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Free 6th Grade MAP Sample Questions
Math
The math test includes questions in computation and problem solving, number sense (place value, rounding, comparisons, ratios), geometry, measurement, algebraic concepts, and data analysis (charts, statistics, probability). Here are some samples of what the most common questions will look like, touching on each of these topics: More on the math topics.
Which is the best decomposition to simplify the multiplication 382 x 17?
A. 380 x 17
+ 2 x 17
B. 10 x 382
+7 x 382
C. 300 x 17
80 x 17
+ 2 x 17
D. 300 x 17
+82 x 17
E. 300 x 17
8 x 17
10 x 17
+ 2 x 17
Answer
The correct answer is (C).
Decomposing allows you to take a difficult number, such as 382 and break it down into its hundreds, tens, and ones to make it easier to multiply. In the question 382 x 17, it makes more sense to decompose the 382, rather than the 17 as it is the larger number. If you just decompose the 17 then you still need to multiply by 382, which is hard. Therefore, answer (B) is not correct.
As 382 contains three hundreds, eight tens and two ones, you can write it as the sum of those parts:
382 = 300 + 80 + 2. This means that instead of multiplying 17 by 382 in one go, you can multiply 17 by each of the decomposed parts and at the end add the results. This is the same as multiplying by 382.
Therefore, the correct answer is (C).
Answer choice (A) only partly decomposes 382, so it still leaves you with a large number (380) to multiply by. Therefore, this is incorrect.
Answer choice (D) has not decomposed the 82 fully so you are left with 82 which is a difficult number to multiply. Therefore, this answer choice can be eliminated.
Answer choice (E) has decomposed 382 incorrectly. If you add the parts together, you get 300 + 8 + 10 + 2 = 320, instead of 382. Therefore, (E) is also incorrect.
Tip: Many times there will be elements from different topics involved in the question. It may even require knowledge and skill from different fields of math in order to solve the question, as you will see in question 3, for example.
Robyn measures the amount of time people take to swim a length of the school swimming pool, in minutes. Use her table below to answer the question.
Which line plot represents the data in the table?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Answer
The correct answer is (B).
Each cross on the line plot represents one person. First, count how many people swim in each amount of time:
¼ minute: 1 person
½ minute: 3 people
¾ minute: 3 people
1 minute: 2 people
Therefore, you need to find the graph that has one cross at ¼, three crosses at ½, three crosses at ¾, and two crosses at 1.
Some of these graphs are using decimals instead of fractions, so check the conversions.
¼ = 0.25
½ = 0.5
¾ = 0.75
As the conversions are correct, you need to check all graphs.
The only graph with the correct number of crosses is graph (B).
Tip: Go over different types of charts and graphs, and make sure you are familiar with all the standard measurements for time, temperature, size, weight, etc.
Use the rectangle to answer the question.
The perimeter of the rectangle is 32. What is the area?
A. 16
B. 35
C. 49
D. 56
E. 63
Answer
The correct answer is E
To calculate the area of a rectangle, you must know the length and the width. In this question, you are told only that the width is 7 and the perimeter is 32. The opposite side to 7 will also be 7, as opposite sides in a rectangle are equal. The other two sides are unknown, so call them 'h' for example.
From this, you can form an equation.
The perimeter is the total of all the sides, thus:
7 + 7 + h + h = 32 // simplify the left-hand side
14 + 2h = 32 // subtract 14 from both sides
2h = 18 // divide both sides by two
h = 9.
The missing length is 9. Use this to find the area.
Area of a rectangle is length x width:
Area = 7 x 9 = 63.
Therefore, the correct answer is (E).
Tip: In addition to the formulas for perimeter in area, make sure to review the properties for different shapes, such as which sides and angles are equal, or how to determine missing measurements.
Reading
The reading test presents you with informational texts and literary passages, and it assesses comprehension of main ideas and details, analysis of craft and purpose, and knowledge of word meanings. Here are three samples of what these questions look like: More on the reading topics
Read the passage.
The sweet potato is a root vegetable. Its young leaves are sometimes eaten as greens. It is only distantly related to the potato. The root is long and narrow. Its skin ranges in color: it can be yellow, orange, red, purple, brown, or beige. Its flesh color also varies, and can be beige, white, red, pink, yellow, orange, or purple. Sweet potatoes with white or pale yellow flesh are less sweet and moist than those with red, pink, or orange flesh.
Why did the author write this passage?
A. to persuade
B. to inform
C. to entertain
D. to explain
Answer
The correct answer is (B).
A text that is meant to inform includes many facts about a certain subject. This passage includes many facts about the sweet potato.
Answer (A) is incorrect because a text that is meant to persuade usually expresses opinions or uses exaggerations and strong words. The passage does not contain these things.
