If you are a student or parent of a student in New Jersey, you may be wondering what you can do to prepare for the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA) or the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA).
One of the best ways you or your child can prepare for either of these is to take an NJGPA or NJSLA practice test. Learn more about these tests and how to best prepare for them in the rest of this article.
Summary: Use NJSLA testing resources listed below to prepare for your upcoming exam.
NJSLA Practice Test
You can use the NJSLA practice below to prepare for your exam. You will be able to experience what it is like to take the actual exam.
You can take these NJSLA practice exams as a guest or as a user – it is up to you. The New Jersey Assessments Resource Center provides these for free.
| Resource | Provider |
| English Language Arts Practice Tests (Grades 3-9) | New Jersey Assessments Resource Center |
| Mathematics Practice Tests (Grades 3-9) | New Jersey Assessments Resource Center |
| Science Practice Tests (Grades 5, 8, and 11) | New Jersey Assessments Resource Center |
NJGPA Practice Test
If you are needing to prepare for the NJGPA exam, you can use the following NJGPA practice exams.
The resources below are prepared by the New Jersey Assessments Resource center and are completely free.
| Resource | Provider |
| English Language Arts Practice Tests | New Jersey Assessments Resource Center |
| Mathematics Practice Tests | New Jersey Assessments Resource Center |
What is the NJSLA Exam?
The NJSLA exam is a test administered to all students in the state of New Jersey through various grades in elementary school, middle school, and high school. The subjects covered are:
- English and language arts
- Mathematics
- Science
The point of the NJSLA test is to make sure that students in New Jersey schools are all achieving at the level they should be. This means that there are certain standards every grade level should be able to complete, and the NJSLA will test those standards.
For grades 3 to 8, students are required to take both math and English tests each year while their science exam will be administered in both fifth- and eighth-grade years to ensure they are at the levels they should be at.
Aside from subjects, NJSLA testing also has various levels that test the skills your child should know based on the grade they are in. The levels are as follows
NJSLA Math Levels
| Items | 3rd Grade | 4th & 5th Grade | 6th Grade | 7th Grade | 8th Grade | Points |
| Type I (content) | 24 questions | 20 questions | 18 questions | 20 questions | 20 questions | 1 per question |
| Type I (content) | 3 questions | 5 questions | 4 questions | 5 questions | 3 questions | 2 per question |
| Type I (content) | 0 questions | 0 questions | 1 question | 0 questions | 1 question | 4 per question |
| Type II (reasoning) | 2 questions | 2 questions | 2 questions | 2 questions | 2 questions | 3 per question |
| Type II (reasoning) | 1 question | 1 question | 1 question | 1 question | 1 question | 4 per question |
| Type III (modeling) | 2 questions | 2 questions | 2 questions | 2 questions | 2 questions | 3 per question |
| Type III (modeling) | 1 question | 1 question | 1 question | 1 question | 1 question | 6 per question |
| Type I Total | 27 questions | 25 questions | 23 questions | 25 questions | 24 questions | 30 total points |
| Type II Total | 3 questions | 3 questions | 3 questions | 3 questions | 3 questions | 10 total points |
| Type III Total | 3 questions | 3 questions | 3 questions | 3 questions | 3 questions | 12 total points |
| All Totals | 33 questions | 31 questions | 29 questions | 31 questions | 30 questions | 52 total points |
NJSLA ELA Levels
3rd Grade Guide
| Unit | Subjects Covered | EBSR/TECR Points | PCR Points |
| 1: Literary Task Analysis (contains 2 passages) | Reading: Literary Text | 8 | 3 |
| Reading: Vocabulary | 4 | 0 | |
| Writing: Written Expression | 0 | 9 | |
| Writing: Knowledge of Language & Conventions | 0 | 3 | |
| 2: Research Simulation Task (contains 2 passages) | Reading: Informational Text | 8 | 3 |
| Reading: Vocabulary | 4 | 0 | |
| Writing: Written Expression | 0 | 9 | |
| Writing: Knowledge of Language & Conventions | 0 | 3 | |
| All 4 Passages | All of the Above | 24 reading | – 6 reading -24 writing |
4th to 8th Grade Guide
| Unit | Subjects Covered | EBSR/TECR Points | PCR Points |
| 1: Literary Task Analysis (contains 2 passages) | Reading: Literary Text | 8 | 4 |
| Reading: Vocabulary | 4 | 0 | |
| Writing: Written Expression | 0 | 12 | |
| Writing: Knowledge of Language & Conventions | 0 | 3 | |
| 1: Short Passage Set (contains 1 passage) | Reading: Literary Text | 6 | N/A |
| Reading: Vocabulary | 2 | N/A | |
| 2: Research Simulation Task (contains 3 passages) | Reading: Informational Text | 12 | 4 |
| Reading: Vocabulary | 4 | 0 | |
| Writing: Written Expression | 0 | 12 | |
| Writing: Knowledge of Language & Conventions | 0 | 3 | |
| All 6 Passages | All of the Above | 36 reading | – 8 reading – 30 writing |
(EBSR – Evidence-Based Selected Response, TECR – Technology-Enhanced Constructed Response, PCR – Prose Constructed Response)
NJSLA testing also has a science portion taken by students in fifth and eighth grade, the topics covered are as listed below:
5th Grade Science
- Properties of Matter
- Changes to Matter
- Energy and Matter in Ecosystems
- Water on Earth
- Earth Systems
- Interactions within Earth, Sun, and Moon System
8th Grade Science
- Evidence of Common Ancestry
- Selection and Adaptation
- Stability and Change on Earth
- Human Impacts
- Relationships among Forms of Energy
- Thermal Energy
- The Electromagnetic Spectrum
What is the NJGPA Exam?
