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100+ Free New Hampshire NH SAS ELA Grade 3 Practice Questions

Prepare for the New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System English Language Arts — Grade 3 exam with instant access — no signup required.

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: New Hampshire NH SAS ELA Grade 3 Exam

NHDOE

State Agency

New Hampshire Department of Education, Office of Assessment

35-37 operational (41-46 total)

Official Reading Items

NH SAS 2022-23 Technical Report Vol. 2 Part 1

2 hr 15 min Reading; 2 hr Writing

Estimated Testing Time

NH SAS Test Administration Manual, Table 2

4 levels; Levels 3-4 proficient

Achievement Levels

NHDOE Assessment Data

100 practice questions

Practice Bank Size

OpenExamPrep

Prepare for the NH SAS ELA Grade 3 test with 100 practice questions covering the official reporting categories — Reading Literary Text, Reading Informational Text, Language, and Writing — with original passages and detailed explanations aligned to the NH CCRS.

Sample New Hampshire NH SAS ELA Grade 3 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your New Hampshire NH SAS 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 story: "Mia planted a tiny sunflower seed in her backyard. She watered it every morning before school. After two weeks, a green shoot poked through the dirt. Mia smiled and clapped her hands." What did Mia do every morning before school?
A.She watered the sunflower seed
B.She planted a new seed in the dirt
C.She measured how tall the flower was
D.She pulled weeds from the garden
Explanation: The story states directly that Mia watered the seed every morning before school. This is a key detail explicitly stated in the second sentence, so it can be found right in the text.
2Read the story: "Leo the lion cub was afraid of loud noises. One day, a thunderstorm rolled over the savanna. The sky turned gray and the thunder crashed. Leo hid under a tall acacia tree and covered his ears with his paws." Why did Leo hide under the acacia tree?
A.He wanted to take a nap in the cool shade
B.He was afraid of the loud thunder
C.He was searching for a snack to eat
D.He wanted to play hide and seek
Explanation: Leo is described as being afraid of loud noises, and the thunderstorm brought crashing thunder. He hid under the tree because the thunder frightened him, which the text supports by connecting his fear to the storm.
3Read the story: "Once there was a little frog named Finn who lived in a small pond. Finn was the smallest frog in the whole pond, but he had the biggest croak. Every night he sang so loudly that all the other animals came to listen." What is the main lesson of this story?
A.Being the biggest is always best
B.Even someone small can do something great
C.Frogs should not sing at night
D.Ponds are crowded places to live
Explanation: The story contrasts Finn's small size with his big croak, showing that being small does not stop him from being special. The lesson is that even someone small can do something great.
4Read the story: "Greta the goose wanted to fly south for winter, but she was afraid of heights. Her friend Sam the sparrow told her, 'Just look straight ahead, not down.' Greta tried it, and soon she was flying with the flock." What is the central message?
A.Friends can help you overcome your fears
B.Geese should not fly south in winter
C.Sparrows are braver than geese
D.Looking down is always helpful
Explanation: Sam gives Greta advice that helps her overcome her fear of heights, and she succeeds. The central message is that friends can help you overcome your fears.
5Read the story: "Every day, a tortoise named Tilly walked to the river for water. A hare laughed at how slowly she moved. 'I will race you,' Tilly said calmly. The hare sprinted ahead, then stopped to nap. Tilly kept walking, one slow step at a time, and crossed the finish line first." Which best states the lesson of this story?
A.Slow and steady wins the race
B.Racing is a waste of time
C.Hares should never sleep outdoors
D.Walking is faster than running
Explanation: Tilly moves slowly but never stops, while the fast hare gets overconfident and naps. The story teaches that steady, patient effort succeeds, which is captured by 'slow and steady wins the race.'
6Read the story: "Ben's grandmother came to visit. She had white hair, round glasses, and a big smile. She always carried a bag of peppermints in her purse just for Ben." Which words best describe Ben's grandmother?
A.Kind and generous
B.Tall and strict
C.Quiet and shy
D.Grumpy and loud
Explanation: The grandmother has a big smile and always brings peppermints for Ben. These details show she is kind and generous, because she thinks of Ben and shares treats with him.
7Read the story: "When Marcus got to the playground, nobody said hello. He kicked a rock and walked to the swings alone. Then a girl named Pria slid down next to him and said, 'Want to play tag?' Marcus grinned and ran after her." How does Marcus change from the beginning to the end of the story?
A.He goes from lonely to happy
B.He goes from angry to tired
C.He goes from scared to brave
D.He goes from silly to serious
Explanation: At first Marcus is alone and kicks a rock, showing he is lonely. After Pria invites him to play, he grins and runs, showing he has become happy.
8Read the story: "First, Amara mixed flour and sugar in a bowl. Next, she added two eggs and stirred until the batter was smooth. Then she poured the batter into a pan and slid it into the warm oven. When the timer rang, she pulled out a golden cake." What happens right after Amara adds the eggs?
A.She stirs the batter until it is smooth
B.She pours the batter into a pan
C.She slides the pan into the oven
D.She pulls out a golden cake
Explanation: The story lists steps in order: after adding the eggs, Amara stirs until the batter is smooth. Pouring the batter and baking come after the stirring step.
9Read the sentence from a story: 'The puppy was a ball of energy, bouncing off the walls all day long.' What does 'a ball of energy' mean in this sentence?
A.The puppy is very active and lively
B.The puppy is shaped like a round ball
C.The puppy eats a lot of food
D.The puppy is tired and sleepy
Explanation: The phrase 'a ball of energy' is nonliteral language that means the puppy is very active and lively. The words 'bouncing off the walls' are another clue that the puppy moves around a lot.
10Read the sentence from a story: 'When the ice cream truck drove away, Sara's heart sank.' What does 'her heart sank' mean in this sentence?
A.Sara felt disappointed
B.Sara's chest was hurting
C.Sara felt very hungry
D.Sara was laughing
Explanation: 'Her heart sank' is a nonliteral phrase describing a feeling of disappointment or sadness. Since the ice cream truck left, Sara likely felt let down because she missed her chance to get a treat.