Answer (C) is incorrect because a text that is meant to entertain tries to appeal to the reader's senses and imagination through rich descriptions and language. Since this passage contains facts, it is not meant to entertain.
Answer (D) is incorrect because a text that is meant to explain tells the reader how to do something or how or why something happened or is true. The passage does not explain how or why anything.
Tip: It is not enough for an answer choice to be true to be correct; it also needs to address what the question is asking. For eample, in the question above, it may be true that “the situation was confusing,” but this choice is still incorrect because this is not what is meant by “deafeningly silent.”
Read the passage.
Louisa and Aidan were sprawled on chairs in the attic, their hands behind their heads and their feet dangling, when all of a sudden, a storm started. Heavy rain pounded on the roof, and they heard the strong wind whistling outside. The only lamp in the room went out, and the children could barely see anything around them. Lightning after lightning struck the sky outside, and the children held each other's hands as a sharp roar of thunder shook the house. It sounded as though the storm was right in their own backyard. However, a few minutes later, the storm stopped suddenly. Everything around was deafeningly silent as Louisa and Aidan got up quietly and attempted to find the door in the dark. Fortunately, the lights came back on before they had gotten to the door, and they both breathed out in relief and smiled.
What is the phrase "deafeningly silent" used for in the paragraph?
A. to emphasize that silence is the solution to the problem
B. to create a dramatic effect
C. to explain that the storm was loud
D. to emphasize how confusing the situation was
Answer
The correct answer is (B).
The phrase "deafeningly silent" is an oxymoron. An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory words are used. Silence cannot be deafening; "deafening" can be said about a loud noise, not about silence. Therefore, this use is not literal and is used to serve a purpose. In this paragraph, a big storm occurs, and then suddenly stops. This is a dramatic occurrence magnified by the silence that follows, and the phrase shows the contrast between the storm and the silence that follows in a very dramatic way. Therefore, the correct answer is (B).
Answer (A) is incorrect because the silence solves no problem. It is the fact that the storm has ended that allows the children to get out of the attic, not the silence.
Answer (C) is incorrect because the phrase shows the contrast between the loudness of the storm and the silence that follows, not only the loudness of the storm.
Answer (D) is incorrect because the characters are not confused.
Tip: In order to determine the purpose of a passage, first ask what the passage does. If the passage gives arguments for something, then it is likely written in order to pesuade the readers of those arguments. If the passage is listing facts about something, it is likely written in order to inform or educate about that subject.
Read the paragraph.
Jane knew the river was just beyond the patch of trees in front of her, but to get to it she still had to cross the patch, which was the most dangerous part of the forest. Stepping gingerly and slowly, her eyes darting everywhere to look for signs of danger, she moved from tree to tree, pausing every few seconds to look around and make sure no one was coming.
What is the meaning of the word "gingerly"?
A. with extreme caution
B. with plenty of spice
C. in a relaxed manner
D. as loudly as possible
Answer
The correct answer is (A).
The correct meaning of "gingerly" is "with extreme caution." Even if you do not know this word, you can understand its meaning from the paragraph. Since Jane stepped through "the most dangerous part of the forest", with "her eyes darting everywhere to look for signs of danger" and pauses every few seconds "to look around and make sure no one was coming", it makes sense to assume she was moving cautiously. Therefore, the correct answer is (A).
Answer (B) is incorrect because the passage has nothing to do with spices, although the word "gingerly" sounds like "ginger."
Answer (C) is incorrect because the phrases "her eyes darting everywhere to look for signs of danger" and "pausing every few seconds to look around and make sure no one was coming" do not indicate a relaxed manner, but rather a very cautious one.
Answer (D) is incorrect because, since Jane was moving through "the most dangerous part of the forest" and kept looking around for signs of danger, it does not make sense for her to do so loudly.
Language Usage
The language usage test asks about writing mechanics (punctuation, capitalization, spelling), parts of speech, usage and sentence structure, and writing process (genres, writing techniques, formulating organized writing). Let’s look at a sample for each of these topics: More on the language usage topics
Which sentence is capitalized correctly?
A. "Did you know," asked the teacher, "There are some fish that can live out of water?"
B. "Please tell your sister," said the girl on the phone, "sharon will be there at 7:00."
C. "Students," Mr. Hernandez instructed, "please bring your history books tomorrow."
D. "this cake," Dana told her friend, "is one of the best cakes I have ever tasted."
Answer
The correct answer is (C).
The first word in a sentence should always be capitalized. The second half of a quotation should not begin with a capital letter, unless it is a proper noun or title. The only sentence that is capitalized correctly is in answer (C). The first word of the sentence is capitalized, the proper noun (Mr. Hernandez) is capitalized, and the second half of the quotation does not begin with a capital letter. Therefore, the correct answer is (C).
Answer (A) is incorrect because the second half of the quotation should not begin with a capital letter.
