Iowa Test Kindergarten Sample Questions

The ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) is an achievement test that is intended to assess a child’s understanding of what they have learned in school. The assessments were developed at the University of Iowa, and are used by a number of states and private schools. The tests are written in levels 5-14. As you will see, there is some overlap between the different levels of the test.

As you are going through the practice questions, you will observe that each test level within the ITBS consists of a series of subtests that fall under specific content sections. Sections in the ITBS for kindergarten to 2nd grade (levels 5-8) include:

• Vocabulary test
• Word Analysis test
• Reading comprehension test
• Listening test
• Language test
• Mathematics test
• Social Studies test (Levels 7/8)
• Science test (Levels 7/8)
• Computation test (Levels 7/8)

Below are several ITBS Kindergarten sample questions that are intended for the Kindergarten level. As you will see, many of the sample questions emphasize skills such as the student’s ability to listen, problem solve and follow directions. For example, the student’s ability to recognize and define important vocabulary will prove to be especially useful on this exam.  Each practice question will reflect a specific subtest that your child will come across.

1.) Language- Level 5 (Kindergarten 1 mo.- Grade 1.5 mos.)

For this section say to your child: “I am going to read you a question while you look at some pictures. Listen carefully because I can only read the question once. After I read it, fill in the circle under the picture that answers the question.”

Listen to the Question: This year’s winner of the dog show had white curly hair and a puffy tail. Fill in the circle under the picture of the winner of this year’s dog show.

2.) Listening- Level 5 (Kindergarten 1 mo – Grade 1.5 mos.)

For this section say to your child: “I am going to read you a question while you look at some pictures. Listen carefully because I can only read the question once. After I read it, fill in the circle under the picture that answers the question.”

Listen to the question: Oliver was so excited because his cat just had 4 kittens. Two of the kittens were white, one was black and one was orange. Fill in the circle under the picture that shows Oliver’s new kittens.

3.) Math- Level 5 (Kindergarten 1 mo- Grade 1.5 mos)

Parents: Please read these questions to your child and circle the answer they give.

How many birds are shown below?

a)  3

b) 4

c) 5

d) 6

4.) Reading (Pictures)- Level 5 (Kindergarten 1 mo. – Grade 1.5 mos.)

Parent say to your child: Look at the picture on the left. Then decide which of the 3 words you see best describes the picture. Fill in the circle beneath the word that best describes the picture.

5.) Vocabulary- Level 5 (Kindergarten 1 mo. – Grade 1.5 mos.)

Parent say to your child: Look at the 3 pictures in a row. I’m going to say a word to you. Then you will fill in the circle under the picture that belongs with the word that I say.

Listen to the word I say. The word is “paw.” Can you mark the picture that best goes with the word “paw?”

Answers:

1.) Answer 1, 1st picture above the circle

2.) Answer 1, 1st picture above the bubble

3.) d

4.) 2nd word above the bubble

5.) 2nd picture above the bubble

Tell us about your experiences

6 Responses

Wakeshia

Hello,

I will be opening a preschool and wish to know how to have this packet for our utilization. Please assist and thank you for your time.

Elda

I would like to help my students prepare for testing.

TestingMom.com

Hi Elda –

We have many teachers that use our services to help prepare their students for testing! Please email or call us and we’ll be happy to help you!

All the best,

Marcus

wdaugherty@faithfamilyacademy.org

Is there a written version that can be used to expose the kindergarten students to the test format? I’d like to practice showing them what it will look like and how to fill in bubbles, but I am having a difficult time finding any resources. Do any exist?

Mae

We want to prepare our pK-2 parents and treachers on the areas of need for the children in our care.

We are looking at our students get a clearer understanding of the proper handling of prepositions and comparative and superlative.

We used Iowa Assessments and ITBS Test (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) for these students of ours in the spring of 2023.

The areas of weakness: Prepositions, Comparative and Superlatives applications

We need practice tests to monitor for effective teaching and learning.

TestingMom.com

Hi Mae, The Iowa Assessments and ITBS Test are valuable tools for identifying areas of strength and areas that require further attention. It’s essential to note that areas of “weakness” are merely opportunities for growth, and with the right resources and dedication, students can show significant improvement.

To address the areas you mentioned – Prepositions and the use of Comparative and Superlatives:
Prepositions: These can be tricky as they often don’t translate directly from one language to another, and their use can be idiomatic. Interactive games, picture associations, and regular practice sentences can be helpful. Encourage teachers to use visual aids and real-life examples to teach prepositions in context.

Comparative and Superlatives: These are foundational concepts in English grammar. Using real-life comparisons, storytelling, and interactive games can help solidify their understanding. For instance, discussing heights of different family members (tall, taller, tallest) or comparing objects in the classroom.

Good news as far as practice materials! We have thousands of practices questions for the ITBS test – we have printables and online interactive questions.

See if TestingMom.com supports your child’s test by your school district. If you don't see your child's school district listed, check with us! We have practice for other tests as well.