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100+ Free New Hampshire NH SAS ELA Grade 5 Practice Questions

Prepare for the New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System English Language Arts — Grade 5 exam with instant access — no signup required.

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Key Facts: New Hampshire NH SAS ELA Grade 5 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 5 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 5 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your New Hampshire NH SAS ELA Grade 5 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: 'Maya tucked the worn map into her pocket and glanced at the setting sun. 'We need to reach the cabin before dark,' she told her brother. The trail markers had faded, but a carved arrow on the pine tree pointed north.' Which sentence from the passage best shows that Maya is concerned about time?
A."We need to reach the cabin before dark,"
B.The trail markers had faded,
C.Maya tucked the worn map into her pocket
D.a carved arrow on the pine tree pointed north.
Explanation: The sentence stating the need to reach the cabin before dark directly expresses a worry about running out of daylight. Quoting it accurately supports the inference about Maya's concern.
2Read the passage: 'Every Saturday, Devon visited the animal shelter to walk the dogs no one else wanted — the old ones, the shy ones, the ones with three legs. He believed every animal deserved a friend.' What is the theme of the passage?
A.Kindness to those who are overlooked has great value.
B.Dogs make better pets than other animals.
C.Visiting the shelter is a fun Saturday activity.
D.Animals in shelters are usually unhealthy.
Explanation: Devon chooses the animals others ignore, showing that caring for the overlooked is meaningful. The theme is that kindness to those in need matters.
3Read the passage: 'Lena practiced her violin solo every morning before the sun rose. At the recital, her fingers trembled, but when she drew the bow across the strings, the music flowed steady and bright. The audience clapped long after she left the stage.' Which summary best captures the passage?
A.Through daily early-morning practice, Lena overcomes her nerves and gives a successful recital performance.
B.Lena is afraid of performing and almost quits the violin before the recital.
C.Lena's recital is ruined by her trembling fingers, but the audience claps anyway.
D.The audience enjoys the recital because Lena plays a brand-new piece.
Explanation: The summary connects the cause (regular practice) to the result (a successful performance despite nerves). It keeps the key ideas without adding details not in the text.
4Read the passage: 'Joaquin was loud and bold, rushing into every adventure without a second thought. His sister Elena was quieter, studying each situation carefully before she stepped forward. Yet when Joaquin fell into the creek, it was Elena who reacted first, pulling him out by his jacket.' How are Joaquin and Elena most alike in the passage?
A.Both care about each other and act when it matters.
B.Both are afraid of the creek and avoid it.
C.Both rush into adventures without thinking.
D.Both prefer to watch a situation before acting.
Explanation: Though their personalities differ, Elena rescues Joaquin, showing both siblings care and can act decisively. The contrast in style hides their shared loyalty.
5Read the passage: 'The story opens in a noisy, crowded city where Priya feels small and lost. Later, the setting shifts to her grandmother's quiet village in the mountains, where Priya slowly begins to feel brave.' How does the change in setting affect the story?
A.The quieter mountain setting helps Priya grow more confident.
B.The city setting makes Priya want to leave her family.
C.The mountain village is dangerous and frightens Priya.
D.The settings have no effect on Priya's feelings.
Explanation: The move from a crowded city to a calm mountain village matches Priya's change from feeling lost to feeling brave. The setting shift mirrors her inner growth.
6Read the sentence: 'The fallen leaves danced across the sidewalk like tiny golden acrobats.' Which figure of speech is used in the sentence?
A.Simile, because it uses "like" to compare leaves to acrobats.
B.Metaphor, because it says the leaves are acrobats.
C.Personification, because it gives leaves human movement only.
D.Hyperbole, because it exaggerates the size of the leaves.
Explanation: A simile compares two things using 'like' or 'as.' The sentence uses 'like' to compare leaves to acrobats, so it is a simile.
7Read the sentence: 'The old library was a treasure chest bursting with stories waiting to be discovered.' What does the metaphor suggest about the library?
A.The library holds many valuable stories waiting to be found.
B.The library is literally a box made of gold.
C.The library is too old to be useful.
D.The library only keeps stories about treasure.
Explanation: Calling the library a treasure chest suggests it is full of valuable things — stories — ready to be discovered. The metaphor emphasizes the library's richness.
8Read the short description: 'Chapter 1 introduces the three friends and their treehouse club. Chapter 2 shows them finding a mysterious map. Chapter 3 follows their first attempt to follow the map, which fails. Chapter 4 reveals the map's secret.' How do the chapters work together to build the story?
A.Each chapter builds on the last, moving the friends step by step toward solving the mystery.
B.Each chapter tells a separate story that is unrelated to the others.
C.The chapters repeat the same event from different points of view.
D.The chapters skip back and forth in time without order.
Explanation: The chapters progress in order — meeting, discovery, attempt, resolution — each adding new information that moves the plot forward. Together they form a connected mystery.
9Read the poem: 'Stanza 1: The seed waits in the dark. / Stanza 2: A green shoot reaches for light. / Stanza 3: Leaves unfurl in the warm sun. / Stanza 4: A flower opens, bold and bright.' How do the stanzas fit together to create the poem's structure?
A.The stanzas follow the stages of a plant growing, moving from seed to flower in order.
B.The stanzas describe four different plants growing at the same time.
C.The stanzas repeat the same stage of growth over and over.
D.The stanzas are arranged from flower back to seed.
Explanation: Each stanza shows a later stage — seed, shoot, leaves, flower — so the poem's structure follows a plant's growth in sequence. Together they trace a complete process.
10Read the passage: 'I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the empty cage. Where had Pip gone? I searched under the bed and behind the curtain, my heart pounding. I just knew my little hamster was gone forever.' How does the first-person narrator's point of view influence how the events are described?
A.The narration shows only the narrator's worried thoughts and limited knowledge, making the loss feel personal.
B.The narrator knows exactly where Pip is and describes it calmly.
C.The narrator tells the story from Pip the hamster's point of view.
D.The narrator describes the event as if watching someone else's hamster escape.
Explanation: Because the story is told by 'I,' the reader experiences only what the narrator sees and feels — her pounding heart and fear. This makes the missing hamster feel personal and uncertain.

About the New Hampshire NH SAS ELA Grade 5 Exam

The New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System (NH SAS) English Language Arts assessment at Grade 5 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 5 Exam Content Outline

14-17 items

Reading — Literary Text

Accurate quoting, theme from character response, comparison of characters and settings, and how chapters or scenes fit together across two literary passages.

14-17 items

Reading — Informational Text

Two or more main ideas and summary, relationships between ideas, comparison of text structures, and integration of several texts.

3-5 items

Language

Conjunctions, prepositions and interjections, perfect verb tenses, commas in a series and after introductory elements, and Greek and Latin roots.

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 5 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 5 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Quote directly from the passage when a question asks what the text says or implies.
2Derive theme from how characters respond to challenges, not just from what happens.
3Practise integrating information from two texts on the same topic into one answer.
4Learn common Greek and Latin roots to unlock unfamiliar vocabulary quickly.
5For the writing task, plan an organized response that uses passage evidence and check conventions at the end.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NH SAS ELA Grade 5 test?

It is the New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System English Language Arts assessment for Grade 5, 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.