Answer (B) is incorrect because the proper noun in the second half of the quotation ("Sharon") should be capitalized.
Answer (D) is incorrect because the first word of the sentence ("this") should be capitalized.
Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
A. Me and my friends love to play soccer.
B. Everyone except for I takes the bus to school.
C. My parents ask my sister and me to help with chores.
D. You and me are in the same music class.
Answer
The correct answer is (C).
"I" is a subject pronoun, while "me" is an object pronoun. This means that a speaker uses "I" to refer to him/herself when he/she does something, and the speaker uses "me" when something is done to for or in relation to him or her.
"I" is used as the subject of a sentence or clause, while "me" is used as the object of a verb or preposition. Put differently, "I" does something, but "me" has something done to it.
In Answer (C), "me" is used correctly because "my sister and me" is the object of the verb "ask."
Answers (A) and (D) are incorrect because "me" is used instead of "I" to refer to the subject of a sentence. The sentence in Answer (A) should read "My friends and I love to play soccer." The sentence in Answer (D) should read, "You and I are in the same music class." Notice that when "I" is combined with other nouns or pronouns in a list it comes last. Here is another example: "Ralph, Susie, and I are working together on a project."
Answer (B) is incorrect because "I" is used instead of "me" to refer to the object of the preposition "except for."
Tip: When trying to decide whether “me” or “I” should be used, try removing the etra words from the sentence, other than the verb, and it will be easier to see which is correct. For eample, if you have the sentence, “She gave some food to Gil and I,” simplify it to “She gave food to I.” That does not sound right, as it must be “She gave food to me.” Therefore, the full sentence must read, “She gave some food to Gil and me".
Which of the following sentences has an independent clause underlined?
A. Despite the storm, the ship stayed on course.
B. Though they can swim quickly, penguins walk slowly.
C. Miriam has seen the new movie, but I haven’t.
D. In order to reserve your place on the bus, please order your tickets before the deadline.
Answer
The correct answer is (A).
A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand on its own as a sentence. A dependent clause does not express a complete thought and cannot stand on its own as a sentence. Dependent clauses begin with words that show that the idea expressed in the clause is not the main idea, including: before, after, because, since, in order to, although, though, whenever, wherever, whether, while, even though, even if, and, or, nor, but, yet
Answer (A) is correct because the ship stayed on course is an independent clause. It can stand on its own as a sentence and does not start with a word that marks a dependent clause.
Answer (B) is incorrect because Though they can swim quickly is a dependent clause, not an independent clause. It cannot stand on its own as a sentence and starts with the word "though," which marks it as a dependent clause.
Answer (C) is incorrect because but I haven’t is a dependent clause, not an independent clause. It cannot stand on its own as a sentence and starts with the word “but,” which marks it as a dependent clause.
Answer (D) is incorrect because In order to reserve your place on the bus is a dependent clause, not an independent clause. It cannot stand on its own and starts with the phrase “in order to,” which marks it as a dependent clause.
Tip: Details are specific things mentioned at individual poinnts in the passpage, while main ideas are general topics discussed throughout the paragraph. The details will often relate to one aspect of the topic. A title is usually more fitting when it addresses the main idea, and not specific details.
Which of the following would be a good topic sentence for a paragraph about how to take care of a dog?
A. Make sure you don't give your dog too much or too little food.
B. Dog care requires both a daily routine and checkups with a veterinarian.
C. It's important to protect your dog from fleas and ticks.
D. It's harder to take care of dogs than it is to take care of cats.
Answer
The correct answer is (B).
Answer (B) is correct because it effectively introduces the topic of dog care by describing the two main ideas.
Answers (A) and (C) are incorrect because they provide details instead of a main idea, and are thus inappropriate as topic sentences.
Answer (D) is incorrect because it is not about the correct topic. The topic sentence should describe how to take care of a dog, not compare the difficulty of taking care of a dog with the difficulty of taking care of a cat.
Let’s take a deeper look into the subtopics of each section:
MAP Math for 6th Grade
The MAP math section contains 40-43 question in varying formats, including multiple choice, drag and drop, fill in the blank, and more. The students will be tested in the following topics:
- Computation and Problem Solving: including fractions, decimals, and multi-digit whole numbers to perform mixed mathematical operations.
- Number Sense: comprehension of number concepts, such as representations of parts and whole numbers, application of place value, comparing values and ratios.
- Algebraic Thinking: communicating ideas through different models and numerical expressions, deducing answers by identifying patterns in a numerical series, and using the four operations and their properties with missing numbers.
- Geometry: identifying, classifying, and using properties of shapes, angles, and three-dimensional figures to solve questions and calculate measurements, such as perimeter and area; this includes the use of graphs to approach and solve mathematical problems, as well as reasoning through geometric concepts.
