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100+ Free New Mexico NM-MSSA Spanish Language Arts Grade 5 Practice Questions

Prepare for the New Mexico Measures of Student Success & Achievement — Spanish Language Arts, Grade 5 exam with instant access — no signup required.

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Key Facts: New Mexico NM-MSSA Spanish Language Arts Grade 5 Exam

NMPED

State Agency

New Mexico Public Education Department, Assessment Bureau

Cognia (iTester)

Test Provider

NMPED NM-MSSA Resources; Cognia Help & Support

~150 min (2 sessions)

SLA Time

NM-MSSA Test Coordinator's Manual

Common Core Español

Standards

NM-MSSA/ASR Score Report Interpretation Guide

Spanish

Language

NMPED NM-MSSA Resources

100 practice questions

Practice Bank Size

OpenExamPrep

Prepare for the NM-MSSA Spanish Language Arts Grade 5 assessment with 100 English-language MCQs covering Spanish reading, language, and writing, with Spanish passages and detailed English explanations.

Sample New Mexico NM-MSSA Spanish Language Arts Grade 5 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your New Mexico NM-MSSA Spanish Language Arts 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 this excerpt from a Spanish story: «Sofía recogió la última carta de su abuelo y la apretó contra su pecho. Una lágrima resbaló por su mejilla mientras leía las palabras finales: 'No me olvides, mi niña valiente.'» What can you infer about Sofía from this quote?
A.Her grandfather is alive and well, and she is happy to receive his letter.
B.She feels a deep emotional connection to her grandfather and is grieving or missing him.
C.She is angry because the letter contains bad news about money.
D.She found the letter by accident and does not know who wrote it.
Explanation: Sofía presses the letter to her chest and cries as she reads 'Do not forget me, my brave girl,' which signals love, loss, and emotional attachment rather than anger or indifference (CCSS.Esp.RL.5.1).
2In a Spanish story, Mateo tells his sister: «No te preocupes, Lucía. Encontraremos el camino de vuelta antes de que se ponga el sol.» What does this quote show about Mateo?
A.He is fearful and depends on his sister for directions.
B.He is reassuring and takes responsibility for solving the problem.
C.He wants to abandon his sister and go home alone.
D.He is angry that they got lost in the first place.
Explanation: Mateo's words 'No te preocupes' (don't worry) and 'encontraremos el camino' (we will find the way) show he is calming Lucía and accepting shared responsibility, which reveals a reassuring, responsible character (CCSS.Esp.RL.5.1).
3A Spanish story begins: «En un pueblo pequeño entre dos montañas, todos se conocían. Casi nadie salía, y casi nadie entraba.» What does this setting suggest about the village?
A.It is a busy, modern city with many visitors.
B.It is isolated and quiet, with little contact from the outside world.
C.It is a dangerous place where people hide from enemies.
D.It is a port town where travelers arrive every day.
Explanation: The phrase 'entre dos montañas' (between two mountains) and 'casi nadie salía, y casi nadie entraba' (almost no one left, almost no one entered) describe a small, isolated, peaceful community (CCSS.Esp.RL.5.3).
4Read this excerpt: «La tortuga le dijo a la liebre: 'La constancia vence al que corre sin rumbo.' Al final de la carrera, todos en el bosque celebraron a la tortuga.» What is the theme of this story?
A.Running is the most important skill in life.
B.Steady persistence leads to success over reckless speed.
C.Animals should not compete against each other.
D.Winning a race makes you better than everyone else.
Explanation: The tortoise's saying 'La constancia vence' (perseverance wins) and the celebration of the tortoise at the end support the theme that steady persistence beats reckless haste (CCSS.Esp.RL.5.2).
5In a Spanish poem, the speaker says: «Mi corazón es un volcán que arde en silencio.» What does the figurative phrase «un volcán que arde en silencio» mean?
A.The speaker literally lives near a volcano that is erupting.
B.The speaker has strong, hidden feelings that burn quietly inside.
C.The speaker is a scientist studying volcanoes.
D.The speaker is afraid of fire and wants to run away.
Explanation: A volcano that burns in silence is a metaphor comparing the speaker's heart to intense, hidden emotion; the reader must interpret figurative meaning, not literal (CCSS.Esp.RL.5.4).
6A story states: «Cuando Daniela llegó a la nueva escuela, bajó la mirada y no habló con nadie. Para el último capítulo, reía con sus compañeros y levantaba la mano en clase.» How does Daniela change from beginning to end?
A.She becomes shy and afraid of her classmates.
B.She grows more confident and sociable over time.
C.She stays exactly the same throughout the story.
D.She becomes angry and refuses to attend school.
Explanation: At first Daniela looks down and stays silent; by the final chapter she laughs with classmates and raises her hand, showing growth from shy to confident and social (CCSS.Esp.RL.5.3).
7Which Spanish phrase from a story is an accurate textual detail that supports the idea that the character is nervous?
A.«Le temblaban las manos mientras sostenía el papel.»
B.«Caminaba despacio por el parque soleado.»
C.«Sonreía al ver a sus primos en la fiesta.»
D.«Se sentó a leer su libro favorito con calma.»
Explanation: «Le temblaban las manos» (her hands were trembling) is a concrete textual detail that directly supports the inference that the character is nervous (CCSS.Esp.RL.5.1).
8A Spanish story has three chapters. Chapter 1 introduces two friends; Chapter 2 shows a conflict between them; Chapter 3 shows how they reconcile. How does Chapter 2 fit the structure of the whole story?
A.It is the resolution that ends the conflict.
B.It is the rising action that introduces the main problem.
C.It is the introduction of the characters.
D.It is unrelated to the rest of the story.
Explanation: Chapter 2 presents the conflict between the friends, which is the rising action or problem that drives the plot toward the resolution in Chapter 3 (CCSS.Esp.RL.5.5).
9Read: «El viento susurraba entre los árboles como si compartiera un secreto antiguo.» What does the word «susurraba» most likely mean in this sentence?
A.Shouted loudly so everyone could hear
B.Spoke softly in a quiet, hushed way
C.Broke the branches of the trees
D.Fell completely silent
Explanation: «Susurraba» means 'whispered'; the comparison 'como si compartiera un secreto' (as if sharing a secret) confirms a soft, hushed sound, so the reader uses context to determine word meaning (CCSS.Esp.RL.5.4).
10Two characters in a story react to losing a contest. Pablo says: «Mañana practicaremos más.» Rafael says: «Nunca más voy a competir.» What contrast between the two characters does this dialogue reveal?
A.Pablo is hopeful and persistent; Rafael is discouraged and ready to quit.
B.Pablo is angry; Rafael is excited about the loss.
C.Both characters have the same attitude toward the contest.
D.Pablo wants to quit; Rafael wants to keep practicing.
Explanation: Pablo's «mañana practicaremos más» shows hope and determination, while Rafael's «nunca más» shows defeat and giving up, contrasting their attitudes (CCSS.Esp.RL.5.3).

