PSSA Practice Tests

Prepare Students for PSSA Tests with Virtual Practice Tests

What's one of the simplest ways to build student confidence and readiness before Pennsylvania state testing time? Practice, practice, practice. Prep your students for PSSA tests in a virtual testing environment, and they'll be more than ready to tackle PSSA test questions when the time comes.

Here's what you should know about PSSA tests and how you can prepare your students.

What Is PSSA?

PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) is a standardized statewide test taken by students in grades 3 through 8. Designed to measure student mastery of state academic standards, the tests offer insights to help teachers identify students who may need additional academic support while providing information on schools and districts that can help educators make informed decisions about curriculum and instruction.

PSSA tests cover the following subjects:

English language arts (grades 3-8)
Mathematics (grades 3-8)
Science (grades 4 and 8)

PSSA tests are a mix of multiple-choice and open-ended questions. English language arts tests assess Pennsylvania's writing and language standards. They consist of passage-based and stand-alone multiple-choice questions, evidence-based selected responses, passage-based short answers, and text-dependent analysis.

PSSA tests are offered in both online and paper formats. Still, the online test is promoted for its accommodations to vision-impaired and otherwise disabled students, encouraging student independence in test-taking. The online PSSA test offers accessibility features for qualifying students, including:

Magnification
Spoken audio
Color overlays

Online PSSA testing reduces school administrative burden (think: fewer test administrators and no more managing paper test booklets!). Online testing also guarantees that frequently requested accommodations, such as read-aloud for students with print disabilities and enlarged format for the visually impaired, are provided in a standardized fashion. It also eliminates the need to fill in bubbles by hand. However, assistive devices and programs, except for refreshable Braille, are incompatible with the PSSA virtual testing system.

Mixed-mode PSSA tests are also available for students who would benefit from the computer-based format but aren't proficient enough in keyboarding to answer all questions virtually. Students taking the mixed-mode PSSA test respond to multiple-choice items online but handwrite their answers to open-ended questions in a paper booklet. Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who meet the state's six eligibility criteria, as determined by their IEP team, may take the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) instead of the PSSA.

PSSA tests are generally administered in the spring. (High school students take Keystone end-of-course exams instead of PSSA exams.)

How to Prepare Your Students with PSSA Practice Tests

Prepare students for Pennsylvania's state test with the following essential tips:

1) Provide Online Testing Environment Practice: Integrate online tools, keyboarding, and embed online testing strategies throughout the school year.

2) Support Content Mastery: Ensure students understand the content, topics, and learning standards needed to do well on the test. Lean on formative assessments.

3) PSSA Practice Tests: Give students practice tests, so they get an idea of what to expect, and you, as the instructor, can identify where you can do your best to support your students.

1) Provide Online Testing Environment Practice:

Ample practice with online testing tools fosters self-confidence in students for test days. As you prepare your students for the test content, make sure you don't neglect their technological readiness. Virtual PSSA practice tests provide opportunities to engage your students with the online testing technology they'll interact with on test day. They'll learn how to navigate virtual tests, interact with the digital content, and practice the keyboarding skills they'll need for the real test.

Along with developing technological proficiency, practice in the virtual testing environment ensures that students will be comfortable engaging with test content in the digital format, and they won't be caught off-guard on test day.

PSSA practice tests also offer opportunities for your students to practice reading and interacting with text passages in the virtual environment. Reading comprehension on screens versus paper can vary, so practice sessions can help your students sharpen their comprehension skills for PSSA English language arts exams.

Have your students practice on the same devices they'll use for the real test, whether a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. This way, they'll gain familiarity with the device and how the testing environment appears on that particular screen.

2) Support Content Mastery:

Make sure students learn and master what they need to know for the state test! Provide instruction and support for each topic they need to know for the test. The PA DOE website contains details about what to expect on the test.

Released PSSA practice tests can give a realistic perspective on how students will do on the official state exam. When you use the practice tests on this page, you'll quickly be able to see standards mastery since each question is tied to a standard. If you have time, don't wait until the last minute, give students formative assessments throughout the year to check in on how well they've mastered the content and understand essential concepts. If you don't have time, it's never too late to squeeze in a little extra practice!

3) PSSA Practice Tests:

Practice builds stamina, comfort, and confidence for students. It helps them know what to expect when the official testing day comes around. Plus, as the instructor, you can get insight into where students are at, so the results of the official test don't need to be a surprise. Read on for how to access practice tests.