NJSLA Practice Test

Answer Some Sample Questions with Our NJSLA Practice Test
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Our NJSLA Practice Tests

Take one of our practice exams below to prepare for your NJSLA exam.

The New Jersey Student Learning Assessment is administered to students in elementary, middle, and high school. Make sure to use the answer explanations at the end of each exam.

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:

  1. English and Language Arts
  2. Mathematics
  3. 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

Items3rd Grade4th & 5th Grade6th Grade7th Grade8th GradePoints
Type I (content)24 questions20 questions18 questions20 questions20 questions1 per question
Type I (content)3 questions5 questions4 questions5 questions3 questions2 per question
Type I (content)0 questions0 questions1 question0 questions1 question4 per question
Type II (reasoning)2 questions2 questions2 questions2 questions2 questions3 per question
Type II (reasoning)1 question1 question1 question1 question1 question4 per question
Type III (modeling)2 questions2 questions2 questions2 questions2 questions3 per question
Type III (modeling)1 question1 question1 question1 question1 question6 per question
Type I Total27 questions25 questions23 questions25 questions24 questions30 total points
Type II Total3 questions3 questions3 questions3 questions3 questions10 total points
Type III Total3 questions3 questions3 questions3 questions3 questions12 total points
All Totals33 questions31 questions29 questions31 questions30 questions52 total points

NJSLA ELA Levels

UnitSubjects CoveredEBSR/TECR PointsPCR Points
1: Literary Task Analysis (contains 2 passages)Reading: Literary Text84
 Reading: Vocabulary40
 Writing: Written Expression012
 Writing: Knowledge of Language & Conventions03
1: Short Passage Set (contains 1 passage)Reading: Literary Text6N/A
 Reading: Vocabulary2N/A
2: Research Simulation Task (contains 3 passages)Reading: Informational Text124
 Reading: Vocabulary40
 Writing: Written Expression012
 Writing: Knowledge of Language & Conventions03
All 6 PassagesAll of the Above36 reading

– 8 reading

– 30 writing

*EBSR – Evidence-Based Selected Response.
*TECR – Technology-Enhanced Constructed Response.
*PCR – Prose Constructed Response

NJSLA Science Levels

NJSLA testing also has a science portion taken by students in fifth and eighth grade, the topics covered are 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

Scoring of the NJSLA Exam

When taking this exam, you will receive a detailed score report. Your score will be categorized into 1 of 5 levels:

  1. Level 1: Did Not Meet Expectations
  2. Level 2: Partial Met Expectations
  3. Level 3: Approached Expectations
  4. Level 4: Met Expectations
  5. Level 5: Exceeded Expectations

You will see additional items on your score report like school average, district average, and state average. You will also see the percentage of students in NJ who scored in each level.

Studying for the NJSLA

Preparing for the NJSLA is a fairly straightforward process. Here are some things to keep in mind when preparing for your exam:

  • Class Work: Everything on the exam should have been taught to you in your classes. Make sure to pay attention in class.
  • Practice Exams: If you want to brush up on some material before taking your exam, you can take a practice exam above.
  • Individual Help: If you are really struggling on a topic and want some help, ask your teacher. Your teacher should be more than happy to help you.
  • Other Resources: If you still require additional help, check out the NJ Department of Education website for some additional resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Students located in the state of New Jersey between the grades of 3 and 9 will take the NJSLA exam.

The content of the two exams are 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.

Yes, the NJSLA is required by the New Jersey Department of Education.

Gianni Evangelisti
Gianni has been working in the test prep industry for 6+ years. Gianni has created test prep materials across multiple different exam categories.