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100+ Free AK STAR ELA Grade 4 Practice Questions

Prepare for the Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR) English Language Arts, Grade 4 exam with instant access — no signup required.

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Key Facts: AK STAR ELA Grade 4 Exam

AK STAR Grade 4 ELA is Alaska's spring adaptive statewide reading, language, and writing assessment for grade 4 (~66 items, ~180 minutes estimated), with results reported as Needs Support through Advanced.

Sample AK STAR ELA Grade 4 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your AK STAR ELA Grade 4 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Read the passage. Lena pressed her face to the bus window as spruce trees flashed by. Today she would see her cousins in Fairbanks for the first time since winter. Her backpack held a wooden toy dog she had carved and painted herself. She hoped they would like it as much as she liked making it. When the bus finally stopped, her cousins waved both arms. Lena’s stomach fluttered. She stepped down, held out the little dog, and said, “I made this for you.” Her cousins’ eyes widened. “It’s perfect,” they said together. Lena’s shoulders dropped, and she smiled. What is the theme of this passage?
A.Handmade gifts can show care and bring people closer.
B.Bus rides are the best way to travel in Alaska.
C.Wooden toys are better than store-bought toys.
D.Cousins should visit only in the summer.
Explanation: The story focuses on Lena’s careful gift and her cousins’ warm reaction, teaching that a handmade gift can express love and strengthen family bonds.
2Read the passage. Marcus stood at the edge of the icy pond. His friends already skated in wide circles, laughing. Marcus’s skates felt heavy. Last year he had fallen hard and still remembered the sting. He took one careful step, then another. His ankles wobbled, but he stayed upright. By the third lap, he was gliding—not fast, but steady—and a small grin spread across his face. Which detail best shows that Marcus is becoming more confident?
A.His skates felt heavy at first.
B.By the third lap he was gliding and grinning.
C.He remembered falling the year before.
D.His friends skated in wide circles.
Explanation: The change from fear to gliding with a grin shows growing confidence. That detail marks the shift in his feelings and skill.
3Read the passage. The old cabin sat on a hill above the river. Wind rattled the shutters like restless fingers. Inside, dust floated in a stripe of afternoon light. A single chair waited by the cold stove, as if someone might return at any moment. What is the mood of this passage?
A.Cheerful and noisy
B.Angry and dangerous
C.Quiet and a little lonely
D.Silly and playful
Explanation: Details such as rattling shutters, dust in light, and an empty chair by a cold stove create a quiet, lonely mood.
4Read the passage. Sofia wanted to join the school choir, but she was sure her voice was too small. On tryout day she almost stayed home. Then she remembered her grandma’s words: “Brave is doing the thing even when your knees shake.” Sofia walked onto the stage, sang one verse, and heard the teacher clap. From whose point of view is this story told?
A.First person, from Sofia’s own “I” voice
B.Second person, speaking directly to “you” the reader
C.First person, from the teacher’s point of view
D.Third person, focusing on Sofia’s thoughts and actions
Explanation: The narrator uses “Sofia” and “she,” not “I,” and reveals Sofia’s thoughts, so it is third-person limited to Sofia.
5Read the passage. Every afternoon, Jamal fed the neighborhood cats that gathered behind the bakery. He set out bowls of water and bits of dry food. One rainy day, a thin gray cat limped toward him. Jamal gently wrapped it in his jacket and carried it to the animal clinic two blocks away. The next week the cat returned, healthier, and rubbed against his legs as if to say thank you. Which sentence best states the main idea of the passage?
A.Jamal helps neighborhood cats, including one that needs special care.
B.Bakeries attract cats that like dry food.
C.Rainy days make cats limp and get sick.
D.Animal clinics are only two blocks from most homes.
Explanation: The passage centers on Jamal’s caring actions for the cats, highlighted by rescuing the injured gray cat.
6Read the passage. “You always take the biggest piece!” Nina snapped, glaring at her brother. Leo’s eyes widened. “I was saving the corner piece for you—you said you like the frosting roses,” he said softly, sliding the plate toward her. Nina’s cheeks warmed. She had not heard the whole story before she spoke. What does this dialogue mainly show about Nina?
A.She never likes cake with frosting roses.
B.She jumps to conclusions and then feels sorry.
C.She wants Leo to bake a new cake.
D.She is proud of taking the biggest piece.
Explanation: Nina snaps before understanding, then her warm cheeks show embarrassment once Leo explains, so she jumped to a conclusion and feels regret.
7Read the poem. Snowflakes stitch a silver shawl Across the quiet street. Boots leave temporary maps Wherever children meet. In the poem, “Snowflakes stitch a silver shawl” is an example of —
A.simile, comparing snow to a shawl using like or as
B.onomatopoeia, using a sound word
C.metaphor, saying snowflakes make a shawl without like or as
D.hyperbole, an extreme exaggeration
Explanation: The line states that snowflakes “stitch a silver shawl,” treating the snow cover as a shawl without using like or as—that is a metaphor.
8Read the passage. Akiak the sled dog leaned into the harness. The musher’s voice cut through the wind: “Haw!” The team curved left around a snowy bend. Ahead, the trail climbed a ridge where the sky glowed pale green. Akiak’s breath made little clouds, but his paws kept a steady rhythm. He had run this path before, and he knew the way home. What is the setting of this passage?
A.A warm kitchen on a rainy night
B.A busy city street in summer
C.A classroom during a science test
D.A snowy trail during a sled-dog run
Explanation: Details such as the harness, musher’s command, snowy bend, and trail show a sled-dog run on a snowy trail.
9Read the passage. Paragraph 1: When the school play was announced, Priya wanted the lead role. She practiced every line until she could say them in her sleep. Paragraph 2: On audition day her voice shook, but she finished the scene. The director smiled and wrote something on a clipboard. Paragraph 3: The cast list went up on Friday. Priya’s name was not next to the lead. Instead she was listed as stage manager. At first she felt disappointed. Then she realized she would organize props, cues, and backstage traffic—jobs that made the whole show work. By opening night she stood in the wings, proud of every smooth scene change. How is this story mostly structured?
A.Problem, attempt, and a new understanding of success
B.Compare and contrast of two plays
C.Step-by-step instructions for building a stage
D.A list of reasons why plays are popular
Explanation: Priya wants the lead, auditions, faces disappointment, then finds pride in a different role—problem, attempt, and a new understanding.
10Read the passage. “The river is too high,” said Uncle Ben. “We should wait.” “But the fish are running now,” argued Tara. “If we wait, we might miss them.” Uncle Ben studied the dark water. Finally he nodded. “We’ll try the shallow eddy, not the main current. Safety first, fish second.” What is the conflict in this passage?
A.Uncle Ben and Tara disagree about what kind of fish to catch.
B.Tara wants to fish now; Uncle Ben worries about dangerous water.
C.The fish refuse to swim into the shallow eddy.
D.Tara wants to stay home while Uncle Ben wants to leave.
Explanation: The conflict is their disagreement: Tara wants to fish while the run is on; Uncle Ben is concerned the river is too high and unsafe.

