Free printable CAASPP practice test for Grade 5

English Language Arts

Circle the letter of the best answer, or two letters where a question asks for two. No time limit.

1. Bernie

   When Uncle Ray left for a two-week work trip, he didn't ask me to water his plants or feed his cat. He doesn't have a cat. Instead, he handed me a glass jar filled with something that looked like thick, bubbly pancake batter.

   "This is Bernie," he said. "Bernie is my sourdough starter. He's eleven years old, which makes him a year older than you, Ruby."

   I stared at the jar. "It's just flour and water, Uncle Ray."

   "It's flour, water, and millions of tiny living things," he corrected me. "Wild yeast. They eat the flour and give off bubbles of gas. That's what makes my bread rise. Feed him once a day, every day. Stir in half a cup of flour and a little water, then cover him up. Don't forget."

   For the first week, I was perfect. Every morning before school, I fed Bernie and watched. By afternoon, he would rise up the side of the jar like a slow, foamy wave. He smelled sour and a little like apples. I started to like him. I even said "good morning" to him each day, though I never told anyone that.

   Then came Thursday. I had a math test, I couldn't find my left sneaker, and my sister had used up all the hot water. I ran out the door with a granola bar in my hand and Bernie completely out of my head.

   I didn't remember him until Friday morning. When I lifted the lid, my stomach dropped. Bernie had sunk to the bottom of the jar. A thin layer of grayish liquid sat on top, and he smelled sharp, like nail polish remover.

   I was sure I had ruined eleven years of bread in one day.

   I sent Uncle Ray a photo, with about six apologies under it. My phone buzzed a minute later.

   "That liquid means he's hungry, not gone," he wrote. "Pour it off, feed him twice today, and keep him somewhere warm. Starters are tougher than they look. So are you."

   I did exactly what he said. By the afternoon, a few small bubbles had appeared. By Saturday, Bernie was climbing the jar again, as foamy and sour as ever.

   When Uncle Ray came home, he baked two round loaves with crackly golden crusts. He gave one to me.

   "I almost lost him," I admitted.

   "But you didn't," he said. "You noticed, you asked for help, and you fixed it. That's what taking care of something really means. It isn't never making a mistake. It's what you do next."

   I still think about that whenever I mess something up. And every few weeks, I stop by Uncle Ray's apartment just to say good morning to Bernie.

   1.

   Which sentence best states a theme of the story?

   1. AIt is better not to take care of living things.
   2. BPeople should never ask others for help.
   3. CBread tastes best when a grown-up bakes it.
   4. DBeing responsible means fixing your mistakes, not never making any.
2. 2.

   Ruby tells this story herself. How does her point of view shape what readers learn?

   1. AReaders learn exactly how a bakery makes bread.
   2. BReaders never find out what happened to Bernie.
   3. CReaders feel how worried Ruby is when she thinks Bernie is ruined.
   4. DReaders learn what Uncle Ray is thinking during his whole trip.
3. 3.

   Which TWO details show that Ruby came to care about Bernie? Choose two answers.

   1. AShe said "good morning" to Bernie each day.
   2. BShe forgot to feed Bernie on Thursday.
   3. CShe could not find her left sneaker.
   4. DShe ate a granola bar on the way to school.
   5. EShe still stops by to say good morning to Bernie.
4. 4.

   In the story, what does the word "corrected" mean in "he corrected me"?

   1. Agraded my test
   2. Btold me the right information
   3. Cpunished me for a mistake
   4. Dfixed a broken jar

5. Read this aloud to your child.

   Mill Creek Cleanup Day

   VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
   Mill Creek Cleanup Day
   May 9, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
   Meet at the Mill Creek Park picnic shelter

   Every spring, trash washes into Mill Creek from storm drains and streets. Plastic bags and bottles can harm the fish, turtles, and birds that live along the water. Help us give the creek a fresh start!

   Who Can Help
   Everyone is welcome. Volunteers under 14 must come with an adult.

   What We Provide
   Gloves, trash bags, grabber tools, and water

   What to Bring
   Closed-toe shoes that can get muddy
   A hat and sunscreen
   A refillable water bottle

   Schedule
   9:00 a.m. Sign in and safety talk
   9:30 a.m. Teams head to the creek
   11:30 a.m. Count and sort what we collected
   12:00 p.m. Free lunch for all volunteers

   5.

   Kayla is twelve years old and wants to help at the cleanup. What does she need to do?

   1. AArrive after lunch
   2. BCome with an adult
   3. CBring her own grabber tool
   4. DJoin a team at 11:30 a.m.

6. Read this aloud to your child.

   How a Rainbow Forms

   Sunlight looks white, but it is really a mix of many colors. You can see those colors when light passes through raindrops.

   When sunlight enters a raindrop, it bends. Each color bends by a slightly different amount, so the colors spread apart. The light then bounces off the back of the raindrop and bends again as it leaves. Millions of raindrops do this at once, and together they paint a curved band of colors across the sky: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

   To see a rainbow, you need the sun behind you and rain in front of you. That is why rainbows often appear in the early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is low in the sky. Sometimes you may even spot a second, fainter rainbow outside the first one. Its colors are in the opposite order.

   6.

   According to the talk, why do the colors in sunlight spread apart inside a raindrop?

   1. AThe colors bounce off the clouds first.
   2. BThe raindrop paints each color separately.
   3. CThe sun shines more brightly on some colors.
   4. DEach color bends by a slightly different amount.
7. 7.

   The farmer ______ barn burned down got help from the whole town.

   Which word best completes the sentence?

   1. Awho
   2. Bwho's
   3. Cwhose
   4. Dwhere
8. 8.

   Which word is spelled correctly?

   1. Aguarante
   2. Bgarantee
   3. Cguarantee
   4. Dguarentee
9. 9.

   ______ Right now, adults choose every meal without asking students what they like. Instead, a student committee could help plan healthy meals that kids actually enjoy. Giving students a say in the menu would make lunch better for everyone.

   Which sentence would be the best topic sentence for this paragraph?

   1. AI believe students should have a voice in choosing the cafeteria menu.
   2. BWhen students enjoy their meals, less food ends up in the trash.
   3. CWe saw a bald eagle on our hike last weekend.
   4. DMy cousin plays the cello in the youth orchestra.
10. 10.

    We walked ______ the dark tunnel.

    Which word best completes the sentence?

    1. Athrough
    2. Bthroo
    3. Cthrew
    4. Dthruogh