The NJGPA exam is similar to the NJSLA exams that your child has been taking since they started the third grade.
However, this test is used to gauge whether a student is ready to graduate or not based on the standards set by the Board of Education of New Jersey.
Similar to the NJSLA, the NJGPA has an ELA and mathematics section that will test your student based on their appropriate level of skill. This test is usually administered in the eleventh-grade year to allow them another chance to take it if they fail the first time.
The test skills are as follows:
NJGPA Math Levels
| Items | Algebra 1 | Geometry | Algebra 2 | MCNJGPA | Points |
| Type I (content) | 16 questions | 18 questions | 16 questions | 18 questions | 1 per question |
| Type I (content) | 5 questions | 6 questions | 7 questions | 6 questions | 2 per question |
| Type I (content) | 1 question | 0 questions | 0 questions | 0 questions | 4 per question |
| Type II (reasoning) | 2 questions | 2 questions | 2 questions | 2 questions | 3 per question |
| Type II (reasoning) | 1 question | 1 question | 1 question | 1 question | 4 per question |
| Type III (modeling) | 1 question | 1 question | 1 question | 1 question | 3 per question |
| Type III (modeling) | 2 questions | 2 questions | 2 questions | 2 questions | 6 per question |
| Type I Total | 22 questions | 24 questions | 23 questions | 24 questions | 30 total points |
| Type II Total | 3 questions | 3 questions | 3 questions | 3 questions | 10 total points |
| Type III Total | 3 questions | 3 questions | 3 questions | 3 questions | 15 total points |
| All Totals | 28 questions | 30 questions | 29 questions | 30 questions | 55 total points |
NJGPA ELA Level
| Unit | Subjects Covered | EBSR/TECR Points | PCR Points |
| 1: Literary Task Analysis (contains 2 passages) | Reading: Literary Text | 8 | 4 |
| Reading: Vocabulary | 4 | 0 | |
| Writing: Written Expression | 0 | 12 | |
| Writing: Knowledge of Language & Conventions | 0 | 3 | |
| 1: Short Passage Set (contains 1 passage) | Reading: Literary Text | 6 | N/A |
| Reading: Vocabulary | 2 | N/A | |
| 2: Research Simulation Task (contains 3 passages) | Reading: Informational Text | 12 | 4 |
| Reading: Vocabulary | 4 | 0 | |
| Writing: Written Expression | 0 | 12 | |
| Writing: Knowledge of Language & Conventions | 0 | 3 | |
| All 6 Passages | All of the Above | 36 reading | – 8 reading – 30 writing |
EBSR – Evidence-Based Selected Response, TECR – Technology-Enhanced Constructed Response, PCR – Prose Constructed Response)
NJGPA After 2023
However, the NJPGA is changing for all classes after 2023. As for the class of 2023, there are no graduation requirements beyond their state and local credit, curriculum, and attendance requirements. They will take the NJGPA, but it will not determine whether they graduate or not.
If you or your child fails the NJGPA after 2023, they will have other options for meeting graduation requirements.
NJGPA Graduation Routes
- Pathway one: A student takes the NJGPA and passes with flying colors.
- Pathway two: A student takes NJGPA and doesn’t meet the standards. They can replace the NJGPA score with the grade-equivalent NJSLA/PARCC test, ACT, SAT, or ACCUPLACER test.
- Pathway three: A student doesn’t succeed on the NJGPA, so they submit a student portfolio review through the district to the New Jersey Department of Education.
What Should I Be Studying for the NJSLA Exam?
The NJSLA covers both the reading and writing aspects of English and language arts as well as various levels of mathematic understanding. More specifics can be found on the New Jersey Department of Education’s website.
The best way to study for the NJSLA is to take NJSLA practice tests. Not only do NJSLA practice tests give detailed explanations to help you study better, but they also expose you to questions that were likely on former versions of the test.
An NJSLA or NJGPA practice test can help you become a more efficient studier by pointing out what you need the most help with and make you a faster test taker by getting you comfortable with question formats.
How is the NJSLA Exam Scored?
As the tables above show, each question is allotted a certain number of points based on the difficulty of the questions. Your score will be listed by the grade you are in and a range of scores from level 1 to level 4.
So long as you score within levels 3 or 4, you are considered to be proficient or above. Scoring level 3 or 4 means that you pass. Levels 1 and 2 aren’t passing scores. Shooting for the minimum end of level 3 should get you to a passing score.
NJSLA Exam FAQs
What grades take the NJSLA exam?
If you are in 3rd to 8rd grade, you will take the NJSLA exam and take the NJGPA when you are in 11th grade.
What is the difference between the NJSLA and NJGPA exams?
The content of the two exams is very similar. The main difference between the two of them is that the NJSLA is just to measure grade-to-grade achievement while the NJGPA is to measure graduation readiness.
Do I have to take the NJSLA exam?
Yes, the NJSLA is required by the New Jersey Department of Education.
