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. Above the Tree Line

   Theo had been looking forward to this hike all summer. He and his grandmother, whom everyone called Nana Jo, had started up the trail at six in the morning. The air in the Colorado mountains was so cold that their breath made little clouds. Their goal was the top of Elk Peak, a rocky summit more than 13,000 feet high.

   For three hours, they climbed through pine forest. Then the trees grew shorter and more twisted, until finally they stopped growing at all. Theo and Nana Jo stepped out above the tree line, onto a wide slope of grass, wildflowers, and loose gray rock. The summit rose ahead of them like a giant's broken tooth.

   "Two more miles," said Nana Jo, checking her map. "Maybe an hour and a half."

   Theo grinned. He could already picture himself at the top, waving at the whole world.

   They climbed steadily as the path zigzagged back and forth across the slope. A marmot whistled at them from behind a boulder, and Theo whistled back. But as the morning wore on, Theo noticed Nana Jo looking over her shoulder more and more often.

   Behind them, to the west, a cloud was growing. It had started as a small white puff. Now it was tall and lumpy, with a flat gray bottom, and it was getting darker.

   Nana Jo stopped. "Theo," she said, "we need to talk about that cloud."

   "It's far away," Theo said. "We're so close."

   "In these mountains, storms often build in the afternoon," Nana Jo said. "Up here above the trees, we're the tallest things around. That's not where you want to be when there's lightning."

   Theo looked at the summit. It seemed close enough to touch. Then he looked back at the cloud. A low rumble rolled across the valley, so faint he almost thought he had imagined it.

   His chest felt tight. He had waited all summer for this. But he remembered something Nana Jo always said: "A good hiker makes plans. A wise hiker changes them."

   "Okay," he said slowly. "Let's go down."

   They hurried back along the zigzag path. By the time they reached the shelter of the trees, the first fat raindrops were splashing on the rocks behind them. Thunder boomed over the summit where they would have been standing. Theo and Nana Jo waited under the thick pines, eating trail mix and listening to the rain.

   An hour later, the storm had passed, and the sun came out over the wet meadow.

   "I'm proud of you," said Nana Jo. "Turning around is the hardest part of climbing."

   Theo looked up at Elk Peak, shining now in the afternoon light. "It'll still be there next summer," he said.

   "So will we," said Nana Jo, and she smiled.

   1.

   Which sentence best summarizes the story?

   1. ANana Jo teaches Theo how to read a map in the mountains.
   2. BTheo and his grandmother turn back before reaching a summit because a storm is coming.
   3. CTheo and his grandmother hike in the rain all afternoon.
   4. DTheo gets lost above the tree line and finds his way back alone.
2. 2.

   How does Theo feel when Nana Jo first says they need to talk about the cloud?

   1. AHe is afraid of the whistling marmot.
   2. BHe does not want to give up on reaching the top.
   3. CHe is angry that Nana Jo brought a map.
   4. DHe is too tired to keep climbing.
3. 3.

   The summit "rose ahead of them like a giant's broken tooth." What does this simile help the reader picture?

   1. AA white peak covered in snow
   2. BA tall, jagged, rocky peak
   3. CA peak covered with soft grass
   4. DA smooth, round hill
4. 4.

   Which TWO details from the story show that turning back was a wise choice? Choose two answers.

   1. AThe first raindrops were falling as they reached the shelter of the trees.
   2. BA marmot whistled at them from behind a boulder.
   3. CNana Jo checked her map and said there were two more miles.
   4. DThe path zigzagged back and forth across the slope.
   5. EThunder boomed over the summit where they would have been standing.

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.

   What will volunteers do at 11:30 a.m.?

   1. ACount and sort what they collected
   2. BHead to the creek in teams
   3. CSign in and listen to a safety talk
   4. DEat a free lunch

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.

   At noon, the sun is high overhead, and a light rain is falling. Is a rainbow likely?

   1. ANo, because rainbows appear only after sunset
   2. BNo, because rainbows appear only in winter
   3. CYes, because the sun is shining
   4. DNo, because rainbows are most likely when the sun is low in the sky
7. 7.

   The dog dug a deep ______ in the yard.

   Which word best completes the sentence?

   1. Ahole
   2. Bhoal
   3. Cwhole
   4. Dhol
8. 8.

   Which sentence is a simple sentence?

   1. AIt was cold, so I wore my mittens.
   2. BMy sister plays the drums.
   3. CWe stayed inside because it was raining.
   4. DWe can play inside, or we can go to the park.
9. 9.

   Which sentence uses capital letters correctly?

   1. AOur teacher, Mrs. Brooks, grew up in the South.
   2. BOur teacher, Mrs. Brooks, grew up in the south.
   3. Cour teacher, Mrs. Brooks, grew up in the South.
   4. DOur Teacher, Mrs. Brooks, grew up in the South.
10. 10.

    Starting a compost pile is a simple way to turn food scraps into rich soil. First, choose a shady corner of your yard and mark out a small square. Next, spread a layer of dry leaves and twigs across the bottom of the square. Then add fruit peels, vegetable scraps, and coffee grounds on top of the leaves. Our class learned about the three branches of government. Stir the pile every week, and in a few months you will have dark, crumbly compost.

    Which sentence does NOT belong in this paragraph?

    1. ANext, spread a layer of dry leaves and twigs across the bottom of the square.
    2. BThen add fruit peels, vegetable scraps, and coffee grounds on top of the leaves.
    3. COur class learned about the three branches of government.
    4. DFirst, choose a shady corner of your yard and mark out a small square.