Third grade is the first year Colorado students take the CMAS, and the ELA test asks a lot of an eight-year-old. If you’re looking for CMAS 3rd grade ELA test prep that covers all of it, this workbook was made for you. Students read stories and articles, compare two passages, figure out word meanings from context and then write about what they read, all in three units of 90 minutes.
The Colorado CMAS 3rd Grade ELA Practice Test Workbook is aligned to the 2020 Colorado Academic Standards for Reading, Writing and Communicating and built from the CMAS ELA frameworks and blueprint published by the Colorado 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 19 standards, mixed review, test-taking strategies, 2 full-length practice tests and a 212-answer key.
- All three CMAS writing task types in every practice test: a Literary Analysis Task, a Research Simulation Task and a Narrative Task.
- Printable PDF, 296 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 CMAS 3rd grade ELA test?
CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success) is Colorado’s state test. In 3rd grade, the ELA test comes in three units, and students take them on the computer. Paper test books are used only as an accommodation.
Three units
Three units of 90 minutes each, about 4 hours 30 minutes in all. Many schools give one unit a day.
Fixed form
The test doesn’t adapt, so the questions don’t change based on how students answer. Most reading questions are worth up to 2 points.
Vocabulary inside the sets
About a fifth of the points come from word-meaning questions inside the passage sets. There’s no dictionary on the test.
Writing about reading
Students write prose responses: a Literary Analysis Task, a Research Simulation Task or a Narrative Task.
Two writing scores
Each written response gets two scores of 0 to 3: Written Expression and Knowledge of Language and Conventions.
One spring window
April 5 to April 23, 2027 (tentative). 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, table questions with one answer in each row and complete-the-sentence questions that use drop-down menus on the computer. The literary analysis and research tasks pair a long passage with a short one, ask questions about each, then ask students to write about both. The Colorado Department of Education doesn’t say which writing tasks each student gets, so the practice tests in this workbook include all three
What’s inside the CMAS 3rd 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 story or article, a worked example and a tip for every standard.
Inside · ReviewMixed ReviewPassage sets mix literary, informational and vocabulary questions to keep earlier skills fresh.
Inside · Practice testFull practice testsTwo tests of 25 questions in three units: 22 reading questions and 3 written responses.
Each practice test is split into three units like the real one. Unit 1 ends with a Literary Analysis Task, Unit 2 with a Research Simulation Task and Unit 3 with a Narrative Task. The answer key has rubrics for every written response, so you can score both traits 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 one 90-minute unit a day, three days in a row, just like the real test.
Track the growth
Score with the answer key and rubrics, then fill in the progress trackers and class data sheets.
5 tips to get 3rd graders ready for the CMAS
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.
Use the clues around a word
There’s no dictionary, so practice figuring out a new word from the sentences around it.
Compare two texts
The analysis and research tasks pair two passages. A quick Venn diagram after two short texts builds the habit.
Plan, then write
Teach a five-minute plan before every written response: what the question asks, which details from the passages to use, then write.
Build stamina
Ninety minutes is a long sit for a 3rd grader. 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 296 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 3rd graders take the CMAS ELA test?
CMAS is a spring test. For the 2026–27 school year, the tentative statewide window runs from April 5 to April 23, 2027, and each district schedules its own days inside it. Here’s an easy way to spread your CMAS 3rd 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.
Early March: Practice Test 1
Run all three units like test day, written responses included, then reteach what slipped.
Late March: Practice Test 2
A second full run with new passages builds stamina and shows real growth.
Test day: celebrate
They’ve seen every question type already. Tell them so.
Check your school calendar for your district’s dates. For the official test details, visit the Colorado Department of Education assessment page, and to see exactly what 3rd graders are expected to learn, read the Colorado Academic Standards. Our Colorado test prep page has every CMAS 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.
3rd 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 3rd grade reading skills on the test.
3rd · WorksheetMain Idea and Three DetailsFind the main idea of an article and the details that support it.
3rd · WorksheetContext CluesUse the words around a new word to figure out what it means.
3rd · WorksheetCompare and Contrast TopicsSort how two topics are alike and different, the habit behind paired passages.
Keep exploring
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CMAS 3rd grade ELA test prep: questions teachers ask
Are these real CMAS questions?
No. Have Fun Teaching wrote every story, article and question from scratch, and a certified teacher reviewed the book. It is aligned to the 2020 Colorado Academic Standards for Reading, Writing and Communicating and built from the CMAS ELA frameworks and blueprint published by the Colorado Department of Education, but it is an independent practice resource and does not use real test items.
How long is the CMAS 3rd grade ELA test?
The test has three units of 90 minutes each, about 4 hours 30 minutes in all. Schools give the units on different days or with breaks, and the practice tests in this workbook are split into the same three units.
What kind of writing is on the 3rd grade CMAS?
Students write prose responses about what they read. CMAS uses three task types: a Literary Analysis Task about two literary texts, a Research Simulation Task about two informational texts and a Narrative Task that asks for a story or a description. Each response gets two scores of 0 to 3, one for Written Expression and one for Knowledge of Language and Conventions. Every practice test in the workbook includes all three tasks.
How much does the workbook cost?
The Printable PDF is $9.99 for all 296 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 CMAS ELA test online or on paper?
CMAS is taken on the computer, and it is fixed form, so the questions don’t change based on how students answer. Paper test books are used only as an accommodation. The printable practice tests let students rehearse the same question types, passages and writing tasks on paper at their desks.
Walk into test day ready.
Start with the pretest this week, and have every standard covered by spring.
CMAS is a trademark of the Colorado Department of Education. Have Fun Teaching, LLC is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Colorado Department of Education. Not an official test.