About the New Mexico NM-MSSA Spanish Language Arts Grade 5 Exam

The New Mexico Measures of Student Success & Achievement (NM-MSSA) Spanish Language Arts assessment at Grade 5 measures Spanish reading, language, and writing proficiency on the Common Core Español Standards. It is administered online in Spanish through Cognia iTester each spring in two fixed-form sessions to eligible English learners. This 100-question practice bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation that preserves Spanish passages and terms where they are the tested skill, explained in English rather than translated away.

Assessment

Two fixed-form sessions (about 150 minutes total) delivered in Spanish through Cognia iTester: a Reading session with selected-response, multi-select, and technology-enhanced items, and a Writing & Language session with one constructed-response writing prompt in Spanish (narrative, informative/explanatory, or opinion/argument) scored on Production of Writing and Use of Conventions, plus Spanish language conventions items. This local bank contains 100 English-language four-option practice MCQs that retain Spanish passages and terms integral to the tested skill.

Time Limit

SLA about 150 minutes across two sessions (Reading and Writing & Language)

Passing Score

No pass/fail mark. Four performance levels are reported: Level 1 Novice, Level 2 Nearing Proficiency, Level 3 Proficient, and Level 4 Advanced. Proficient or Advanced indicates mastery of grade-level expectations.

Exam Fee

No fee to students (New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED))

New Mexico NM-MSSA Spanish Language Arts Grade 5 Exam Content Outline

Common Core Español Reading Literature

Lectura — Texto literario

Quoting and inference, theme and summary, comparison of characters/settings/events, structural parts, and figurative and connotative language.

Common Core Español Reading Informational Text

Lectura — Texto informativo

Quoting and inference, relationships and interactions, multiple accounts, integration across texts, and reasons/evidence.

Common Core Español Language strand

Lenguaje

Spanish conjunctions/prepositions/interjections, perfect verb tenses, tense consistency, register shifts, punctuation, and reference materials.

Writing & Language category

Escritura y Lenguaje

Spanish narrative, informative/explanatory, or opinion/argument prompt scored on Production of Writing and Use of Conventions, plus Spanish language conventions.

How to Pass the New Mexico NM-MSSA Spanish Language Arts Grade 5 Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: No pass/fail mark. Four performance levels are reported: Level 1 Novice, Level 2 Nearing Proficiency, Level 3 Proficient, and Level 4 Advanced. Proficient or Advanced indicates mastery of grade-level expectations.
  • Assessment: Two fixed-form sessions (about 150 minutes total) delivered in Spanish through Cognia iTester: a Reading session with selected-response, multi-select, and technology-enhanced items, and a Writing & Language session with one constructed-response writing prompt in Spanish (narrative, informative/explanatory, or opinion/argument) scored on Production of Writing and Use of Conventions, plus Spanish language conventions items. This local bank contains 100 English-language four-option practice MCQs that retain Spanish passages and terms integral to the tested skill.
  • Time limit: SLA about 150 minutes across two sessions (Reading and Writing & Language)
  • 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 Mexico NM-MSSA Spanish Language Arts Grade 5 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Quote exact Spanish phrases from the text and explain what you infer from them.
2Practice stating a theme and summarizing how events build toward it.
3Compare two Spanish passages on the same topic, noting similarities and differences.
4Check verb tense consistency and accents (la tilde) in your Spanish writing.
5Support every opinion in Spanish writing with a specific detail from the source.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NM-MSSA Spanish Language Arts Grade 5 test?

It is the New Mexico Measures of Student Success & Achievement Spanish Language Arts assessment for Grade 5, administered in Spanish online through Cognia iTester each spring in two fixed-form sessions (Reading and Writing & Language) for eligible English learners.

Who takes the NM-MSSA SLA assessment?

Eligible English learners in grades 3-8 may be assigned the Spanish Language Arts version of the NM-MSSA in lieu of the English ELA assessment, per PED eligibility.

What standards does the NM-MSSA SLA test cover?

The SLA assessment is aligned to the Common Core Español Standards for Spanish Language Arts, covering Spanish reading, language, and writing at the grade level.

Is this practice bank in Spanish?

This is an English-language MCQ study adaptation. It preserves Spanish passages, vocabulary, and instructions where they are the skill being tested, and explains them in English. It is not an official Spanish-format translation or simulation of the NM-MSSA SLA.

Is this practice bank affiliated with NMPED?

No. This is an independent study resource aligned to the public Common Core Español Standards; it is not an official NM-MSSA product or format simulation.