MAP Practice Tests

Introduced in 2005, the MAP, or the Measure of Academic Progress, is a computerized adaptive test which helps teachers, parents, and/or administrators to improve learning for all students grades K-12 and make informed decisions to promote a child’s academic growth. Use our MAP test practice below to better understand this exam.

Essentially, the MAP is used to measure a student’s progress or growth in school. The MAP is especially beneficial because it allows teachers to understand a student’s strengths (and consequently, weaknesses). This information can help teachers to better guide their students.

The purpose of MAP testing is to determine what the student knows and is ready to learn next.

Summary: Learn more about the MAP test and use the MAP test practice below for additional help.

MAP Test Practice

The NWEA, or Northwest Evaluation Association, is a global non-profit educational service organization that offers MAP testing.

Check out the official NWEA MAP practice test for information regarding the test, explore tools, test prep, and official practice tests based on your grade, desired subject, and test type.

Taking MAP practice tests can help improve scores as well as allow the student to be more prepared before taking the real MAP test.

MAP Test Content Outline

The MAP growth test covers math, reading, and English. The questions asked are common-core and the curriculum being tested remains consistent across the country.

For grades K through 2, only reading and math are tested. There are 43 questions and typically take students 40 minutes to complete. Additionally, the test is given in two 20-minute sessions.

For grades 2+, there are anywhere from 40 to 53 questions based on the three sections listed above. Typically, it takes students about 45 to 60 minutes to complete the exam.

There is also a MAP Reading Fluency examination. This test measures oral reading fluency, decoding accuracy, and literal comprehension. The exam typically only takes 20 minutes.

It is important to note that not all students are asked the same questions. The MAP Test is an adaptive test. Meaning, that every student is asked a unique set of test questions based on responses to previous questions.

As the student answers correctly, questions get harder. Likewise, if the student answers incorrectly, questions become easier. The computer adjusts the difficulty of the questions in order to allow each student to take a unique test, personalized for their individual achievement and skill level.

Question types on MAP Growth tests include multiple choice, drag-and-drop, and other types of questions.

See table below for more specifics in regard to the type of content below each subject level.

MAP Administration Information

Most students will take the MAP Growth Test at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. Occasionally, schools may include a summer testing session.

The MAP Testing windows are as follows:

• Fall: September 21 – October 21
• Winter: December 14 – January 29
• Spring: May 9 – June 3

As mentioned before, the MAP Growth Test is taken on a computer.

Registration

You do not have to register yourself or your child on your own, unless in the case of a homeschooled student. The student’s school registers each of their students and provides a specific test date for the fall, winter, and spring.

Session Lengths

The Map Growth test is not timed. However, most students finish in an under an hour.

It also takes anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes for setup and pre-test instructions. Overall, teachers should allow about an hour and 20 minutes total for students to complete the exam.

Location

The MAP Growth Test is taken at the student’s school during class-time.

Fees

The MAP Test is free for students enrolled in school to take. That being said, if your child is homeschooled and wants to complete the test (in math and reading), you can pay $60 for the first student and an additionally $45 per additional student.

There are also a monthly and yearly payment plan options. Monthly, the payment plan would be $15 per month for the first student and $11 per additional student, if necessary. Yearly, $162 per year for the first student and $119 per additional student.

MAP Requirements

Students in grades 2 to 12 can participate in MAP testing for reading language usage, mathematics, and science. Early learners in grades K through 2 can also take the MAP growth test for reading and mathematics.

So, the only requirement is being a student in grades K through 12. As mentioned before, you can still take the MAP test if you are homeschooled.

MAP Scores

When students finish their MAP growth test, a RIT, or Rasch UnIT, score is received. This is a number score for each area they are tested in (reading, language usage, math, and science).

There is no maximum or “perfect” score on a MAP growth test. The score on any MAP test is a function of both the number of questions answered correctly and the difficulty of the questions asked.

What Does my MAP Score Mean?

Your RIT score represents a student’s achievement level at any given moment and helps measure their academic growth over time.

The RIT score works on a “scale” and accurately measures student performance, regardless of age, grades, or grade level. You can how much students have grown between tests. The RIT scale works so that questions with a lower RIT will be answered correctly more frequently. Similarly, questions of higher RIT will be answered correctly less frequently. More difficult questions will probably require new learning on the part of the student.

Since each subject area has a unique alignment to the RIT scale. So, scores between subjects are not equivalent.

Additionally, scores are defined as a percentile. The percentile measures how the student scored in comparison with other students in the same grade across the country. For example, an extremely gifted child would score in the 98th percentile in the fall and winter.

Students who score from the 25th to the 75th percentile rank are considered to be in the “average” range. As previously mentioned, students who score at the 98th percentile rank qualify for the “Gifted and Talented services”.

Also, important to note is that RIT score have the same meaning across grade levels. So, if a 3rd grade student and a 7th grade student have the same RIT score in reading, then they are testing at the same level in that subject.

Students can even enter their RIT scores into a college explorer tool to see which universities they’re on track to enter. Check out the official NWEA website to enter your score in the college explorer tool. If your RIT score is lower than the values shown on the slider does not necessarily mean that a student is not on track for the college, they are interested in.

Getting Your MAP Score

MAP test results are available 48 hours after the student completes the test.

To check your score, log in to the MAP Administration and Reporting Center, or MARC, and go to the reports section.

Log in with your username and password. Select “View Reports” from the left navigation menu. Then select “MAP Growth Reports” to generate a new report and see your score.

MAP Test FAQS