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100+ Free MAAP ELA Grade 3 Practice Questions
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75.6% of Mississippi third graders passed the initial 2025-26 third-grade reading assessment Pass Rate
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2026 Statistics
Key Facts: MAAP ELA Grade 3 Exam
49 items
Session 1 items (40 operational + 9 field test), 48 points
MDE MAAP ELA Blueprint
180 + 90 min
Session 1 multiple-choice time plus Session 2 writing time
MAAP Spring 2026 Test Administrator's Manual
350
Scale score needed for Level 3 (Passing) in Grade 3 ELA
MDE MAAP Scale Score Ranges
75.6%
Passed the initial 2025-26 third-grade reading assessment
Mississippi MDE
5 Levels
Minimal, Basic, Passing, Proficient, Advanced
Mississippi MDE Scoring Guide
MAAP ELA Grade 3 is a free, timed MDE assessment: a 180-minute Session 1 of 49 reading and language items plus a 90-minute writing session, with Level 3 (scale score 350) required for promotion under the Literacy-Based Promotion Act.
Sample MAAP ELA Grade 3 Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your MAAP ELA Grade 3 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 below before answering the question. The Mystery of the Whispering Oak (1) Leo and his younger sister Nina loved exploring the town park behind their grandmother’s house. At the center of the park stood a giant oak tree with thick, twisting branches. People in town called it the Whispering Oak because whenever an easterly wind blew, a soft whistling sound echoed from its branches. Leo believed the tree was inhabited by friendly forest ghosts, while Nina, who loved science, suspected there was a logical explanation. (2) One breezy Tuesday afternoon, as the wind blew in from the east, Nina decided to investigate. Armed with a magnifying glass and a notepad, she climbed onto the lowest branch of the oak tree. Leo watched nervously from below, warning her to be careful of the tree’s magical spells. Nina carefully inspected the main trunk and noticed a hollow branch with a tiny hole drilled by a woodpecker long ago. When the wind blew through the narrow opening, it produced a musical whistling tone, just like blowing across the top of an empty glass bottle. (3) "I found the ghost!" Nina laughed, pointing to the hollow branch. Leo climbed up beside her and smiled when he saw the wind blowing through the hole. Realizing the tree was perfectly safe, the siblings decided to build a small wooden birdhouse and hang it from the hollow branch so songbirds could nest near the natural whistle. According to paragraph 2, what actually causes the whistling sound coming from the oak tree?
A.Magical forest ghosts singing inside the tree trunk
B.Wind blowing through a small hole in a hollow branch
C.Songbirds whistling together on the lowest branch
D.Nina blowing across the top of an empty glass bottle
Explanation: Paragraph 2 states that Nina discovered a hollow branch with a tiny hole drilled by a woodpecker. When the wind blew through the opening, it produced a musical whistling tone.
2Read the passage below before answering the question. The Mystery of the Whispering Oak (1) Leo and his younger sister Nina loved exploring the town park behind their grandmother’s house. At the center of the park stood a giant oak tree with thick, twisting branches. People in town called it the Whispering Oak because whenever an easterly wind blew, a soft whistling sound echoed from its branches. Leo believed the tree was inhabited by friendly forest ghosts, while Nina, who loved science, suspected there was a logical explanation. (2) One breezy Tuesday afternoon, as the wind blew in from the east, Nina decided to investigate. Armed with a magnifying glass and a notepad, she climbed onto the lowest branch of the oak tree. Leo watched nervously from below, warning her to be careful of the tree’s magical spells. Nina carefully inspected the main trunk and noticed a hollow branch with a tiny hole drilled by a woodpecker long ago. When the wind blew through the narrow opening, it produced a musical whistling tone, just like blowing across the top of an empty glass bottle. (3) "I found the ghost!" Nina laughed, pointing to the hollow branch. Leo climbed up beside her and smiled when he saw the wind blowing through the hole. Realizing the tree was perfectly safe, the siblings decided to build a small wooden birdhouse and hang it from the hollow branch so songbirds could nest near the natural whistle. How does Nina demonstrate that she is curious and scientific?
A.She investigates the tree using a magnifying glass and notepad.
B.She warns Leo to stay away from the magical forest ghosts.
C.She asks her grandmother to chop down the hollow branch.
D.She hides behind a bush until the wind stops blowing.
Explanation: Paragraph 2 describes Nina bringing a magnifying glass and notepad, climbing the branch, and inspecting the trunk to find a logical explanation.
