Iowa Assessment Practice Test (ITBS)

Answer Some Sample Questions with Our Iowa Assessment Practice Test
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Our Iowa Assessment Practice Tests

Prepare for your Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) or Iowa Assessment with our practice exams below.

You will find grade specific exams below. Each exam includes 30 total questions and has detailed answer explanations at the end. Make sure to review the explanations to help learn key concepts.

What is the Iowa Test?

The Iowa Test is an exam given to students in K-12. It is a standardized exam used to assess a student’s learning. It covers the following 5 subjects:

  1. Language Arts
  2. Reading
  3. Math
  4. Science
  5. Social Studies

Though they are called Iowa tests, other public and private schools utilize this test even if they aren’t in the state of Iowa. The name comes from the fact that the University of Iowa created this test in 1935 and called it the “Iowa Every Pupil Test of Basic Skills”.

ITBS Test vs. Iowa Test

The Iowa Test used to be known as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). In 2011, the ITBS was rebranded to be called the Iowa Test or Iowa Assessment (same thing, used interchangeably).

The current version of the exam (Iowa Assessment) now covers all of the core curriculum developed by the University of Iowa’s Board of Educators.

What is the Iowa Test Used For?

Iowa testing can be used for a wide variety of things. Some different use cases include:

  • Student Placement: The results can be used to place students in the appropriate programs within their school.
  • Benchmarking: The results can be used to see where a certain students stands in comparison to others.
  • Monitoring Progress: The results can be used to monitor a student’s progress over time.

Remember, this exam is used by numerous private and public schools across the country, not just schools located in Iowa.

Iowa Testing Levels

There are various testing levels that correlate with grade levels. Review the chart below to learn more.

AgeGradeTest Level
5K.1-1.55
6K.7-1.96
71.7-2.47
82.5-3.58
939
10410
11511
12612
13713
14814
15915
161016
171117
181218

Iowa Assessment Subjects Tests

There are 5 subjects tested:

  1. Language Arts
  2. Reading
  3. Math
  4. Science
  5. Social Studies

The topics tested on each subject vary depending on the level of the exam you are taking. Review the table below for specifics for each level.

Area of StudySubtestsLevels
Language Arts

-Listening
-Word Analysis

Level 9
Language Arts

-Conventions of Writing (Capitalization, -Punctuation, Spelling)
-Vocabulary
-Written Expression

Levels 9 to 14
Mathematics

-Algebraic Patterns and Connections
-Geometry
-Measurement
-Number Sense and Operations

All levels
Mathematics

-Data Analysis
-Probability
-Statistics
-Computation

Levels 7+
Mathematics

-Computation of Algebraic Manipulations, Decimals, and Fractions

Levels 9 to 14
Reading

-Comprehension
-Word Recognition

Levels 5 and 6
Reading

-Author’s Craft
-Explicit Meaning
-Implicit Meaning
-Informational Text
-Key Ideas
-Literary Text

Levels 7+
Science

-No testing

Levels 5 and 6
Science

-Earth and Space Science
-Life Science
-Physical Science

Levels 7+
Social Studies

-No testing

Levels 5 and 6
Social Studies

-Civics and Government
-Economics
-Geography
-History

Levels 7+

Source

How Many Items are on the Iowa Assessment?

Each level has a different number of items given. We broke down each level in the tables below.

Level 5 Assessment

SubjectNumber of ItemsTime Given (minutes)
Language2725
Listening1330
Math2725
Reading1730
Vocabulary2320
Word Analysis2920
Total146150

Level 6 Assessment

SubjectNumber of ItemsTime Given (minutes)
Language3125
Listening2730
Math3525
Reading (part 1)1720
Reading (part 2)1720
Vocabulary2720
Word Analysis3320
Total187160

Level 7 Assessment

SubjectNumber of ItemsTime Given (minutes)
Computation2525
Language3425
Listening2725
Math (part 1)2625
Math (part 2)1525
Science2925
Social Studies2925
Reading (part 1)1720
Reading (part 2)1825
Vocabulary2615
Word Analysis3215
Total278250

Level 8+ Assessments

SubjectNumber of ItemsTime Given (minutes)
Computation2725
Language4225
Listening2725
Math (part 1)2625
Math (part 2)2025
Science2925
Social Studies2925
Reading (part 1)1820
Reading (part 2)2025
Vocabulary2615
Word Analysis3315
Total297250

When is the Iowa Test Administered?

Testing is typically given three times a year (for baseline and progress tracking) with the only exception being twice a year in kindergarten. You can typically expect the exam to be administered in the:

  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Spring

How is the Iowa Assessment Scored?

The Iowa Assessment is scored on a scale of 1 to 99 in percentiles. So, if your child scores at the 60th percentile, that means they are ahead of 60% of their peers. 

The United States average for the Iowa Assessment is the 50th percentile. However, a score in the 90th percentile or higher is likely gifted.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Iowa test is distributed to all schools in Iowa for the cost of $3.50 per student. If you are taking it elsewhere, prices may vary.

No, the Iowa test is not an IQ test, but it can check to see if your child deserves gifted student accommodations.

You can prepare your child or yourself by using an Iowa practice test (like the ones listed above).

Dave Evangelisti
Dave is our founder and CEO. He has 20+ years of experience in the testing and test prep industry.