Third grade is the first year Ohio students take Ohio’s State Tests, and the ELA test is a big one: two parts of 90 minutes each, stories and articles to read, and an essay to write. If you’re looking for OST 3rd grade ELA test prep that covers all of it, this workbook was made for you.
The Ohio OST 3rd Grade ELA Practice Test Workbook is aligned to Ohio’s Learning Standards for English Language Arts and built from the grade 3 ELA blueprint and test specifications published for Ohio’s State Tests. 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 school year.
- 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 complete answer key.
- Each practice test has two parts like the real OST: 27 questions and 41 points, with one essay (informative in Test 1, opinion in Test 2).
- Printable PDF, 248 full-color pages, $9.99.
- An essay rubric and sample essays, bubble answer sheets, progress trackers and class data sheets.
- Free with a Have Fun Teaching membership.
What’s on the OST 3rd grade ELA test?
Ohio’s State Tests (OST) are Ohio’s state tests for grades 3 to 8. In 3rd grade, the ELA test has two parts, and most students take it on the computer. Paper booklets are used as an accommodation.
Two parts
Part 1 and Part 2, 90 minutes each, given on one day or two.
Stories and articles
About half the points come from literary text and half from informational text, some in paired passages.
Many question types
Multiple choice, Part A/Part B, select-the-sentence (hot text), table questions and choose-two.
One essay
Part 1 ends with an essay about two texts: opinion or informative, worth 10 points.
About 41 points
The test is worth 40 to 42 points. A score of 700 is Proficient.
Fall and spring
Grade 3 ELA is given in the fall and again in the spring, with a summer retest.
Most reading questions are worth 1 point, and two-part (Part A/Part B) questions are worth 2: answer the question, then pick the evidence. The essay is scored for purpose and organization, evidence and elaboration, and conventions. Online, students click sentences or drag answers into tables; the practice tests in this workbook turn those into bubbles and tables students fill in on paper.
What’s inside the OST 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 in two parts each: 27 questions and 41 points, essay included.
In each practice test, Part 1 has two stories read together, two articles read together and an essay about the two articles. Part 2 has one story and one article. The answer key names the standard for every question and has a rubric and sample essays, so you can score the essay 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 Part 1 one day and Part 2 the next, 90 minutes each, just like the real test.
Track the growth
Score with the answer key and essay rubric, then fill in the progress trackers and class data sheets.
5 tips to get 3rd graders ready for the OST
Read for evidence
Ask “How do you know?” every day. Part A/Part B questions ask for the sentence that proves the answer.
Use the clues around a word
Vocabulary questions sit inside the passage sets. Practice figuring out a new word from the sentences around it.
Compare two texts
Part 1 pairs two stories and two articles. A quick Venn diagram after two short texts builds the habit.
Plan the essay first
Teach a short plan before every essay: state the opinion or topic, pick reasons from both texts, then end with a conclusion.
Build stamina
Ninety minutes is a long sit for a 3rd grader. Stretch independent reading and writing time a little each month.
Printable PDF: $9.99, or free with a membership
The workbook comes as one Printable PDF with all 248 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 OST ELA test?
Grade 3 ELA is given twice a year. The fall test window for 2026 ran October 19 to November 6, and the spring ELA window runs March 29 to April 30, 2027. Each district picks its own days inside the window, and there is a summer retest in June for third graders who still need Ohio’s reading promotion score. Here’s an easy way to spread your OST 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.
Winter: teach the gaps
Use one Learn It + practice set a few times a week, in the order your pretest and fall scores point to.
Every week: mix it up
Mixed review keeps reading and vocabulary skills fresh while you teach new units.
Late February: Practice Test 1
Run both parts like test day, essay included, then reteach what slipped.
Mid-March: Practice Test 2
New passages and an opinion essay build stamina and show 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 Ohio Department of Education and Workforce OST page, and to see exactly what 3rd graders are expected to learn, read Ohio’s Learning Standards for English Language Arts. Our Ohio test prep page has every OST 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
Try a sample question: Ohio’s State Test 3rd grade ELA
Here is a new practice passage written by Have Fun Teaching in the style of the Ohio's State Test — not a real test item. Read it, answer each question, then tap to check.
Grandpa and Nora built a birdhouse. First they cut the wood. Next they nailed the pieces together. Finally, they painted it bright red.
1. What did they do first?
Cut the wood — the word First tells the first step.
2. What words show the order of steps?
First, Next, Finally — these are time-order words.
3. What color did they paint the birdhouse?
Bright red — the last sentence tells the color.
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OST 3rd grade ELA test prep: questions teachers ask
Are these real OST questions?
No. Have Fun Teaching wrote every story, article and question from scratch, and a certified teacher reviewed the book. It is aligned to Ohio’s Learning Standards for English Language Arts and built from the grade 3 ELA blueprint and test specifications published for Ohio’s State Tests, but it is an independent practice resource and does not use real test items.
How long is the OST 3rd grade ELA test?
The test has two parts of 90 minutes each, 3 hours in all. Schools give the parts on one day or on two days, and the practice tests in this workbook are split into the same two parts.
What kind of writing is on the 3rd grade OST?
Part 1 ends with one essay about two articles the students just read. It is either an opinion essay or an informative essay, and it is worth 10 points: up to 4 for purpose and organization, 4 for evidence and elaboration, and 2 for conventions. Practice Test 1 in the workbook has an informative essay and Practice Test 2 has an opinion essay, so students practice both.
How much does the workbook cost?
The Printable PDF is $9.99 for all 248 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.
Why do 3rd graders take the OST ELA test twice?
Grade 3 ELA is given in the fall and in the spring, with a summer retest. A score of 700 (Proficient) on any of them meets Ohio’s third grade reading promotion score. The pretest and the two practice tests let you check progress before each window.
Walk into test day ready.
Start with the pretest this week, and have every standard covered by spring.
OST (Ohio’s State Tests) is the state assessment of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Have Fun Teaching, LLC is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Not an official test.
