Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
SBAC Practice Test 2025
The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium 2025 or also known as SBAC, are tests that are taken online, which assess students’ knowledge of the Common Core Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA) and Mathematics.
The Smarter Balanced testing is to be taken by 3rd grade to 8th grade and 11th-grade students. It is to measure their college and SBAC career readiness. The Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments are part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System.
A great way to practice for SBAC is to take SBAC practice tests. If you want to be comfortable with the test, you can take a SBAC Math practice test, for instance.
Format and Content Outline
SBAC testing is divided into three to improve teaching and learning. They are Formative Assessment, Interim Assessment, and Summative Assessment.
1. The Formative Assessment is used by teachers and students for learning. The process requires that during instruction, there should be actionable feedback that will help teachers adjust and improve their learning strategies.
2. The Interim Assessment is also called as the optional periodic test. It is because, through it, educators would be able to track their students’ progress throughout the year. It is also composed of 3 features:
● Interim Comprehensive Assessments or ICAs are similar to Summative Assessments in content. It is convenient for measuring the knowledge and skills of new students. It assesses the full range of targets
● Interim Assessment Blocks or IABs are used by educators to assess their students throughout the year in smaller bundles of content. It assesses 3 to 8 targets in ELA/Literacy or Math.
● Focused IABs are those used by educators to assess 1 to 3 targets in ELA/Literacy or Math. It is for a more detailed comprehension of student learning.
3. The Summative Assessment is the end-of-year test that measures the improvement of the students in English Language Arts/Literacy and Math for college and career readiness. It also contains two parts or formats: CAT and PT.
‥ The CAT or Computer Adaptive Test is used to measure the level of knowledge that the students have. The difficulty of the questions will rely on the answers of the students as they take the tests. The more a student answers correctly, the more challenging the questions will be.
‥ The PT or Performance Task makes use of writing, and it questions the students with multi-step and real-world problems that are based on information that is presented in the question.
To further understand the relevance of the summative assessments, the following tables show its content outline:
For English Language Arts/ Literacy, there are 4 claims. According to the Smarter Balanced Org, claims are arguments obtained from evidence about college and career readiness.
Reading
The students must have the necessary reading and analytical skills to comprehend various literary and informational texts.
Writing
The students must know how to write for different purposes and audiences effectively.
Speaking and Listening
The students must know how to effectively speak and listen for different purposes and audiences.
Research
The students must know how to investigate and research various topics and to analyze and present information.
English Language Arts/Literacy (Grades 3 to 5) | ||||
Claim/Score Reporting Category | Content Category | Items | Total Items | |
CAT | PT | |||
Reading | Literary | 7 to 8 | 0 | 14 to 16 |
Informational | 7 to 8 | 0 | 14 to 16 | |
Writing | Organization/Purpose | 3 | 1 | 9 |
Evidence/Elaboration | 3 | 1 | 9 | |
Conventions | 3 | 1 | 9 | |
Speaking/Listening | Listening | 8 to 9 | 0 | 8 to 9 |
Research | Research | 8 | 1 | 9 |
English Language Arts/Literacy (Grades 6 to 8) | ||||
Claim/Score Reporting Category | Content Category | Items | Total Items | |
CAT | PT | |||
Reading | Literary | 4 to 7 | 0 | 14 to 17 |
Informational | 10 to 12 | 0 | 14 to 17 | |
Writing | Organization/Purpose | 3 | 1 | 9 |
Evidence/Elaboration | 3 | 1 | 9 | |
Conventions | 3 | 1 | 9 | |
Speaking/Listening | Listening | 8 to 9 | 0 | 8 to 9 |
Research | Research | 8 | 1 | 9 |
English Language Arts/Literacy (Grades 11) | ||||
Claim/Score Reporting Category | Content Category | Items | Total Items | |
CAT | PT | |||
Reading | Literary | 4 | 0 | 15 to 16 |
Informational | 11 to 12 | 0 | 15 to 16 | |
Writing | Organization/Purpose | 3 | 1 | 9 |
Evidence/Elaboration | 3 | 1 | 9 | |
Conventions | 3 | 1 | 9 | |
Speaking/Listening | Listening | 8 to 9 | 0 | 8 to 9 |
Research | Research | 8 | 1 | 9 |
For Mathematics, there are 4 mathematical claims. According to the book 6th Grade, SBAC Test Prep and Workbook for the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, it contains various test type formats, such as multiple-choice, grid-in, multi-select and matching, among others.
Concepts & Procedures
The students must be able to give explanations and applications of mathematical concepts. They must also be able to interpret various mathematical procedures with accuracy and expertise.
Problem Solving
The students must be able to have solutions for a range of complex word problems in applied and pure mathematics. They must also have problem-solving strategies.
