions are multiple choice, but students may also be required to click certain areas of a text or drag and drop, as in the example below:

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Drag and Drop sample

You can find sample MAP tests for 3rd grade Language Usage as well, and we highly recommend taking advantage of these free resources.

MAP Mathematics evaluate 3rd grade students on the following skill categories:

Number Sense/Number Systems: Representing, identifying, counting, comparing, and ordering.

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Number Systems sample

Problem Solving and Reasoning: Understanding and representing problems, developing solution strategies, verifying results, and explaining reasoning.

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Problem Solving sample

Algebra: Extending patterns and understanding basic algebraic concepts.

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Algebraic Concepts sample

Geometry: Identifying and classifying of shapes and objects.

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Geometry sample

Estimation and Computation: Accurately solve problems using whole numbers and fractions.

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Computation sample

Measurement: Measurements involving time, length, area, and perimeter.

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Area sample

Your child can prepare for the math test by focusing in class, working on math workbooks or online math activities, and completing NWEA practice tests 3rd grade (or other MAP test practice 3rd grade).

To perform successful on MAP Science, your child must be able to demonstrate 3rd grade level skills and knowledge in the following areas:

Physical Sciences: Understand basic concepts of physical science, such as the three states of matter.

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Physical Science sample

Earth and Space Sciences: Weather and climate, the cycle of Earth, and basic concepts related to the Solar System and the Universe

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Earth and Space sample

Nature of Science: Basic understanding of the interactions between science and technology

Life Science: Structure and function of organisms, how matter and energy move through ecosystems, how heredity affects organisms, how biological evolution affects the unity and diversity of life

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Life sample

Scientific Inquiry: Observing, questioning, predicting, and hypothesizing

As on other MAP tests, the Science test may contain some technology-enhanced items, most often those requiring students to complete tables or charts by dragging and dropping text or images.

NWEA Practice Test 3rd Grade Test - Drag and Drop Science sample

You can also access a sample MAP test for 3rd grade Science, or you can view sample science questions through the NWEA website

MAP testing occurs at multiple points per year, and the skills tested are directly linked to the Common Core standards, which guide what students are learning in class.

For these reasons, it’s very important for students to pay attention in class throughout the school year, particularly in core areas such as Math, Language Arts, and Science. Your child should also take notes, complete all classwork and homework, and ask questions when needed.

You can communicate with your child’s teacher about your child’s progress throughout the year. It’s likely that she can also provide you with specific information about your student’s strengths and weaknesses in relation to MAP content.

Once you have taken the first MAP test of the year, you can use the data from the test to inform you about which skill areas your child needs to work on.

If your child needs additional help in any of the key subject areas, you may want to ask the teacher for extra assistance or consider hiring a tutor. You can also get more practice with workbooks or online programs and videos.

Reading a certain number of pages or minutes weekly can help your child improve reading comprehension, vocabulary, and language conventions and spelling.

Lastly, we highly recommend completing MAP test practices 3rd grade and NWEA practice tests 3rd grade.

Ensure that your child understands why right answers are correct and incorrect answers are wrong. Discuss better approaches your child can take to question types that he consistently misses. Clear up any misconceptions, and praise correct reasoning skills.

Keep sessions brief, engaging, and encouraging. You don’t want your child to get burnt out or experience test anxiety as a result of overemphasizing the test.

Prior to the test, a good night’s sleep and a nutritious breakfast can always be helpful. Remember to send your child off with words of encouragement (and a jacket in case the testing room is chilly).

We hope that the information, tips, NWEA practice tests 3rd grade, and other free resources provided here have been helpful for you and your child. With focus, practice, and preparation, your child should ace the NWEA MAP tests!