By 5th grade, the NJSLA-A expects real reading stamina. Students read longer stories, poems and articles, compare how two texts are built, quote evidence to back up an inference and then write a full essay from several sources. If you’re looking for NJSLA 5th grade ELA test prep that covers all of it, this workbook was made for you.
The New Jersey NJSLA-A 5th Grade ELA Practice Test Workbook is aligned to the 2023 New Jersey Student Learning Standards for English Language Arts and built from the NJSLA-A blueprint published by the New Jersey Department of Education. Every passage and question is original, and a certified teacher reviewed the book.
It’s a Printable PDF, so you can print the pages you need for whole-class lessons, small groups, centers or homework. Below you’ll find what’s on the test, what’s inside the book, a look-inside video and a simple plan for the months before testing.
- An 18-question pretest, a Learn It lesson + test-style practice for all 20 standards, mixed review, test-taking strategies, 2 full-length practice tests and a 235-answer key.
- Both parts of the NJSLA-A: Unit 1 Reading and Unit 2 Writing, with an informative essay from three sources in Test 1 and an opinion essay from two sources in Test 2.
- Printable PDF, 286 full-color pages, $9.99.
- Bubble answer sheets, writing rubrics, progress trackers and class data sheets make scoring quick.
- Free with a Have Fun Teaching membership.
What’s on the NJSLA-A 5th grade ELA test?
The NJSLA-A is New Jersey’s adaptive state test. In 5th grade, ELA comes in two units, and students take both on the computer. Paper is used only as an accommodation.
Unit 1: Reading
Two sessions of 75 minutes. Four passage sets, literary and informational, with 33 reading questions in all.
It adapts
The reading unit is computer-adaptive, so the questions get easier or harder as students answer.
Vocabulary inside the sets
Four to six word-meaning questions sit inside the reading passages. There’s no dictionary on the test.
Unit 2: Writing
One extended writing task in a 90-minute session: a narrative, informative or opinion essay in 5th grade.
Two writing scores
Composition (ideas, organization, word choice) and Conventions (sentences, capitals, punctuation, spelling), 4 points each.
One spring window
April 19 to May 21, 2027. Your district picks the days inside it.
The reading questions come in several shapes: multiple choice, “choose two” questions, two-part Part A/Part B questions, select-a-sentence questions, table matches and complete-the-sentence questions that use drop-down menus on the computer. One of the four reading sets is a pair of passages that students compare. Fifth graders can be asked to write a story, an informative essay or an opinion essay, and the essay tasks come with sources to read and cite.
What’s inside the NJSLA 5th grade ELA test prep workbook
The workbook follows the order you’d teach it. Find out what students already know, teach the gaps one standard at a time, mix everything together, then rehearse the real thing twice.
Inside · PretestPretest18 questions and a scoring guide that shows which standards to teach first.
Inside · Learn ItLearn It pagesA short passage, a worked example and a tip for every standard.
Inside · ReviewMixed ReviewMixed passages and questions keep earlier skills fresh.
Inside · Practice testFull practice testsTwo tests of 34 questions: Unit 1 Reading in two sessions, then Unit 2 Writing.
Each practice test ends with a writing unit set up like the real one: a topic, a Pre-Writing Page that isn’t scored, and final copy pages. Practice Test 1 asks for an informative essay from three sources and Practice Test 2 an opinion essay from two sources, each with a sample answer and rubrics so you can score Composition and Conventions the way the state does.
Take a look inside (video)
Want to flip through it before you buy? This short look-inside video walks through the whole workbook, from the pretest to the class data sheets at the back.
How to use the printable workbook in class
Because it’s a PDF, you print only what you need, when you need it. Here’s how teachers tend to use each part.
Print the pretest
One sitting shows you which standards each reader needs most.
Small groups + centers
Pull the Learn It and practice pages for the skills your groups need.
Test day rehearsal
Give the two reading sessions on different days, then the writing unit on a third day.
Track the growth
Score with the answer key and rubrics, then fill in the progress trackers and class data sheets.
5 tips to get 5th graders ready for the NJSLA-A
Read for evidence
Ask “How do you know?” every day. Many questions have a Part B that asks for the sentence that proves the answer.