Communicating Reasoning
The students must know how to concisely and clearly construct arguments to support their reasoning. They must also be able to critique other people’s reasoning, as well.
Modeling and Data Analysis
The students must know how to utilize mathematical models for interpretation and problem-solving. They must also be capable of analyzing real-world scenarios.
Mathematics (Grades 3 to 5) | ||||
Claim/Score Reporting Category | Content Category | Items | Total Items | |
CAT | PT | |||
Concepts & Procedures | Priority Cluster | 13 to 15 | 0 | 17 to 20 |
Supporting Cluster | 4 to 5 | 0 | 17 to 20 | |
Problem Solving | Problem Solving | 6 | 2 to 4 | 8 to 10 |
Communicating Reasoning | Communicating Reasoning | 8 | 0 to 2 | 8 to 10 |
Modeling and Data Analysis | Modeling and Data Analysis | 6 | 2 to 4 | 8 to 10 |
Mathematics (Grades 6 to 8) | ||||
Claim/Score Reporting Category | Content Category | Items | Total Items | |
CAT | PT | |||
Concepts & Procedures | Priority Cluster | 12 to 15 | 0 | 16 to 20 |
Supporting Cluster | 4 to 5 | 0 | 16 to 20 | |
Problem Solving | Problem Solving | 6 | 2 to 4 | 8 to 10 |
Communicating Reasoning | Communicating Reasoning | 8 | 0 to 2 | 8 to 10 |
Modeling and Data Analysis | Modeling and Data Analysis | 6 | 2 to 4 | 8 to 10 |
Mathematics (Grades 11) | ||||
Claim/Score Reporting Category | Content Category | Items | Total Items | |
CAT | PT | |||
Concepts & Procedures | Priority Cluster | 14 to 16 | 0 | 19 to 22 |
Supporting Cluster | 5 to 6 | 0 | 8 to 10 | |
Problem Solving | Problem Solving | 6 | 2 to 4 | 8 to 10 |
Communicating Reasoning | Communicating Reasoning | 8 | 0 to 2 | 8 to 10 |
Modeling and Data Analysis | Modeling and Data Analysis | 6 | 2 to 4 | 8 to 10 |
How long is the SBAC Testing?
The Smarter Balanced Assessments are not timed. Students can take all the time that they need but for purposes of scheduling and test administration, here are some estimated testing times:
English Language Arts/Literacy | |||
Testing Times | |||
Grades | CAT | PT | Total |
3 to 5 | 1:30 | 2:00 | 3:30 |
6 to 8 | 1:30 | 2:00 | 3:30 |
11 | 2:00 | 2:00 | 4:00 |
Mathematics | |||
Testing Times | |||
Grades | CAT | PT | Total |
3 to 5 | 1:30 | 1:00 | 2:30 |
6 to 8 | 2:00 | 1:00 | 3:00 |
11 | 2:00 | 1:30 | 3:30 |
What is the reporting for Smarter Balanced scores?
The students’ SBAC scores will be reported in two ways:
Scaled Scores – these are scores that contain the overall numerical score, and it is within the range of 2000 to 3000. They depict the students’ current level of achievement and their progress.
Achievement Levels – these are based on the scaled scores, and it is divided into four levels, Level 1 to 4:
English Language Arts/Literacy | ||||
Grade | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
3 | <2367 | 2367 to 2431 | 2432 to 2489 | >2489 |
4 | <2416 | 2416 to 2472 | 2473 to 2532 | >2532 |
5 | <2442 | 2442to 2501 | 2502 to 2581 | >2581 |
6 | <2457 | 2457 to 2530 | 2531 to 2617 | >2617 |
7 | <2479 | 2479 to 2551 | 2552 to 2648 | >2648 |
8 | <2487 | 2487 to 2566 | 2567 to 2667 | >2667 |
9 | <2489 | 2489 to 2570 | 2571 to 2671 | >2671 |
10 | <2491 | 2491 to 2576 | 2577 to 2677 | >2677 |
11 | <2493 | 2493 to 2582 | 2583 to 2681 | >2681 |
Mathematics | ||||
Grade | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
3 | <2381 | 2381 to 2435 | 2436 to 2500 | >2500 |
4 | <2411 | 2411 to 2484 | 2485 to 2548 | >2548 |
5 | <2455 | 2455 to 2527 | 2528 to 2578 | >2578 |
6 | <2473 | 2473 to 2551 | 2552 to 2609 | >2609 |
7 | <2484 | 2484 to 2566 | 2567 to 2634 | >2634 |
8 | <2504 | 2504 to 2585 | 2586 to 2652 | >2652 |
9 | <2517 | 2517 to 2600 | 2601 to 2675 | >2675 |
10 | <2533 | 2533 to 2613 | 2614 to 2696 | >2696 |
11 | <2543 | 2543 to 2627 | 2628 to 2717 | >2717 |
How to Prepare for the Smarter Balanced test?