3Read the passage below before answering the question. The Mystery of the Whispering Oak (1) Leo and his younger sister Nina loved exploring the town park behind their grandmother’s house. At the center of the park stood a giant oak tree with thick, twisting branches. People in town called it the Whispering Oak because whenever an easterly wind blew, a soft whistling sound echoed from its branches. Leo believed the tree was inhabited by friendly forest ghosts, while Nina, who loved science, suspected there was a logical explanation. (2) One breezy Tuesday afternoon, as the wind blew in from the east, Nina decided to investigate. Armed with a magnifying glass and a notepad, she climbed onto the lowest branch of the oak tree. Leo watched nervously from below, warning her to be careful of the tree’s magical spells. Nina carefully inspected the main trunk and noticed a hollow branch with a tiny hole drilled by a woodpecker long ago. When the wind blew through the narrow opening, it produced a musical whistling tone, just like blowing across the top of an empty glass bottle. (3) "I found the ghost!" Nina laughed, pointing to the hollow branch. Leo climbed up beside her and smiled when he saw the wind blowing through the hole. Realizing the tree was perfectly safe, the siblings decided to build a small wooden birdhouse and hang it from the hollow branch so songbirds could nest near the natural whistle. What is the central message or moral of the story?
A.Children should never climb oak trees in town parks.
B.Magical forest ghosts can be heard when the wind blows east.
C.Taking time to investigate can turn fear of the unknown into understanding.
D.Woodpeckers build nests in glass bottles.
Explanation: The story shows how investigating a mysterious sound replaced Leo's fear of ghosts with scientific understanding and appreciation for nature.
4Read the passage below before answering the question. The Mystery of the Whispering Oak (1) Leo and his younger sister Nina loved exploring the town park behind their grandmother’s house. At the center of the park stood a giant oak tree with thick, twisting branches. People in town called it the Whispering Oak because whenever an easterly wind blew, a soft whistling sound echoed from its branches. Leo believed the tree was inhabited by friendly forest ghosts, while Nina, who loved science, suspected there was a logical explanation. (2) One breezy Tuesday afternoon, as the wind blew in from the east, Nina decided to investigate. Armed with a magnifying glass and a notepad, she climbed onto the lowest branch of the oak tree. Leo watched nervously from below, warning her to be careful of the tree’s magical spells. Nina carefully inspected the main trunk and noticed a hollow branch with a tiny hole drilled by a woodpecker long ago. When the wind blew through the narrow opening, it produced a musical whistling tone, just like blowing across the top of an empty glass bottle. (3) "I found the ghost!" Nina laughed, pointing to the hollow branch. Leo climbed up beside her and smiled when he saw the wind blowing through the hole. Realizing the tree was perfectly safe, the siblings decided to build a small wooden birdhouse and hang it from the hollow branch so songbirds could nest near the natural whistle. In paragraph 1, what does the phrase 'a soft whistling sound echoed from its branches' help the reader understand?
A.That the tree was talking out loud to passersby
B.That a gentle, musical sound was carried through the air by the wind
C.That the branches were breaking under heavy snow
D.That someone was blowing a real metal whistle in the park
Explanation: The phrase describes how the wind moving through the tree created a gentle, reverberating whistling noise in the park.
5Read the passage below before answering the question. The Mystery of the Whispering Oak (1) Leo and his younger sister Nina loved exploring the town park behind their grandmother’s house. At the center of the park stood a giant oak tree with thick, twisting branches. People in town called it the Whispering Oak because whenever an easterly wind blew, a soft whistling sound echoed from its branches. Leo believed the tree was inhabited by friendly forest ghosts, while Nina, who loved science, suspected there was a logical explanation. (2) One breezy Tuesday afternoon, as the wind blew in from the east, Nina decided to investigate. Armed with a magnifying glass and a notepad, she climbed onto the lowest branch of the oak tree. Leo watched nervously from below, warning her to be careful of the tree’s magical spells. Nina carefully inspected the main trunk and noticed a hollow branch with a tiny hole drilled by a woodpecker long ago. When the wind blew through the narrow opening, it produced a musical whistling tone, just like blowing across the top of an empty glass bottle. (3) "I found the ghost!" Nina laughed, pointing to the hollow branch. Leo climbed up beside her and smiled when he saw the wind blowing through the hole. Realizing the tree was perfectly safe, the siblings decided to build a small wooden birdhouse and hang it from the hollow branch so songbirds could nest near the natural whistle. How does Leo's perspective about the tree change from the beginning of the story to the end?
A.He starts out eager to climb the tree, but ends up terrified of songbirds.
B.He begins by wanting to cut the tree down, but ends up moving away from town.
C.He remains convinced that ghosts live inside the hollow branch forever.
