English Learners Quiz

WIDA’s Test for English Learners: Try Sample Questions

By Ileana Najarro & Gina Tomko — May 24, 2024 1 min read
Laptop Checklist 052024 1251676666 [Converted] 01
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The WIDA ACCESS language proficiency test is used across close to 40 states as part of the federal requirement to determine whether English learners continue to need language-development services.

The summative test covers four English-language domains: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. It is built off of the language-assessment group WIDA’s language development standards, and test questions align with content students see in regular classrooms, WIDA experts said. The topics covered in various questions are rooted in math, science, and social studies concepts.

Consistent, quality language instruction and practice across the school day from both general education teachers and specialists is key for English learners, especially as data show that average proficiency scores on the ACCESS test continue to decline after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

See Also

ELL Girl Laptop 052024 176654360
Marilyn Nieves/Getty

Researchers and specialists say general education teachers could benefit from understanding the ACCESS test, which is given both online and on paper, and its scoring to help English learners’ language development. WIDA provides free sample questions and scoring guides online.

For a snapshot of reading questions from both the online and paper versions of the test, take the quiz below. It features questions provided by WIDA across grade-level clusters, and levels of difficulty within these clusters (known as lettered tiers).

The format has been edited for length and clarity, and the quiz does not feature the adaptive quality of the online test, where difficulty levels increase or decrease based on students’ responses to prior questions.

Teachers can try out practice online exam questions across all four domains in the format students experience through WIDA’s website.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
(Re)Focus on Dyslexia: Moving Beyond Diagnosis & Toward Transformation
Move beyond dyslexia diagnoses & focus on effective literacy instruction for ALL students. Join us to learn research-based strategies that benefit learners in PreK-8.
Content provided by EPS Learning
Classroom Technology Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Is AI Out to Take Your Job or Help You Do It Better?
With all of the uncertainty K-12 educators have around what AI means might mean for the future, how can the field best prepare young people for an AI-powered future?
Special Education K-12 Essentials Forum Understanding Learning Differences
Join this free virtual event for insights that will help educators better understand and support students with learning differences.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

English Learners What Schools Can Do to Help Immigrant Students Succeed
Researchers and educators recently shared advice on how to best work with immigrant students and English learners.
5 min read
Eric Hoover teaches his class of immigrant and refugee students at McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pa., on Feb. 15, 2017. The Lancaster community runs an "international school" on its main high school campus to help the waves of new arrivals sponsored by local resettlement agencies learn English and adjust to American schools.
Eric Hoover teaches his class of immigrant and refugee students at McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pa., on Feb. 15, 2017. A few key practices rooted in empathy can move schools beyond merely complying with their legal obligations to English learners.
Michael Rubinkam/AP
English Learners Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Has Consequences. What Schools Can Do to Help
As falsehoods circulate about Haitian residents of Springfield, Ohio, schools can help immigrant students feel safe and welcome.
6 min read
Alexis Osborn, left, and Mireida Alvarado share a laugh while reading a book together during kindergarten class at Fairview Elementary in Carthage, Mo.
Students share a laugh while reading a book together during kindergarten class at Fairview Elementary in Carthage, Mo. As former President Donald Trump continues to share anti-immigrant rhetoric on the presidential campaign trail, educators say it it's even more crucial to create a welcoming environment for all students.
Roger Nomer/The Joplin Globe via AP
English Learners What Schools Can Do So They Don't Exclude English Learners From Core Courses
Data from two states show that certain English learners tend to have less access to core academic courses they need to graduate.
4 min read
Photo of Hispanic teacher helping Hispanic elementary school boy using a tablet computer
iStock/Getty
English Learners Amid Political Attacks on Ohio Immigrants, How Schools Can Support Newcomers
Former President Trump's anti-immigrant rumors shed light on how an Ohio town's schools have helped newcomers.
5 min read
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept.10, 2024, in Philadelphia.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia. He shared anti-immigrant rhetoric targeting the Haitian immigrant community of Springfield, Ohio.
Alex Brandon/AP