ERB Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP 5)

CTP practice tests

The Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP), from the Educational Records Bureau, is the spring achievement test many independent schools give. Alongside reading, vocabulary, writing and mathematics, it has Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning tests, and it is written to be demanding: its norms compare students with independent-school and suburban peers.

Our CTP-style practice tests follow ERB's published scored lengths and online times for Levels 3 to 8: Verbal Reasoning, Vocabulary (from Level 4), Reading Comprehension, Writing (Mechanics, then Concepts and Skills, each on its own clock), Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematics in two timed parts, all without a calculator. Each test is new when your child starts it, and the score shows straight away.

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A look at the test

Questions in the CTP style

Written by us in the style of the published CTP question types.

  • Grade 4 (Level 4), Verbal Reasoning

    Cold is to freezing as

    1. Awarm is to mild
    2. Bsunny is to scorching
    3. Cwarm is to scorching
    4. Dwarm is to cool
    Show the answer and why
    AnswerCwarm is to scorching

    1. Say how "cold" and "freezing" go together in a sentence.

    2. Use the same sentence with "warm".

    3. Final answer

      Warm is to scorching.

    Remember

    Make a sentence that links the first two words, such as "a puppy grows into a dog." Then try the same sentence with the third word and each choice.

  • Grade 6 (Level 6), Quantitative Reasoning

    Column A: 19 × 8
    Column B: 30 × 4

    Compare the quantity in Column A with the quantity in Column B.

    1. AColumn A is greater.
    2. BColumn B is greater.
    3. CThe two quantities are equal.
    4. DIt cannot be decided from the information given.
    Show the answer and why
    AnswerAColumn A is greater.

    1. Work out both columns

      19 × 8 = 152 and 30 × 4 = 120.

    2. Compare the two results.

    3. Final answer

      Column A is greater.

    Remember

    Work out each column exactly, or far enough to compare.

  • Grade 8 (Level 8), Writing Mechanics

    Which sentence uses commas correctly?

    1. AThe Liberty Bell, which has a famous crack, is displayed in, Philadelphia.
    2. BThe Liberty Bell, which has a famous crack is displayed in, Philadelphia.
    3. CThe Liberty Bell, which has a famous crack is displayed in Philadelphia.
    4. DThe Liberty Bell, which has a famous crack, is displayed in Philadelphia.
    Show the answer and why
    AnswerDThe Liberty Bell, which has a famous crack, is displayed in Philadelphia.

    1. Find the place where this rule applies

      Extra information set off from the rest of the sentence.

    2. Words that add extra information about something already named are set off with commas: one before the extra part and one after it, unless it ends the sentence. Words such as however and for example in the middle of a sentence are set off the same way.

    3. Check that no comma sits anywhere else.

    4. Final answer

      The Liberty Bell, which has a famous crack, is displayed in Philadelphia.

    Remember

    Commas go in dates, between a city and its state, after a letter greeting, between items in a list, before and or so joining two sentences, after a long opening part, and around a name spoken to.

The test

Levels by grade

LevelGradesQuestionsTimeQuestions in each subtest
Level 3Grade 32574 hours 22 minutesVerbal Reasoning 40, Reading Comprehension 32, Writing 80, Quantitative Reasoning 45, Mathematics 60
Level 4Grade 42874 hours 42 minutesVerbal Reasoning 40, Vocabulary 30, Reading Comprehension 32, Writing 80, Quantitative Reasoning 45, Mathematics 60
Level 5Grade 52874 hours 42 minutesVerbal Reasoning 40, Vocabulary 30, Reading Comprehension 32, Writing 80, Quantitative Reasoning 45, Mathematics 60
Level 6Grade 62874 hours 42 minutesVerbal Reasoning 40, Vocabulary 30, Reading Comprehension 32, Writing 80, Quantitative Reasoning 45, Mathematics 60
Level 7Grade 72874 hours 50 minutesVerbal Reasoning 40, Vocabulary 30, Reading Comprehension 32, Writing 80, Quantitative Reasoning 45, Mathematics 60
Level 8Grade 82874 hours 50 minutesVerbal Reasoning 40, Vocabulary 30, Reading Comprehension 32, Writing 80, Quantitative Reasoning 45, Mathematics 60

Levels, subtests, scored lengths and times are ERB's published figures for CTP Online (the online test also carries a few unscored tryout questions, which ours leave out). The mix inside each subtest is ours; our Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning questions are written in the style of the ISEE's. Four choices on every question. Auditory Comprehension, Science and Algebra I are not built yet.

By grade

Free practice for each grade

Pricing

Three free practice tests. Unlimited tests and answers are US$49.

A free account includes 3 practice tests. A plan opens unlimited tests and shows your child what they got right, the right answers and how to reach them, on every Iowa, TerraNova, Stanford 10 and CTP test. Practicing for more than one kind of test? The US bundle covers them all for US$99.

Achievement test packLaunch price

US$49

for 6 months

  • Which questions your child got right, after every practice test
  • The right answer to every question
  • A worked solution for every question, step by step
  • Iowa-style practice, all five Core tests, Grades 3 to 8
  • TerraNova-style, Stanford 10-style and CTP-style practice, Grades 3 to 8

Every US testLaunch price

US$99

for 6 months

  • Everything in every US pack, in one payment
  • CogAT, NNAT, OLSAT and NGAT, for gifted and talented programs
  • SCAT-style practice for the CTY talent search, Grades 2 to 9
  • InView-style practice for gifted screening, Grades 2 to 12
  • Matrices-style and spatial reasoning practice
  • ISEE and SSAT, for private school entry
  • HSPT and TACHS, for Catholic high school entry
  • Hunter-style practice, for Hunter College High School
  • Math contest practice, Grades 1 to 8
  • MAP Growth practice, by grade and subject
  • i-Ready-style Math and Reading, Kindergarten to Grade 8
  • Early reading practice, Kindergarten to Grade 3
  • SHSAT practice for Grades 8 and 9, English and math
  • Iowa practice for Grades 3 to 8, all five Core tests
  • TerraNova, Stanford 10 and CTP-style practice for Grades 3 to 8
  • ACT-style English, Math, Reading and Science for Grades 10 to 12
  • SAT-style and PSAT-style practice, Grades 8 to 12, Reading and Writing and Math
  • State test practice: STAAR-style and CAASPP-style math and reading, Grades 3 to 8

One payment in US dollars for 6 months of access. No auto-renewal: when the 6 months end, access stops unless you buy again.

Questions

What parents ask

Is this the ERB test?
Yes: many families call the CTP "the ERB", after the Educational Records Bureau that publishes it. Our practice follows the CTP's published subtests and lengths.
Are these real CTP questions?
No. CTP questions are secure. We write our own questions in the style of each subtest, at the published length and time.
Which level should my child practice?
The level for your child's grade in the spring: Level 3 in Grade 3, up to Level 8 in Grade 8.
Why are some questions so hard?
The CTP is written to stretch strong students, and its norms compare them with independent-school peers. A score that would be low on a school test can still be a good CTP result.
Is it free?
A free account includes 3 practice tests. A plan opens unlimited CTP-style tests and shows which questions were right, the right answers and a worked solution for each. The achievement test pack (US$49 for six months) covers Iowa, TerraNova, Stanford 10 and CTP; the US bundle (US$99) covers every US test we offer.

CTP and ERB are trademarks of the Educational Records Bureau (ERB). Scholar Tests is not affiliated with or endorsed by ERB or any school. Our practice questions are written by us in the style of the published CTP subtests; they are not real CTP questions, and a practice score is not a CTP score.