D.At first he fears the tree is haunted, but later he smiles and helps build a birdhouse for it.
Explanation: In paragraph 1, Leo believes ghosts live in the tree and warns Nina of spells. By paragraph 3, he climbs up, smiles, and helps hang a birdhouse.
6Read the passage below before answering the question. The Lost Kite of Willow Creek (1) For three full evenings, Sam sat at his kitchen table carefully tying wooden dowels, cutting bright red paper, and gluing trailing ribbons to build a dragon kite for the annual Willow Creek Wind Festival. He could hardly wait to fly it across the open meadow. (2) On Saturday afternoon, the festival meadow was filled with colorful kites floating high in the clear blue sky. Sam unwound his string, ran into the breeze, and watched his red dragon soar above the crowd. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept down from the hills. With a sharp snap, the string broke, and the dragon kite tumbled into the top branches of a towering pine tree in Old Man Higgins’ backyard. (3) Sam’s stomach dropped. Neighbors always said Mr. Higgins was grumpy because he spent all day quietly tending his garden and rarely spoke to anyone. Clara, Sam’s best friend, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It won't hurt to ask politely," she encouraged. Taking a deep breath, Sam walked up the wooden porch steps and rang the bell. (4) When Mr. Higgins opened the door, Sam explained what happened with his kite. To Sam’s surprise, Mr. Higgins smiled warmly. "A dragon kite! I used to build box kites when I was your age," the old man said softly. He retrieved a long telescopic garden rake from his shed and carefully hooked the kite's wooden frame, lowering it safely without a single tear in the paper. What happens immediately after the strong gust of wind sweeps down from the hills?
A.The kite string breaks with a sharp snap and the kite falls into a tree.
B.Mr. Higgins comes out of his shed carrying a garden rake.
C.Sam spends three evenings gluing ribbons to his dragon kite.
D.Clara suggests going to the festival meadow to fly kites.
Explanation: Paragraph 2 states that after the strong gust of wind, the string broke with a sharp snap, and the kite tumbled into Old Man Higgins' pine tree.
7Read the passage below before answering the question. The Lost Kite of Willow Creek (1) For three full evenings, Sam sat at his kitchen table carefully tying wooden dowels, cutting bright red paper, and gluing trailing ribbons to build a dragon kite for the annual Willow Creek Wind Festival. He could hardly wait to fly it across the open meadow. (2) On Saturday afternoon, the festival meadow was filled with colorful kites floating high in the clear blue sky. Sam unwound his string, ran into the breeze, and watched his red dragon soar above the crowd. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept down from the hills. With a sharp snap, the string broke, and the dragon kite tumbled into the top branches of a towering pine tree in Old Man Higgins’ backyard. (3) Sam’s stomach dropped. Neighbors always said Mr. Higgins was grumpy because he spent all day quietly tending his garden and rarely spoke to anyone. Clara, Sam’s best friend, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It won't hurt to ask politely," she encouraged. Taking a deep breath, Sam walked up the wooden porch steps and rang the bell. (4) When Mr. Higgins opened the door, Sam explained what happened with his kite. To Sam’s surprise, Mr. Higgins smiled warmly. "A dragon kite! I used to build box kites when I was your age," the old man said softly. He retrieved a long telescopic garden rake from his shed and carefully hooked the kite's wooden frame, lowering it safely without a single tear in the paper. Why is Sam hesitant to ask Mr. Higgins for help at first?
A.Because Mr. Higgins lives in a different town far across the river
B.Because Clara tells Sam that Mr. Higgins stole his kite on purpose
C.Because neighbors rumor that Mr. Higgins is grumpy and rarely speaks
D.Because Mr. Higgins does not own a garden rake
Explanation: Paragraph 3 explains that Sam's stomach dropped because neighbors said Mr. Higgins was grumpy and rarely spoke to anyone.
8Read the passage below before answering the question. The Lost Kite of Willow Creek (1) For three full evenings, Sam sat at his kitchen table carefully tying wooden dowels, cutting bright red paper, and gluing trailing ribbons to build a dragon kite for the annual Willow Creek Wind Festival. He could hardly wait to fly it across the open meadow. (2) On Saturday afternoon, the festival meadow was filled with colorful kites floating high in the clear blue sky. Sam unwound his string, ran into the breeze, and watched his red dragon soar above the crowd. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept down from the hills. With a sharp snap, the string broke, and the dragon kite tumbled into the top branches of a towering pine tree in Old Man Higgins’ backyard. (3) Sam’s stomach dropped. Neighbors always said Mr. Higgins was grumpy because he spent all day quietly tending his garden and rarely spoke to anyone. Clara, Sam’s best friend, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It won't hurt to ask politely," she encouraged. Taking a deep breath, Sam walked up the wooden porch steps and rang the bell. (4) When Mr. Higgins opened the door, Sam explained what happened with his kite. To Sam’s surprise, Mr. Higgins smiled warmly. "A dragon kite! I used to build box kites when I was your age," the old man said softly. He retrieved a long telescopic garden rake from his shed and carefully hooked the kite's wooden frame, lowering it safely without a single tear in the paper. What moral or lesson does Sam learn in the story?
