NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade + How to Ace the New York State Math Exam

NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade

Fifth grade students enrolled in a New York public school must take a state test in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics.

Both tests are aligned with the Common Core standards, a set of national guidelines for the skills and knowledge students should master at each grade level.

In this article, we’ll be focusing on the NYS math test for 5th grade students. We’ll provide key information, sample questions, and a NYS math practice test 5th grade to help you and your child feel confident and comfortable about the exam.

So let’s get started! First, click the button below to get a NYS math exam for your 5th grader. Along with this test, you will also receive a bonus PDF "5 Top Tips to Use Practice Tests Effectively" to help your child study for the test.

NYS Math Practice Test Grade 5

NYS Math Basics

The NYS Math exam is administered to students in grades 3-8. The test is constructed by Questar Assessments Inc. and is aligned with Common Core mathematics standards.

While NYS Math was previously available on paper only, schools will have the option of administering the test on computers starting in 2017.

All questions are multiple choice, short response, or extended response. The number of questions of each type varies by grade level.

In more recent years, New York state teachers have played an increased role in selecting and evaluating these questions, and this role will continue to increase in coming years.

Beginning with the NYS Math test 2016, students took the exam untimed. This change will continue into the 2017 assessment. If needed, students may have a full school day to complete the test, as long as they are working productively.

NYS Math 5th Grade

Below, we’ll explore the structure and content specific to NYS Math 5th grade.

Test Structure

For fifth grade students, the NYS Math assessment is administered in three sessions over the course of three days.

Students have as much time as necessary to complete each session, but students typically need 70-80 minutes for Sessions 1 and 2 and 80-90 minutes to complete Session 3.

The test structure for the NYS Math test 2017 will remain the same as the structure for the NYS Math test 2016.

Session 1 consists of 22 multiple choice questions.

Session 2 includes 23 multiple choice questions.

Session 3 requires fifth grade students to answer 6 short response questions and 4 extended response.

Test Content

Fifth grade students are assessed in the following categories:

  • Number and Operations in Base 10

  • NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Number and Operations sample

    NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Number and Operations sample

  • Number and Operations- Fractions

  • NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Fractions sample

    NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Fractions sample

  • Measurement and Data

  • NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Measurement and Data sample

    NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Measurement and Data sample

  • Operations and Algebraic Thinking

  • NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Algebraic Thinking sample

    NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Algebraic Thinking sample

  • Geometry
  • NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Geometry sample

    NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Geometry sample

    More specifically, fifth grade Common Core math standards focus on three critical areas:

  • Developing fluency with addition and subtraction of fractions, and developing understanding of multiplication of fractions and of division of fractions in limited cases (unit fractions divided by whole numbers and whole numbers divided by unit fractions)
  • NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Fractions 2 sample

    NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Fractions 2 sample

  • Extending division to 2-digit divisors, integrating decimal fractions into the place value system and developing understanding of operations with decimals to hundredths, and developing fluency with whole number and decimal operations
  • NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Decimals sample

    NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Decimals sample

  • Developing understanding of volume
  • NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Volume sample

    NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Volume sample

    We mentioned earlier that there are three question types on NYS Math exams:

  • Multiple choice

  • Short response

  • Extended response
  • Above, we provided several multiple choice sample questions. For these questions, distractors (wrong answers) include plausible missteps, or mistakes that many students are likely to make. They often require students to work through multiple steps.

    The short response questions, which only appear in Session 3, require students to show their work or explain their answers. Students must apply fifth grade math concepts to real-world situations. Below are three sample fifth grade short response questions.

    NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Short Responses 1 sample

    NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Short Responses 1 sample

    NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Short Responses 2 sample

    NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Short Responses 2 sample

    NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Short Responses 3 sample

    NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Short Responses 3 sample

    Extended response questions are very similar to short response questions, but they may be more extensive or include multiple tasks. Students may also need to demonstrate reasoning skills and the ability to critique the arguments of others.

    NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Extended Response sample

    NYS Math Practice Test 5th Grade - Extended Response sample

    Some of these questions are complex, but you can help your child prepare effectively by working with NYS math practice tests 5th grade.

    How to Ace NYS Math 5th Grade

    The NYS Math exam is difficult, but not impossible. Here are a few steps you can take to help your child ace the test.

    First, remember that questions are aligned with the Common Core standards, which are also the basis for your child’s math curriculum.

    It’s always important to work hard in school, but this year you may want to especially encourage your child to pay attention, complete all classwork and homework, and ask for help when needed in math class.

    If your child struggles, you may want to ask the teacher for extra help, hire a tutor, or take advantage of any free before or after school tutoring programs at your child’s school. You can also contact the teacher for feedback on your child’s mathematical strengths and weaknesses.

    Many children brush up on math skills with the use of math workbooks, online math programs, or even math-related Youtube videos. You can consider incorporating some of these tools, as long as they are reliable and related to skills tested on NYS Math.

    Finally, we strongly recommend helping your child work through sample questions and NYS math practice tests 5th grade.

    Make sure to spend time discussing why right answers are correct and wrong answers are incorrect. Work with your child to develop better strategies for approaching difficult question types in the future. If your child struggles in a particular area, begin focusing practice sessions on related questions.

    They say practice makes perfect, but you also don’t want your child developing test anxiety or getting burnt out. To avoid this, keep practice sessions brief, engaging, and encouraging.

    The information and NYS math practice tests 5th grade provided here should give your child a head start on conquering the NYS Math exam!