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Practice tests provide students an opportunity to gain familiarity with the testing platform and technology tools that are part of the test. The MSA and Alternate MSA are administered through the same portal as the Montana English language arts and mathematics assessments for grades 3-8, so many students and teachers are familiar with the platform and general appearance of the tests. Some of the tools and interactions in the science assessments are a bit more complex and are designed to correspond with the specific phenomena being presented. Practice Tests provide the best opportunity for learning how to use graphing, simulations, online calculators, and other technology tools that appear in the science tests. A student who practices using the technology will likely find the assessment more interesting and engaging.
Please note: All AMSA items are multiple choice, with 2 or 3 answer options.
Item Interactions
Item Interactions
VIDEO: Explore the different types of items that appear on the science assessments.
Note on Practice Test Content
Note on Practice Test Content
The Practice Tests provide some insight about the level and types of content that appear on the MSA and AMSA, but many teachers and students comment that the questions are quite rigorous. We suggest considering the following when exposing your students to the Practice Tests:
Let students play! The practice tests are designed to showcase the technology tools and interactions in the test. Encourage your students to explore all of the tools found on the page, not just to focus on correct answers. (While answer keys are available, the Practice Tests do NOT generate score reports.) The Science Interims focus more on content, providing formative assessment aligned to Montana's science standards.
Keep context in mind! On the summative test, there are questions of higher, lower, or average difficulty for each standard. The online tests are computer adaptive, which means that students will receive questions tailored to their abilities. This adaptability is not programmed into the Practice Tests, and all student receive the same questions. The Practice Test is not meant to measure students' science skills and knowledge.
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