ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS SAMPLE ITEMS - GRADE 5 - Samples for Success

Oct 10, 2026

English Language Arts Grade 5 Samples for Success provide released sample items that show how students engage with different texts, tasks, and classroom contexts. The materials link proficiency expectations to assessment measurement by pairing item analysis with performance data. Items address multiple claims, including reading literary text, reading informational text, embedded vocabulary, written expression, and conventions. Teachers can use the aligned writing rubrics, answer keys, and student samples with notes to identify strengths and areas for growth and to inform high-quality instruction.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS SAMPLE ITEMS

GRADE 5

Grade 5 – Claim 1: Reading Literary Text

Grade 5 – Claim 2: Reading Informational Text

Grade 5 – Claim 3: Reading Vocabulary

Grade 5 – Claim 4: Written Expression

Grade 5 – Claim 5: Conventions

Samples for Success Sample items provide valuable insight into how students engage with different texts, tasks, and contexts, highlighting the types of opportunities they need for success in the classroom. These items offer a shared reference point for understanding proficiency expectations, complementing the assessment's role in measuring learning. By analyzing items alongside performance data, educators can gain a deeper understanding of students' strengths and areas for growth. Students thrive in environments rich with diverse materials, challenges that vary in task type, and multiple avenues for demonstrating understanding. High-quality instruction, aligned with the learning goals, is the most effective way to support students' growth and prepare them for success. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS SAMPLE ITEMS GRADE 5 Test questions can measure a single skill or a set of knowledge and skills. The ELA test differs from other subjects in that it has fewer items overall, but each item assesses multiple skills or knowledge by asking students to demonstrate skills through performance, such as writing a response to literary or informational texts. Therefore, what differentiates the levels of performance are the degree to and quality with which a student performs. |
Grade 5 – Claim 1: Reading Literary Text | | | --- | --- | | 1st Text – P. 5-7

2nd Text– P. 12-13

Writing Task – P. 17
| Multiple items on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) are linked to a set of texts to read, often accompanied by images or multimedia. The sample item set has two sections from a literary text and a writing task. Small screenshots and page numbers are provided to help you navigate the linked sample item set.
Each text is followed by several two-part multiple-choice items. Students must select a correct response in Part A and supporting evidence in Part B. The set also has items that require different interactions, such as sequencing events where partial credit is possible.
This sample item set also contains a Literary Analysis writing task comparing two texts. Student responses are graded according to page 3 of the Literary Analysis Rubric. Literary writing tasks often contribute to a student’s Reading Comprehension score in addition to their Writing score. Student writing samples and annotations are found in the Written Expression Claim section in this document.
Two-part Multiple-choice P. 10 Sequencing Table
P. 9 Answer Key
P. 3 Answer Key
P. 4 Written Response Scoring Rubric P. 3 | |
Grade 5 – Claim 2: Reading Informational Text | | | --- | --- | | 1st Text P. 5-8

2nd Text P. 13

| Here we provide an informational text sample item set. The set contains a set of informational texts to read along with several multiple-choice items. Small screenshots and page numbers are provided to help you navigate the linked sample item set.
Each informational text is followed by several two-part multiple-choice items. Students must select a correct response in Part A and supporting evidence in Part B.
The item set also contains a Research Simulation writing task. Student responses are graded according to page 3 the Research Simulation Task Rubric. All Research Simulation writing tasks contribute to a student’s Reading Comprehension score in addition to their Writing score. Student writing samples and annotations are found in the Written Expression Claim section in this document.
Two-part Multiple-choice Writing Task Answer Key Answer Key Written Response P. 6-19 P. 11 P. 3 P. 4 Scoring Rubric P. 3 | |
Grade 5 – Claim 3: Reading Vocabulary | | | --- | --- | | | Reading vocabulary items are found within Reading Informational and Reading Literary item sets. This released item set (the same sample set from Claim 1) contains two embedded reading passages; items; and an associated answer key, which is located at the beginning of the document. (Screenshots are included to support navigati

FAQs

How do the Grade 5 ELA sample items measure student performance?

Each item can assess a single skill or multiple knowledge and skills through performance tasks such as writing responses to literary or informational texts, and the differences in performance reflect the degree and quality of student responses.

What is required in two-part multiple-choice items?

Students select a correct response in Part A and supporting evidence in Part B. Some items also involve interactions like sequencing events, where partial credit may be available.

How are writing tasks and student samples evaluated?

Student responses are graded using claim-specific rubrics, and student writing examples at different performance levels are annotated with notes explaining how the rubric criteria translate into points and scores.

Oct 10, 2026

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