About the New Hampshire NH SAS ELA Grade 3 Exam

The New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System (NH SAS) English Language Arts assessment at Grade 3 measures reading, language, and writing proficiency on the New Hampshire College and Career Ready Standards. It is administered online through the NH SAS Portal (Cambium Assessment) each spring in separate Reading and Writing sessions, and the ELA test is delivered in English only. This 100-question practice bank uses original passages and four-option MCQs as an English-language study adaptation.

Assessment

Two separately administered sessions: Reading (two literary passages, two informational passages, 3-5 language items, and 0-3 audio listening items) and Writing (one extended text-based task scored on Organization/Purpose, Evidence/Elaboration, and Conventions). Delivered online through the NH SAS Portal (Cambium Assessment). This local bank contains 100 English four-option practice MCQs.

Time Limit

Not timed; NHDOE estimates 2 hours 15 minutes for Reading and 2 hours for Writing

Passing Score

No pass mark. Four achievement levels are reported (Level 1 through Level 4); Levels 3 and 4 count as proficient and above. Scale score ranges differ by grade and subject.

Exam Fee

No fee to students (New Hampshire Department of Education (NHDOE))

New Hampshire NH SAS ELA Grade 3 Exam Content Outline

14-17 items

Reading — Literary Text

Key details, central message or lesson, character traits and actions, sequence of events, and literal versus nonliteral language across two literary passages.

14-17 items

Reading — Informational Text

Main idea and supporting details, cause/effect and sequence, text features, and comparison across two informational passages.

3-5 items

Language

Parts of speech, sentence types, capitalization, commas in addresses, spelling, affixes, and context clues.

1 text-based task

Writing

One extended text-based writing task scored on Organization/Purpose, Evidence/Elaboration, and Conventions.

0-3 items

Listening

Audio-delivered comprehension items inside the Reading session.

How to Pass the New Hampshire NH SAS ELA Grade 3 Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: No pass mark. Four achievement levels are reported (Level 1 through Level 4); Levels 3 and 4 count as proficient and above. Scale score ranges differ by grade and subject.
  • Assessment: Two separately administered sessions: Reading (two literary passages, two informational passages, 3-5 language items, and 0-3 audio listening items) and Writing (one extended text-based task scored on Organization/Purpose, Evidence/Elaboration, and Conventions). Delivered online through the NH SAS Portal (Cambium Assessment). This local bank contains 100 English four-option practice MCQs.
  • Time limit: Not timed; NHDOE estimates 2 hours 15 minutes for Reading and 2 hours for Writing
  • Exam fee: No fee to students

Keys to Passing

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

New Hampshire NH SAS ELA Grade 3 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Read each passage fully before answering, then return to the text to find evidence for every answer.
2For literary passages, practise retelling the story and naming the central message using text details.
3For informational passages, use headings and text features to locate the main idea and supporting details quickly.
4When a question asks about word meaning, reread the surrounding sentences for context clues before choosing.
5For the writing task, plan an organized response that uses evidence from the passage and checks conventions at the end.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NH SAS ELA Grade 3 test?

It is the New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System English Language Arts assessment for Grade 3, administered online through the NH SAS Portal (Cambium Assessment) each spring in separate Reading and Writing sessions. The reading component is computer-adaptive and the writing component is one extended text-based task.

How many questions are on the real NH SAS ELA test?

The official blueprint sets 35-37 operational reading items plus 6-8 embedded field-test items, about 41-46 items in total, plus one text-based writing task. Because the test is computer-adaptive, the exact items differ from student to student.

How are NH SAS results reported?

There is no pass mark. NHDOE reports four achievement levels (Level 1 through Level 4), with Levels 3 and 4 counted as proficient and above. Scale score ranges differ by grade and subject.

Is the NH SAS ELA test available in Spanish?

No. NHDOE offers Spanish presentation for the Mathematics and Science sessions only. The ELA assessment is administered in English.

Is this practice bank affiliated with NHDOE?

No. This is an independent study resource aligned to the public NH CCRS. It uses original passages and four-option MCQs as a study adaptation; it is not an official NH SAS product or format simulation.