The Iowa test of Basic Skills (ITBS) is a nationally standardized norm-referenced test (NRT). The test examines skills in various subjects such as math and Language arts. The participants are usually scored in percentages, and also in comparison to other participants across the country. The test was developed in the University of Iowa, based on over seventy years of ongoing research. The exam measures the skill and achievement of students from kindergarten to grade eight with the objective of providing an in-depth measure of important educational objectives. The ITBS provides reliable information about the students’ skill development as well as critical reasoning, in comparison to their peers.

The subjects offered on the test are reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies and science. It is administered at the beginning of the school year to students enrolled in grade 3, 5, and 8. ITBS produces a developmental standard Score (SS). This is a number that describes a student’s location on the scale. There is also a National percentile rank (NPR) score, which compares the scores of students from different schools and districts. The core total score is the combined scores recorded from both the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the Iowa Test of Educational Development.
Here is a brief description of the content and the skills measured by the separate tests that make up the ITBS. There is also a practice page in the test that has six questions that cover many test areas.  The main components of the test are:

• Vocabulary. This measures listening to vocabulary, for levels 5 and 6. Here, students listen to a word or words used in a sentence and choose a pictorial response option.
• Word Analysis. This tests letters’ recognition, as well as letter sound relationships. No written words are used in level 5.
• Reading comprehension.  The test presents students with a variety of tasks, which progressively require more independence in reading. It also includes using point context and tells about a picture by filling in the word in the blank.
• Listening. Short oral sentences are presented here, and then one or more multiple choice questions are read. Since all responses to the questions re pictorial, the scores from the test do not depend on the student’s reading abilities.

ITBS is used by the majority of schools in the state of Iowa, both in the public and private educational sectors, as well as other regions of the US.

Study HELP!

Multiple Choice. The ITBS is entirely multiple choice. Learn how to increase your score on multiple choice questions.

Reading Comprehension.   How to increase your score on reading comprehension questions >>>



Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) Practice Test Questions


Practice Reading Comprehension Questions - (includes Main Idea and Making Inferences)
Practice Math Questions (General)
Basic Math (Very Basic - Long & Short Division, Multiplication, Decimals, Fractions, Percent etc.)
Basic Math II (Percentage, Fractions Decimals exponents, simple algebra, parentheses removal etc.)
Basic Algebra (Word Problems using basic algebra)
Exponents (Adding, subtracting and multiplying exponents and exponent fractions)

Everything you Need to Pass the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)

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ITBS Study Guide