100+ Free Alberta PAT Practice Questions

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The branch of Canadian government responsible for interpreting laws and settling legal disputes is the:

Judicial branch

Advertising branch

Sports branch

Legislative branch

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Key Facts: Alberta PAT Exam

The Alberta PATs are Grade 6 and Grade 9 provincial standardized tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies; this free bank drills the multiple-choice portion. There is no Grade 3 PAT.

Sample Alberta PAT Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Alberta PAT exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In a story, a character is described as someone who "never gave up, even when everyone told her the dream was impossible." Which word best describes this character?

A.Persistent

B.Careless

C.Timid

D.Forgetful

Explanation: Persistent means continuing to try despite difficulty or opposition, which matches a character who never gives up even when discouraged. Grade 6 reading on the PAT often asks students to infer a character trait from described actions.

2A reading passage is organized with a heading, several paragraphs, and a labelled diagram. What is the main purpose of including the labelled diagram?

A.To help the reader understand information in the text visually

B.To make the page longer

C.To replace the need to read the paragraphs

D.To show the author's opinion

Explanation: Text features such as labelled diagrams support comprehension by presenting information visually alongside the written text. The Grade 6 ELA test expects students to identify the function of text features.

3Read this sentence: "The thunder roared like an angry giant stomping across the sky." What literary device is used?

A.Simile

B.Alliteration

C.Pun

D.Rhyme

Explanation: A simile compares two things using the words "like" or "as," and here the thunder is compared to an angry giant using "like." Identifying figurative language is a common Grade 6 reading skill.

4A paragraph begins: "There are several reasons why recycling matters. First, it saves natural resources. Second, it reduces landfill waste." What is the main idea of this paragraph?

A.Recycling is important for more than one reason

B.Landfills are full

C.Natural resources are running out today

D.Everyone should buy new products

Explanation: The topic sentence states that recycling matters for several reasons, and the supporting details list those reasons. Determining the main idea from a topic sentence and supporting details is a core PAT reading skill.

5In a passage, a boy looks out the window, sighs, and slowly puts away his soccer cleats as rain pours down. What can the reader most likely infer?

A.He is disappointed that he cannot play soccer

B.He is excited about the rain

C.He is afraid of the dark

D.He has never played soccer before

Explanation: The clues (sighing, slowly putting away cleats, rain) suggest the boy wanted to play soccer but cannot because of the weather, so he feels disappointed. Inferring feelings from textual clues is tested on the Grade 6 reading PAT.

6Which sentence uses correct punctuation?

A."Where are you going?" asked Maria.

B.Where are you going. asked Maria

C."Where are you going", asked Maria?

D.where are you going? Asked Maria

Explanation: A direct question inside quotation marks ends with a question mark before the closing quotation mark, and the dialogue tag is lowercase and followed by a period. The Grade 6 ELA test assesses conventions including punctuation of dialogue.

7An author writes an article to convince readers that schools should serve healthier lunches. What is the author's main purpose?

A.To persuade

B.To entertain

C.To tell a fictional story

D.To give directions for a recipe

Explanation: Writing intended to convince readers to adopt a viewpoint or take action has a persuasive purpose. Identifying author's purpose is a reading-comprehension skill on the PAT.

8Read this line from a poem: "The wind whispered secrets through the willow trees." What does the poet suggest by saying the wind "whispered"?

A.The wind made a soft, gentle sound

B.The wind was very loud and harmful

C.There were people talking nearby

D.The trees were cut down

Explanation: Personification gives the wind a human action, "whispered," to suggest a soft, gentle sound moving through the trees. Interpreting figurative meaning is a Grade 6 reading skill.

9In an informational article about polar bears, the word "adaptation" is used. Based on context describing thick fur that keeps bears warm, what does "adaptation" most likely mean?

A.A feature that helps a living thing survive in its environment

B.A type of cold weather

C.A scientific tool

D.A place where bears live

Explanation: Using context clues, an adaptation is a trait such as thick fur that helps an organism survive in its surroundings. Determining word meaning from context is a key Grade 6 reading skill.

10A Grade 9 reading passage presents two opposing viewpoints on banning single-use plastics, each supported by evidence. What text structure does this passage use?

A.Compare and contrast

B.Chronological sequence

C.How-to instructions

D.Alphabetical listing

Explanation: Presenting two opposing viewpoints side by side, each with evidence, uses a compare-and-contrast structure. Grade 9 ELA readers analyze how text structure shapes meaning.

