Colorado CMAS 3rd Grade ELA Practice Test Workbook

Colorado CMAS 3rd Grade ELA Practice Test Workbook

The Colorado CMAS 3rd Grade ELA Practice Test Workbook gives 3rd grade teachers everything they need for CMAS 3rd grade ELA practice test prep: a pretest, a lesson and practice for every standard, mixed review and 2 full-length practice tests in the same question styles students see on the CMAS. Every question is original and aligned to the Colorado Academic Standards — Reading, Writing and Communicating.

Use it as your cmas 3rd grade ela practice test plan for the whole year: print the pages you need for whole-class lessons, small groups, centers or homework.

✔ Updated for the 2026–27 school year · last verified November 2026

Take a look inside the Colorado CMAS 3rd Grade ELA Practice Test Workbook

Why teachers trust this workbook

• Built from the CMAS blueprint published by the Colorado Department of Education and the Colorado Academic Standards — Reading, Writing and Communicating
• Practice weighted to match what’s actually on the test
• Built on research-backed strategies: practice testing, spiral review, and targeted practice
• Reviewed by a certified teacher
• Checked against the latest state updates — last verified November 2026

What’s included: CMAS practice tests, skill practice and answer key

• 296 full-color pages, ready to print
• Pretest (18 questions) with a scoring guide that shows which skills to teach first
• Skill practice for all 19 CMAS 3rd grade ELA standards: a Learn It page with a worked example plus test-style practice (133 pages)
• Mixed Review: 16 pages, 18 questions
• Test-taking strategies (6 pages)
• 2 full-length CMAS practice tests, 25 questions each, with bubble answer sheets
• Answer key with all 212 answers (17 pages)
• Progress trackers, class data sheets and a certificate

About the CMAS 3rd grade ELA test

Quick facts, as of November 10, 2026:

• Test: Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS), 3rd grade ELA
• Format: Computer-based, fixed form (not adaptive); paper test books as an accommodation
• When: once a year: spring Apr 5–23, 2027 — spring statewide test (tentative 2027 window)
• Questions: 53 score points (2018 blueprint); CDE does not publish the number of questions (this book's practice tests: 22 reading questions + 3 written responses = 25, 60 points)
• Time: Three units, 90 minutes each (4 hours 30 minutes in all)
• Tools: Calculator: none · Dictionary: not on the test (hard words are explained in a footnote or glossary, as on the state test) · Scratch paper:
• Question types: Part A / Part B (evidence-based), Multiple choice, Multiple select (choose two or three), Inline choice (one bubble in each box), Table (one bubble in each row), Written response (prose constructed response)
• Reporting categories: Reading: Literary Text (8-9 questions); Reading: Informational Text (8-9 questions); Reading: Vocabulary (5 questions); Writing: Written Expression (3 questions); Writing: Knowledge and Use of Language Conventions (0 questions)
• Standards: Colorado Academic Standards (2020) — Reading, Writing and Communicating

Sources: CMAS ELA Test Design Summary and Blueprint (CMAS ELA/Literacy High Level Blueprints (3/16/2018; PDF modified 2025-04-30) + Grade 3 ELA Frameworks (2025-05-09) + Grade 3 Evidence Statements (2018, modified 2025-04-30), checked 2026-11-10 (sources.md E1-E3)) and the Colorado Department of Education. States can change their tests at any time; check the Colorado Department of Education for current information.

How to use it in your classroom

A simple test prep plan for the CMAS test:

• Start with the Pretest. It is half the length of a practice test, and its scoring guide shows which standards each student needs most.
• Teach and practice by standard. Each skill has a Learn It page with a worked example, then test-style practice in the same question formats as the CMAS — great for small groups, centers or homework.
• Keep skills fresh with Mixed Review. Short cumulative pages mix every reporting category, so earlier skills don’t fade.
• Give the practice tests before the big day. Practice Test 1 shows what to reteach; Practice Test 2 is a full dress rehearsal for the spring state test. Bubble answer sheets and the class data sheets make scoring quick.

Free with a membership: a Have Fun Teaching membership includes the Printable PDF of every test prep workbook. The paperback is sold on Amazon and is not included.

Questions teachers ask

Are these real CMAS questions?
No. Every question, passage and picture is an original work of Have Fun Teaching, written to match the question styles, standards and blueprint of the CMAS. None are actual test items.

Can I make copies for my class?
Yes. A teacher who purchased this workbook may copy pages for the students in their own classroom.

Is it included in a membership?
Yes. A Have Fun Teaching membership includes the Printable PDF.

Related Resources

• CMAS Test Prep & Practice Tests for Teachers
• Test Prep workbooks for every state
• Main Idea and Three Details Graphic Organizer Worksheet
• Context Clues Worksheet
• Compare and Contrast Topics Graphic Organizer Worksheet

Independent supplemental practice resource. 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. No score or result is guaranteed.