Iowa Assessments (formerly the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, ITBS)

Iowa practice tests

The Iowa Assessments, once called the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), measure what a child has learned in reading, language and math against children across the country. Many schools give them, and many homeschool families order them each spring to meet their state's testing rules. The Core battery is five timed tests.

Our Iowa practice tests follow Riverside's published Core battery for Grades 3 to 8: Reading, Written Expression, Mathematics, Vocabulary and Computation, each at the real length and time for the grade's level. 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 Iowa test style

Written by us in the style of the published Iowa test question types.

Grade 4 (Level 10), Computation
4,215 ÷ 5 =
1. A703
2. B842
3. C844
4. D843
Show the answer and whyHide the answer
AnswerD843
1. How many 5s in the first digits? Write that above, carry the remainder.
2. Carry on along the number the same way.
3. Check
  843 × 5 = 4,215.
Remember
Divide from the left.
Grade 5 (Level 11), Vocabulary
The suffix -y means "full of or covered with." What does the word rainy mean?
1. Arain
2. Bwithout rain
3. Crain again
4. Dfull of rain
Show the answer and whyHide the answer
AnswerDfull of rain
1. Find the suffix in "rainy"
  It is "-y."
2. The suffix "-y" means "full of or covered with."
3. Put the meaning of the part together with the rest of the word.
4. Final answer
  Full of rain.
Remember
Split the word into parts.
Grade 6 (Level 12), Written Expression
Which sentence uses commas correctly?
1. AThe Hoover Dam, which sits on the Colorado River sends electricity to parts of three states.
2. BThe Hoover Dam, which sits on the Colorado River sends electricity to, parts of three states.
3. CThe Hoover Dam, which sits on the Colorado River, sends, electricity to parts of three states.
4. DThe Hoover Dam, which sits on the Colorado River, sends electricity to parts of three states.
Show the answer and whyHide the answer
AnswerDThe Hoover Dam, which sits on the Colorado River, sends electricity to parts of three states.
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 Hoover Dam, which sits on the Colorado River, sends electricity to parts of three states.
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

Level	Grades	Questions	Time	Questions in each test
Level 9	Grade 3	180	3 hours 15 minutes	Reading 41, Written Expression 35, Mathematics 50, Vocabulary 29, Computation 25
Level 10	Grade 4	196	3 hours 15 minutes	Reading 42, Written Expression 38, Mathematics 55, Vocabulary 34, Computation 27
Level 11	Grade 5	209	3 hours 15 minutes	Reading 43, Written Expression 40, Mathematics 60, Vocabulary 37, Computation 29
Level 12	Grade 6	221	3 hours 15 minutes	Reading 44, Written Expression 43, Mathematics 65, Vocabulary 39, Computation 30
Level 13	Grade 7	232	3 hours 15 minutes	Reading 45, Written Expression 45, Mathematics 70, Vocabulary 41, Computation 31
Level 14	Grade 8	243	3 hours 15 minutes	Reading 46, Written Expression 48, Mathematics 75, Vocabulary 42, Computation 32

Levels, tests, lengths and times are Riverside's published figures for the Core battery (Form E). The mix of questions inside each test, and four answer choices on every question, are ours.

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 test. Practicing for more than one kind of test? The US bundle covers them all for US$99.

Iowa 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
All five Core tests, 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
ISEE and SSAT, for private school entry
Math contest practice, Grades 1 to 8
MAP Growth practice, by grade and subject
SHSAT practice for Grades 8 and 9, English and math
Iowa practice for Grades 3 to 8, all five Core tests

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 ITBS?: The Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) became the Iowa Assessments, and today's homeschool testing services sell the Iowa Assessments. Our practice follows the Iowa Assessments' Core battery, which covers the same subjects.
Are these real Iowa questions?: No. Iowa questions are secure. We write our own questions in the style of each test, at the real length and time.
Which level should my child practice?: The level for your child's grade: Level 9 in Grade 3, Level 10 in Grade 4, and so on to Level 14 in Grade 8.
Can my child take the tests over several days?: Yes, and that is how most families give the real one: one or two tests a day. Each of our tests is its own sitting.
Is it free?: A free account includes 3 practice tests. A plan opens unlimited Iowa tests and shows which questions were right, the right answers and a worked solution for each. The Iowa pack is US$49 for six months; the US bundle (US$99) covers every US test we offer.

Iowa Assessments, ITBS and Iowa Tests of Basic Skills are trademarks of Riverside Assessments, LLC (Riverside Insights). Scholar Tests is not affiliated with or endorsed by Riverside or any school or homeschool testing service. Our practice questions are written by us in the style of the published Iowa test types; they are not real Iowa questions, and a practice score is not an Iowa score.