About the Alberta PAT Exam

The Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) are Alberta's standardized assessments written by all students in Grades 6 and 9 to measure achievement against the provincial Programs of Study. PATs are administered in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. There is no Grade 3 PAT. Each subject test includes machine-scored selected-response (multiple-choice) items, and the humanities subjects also include separately scored written-response components. Tests are delivered on the Digital Assessment Platform or on paper during May and June windows, with some Grade 9 students writing in January. Results report whether students meet the acceptable standard or the standard of excellence rather than a pass or fail. This free practice bank covers the selected-response portions across all four subjects for both grades.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

Per subject, about 60-90 minutes with extra time permitted

Passing Score

No pass or fail; results report the acceptable standard and the standard of excellence

Exam Fee

Free for students in publicly funded Alberta schools (Alberta Education, Provincial Assessment Sector (Government of Alberta))

Alberta PAT Exam Content Outline

Reading component

English Language Arts (Reading)

Reading comprehension of narrative and informational texts: main idea, inference, vocabulary in context, text features, figurative language, point of view, and author's purpose. The selected-response reading section is machine-scored; writing is a separate component.

All math strands

Mathematics

Number, patterns and relations, shape and space, and statistics and probability, spanning Grade 6 (fractions, decimals, percent, patterns, area, data) and Grade 9 (exponents, polynomials, linear relations, circle geometry, surface area).

All science units

Science

Grade 6 units (Air and Aerodynamics, Flight, Sky Science, Trees and Forests, Evidence and Investigation) and Grade 9 units (Biological Diversity, Matter and Chemical Change, Environmental Chemistry, Electrical Principles and Technologies, Space Exploration), plus scientific inquiry skills.

All social studies topics

Social Studies

Grade 6 democracy and citizenship (Ancient Athens, the Iroquois/Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and Canadian government) and Grade 9 Issues for Canadians (governance and rights, the Charter, and economic systems in Canada and the United States).

How to Pass the Alberta PAT Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: No pass or fail; results report the acceptable standard and the standard of excellence
Exam length: 100 questions
Time limit: Per subject, about 60-90 minutes with extra time permitted
Exam fee: Free for students in publicly funded Alberta schools

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Alberta PAT Study Tips from Top Performers

1Practise reading comprehension with both narrative and informational passages, focusing on main idea, inference, and vocabulary in context, which appear throughout the English Language Arts selected-response section.

2Review every Grade 6 science unit (Air and Aerodynamics, Flight, Sky Science, Trees and Forests, Evidence and Investigation) or every Grade 9 unit (Biological Diversity, Matter and Chemical Change, Environmental Chemistry, Electrical Principles and Technologies, Space Exploration) so no topic is a surprise.

3For mathematics, drill all four strands: number, patterns and relations, shape and space, and statistics and probability, and show your work to catch place-value and order-of-operations errors.

4In Social Studies, compare the models of democracy in Grade 6 (Ancient Athens and the Iroquois Confederacy) and master the Charter, levels of government, and Canada-versus-United States economic systems in Grade 9.

5Use the official released PAT items and Assessment Highlights from Alberta Education to get used to the exact wording and style of selected-response questions.

6Practise distinguishing observations from inferences and identifying manipulated, responding, and controlled variables, since scientific inquiry questions appear across the science test.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which grades write the Alberta PAT?

Students write Provincial Achievement Tests in Grade 6 and Grade 9. There is no Grade 3 PAT. The Grade 6 and Grade 9 tests cover English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.

Is there a Grade 3 PAT in Alberta?

No. There is no Grade 3 Provincial Achievement Test. PATs are administered only in Grade 6 and Grade 9. Younger grades may use other classroom and screening assessments, but those are not PATs.

What format are the PAT questions?

PATs include machine-scored selected-response (multiple-choice) questions in every subject. The humanities subjects (English Language Arts and Social Studies) also include written-response components that are scored separately. This practice bank focuses on the multiple-choice portion.

How are PAT results reported?

There is no pass or fail. Results are reported against two standards: the acceptable standard, reflecting adequate provincial expectations, and the standard of excellence, reflecting high achievement. Schools use the results to inform teaching and provincial reporting.

Do students have to pay to write the PAT?

No. The Provincial Achievement Tests are written at no cost as part of provincial assessment in publicly funded Alberta schools. There is no exam fee for students.

When are the PATs administered?

The PATs are mainly written during test windows in May and June, with some Grade 9 tests offered in January. Schools schedule the specific dates within the provincial windows set by Alberta Education.