NWEA MAP Test Questions and Answers 2024

A List of NWEA Map Tests Available for Practicing in 2024

• Kindergarten MAP Growth Practice
• 1st Grade MAP Growth Practice
• 2nd Grade MAP Growth Practice
• 3rd Grade MAP Growth Practice
• 4th Grade MAP Growth Practice
• 5th Grade MAP Growth Practice
• 6th Grade MAP Growth Practice
• 7th Grade MAP Growth Practice
• 8th Grade MAP Growth Practice
• 9th-12th Grade MAP Growth Practice

The MAP test (or Measures of Academic Progress test) is an adaptive assessment for children ranging from grades K (kindergarten) through to 12th grade. It measures student achievement over time.

The MAP test varies from the usual format of academic tests where each child answers the same questions.

Instead, the MAP test is adapted to each child based on their grade level, featuring questions that are suited to that child’s academic standard.

The MAP test is created and maintained by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA).

For more information on how the MAP test is scored, see our dedicated article.

What Is Being Assessed in the MAP Test?

The purpose of the MAP assessment is:

• To assist teachers in identifying a child’s strengths and weaknesses. This points to the academic areas where a child may be challenged and pushed further, and the areas where more work and support is needed.

• To track the child’s academic achievements and developments through their time at school.

• To compare the child’s academic growth with what is expected for a particular school year, for example, is a year one child reading at the level of a year two child?

• To make it possible to predict a child’s academic development, achievement and grades, and investigate where this prediction is not met.

The MAP test assesses reading, language use and mathematics across the entire age range.

For certain age groups, knowledge of general sciences will also be assessed.

What Does ‘Adaptive’ Mean in MAP Testing?

The MAP test is ‘adaptive’ in that it adapts to the answers given during the assessment.

If a child answers a question incorrectly, the following question will be at an easier level. If a child answers a question correctly, the following question will be at a more difficult level.

Question Formats and Types of the NWEA MAP Testing?

The questions included in the test will be suitable for the child’s age group, as well as their individual academic level.

For example, questions for kindergarten age children will have audio questions for children who might struggle to read and brightly colored image-based answer options; questions for older year groups become more tricky.

The format of the questions will vary and may include drag and drop, multiple-choice and fill in the blank questions.

The NWEA test assesses four different areas:

• Reading
• Language use
• Math
• In some cases, general sciences

Practice MAP Test: Reading Section

The purpose of the reading section is to assess the child’s understanding of different written formats, their ability to analyze written passages and whether they can use linked themes, theories and concepts.

For instance, a reading question for a 7th grader may ask for the antonym (or opposite) of a word. This tests the child’s understanding of the term ‘antonym’ as well as the words themselves.

A kindergartener might be asked about different word sounds/phonics, word meanings or to identify rhyming words.

Alternatively, a child may be asked to analyze a passage of writing for the author’s intent or the key ideas of the passage.

Practice MAP Test: Language Use

A child’s knowledge of grammar, spelling and vocabulary will be tested in the language use questions.

The child will also be asked to write an essay at the end of the exam to further demonstrate their language skills. The length of the essay will vary from a few sentences for the youngest children to longer passages for the oldest.

Children will need to demonstrate a good understanding of how to structure an essay or story and how to present an argument, as well as using good grammar and spelling.

Practice MAP Test: Math

The math test questions will vary in level from basic to advanced, depending on the age group and the child’s individual academic level.

You will face general arithmetic-type questions, definitions and problem-solving questions (revise your fraction and percentage calculations), as well as geometry (for example, working out the area of a shape), algebra and graphs.

Here is an example of a math question for a 2nd grader:

A grade 7 math question, by comparison, might be:

Practice MAP Test: General Sciences

General science questions are only included in the MAP test for certain school grades.

Science questions will cover areas such as:

• Physical sciences (for example, energy transfer)
• Earth and space sciences (for example, the solar system and plate tectonics)
• Nature of science (for example, scientific theories)
• Life science (for example, ecosystems)
• Scientific inquiry (for example, drawing conclusions from data)

What to Expect When Taking the MAP Test in 2024

The MAP test is taken on a computer, rather than paper and pen, and will usually be taken at your child's school.

There is no specific time limit placed on the test so children can take the time they need to answer (and should be encouraged not to rush), but it generally takes no more than one hour to finish.

Children will generally sit the MAP test at the start, during and at the end of each school year.

The test begins with a question that matches the individual child’s academic level. The difficulty of the questions progresses from that point depending on whether the child answers correctly or not. This is called a computer adaptive test.

The MAP test includes around 52 questions in each section (reading, language use, math and, for some grades, general sciences), although this may vary depending on the individual child.

The result is available to the child’s teacher as soon as the MAP test is completed.

MAP Growth Practice

There are two distinct test types in the MAT test types, one for K-2 and one for 2+.