About the AK STAR ELA Grade 4 Exam

AK STAR Grade 4 English Language Arts is Alaska's spring statewide summative ELA assessment for students in grade 4, administered by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development with NWEA. It measures Alaska English Language Arts Standards through an item-adaptive design that yields both an on-grade summative achievement level and MAP Growth RIT scores. Official item types include selected-response, technology-enhanced, and a constructed-response writing task. Practice questions on OpenExamPrep are free English-language multiple-choice study aids aligned to reading, language, and writing standards; they do not replace authentic passage analysis, official platform practice tests, or the constructed-response writing experience.

Questions

66 scored questions

Time Limit

About 180 minutes estimated; not strictly timed; may be administered in multiple school-day sessions.

Passing Score

Reported in four achievement levels: Needs Support, Approaching Proficient, Proficient, and Advanced (Alaska DEED AK STAR / Science score reports).

Exam Fee

Free for eligible Alaska public school students; AK STAR and the Alaska Science Assessment are state-required summative assessments administered by districts at no cost to families. (Alaska DEED in partnership with NWEA (MAP Growth connected spring summative))

AK STAR ELA Grade 4 Exam Content Outline

~40-50% of study emphasis

Reading Literature & Informational

Key details, central ideas, inferences, text structure, craft, and evidence across literary and informational passages.

~20-25%

Language

Grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and vocabulary in context.

~20-30%

Writing Judgment

Thesis and evidence selection, organization, revision choices, purpose and audience, and style—adapted from the official constructed-response writing focus.

How to Pass the AK STAR ELA Grade 4 Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Reported in four achievement levels: Needs Support, Approaching Proficient, Proficient, and Advanced (Alaska DEED AK STAR / Science score reports).
  • Exam length: 66 questions
  • Time limit: About 180 minutes estimated; not strictly timed; may be administered in multiple school-day sessions.
  • Exam fee: Free for eligible Alaska public school students; AK STAR and the Alaska Science Assessment are state-required summative assessments administered by districts at no cost to families.

Keys to Passing

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

AK STAR ELA Grade 4 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Read grade-level literary and informational passages and practice citing text evidence for each claim.
2Review Alaska ELA language standards for grammar, usage, and vocabulary in context.
3Practice planning a short written response with a clear claim, evidence, and concluding sentence even though this bank uses MCQ format.
4Use DEED/NWEA official practice tests to learn platform tools (drag-and-drop, multi-select, drop-downs).
5Build stamina with timed 20–30 minute reading sets before the spring window.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the AK STAR Grade 4 ELA assessment?

It is Alaska's required spring English language arts summative for grade 4 students, part of the Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR) run by DEED with NWEA.

Is the official test all multiple choice?

No. Official AK STAR ELA uses multiple item types plus a constructed-response writing task. This site offers English MCQ study adaptations only.

How long is the Grade 4 ELA test?

DEED estimates about 180 minutes total for the online adaptive form; schools may split testing across sessions and assessments are not strictly timed.

How many questions are on the official test?

About 66 total ELA items for Grade 4 on the online adaptive form per DEED Test Administration Directions (summative and growth components combined).

What do scores mean?

Students receive achievement levels (Needs Support, Approaching Proficient, Proficient, Advanced) plus MAP Growth RIT information connected to fall/winter interims.

Is there a testing fee?

No family fee for eligible public school students; districts administer the required state assessment.