A.Never fly kites when other people are in the meadow.
B.Politeness and courage can lead to unexpected kindness from others.
C.Dragon kites are weaker than box kites.
D.Old people never enjoy hobbies like building kites.
Explanation: By bravely and politely approaching Mr. Higgins, Sam discovers that rumors were untrue and Mr. Higgins kindly helps retrieve his kite.
9Read the passage below before answering the question. The Lost Kite of Willow Creek (1) For three full evenings, Sam sat at his kitchen table carefully tying wooden dowels, cutting bright red paper, and gluing trailing ribbons to build a dragon kite for the annual Willow Creek Wind Festival. He could hardly wait to fly it across the open meadow. (2) On Saturday afternoon, the festival meadow was filled with colorful kites floating high in the clear blue sky. Sam unwound his string, ran into the breeze, and watched his red dragon soar above the crowd. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept down from the hills. With a sharp snap, the string broke, and the dragon kite tumbled into the top branches of a towering pine tree in Old Man Higgins’ backyard. (3) Sam’s stomach dropped. Neighbors always said Mr. Higgins was grumpy because he spent all day quietly tending his garden and rarely spoke to anyone. Clara, Sam’s best friend, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It won't hurt to ask politely," she encouraged. Taking a deep breath, Sam walked up the wooden porch steps and rang the bell. (4) When Mr. Higgins opened the door, Sam explained what happened with his kite. To Sam’s surprise, Mr. Higgins smiled warmly. "A dragon kite! I used to build box kites when I was your age," the old man said softly. He retrieved a long telescopic garden rake from his shed and carefully hooked the kite's wooden frame, lowering it safely without a single tear in the paper. In paragraph 4, what is the meaning of the word 'retrieved'?
A.Broke into small pieces
B.Threw far away into the forest
C.Purchased from a local toy store
D.Fetched or brought out from a storage area
Explanation: The text says Mr. Higgins 'retrieved a long telescopic garden rake from his shed', meaning he fetched or brought it out.
10Read the passage below before answering the question. The Lost Kite of Willow Creek (1) For three full evenings, Sam sat at his kitchen table carefully tying wooden dowels, cutting bright red paper, and gluing trailing ribbons to build a dragon kite for the annual Willow Creek Wind Festival. He could hardly wait to fly it across the open meadow. (2) On Saturday afternoon, the festival meadow was filled with colorful kites floating high in the clear blue sky. Sam unwound his string, ran into the breeze, and watched his red dragon soar above the crowd. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept down from the hills. With a sharp snap, the string broke, and the dragon kite tumbled into the top branches of a towering pine tree in Old Man Higgins’ backyard. (3) Sam’s stomach dropped. Neighbors always said Mr. Higgins was grumpy because he spent all day quietly tending his garden and rarely spoke to anyone. Clara, Sam’s best friend, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It won't hurt to ask politely," she encouraged. Taking a deep breath, Sam walked up the wooden porch steps and rang the bell. (4) When Mr. Higgins opened the door, Sam explained what happened with his kite. To Sam’s surprise, Mr. Higgins smiled warmly. "A dragon kite! I used to build box kites when I was your age," the old man said softly. He retrieved a long telescopic garden rake from his shed and carefully hooked the kite's wooden frame, lowering it safely without a single tear in the paper. How would an illustration of Mr. Higgins smiling while holding his garden rake best support the reader's understanding of paragraph 4?
A.It would visually confirm that Mr. Higgins is friendly and willing to help Sam.
B.It would show that the dragon kite was torn into shreds.
C.It would prove that Sam should have stayed away from the house.
D.It would explain why the wind broke the kite string.
Explanation: An illustration of a smiling Mr. Higgins with his rake reinforces the text's description of his warmth and helpful action.
About the MAAP ELA Grade 3 Exam
The Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) Grade 3 English Language Arts assessment measures student achievement on the 2016 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards. It is a timed, two-session online test covering literary and informational reading, language, and written response, and it is the assessment used for the Literacy-Based Promotion Act reading requirement. OpenExamPrep provides 100 practice questions aligned to Grade 3 MS CCRS ELA standards.
