The Iowa Tests are achievement tests published by the University of Iowa and are part of the “The Iowa Testing Programs.” The two most commonly-given Iowa Tests are the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Iowa Assessments. Both are achievement tests, meaning they assess a child’s knowledge of what they have learned in school and are not cognitive or IQ tests. Despite the name, many states and private schools administer Iowa Tests.
ITBS Tests and Iowa Assessments Grades and Levels
Age Grade Test Level 5 K.1-1.5 5 6 K.7-1.9 6 7 1.7-2.3 7 8 2.3-3.2 8 9 3 9 10 4 10 11 5 11 12 6 12 13 7 13 14 8 14 15 9 15 16 10 16 17 11 17 18 12 18 Decimals in the "Grade" column indicate the month of the school year. For example, K.1–1.5 means the first month of kindergarten through the fifth month of first grade.
Iowa Assessments and ITBS Subtests There are five main subtests, which are further broken down into sub-categories that progress with test level. The five subtests are as follows:
Language Arts Reading Mathematics Science Social Studies
ITBS and Iowa Assessments: Language Arts The Language Arts subtest for Levels 9–14 is broken down into the following categories:
Written Expression Vocabulary Conventions of Writing, which can be further broken down into Spelling, Capitalization, and Punctuation
In Level 9, specifically, Word Analysis and Listening are administered as two additional sub-categories.
As students advance to higher test levels, more sub-categories are administered. Among those sub-categories are:
Usage and Grammar Sentence Structure Planning and Organization Appropriate Expression Mechanics
ITBS and Iowa Assessments: Reading The Reading subtest is administered in two parts for all test levels. In the early levels (5/6), the Reading subtest assesses student comprehension and word recognition, while in the remaining levels (7–18), Reading includes the following sub-categories, each progressing in difficulty as test levels increase:
Literary Text Informational Text Vocabulary Explicit Meaning Implicit Meaning Key Ideas Author's Craft
ITBS and Iowa Assessments: Mathematics
The Mathematics subtest contains these same sub-categories in every level:
Number Sense and Operations Algebraic Patterns and Connections Geometry Measurement Beginning from Level 7, new sub-categories are introduced as follows:
Levels 7–8: Data Analysis, Probability, and Statistics In addition to this sub-category, a Computation subtest may be administered. This subtest examines student ability to compute using whole numbers.
Levels 9–14: The sub-categories remain the same as Levels 7/8. However, the Math subtest is administered in two parts, each containing more questions with a progressively increasing time constraint corresponding to level advancement. Additionally, the Computation subtest expands to include computation of fractions and decimals, as well as algebraic manipulations.
Levels 15–18: The Math subtest in each of these levels is administered as one test with a larger time constraint. The Computation subtest expands to include computation of percentages and integers.
ITBS and Iowa Assessments: Science The Science subtest is administered to Levels 7 and up. There are only three sub-categories included in all levels of the test, each increasing in difficulty with level progression. The sub-categories are as follows:
Life Science Earth and Space Science Physical Science Please note that the 3rd Grade Iowa Assessments practice pack does not include preparation materials for the science subtest.
ITBS and Iowa Assessments: Social Studies The Social Studies subtest is administered to Levels 7 and up. There are only four sub-categories included in all levels of the test, each increasing in difficulty with level progression:
History Geography Economics Civics and Government
Join 4M+ learners. Unlock unlimited quizzes, wrong-answer tracking, flashcards + reminders, study guides, and 1-on-1 challenges.