For the 2nd to 8th Grade, there are up to four different sections of the test, depending on the school.

• The first set of questions are related to reading, with between 40–43 questions.
• This is followed by language usage (50–53 questions), which is not part of the MAP Test for K-2. The math questions come next, with 47–53 questions.
• The last part is on science, but it is optional for schools to administer – if your school offers this section, there will be between 39 and 42 questions.

2nd Grade MAP Growth Test

In this test, there are different types of questions within each subject, and this is based on the Common Core guidelines for 2nd Grade students.

Maths:

• Operations and Algebraic Thinking
• Numbers and Operations
• Measurement and Data
• Geometry

Language:

• Mechanics
• Grammar
• Usage
• Writing Process

Reading:

• Word Meaning
• Literary Concepts
• Analysis of structure, genre, purpose
• Informational Concepts

3rd Grade MAP Growth Test

Based on the general knowledge a 3rd Grade student should have achieved, based on the Common Core guidelines for their age.

Math:

• Numbers and Operations
• Algebraic Knowledge
• Algebra
• Geometry

Language Usage:

• Conventions
• Grammar and Usage
• Writing Conventions

Reading:

• Word Recognition and Vocabulary
• Literature
• Informational Texts

4th Grade MAP Growth Test

Based on the Common Core standards for students in the 4th Grade, the MAP Growth Test asks questions on a range of subjects.

Math:

• Operations and Algebraic Thinking
• Numbers and Operations
• Measurement and Data
• Geometry

Language Usage:

• Writing
• Grammar and Usage
• Understand and Edit Mechanics

Reading:

• Word Meaning and Vocabulary Knowledge
• Literature
• Informational Texts

5th Grade MAP Growth Test

This multiple-choice assessment is a way of measuring the progress of students in 5th Grade, based on the Common Core guidelines for that age group.

Math:

• Geometry
• Operations and Algebraic Thinking
• Measurement and Data
• Numbers and Operations

Language Usage:

• Grammar and Usage
• Writing
• Understand and Edit Mechanics

Reading:

• Word Meaning and Vocabulary Knowledge
• Informational Texts
• Literature

6th Grade MAP Growth Test

As a reflection of a student’s progress through the 6th Grade, the MAP Growth Test is administered up to three times in the academic year, with questions based on the Common Core guidelines and subjects covered in the year.

Math:

• Operations and Algebraic Thinking
• Geometry
• Numbers and Operations
• Measurement and Data

Language Usage:

• Grammar and Usage
• Writing
• Understanding and Edit Mechanics

Reading:

• Informational Texts
• Word Meaning and Vocabulary Knowledge
• Literature

7th Grade MAP Growth Test

As with tests at other Grades, the 7th Grade MAP Growth Test is based on Common Core knowledge that has been taught up to the end of the year and is a good measurement of the abilities of the student.

Math:

• Algebraic equations
• Geometry
• Percentages
• Scientific Notation
• Arithmetic

Language Usage:

• Writing Style and Application
• Punctuation
• Grammar

Reading:

• Text characteristics
• Truth of statements
• Determining sequence of events

8th Grade MAP Growth Test

This measurement test can be administered up to three times a year to students in the 8th Grade and is based on Common Core guidelines of what a student should know at this age.

Math:

• Number Sense
• Computation and Problem Solving
• Algebraic Concepts
• Geometry
• Measurement
• Statistics and Probability

Language Usage:

• Mechanics
• Parts of Speech
• Usage
• Writing Process

Reading:

• Word Meaning
• Literary Concepts
• Informational Concepts

9th Grade MAP Growth Test

Here are some bullet points describing the content areas that may be covered on the 9th grade MAP test:

Math:

• Applying algebraic concepts to solve equations and inequalities
• Understanding geometry concepts such as lines, angles and polygons
• Analyzing and interpreting data, including probability and statistics
• Using problem-solving skills to solve real-world problems

Reading:

• Comprehending and analyzing various texts such as non-fiction, fiction and poetry
• Identifying main ideas and supporting details
• Making predictions and drawing inferences
• Understanding vocabulary in context

Language Usage:

• Using standard grammar, punctuation and usage
• Writing clearly and effectively
• Analyzing and synthesizing information from multiple sources
• Identifying and correcting errors in sentences and paragraphs

10th Grade MAP Growth Test

Some of the content areas that may be covered on the 10th grade MAP test include:

Math:

• Applying algebraic concepts to solve equations and inequalities
• Understanding geometry concepts such as triangles, circles and three-dimensional shapes
• Analyzing and interpreting data, including probability and statistics
• Using problem-solving skills to solve real-world problems

Reading:

• Analyzing complex texts and making inferences
• Evaluating arguments and author's purpose
• Understanding vocabulary in context
• Drawing conclusions based on textual evidence

Language Usage:

• Using standard grammar, punctuation, and usage
• Writing effectively and with clarity
• Analyzing and synthesizing information from multiple sources
• Understanding rhetorical devices and their effect on the reader

11th Grade MAP Growth Test

Here are the areas that may be covered on the 11th grade MAP test:

Math:

• Applying algebraic concepts to solve equations and inequalities
• Understanding geometry concepts such as circles, triangles and three-dimensional figures
• Analyzing and interpreting data, including probability and statistics
• Using problem-solving skills to solve real-world problems
• Understanding mathematical modeling and its applications

Reading:

• Analyzing complex texts and making inferences
• Evaluating arguments and author's purpose
• Understanding vocabulary in context
• Drawing conclusions based on textual evidence
• Analyzing and interpreting literary elements such as tone, mood and theme

Language Usage:

• Using standard grammar, punctuation, and usage
• Writing effectively and with clarity
• Analyzing and synthesizing information from multiple sources
• Understanding rhetorical devices and their effect on the reader
• Identifying and correcting errors in sentences and paragraphs

12th Grade MAP Test

The 12th grade MAP test is designed to measure a student's mastery of more advanced content and skills than the earlier grade levels, often used by high schools and districts to assess student readiness for college and career.

Here are the areas that may be covered on the 12th grade MAP test:

Math:

• Applying advanced algebraic concepts to solve equations and inequalities
• Understanding calculus and its applications
• Analyzing and interpreting data, including probability and statistics
• Using problem-solving skills to solve real-world problems
• Understanding mathematical modeling and its applications
• Understanding financial literacy and its applications

Reading:

• Analyzing and interpreting complex texts
• Evaluating arguments and author's purpose
• Understanding vocabulary in context
• Drawing conclusions based on textual evidence
• Analyzing and interpreting literary elements such as tone, mood, and theme
• Evaluating the validity and reliability of sources

Language Usage:

• Using standard grammar, punctuation, and usage
• Writing effectively and with clarity
• Analyzing and synthesizing information from multiple sources
• Understanding rhetorical devices and their effect on the reader
• Identifying and correcting errors in sentences and paragraphs
• Using research and writing processes to produce effective essays

More information on each specific NWEA MAP test level can be found in our dedicated articles:

• Kindergarten MAP Growth Practice
• 2nd Grade MAP Growth Practice
• 3rd Grade MAP Growth Practice
• 4th Grade MAP Growth Practice
• 6th Grade MAP Growth Practice
• 7th Grade MAP Growth Practice

We recommend following the three steps below to give your child the best chance of doing well on the MAP test:

• Prepare
• Practice
• Check

A Parent’s Guide to MAP Growth

MAP Growth is an assessment tool used in many schools to measure a student's academic growth and proficiency.

As a parent, understanding MAP Growth and its purpose can help you support your child's educational journey.

Here's a guide to help you navigate MAP Growth:

What Is MAP Growth?

MAP Growth is an adaptive assessment that provides insights into a student's individual strengths and areas for growth in various subjects, including reading, mathematics and language usage.

Unlike traditional tests, MAP Growth adjusts the difficulty of questions based on a student's responses, providing a customized experience for each student.

Purpose of MAP Growth

The primary purpose of MAP Growth is to measure a student's academic progress over time.

It helps educators track growth, identify areas where students may need additional support or challenge and make data-informed instructional decisions.

MAP Growth results can also help inform educational goal-setting and support conversations between parents, teachers, and students.

How Is MAP Growth Administered?

MAP Growth is typically administered on a computer or tablet.

Students answer a series of questions in the selected subject areas, and the test adapts based on their responses.

The length of the test varies depending on the grade level and subject being assessed.

Partnering with Educators

Engage in open communication with your child's teachers to better understand the purpose and significance of MAP Growth results.

Teachers can provide insights into your child's performance, offer suggestions for supporting their learning, and help interpret the assessment data.

Supporting Your Child's Growth

MAP Growth results can guide your involvement in your child's education.

Consider these strategies:

• Celebrate progress – Acknowledge and celebrate your child's growth, regardless of the specific scores. Focus on their improvement and effort.
• Set goals – Work with your child and their teacher to establish achievable goals based on MAP Growth results. Encourage your child to take ownership of their learning and monitor their progress.
• Support at home – Use the assessment data to identify areas where your child may need additional support or practice. Collaborate with teachers to access resources or suggest activities that align with their needs.

Remember, MAP Growth is just one piece of the educational puzzle. It provides valuable insights, but it should be considered alongside other assessments, teacher observations, and your child's overall learning experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

The MAP test is a valuable tool in any teacher’s toolkit. It helps to identify each child’s progress throughout their school education based on their individual academic abilities.

Children often learn at different speeds to their peers. The MAP test allows each child to be academically challenged or supported in the way that best suits them.