Quote it exactly
Fifth grade questions ask students to pick the quotation that supports an inference. Practice finding the exact words, not just the right paragraph.
Compare how texts are built
Paired passages show up on the test. After two short texts, ask how each one is organized: in time order, as a comparison, or as a problem and solution.
Write from sources
Essay tasks come with sources. Teach students to plan first, then use facts and details from more than one source. The test gives them a Pre-Writing Page for this.
Build stamina
Seventy-five minutes of reading is a long sit, even in 5th grade. Stretch independent reading time a little each month.
Printable PDF: $9.99, or free with a membership
The workbook comes as one Printable PDF with all 286 full-color pages. Print as many copies as your class needs, year after year.
Already a member? The Printable PDF is included with your Have Fun Teaching membership, so you can download it today at no extra cost.
When do 5th graders take the NJSLA-A ELA test?
The 2027 spring window runs from April 19 to May 21, and 3rd through 5th graders have no fall testing. Districts pick their own days inside the window, so check your school calendar. Here’s an easy way to spread your NJSLA 5th grade ELA test prep across the year so spring never turns into a cram session.
Now: give the pretest
Score it with the guide and circle the standards each reader needs most.
Fall into winter: teach the gaps
Use one Learn It + practice set a few times a week, in the order your pretest points to.
Winter: mix it up
Mixed review keeps reading and vocabulary skills fresh while you teach new units.
March: Practice Test 1
Run both units like test day, informative essay included, then reteach what slipped.
Early April: Practice Test 2
A second full run, with an opinion essay this time, builds stamina and shows real growth.
Test day: celebrate
They’ve seen every question type already. Tell them so.
For the official test details, visit the New Jersey Department of Education NJSLA-A page. Our New Jersey test prep page has every New Jersey workbook, and test prep by state keeps every state in one place.
Members: it’s already yours
With a Have Fun Teaching membership, the Printable PDF of this workbook is included, along with every other state test prep workbook PDF and the whole resource library. See membership plans.
5th grade ELA worksheets to pair with it
When the pretest flags a skill, a single-page worksheet is an easy way to add one more round of practice. These three line up with big 5th grade reading and vocabulary skills on the test.
5th · WorksheetMain IdeaFind the main idea of a passage and the details that support it.
5th · WorksheetSuffixes Word ListMatch suffixes to their meanings and use them to figure out new words.
5th · WorksheetPoetry ResponseRead a poem closely and respond to it with details from the text.
Keep exploring
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NJSLA 5th grade ELA test prep: questions teachers ask
Are these real NJSLA-A questions?
No. Have Fun Teaching wrote every story, poem, article and question from scratch, and a certified teacher reviewed the book. It is aligned to the 2023 New Jersey Student Learning Standards for English Language Arts and built from the published NJSLA-A blueprint, but it is an independent practice resource and does not use real test items.
How long is the NJSLA-A 5th grade ELA test?
The reading unit is two sessions of 75 minutes each, with four passage sets and 33 questions. The writing unit is one 90-minute session with a single extended writing task, for 34 items in all. Many schools give the units on different days, and the practice tests in this workbook are set up the same way.
What kind of writing is on the 5th grade NJSLA-A?
Fifth graders may be asked to write a narrative, an informative essay or an opinion essay. The essay tasks give students sources to read and use as evidence. Each response gets a Composition score and a Conventions score, up to 4 points each. In the workbook, Practice Test 1 has an informative essay from three sources and Practice Test 2 an opinion essay from two sources.
How much does the workbook cost?
The Printable PDF is $9.99 for all 286 full-color pages, and you can print as many copies as your class needs. With a Have Fun Teaching membership, the PDF is included at no extra cost, along with the Printable PDF of every other state test prep workbook and the rest of the library.
Is the NJSLA-A test online or on paper?
The NJSLA-A is taken on the computer, and the reading unit is adaptive, so the questions adjust as students answer. A paper test is used only as an accommodation. The printable practice tests let students rehearse the same question types, passages and writing task on paper at their desks.
Walk into test day ready.
Start with the pretest this week, and have every standard covered by spring.
NJSLA and NJSLA-A are trademarks of the New Jersey Department of Education. Have Fun Teaching, LLC is not affiliated with or endorsed by the New Jersey Department of Education. Not an official test.
