NYS Math Practice Test 4th Grade: Ace the New York State Math Exam
/If your fourth grade student is enrolled in public school in New York, he or she will take the New York State Math exam.
The exam is linked to Common Core math standards, which list mathematical skills and concepts that students should master at each grade level.
In this article, we’ll cover the content and structure of the test, in addition to providing sample questions and an NYS math practice test 4th grade.
So let’s get started! First, click the button below to get a NYS Math practice test for your 4th grader. Along with this test, you will also receive a bonus PDF "5 Top Tips to Use Practice Tests Effectively" to help your child study for the test.
NYS Math Practice Test Grade 4
NYS Math Basics
New York State’s math test is administered to students in grades 3-8. While this assessment was previously available on paper only, schools will have the option of administering the test on computers beginning in 2017.
The test is aligned with Common Core math standards for each grade level and is constructed by Questar Assessments Inc. More recently, New York teachers have played a larger role in evaluating and selecting exam questions.
Questions may be multiple choice, short response, or extended response. The number of questions of each type varies by grade level.
Beginning with the NYS Math test 2016, students took the exam untimed. This change will continue into the 2017 assessment. As long as students are productively working, they may use up to a full school day to complete the test.
NYS Math 4th Grade
Below, we’ll explore the structure and content specific to the NYS Math 4th grade assessment.
Test Structure
For fourth grade students, the NYS math test is divided into three test sessions administered over three days.
Although the test is untimed, students generally need 50-60 minutes to complete Sessions 1 and 2 and 80-90 minutes for Session 3.
The structure of the NYS math test 2017 will be unchanged from the NYS math test 2016.
For fourth grade students, Session 1 will consist of 22 multiple choice questions.
Session 2 will contain 23 multiple choice questions.
In Session 3, students will have to answer 6 short response questions and 4 extended responses.
Test Content
Fourth grade students are assessed in the following categories:
More specifically, the Common Core math standards for 4th grade focus on three key areas:
Questions will also require students to connect mathematical content and mathematical practices .
We’ve already mentioned that the test consists of three question types:
As in the multiple choice sample questions above, “distractors” (wrong choices) consist of plausible missteps, or errors that some students are likely to make. Many of the answers require students to work through multiple steps.
The short response questions require students to solve a problem and show their work. Students must apply mathematical knowledge to real-world concepts. Below are three sample short response items for fourth grade students.
Extended response questions are similar, but students are required to complete two or more tasks or a more extensive problem. These questions may also assess student reasoning and the ability to critique the arguments of others.
Working on an NYS math practice test 4th grade can help your child become more confident and familiar with these complex question types.
How to Ace NYS Math 4th Grade
Although the NYS Math exam is challenging, there are a few strategies you can use to help your child prepare.
First, keep in mind that the test is based on Common Core standards, which are also the basis of the math curriculum at your child’s school. This means that what your child learns in 4th grade math class can be directly applied to the NYS Math exam.
For this reason, it’s even more important for your child to pay attention, complete all classwork and homework, and ask questions when needed in math class this year.
If your child falls behind in math, you can ask the teacher for additional help, hire a tutor, or take advantage of any free tutoring programs offered at your child’s school. You can also communicate with the teacher for feedback on your child’s strengths and weaknesses in math.
Another option is to purchase math workbooks or explore online math programs to help your child improve, particularly in the areas in which your child struggles.
For any assessment, one of the best test prep strategies is to work on sample questions or complete practice tests to build familiarity and confidence with test content and structure.
In this case, we highly recommend working with your child on NYS math practice tests 4th grade. When your child answers questions incorrectly, take the time to discuss why this answer was wrong and the right answer was correct.
You can also work on developing better approaches for these question types in the future. The more your child practices, the more confident and prepared he’ll be on test day.
Of course, you don’t want to overdo it. To prevent your child from feeling burnt out or developing test anxiety, keep practice sessions short, engaging, and encouraging.
With the information, tips, and NYS math practice tests 4th grade provided here, your child should have all the tools he needs for a successful performance on the NYS Math exam.