What you should remember is that the purpose of the assessment system is to make high-quality online tests that will be beneficial to both the educators and the students. It is in alignment with the Common Core standards. These standards help with ensuring that students will be academically successful in their various endeavors.
Since you have to take it online and it also untimed, it doesn’t mean that you do not have to prepare for it. You have to do great so your assessment will show your hard work. That’s why before taking it, you must always study and review. You won’t be able to advance in level or be considered college and career ready if you do not invest a lot of time in learning the various topics and lessons.
SBAC Questions and Answers
The Smarter Balanced testing is to be taken by 3rd grade to 8th grade and 11th-grade students. It is to measure their college and SBAC career readiness. The Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments are part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System.
SBAC stand for Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium.
The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium or also known as SBAC, are tests that are taken online, which assess students’ knowledge of the Common Core Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA) and Mathematics.
To pass the test with a 3 or 4 score, you must correctly answer 80 percent of the 29 questions. There are a total of 23 questions.
Students in the third grade are given the SBAC assessment. Any pupil who has not completed third grade will be ineligible to participate. The 11th grade is the cut-off for taking the SBAC assessment. This means that students in their senior year of high school will be ineligible to take the test.
Contain roughly 30 questions.
The computer adaptive section of the SBAC test is then paired with human-scored items to provide each student an overall English Language Arts and Mathematics score that is within his or her grade level range. The overall scores are always in the range of 2100 (low) to 2900 (high).
Visit the CAASPP Sample Student Score Report web page and the ELPAC Sample Student Score Report web page to see a sample student score report for each of the curriculum areas.
Try preparing your students with one of the online SBAC practice exams to help them prepare for the testing season and reduce their anxiety. By emulating the online experience for students, you may use our SBAC practice exams to boost student comfort. You’ll also have the opportunity to “pre-test” student mastery.
The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) is an assessment system created by a group of experienced educators from all over the country. The examinations come in three different formats: formative, intermediate, and summative, and they’re all designed to track students’ progress and help them prepare for future college and career routes.
The Smart Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) test tracks your child’s progress in school to aid in the improvement of education initiatives across the country, and it essentially scores your child’s teacher’s performance.
The assessments were created by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortia (SBAC), which will be used by member states. The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), formerly known as STAR, is used in California (Standardized Testing and Reporting). The CAASPP findings are used to calculate the EAP.
Scores for the SBAC (STAR/CST) should arrive in the first week of August.
The Smart Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) uses SBAC test scores as a common level of qualification as part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI). While it may not be fair, a person’s entire future plans may be contingent on obtaining a specific SBAC test score.
Connecticut Smarter Balanced tests in English language arts/literacy and mathematics are aligned to Connecticut Core Standards. A well-balanced assessment system that includes summative, optional interim, and formative assessment procedures can help teachers and students improve their teaching and learning.
In seven states, including Washington and California, some colleges and universities accept SBAC scores. High school students who take the test can start their college course work or even avoid remedial courses.
It takes roughly 7-8 hours and is dependent on the student’s grade.
Students in California’s third through eighth grades, as well as students in grades eleven and twelve, take the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments in English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics each spring.
There has been substantial debate about whether parents can opt their children out of assessments such as the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). There is nothing in state legislation that makes tests mandatory, according to the document.
Students’ achievement and growth in English Language Arts and math in grades 3-8 and high school are measured using Smarter Balanced examinations. Students who take Smarter Balanced examinations are given scaled scores and achievement levels as a result of their performance.
If your home state does not participate in the SBAC, you will not be able to take the test. SBAC Assessment Scores There are two types of SBAC assessment scores: scaled scores and achievement levels.
The SBAC Test is a method of determining whether or not a person you’ve been tested at the end of each academic year since third grade. If you fail in my school, nothing actually occurs. You will not be able to graduate if you do not pass the tests before your final year.
The scale runs from 1.0 to 4.5. A Scale Score is calculated based on a student’s performance on the test. The scores on the scale range from 148 to 423.
The overall scores are always in the range of 2100 (low) to 2900 (high).
The Smart Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) test tracks your child’s progress in school to help improve education efforts across the country, and it essentially scores your child’s teacher’s performance. The test is connected with Common Core standards, but it is not a curriculum evaluation.
Students begin SBAC testing in grades 3–5, continue testing in middle school with the SBAC for grades 6–8, and finish with the SBAC for 11th Grade in high school. During the spring, every grade takes the SBAC Summative Assessment. Students in grades 3–8 who perform well on the SBAC test may be eligible for accelerated programs.