- Measurement: Calculating and estimating measurements for distance, size, weight, temperature, time, and others, as well as converting between different units of measurement.
- Data: Reading and interpreting charts and graphs and analyzing the data to solve different types of problems, as well as representing data in different types of charts and graphs; this includes application of mean, median, mode, and range.
MAP Reading Section for 6th Grade
The MAP reading section contains 40-43 question in varying formats, including multiple choice, drag and drop, fill in the blank, and more. The students will be tested in the following topics:
- Informational Texts:
-
- Main idea, Details, Inferences – comprehending and interpreting the text. This includes identifying and analyzing themes, drawing conclusions, locating supporting details and other elements
- Purpose, Structure, and Argument – considering points such as subjectivity and perspective, as well as the author’s craft and intent. This includes bias, persuasive techniques, identifying different types of writing and structures within the writing
- Literary texts:
-
- Main idea, Details, Interpretation – recognizing themes and and key components of literary texts, including plot, setting, and characters; analyzing literary texts for symbolism, morals, and other critical thinking elements. This includes summarizing, paraphrasing, locating information, and drawing inferences.
-
- Purpose, Structure, Devices – considering the author’s infuence on the text, such as point of view and tone, identifying genre and different structures; identifying and interpreting the use of literary devices. This includes figurative language, foreshadowing, imagery, alliteration, rhyme and meter, and many other devices.
- Purpose, Structure, Devices – considering the author’s infuence on the text, such as point of view and tone, identifying genre and different structures; identifying and interpreting the use of literary devices. This includes figurative language, foreshadowing, imagery, alliteration, rhyme and meter, and many other devices.
- Word Meaning: understanding the meaning of words through context, spotting connections between words, and recognizing the structures behind them using affixes
MAP Language Usage for 6th Grade
The MAP language usage section contains 40-43 question in varying formats, including multiple choice, drag and drop, fill in the blank, and more. The students will be tested in the following topics:
- Mechanics: Writing norms and rules; includes capital letter usage—such as in proper nouns and titles, punctuation—such as commas, apostrophes, and quotations, and spelling—including norms and irregular patterns, affixes, and proper manipulation of words in text, such as possessive, plural, and the different tenses.
- Parts of Speech: The different types of words used to form sentences, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, and more; includes knowing how to recognize, use, and differentiate between them, as well as identifying and understanding different categories within them, such as gerrunds and appositives.
- Usage: The rules of sentence structure; how to properly form sentences and break them down to their functional parts; includes classifying and differentiating between different types of sentences and naming their segments, as well as recognizing their proper usage.
- Writing Process: Knowing how to properly build works of writing; includes recognizing what methods, words, or pieces of information to use in accordance with the goal, identifying and analyzing different genres, structures, and rhetorical techniques.
6th Grade MAP Testing Scores
MAP tests are scored on a universal scale in which students will continue to score higher as they progress over the years. The NWEA uses the RIT scale (Rasch-Unit scale) which quantifies their performance based on what level of question they have an even chance of answering correctly. The progress is based on standards from the Common Core, and it uses equal intervals designed to give students, parents, and teachers a window into the their academic progress regardless of the grade or age of the student.
Visit TestPrep-Online’s MAP scores page to find more information on 6th Grade MAP Testing scores.
6th Grade MAP Test & the Common Core
The Common Core is a set of learning standarss with benchmarks for each grade and has gained popularity across many schools in the United States. The questions on the MAP are each designed to test a specific ability from the Common Core, and if answered correctly, the student helps demonstrate his or her comfortability with that level in the given topic, which helps determine which level of question to present next.
Accordingly, we have designed our MAP 6th grade practice pack to be in line with the Common Core in order to create an accurate representation of the topics. We center our questions around the average RIT level for 6th grade, but include many higher and lower level questions as well in order to simulate the adaptive nature of the test.
Preparing for the MAP test for 6th Grade with TestPrep-Online
Preparing for the 6th Grade MAP Test will allow you to achieve the highest results that you can. Even though the MAP Test is not timed, it can be stressful for those who are unfamiliar with the questions. Getting used to the format and style of questioning can make the experience more natural, which will allow you to put all of your focus into understanding the question and arriving at the correct answer. You can prepare for any of the math, reading, and language usage sections by using our study guides and simulations of the 6th Grade MAP Test. Our practice packs also contain a math enrichment section with questions from the topics that are statistically more challenging to children in that age group.
Since many gifted programs MAP assessment scores to determine a candidate's qualification, a high MAP score can have a significant impact on your child's future. TestPrep-Online now offers a 6th Grade MAP Practice Pack. This pack features different methods of preparation and includes section-specific study guides, a full-length simulation, and hundreds of sample questions with detailed explanations for all three sections of the MAP (Language Usage, Reading, and Math).
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