Assessment
Two timed online sessions: Session 1 (multiple-choice and technology-enhanced items covering Reading Literature, Reading Informational Texts, and Language) and Session 2 (two short writing prompts). Session 1 and Session 2 are combined into one total score.
Time Limit
180 minutes for Session 1 plus 90 minutes for Session 2 (two 45-minute writing prompts)
Passing Score
Scale score 350 or above (Level 3, Passing) on the 301-399 Grade 3 ELA scale. Under the Literacy-Based Promotion Act, a Grade 3 student must reach Level 3 or above on the reading portion to be promoted unless a good cause exemption applies.
Exam Fee
No fee for public school students (Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), Office of Student Assessment, with Data Recognition Corporation (DRC))
MAAP ELA Grade 3 Exam Content Outline
38-46% of Session 1 points
Reading Literature (RL) — Session 1
Key ideas (RL.3.1-3) 23-25%, craft and structure (RL.3.4-6) 13-17%, and integration of knowledge and ideas (RL.3.7, 3.9) 2-4%: recounting stories, central message and lesson, character traits, point of view, non-literal language, and illustrations.
38-46% of Session 1 points
Reading Informational Texts (RI) — Session 1
Key ideas (RI.3.1-3) 23-25%, craft and structure (RI.3.4-6) 13-17%, and integration of knowledge and ideas (RI.3.7-9) 2-4%: main idea and key details, text features, text structures, author's purpose, and supporting evidence.
15-19% of Session 1 points
Language (L) — Session 1
L.3.4, L.3.5, and L.3.6: context clues, prefixes and suffixes, root words, word relationships, shades of meaning, and grade-appropriate academic vocabulary.
12 of 60 total points
Writing (W) — Session 2
W.3.1-3 with L.3.1-3 scored through the writing rubric: opinion, informative, and narrative short responses drawing on passage evidence, plus grammar, usage, capitalization, and punctuation.
How to Pass the MAAP ELA Grade 3 Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: Scale score 350 or above (Level 3, Passing) on the 301-399 Grade 3 ELA scale. Under the Literacy-Based Promotion Act, a Grade 3 student must reach Level 3 or above on the reading portion to be promoted unless a good cause exemption applies.
- Assessment: Two timed online sessions: Session 1 (multiple-choice and technology-enhanced items covering Reading Literature, Reading Informational Texts, and Language) and Session 2 (two short writing prompts). Session 1 and Session 2 are combined into one total score.
- Time limit: 180 minutes for Session 1 plus 90 minutes for Session 2 (two 45-minute writing prompts)
- Exam fee: No fee for public school students
Keys to Passing
- Complete 500+ practice questions
- Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
- Focus on highest-weighted sections
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
MAAP ELA Grade 3 Study Tips from Top Performers
1Read fiction stories and practice stating the main lesson, moral, or message with evidence from the text.
2Identify key details and main ideas in non-fiction articles about science or history.
3Review Grade 3 grammar topics including regular/irregular plural nouns, verb tenses, and subject-verb agreement.
4Practice using context clues and affixes (prefixes like un-, re- and suffixes like -ful, -less) to determine word meanings.
5Practice writing two short responses in 45 minutes each, since the real Session 2 is timed that way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Mississippi MAAP ELA Grade 3 test?
It is Mississippi's annual statewide assessment of the 2016 MS College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Grade 3 English Language Arts, delivered online through DRC INSIGHT in two timed sessions.
How long is the MAAP Grade 3 ELA test?
Session 1 allows 180 minutes of test time. Session 2, the writing session, allows 90 minutes divided into two 45-minute intervals, one for each short prompt.
Is the MAAP Grade 3 ELA test tied to student promotion in Mississippi?
Yes. Under the Literacy-Based Promotion Act, a Grade 3 student must score at Level 3 or above on the reading portion of the MAAP ELA assessment to be promoted to Grade 4, unless a good cause exemption applies. Students who do not pass the initial administration get two retest opportunities.
How many questions are on the real MAAP Grade 3 ELA test?
MDE's blueprint sets Session 1 at 40 operational items plus 9 embedded field-test items, 49 items worth 48 points, and Session 2 adds two short writing prompts worth 12 points.
Is the MAAP test free for Mississippi public school students?
Yes. The MAAP assessment is funded by the state of Mississippi and administered at no cost to public school students.
Are these practice questions official MAAP items?
No. These 100 practice questions are original multiple-choice study items written by OpenExamPrep and aligned to the MS CCRS Grade 3 ELA standards. They are a study aid and do not reproduce the official item types or the written-response session.