ÌÇÐ͝Âþvlog

English Learners Quiz

WIDA’s Test for English Learners: Try Sample Questions

By Ileana Najarro & Gina Tomko — May 24, 2024 1 min read
Laptop Checklist 052024 1251676666 [Converted] 01
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

The WIDA ACCESS language proficiency test is used across close to 40 states as part of the federal requirement to determine whether English learners continue to need language-development services.

The summative test covers four English-language domains: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. It is built off of the language-assessment group WIDA’s language development standards, and test questions align with content students see in regular classrooms, WIDA experts said. The topics covered in various questions are rooted in math, science, and social studies concepts.

Consistent, quality language instruction and practice across the school day from both general education teachers and specialists is key for English learners, especially as data show that average proficiency scores on the ACCESS test continue to decline after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

See Also

ELL Girl Laptop 052024 176654360
Marilyn Nieves/Getty

Researchers and specialists say general education teachers could benefit from understanding the ACCESS test, which is given both online and on paper, and its scoring to help English learners’ language development. WIDA provides free sample questions and .

For a snapshot of reading questions from both the online and paper versions of the test, take the quiz below. It features questions provided by WIDA across grade-level clusters, and levels of difficulty within these clusters (known as lettered tiers).

The format has been edited for length and clarity, and the quiz does not feature the adaptive quality of the online test, where difficulty levels increase or decrease based on students’ responses to prior questions.

Teachers can try out practice online exam questions across all four domains in the format students experience through .

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Teaching Webinar
Maximize Your MTSS to Drive Literacy Success
Learn how districts are strengthening MTSS to accelerate literacy growth and help every student reach grade-level reading success.
Content provided by 
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar How High Schools Can Prepare Students for College and Career
Explore how schools are reimagining high school with hands-on learning that prepares students for both college and career success.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
GoGuardian and Google: Proactive AI Safety in Schools
Learn how to safely adopt innovative AI tools while maintaining support for student well-being. 
Content provided by 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

English Learners How One District Approaches the 'Science of Reading' With English Learners
Leaders shared three guiding principles in a recent Education Week virtual event.
4 min read
First grader Aizlynn Castillo works on an assignment in Diana Oviedo-Holguin’s English learner class at Heritage Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 3, 2025.
First grader Aizlynn Castillo works on an assignment in Diana Oviedo-Holguin’s English-learner class at Heritage Elementary School in San Antonio on Sept. 3, 2025. The school district has embraced the "science of reading" and is applying it to instruction for English learners and in dual-language programs.
Noah Devereaux for Education Week
English Learners Opinion Teaching English Learners Is Complex. Here Are Some Tested Strategies
Teachers can start by shifting how we think about language development.
10 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
English Learners Dual-Language Programs Are Hobbled By a Catch-22
Experts discuss the challenges facing dual-language programs and how they can serve all students.
3 min read
Students in the dual-language immersion program at Pueblo Elementary School in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Sept. 16, 2025.
Students in the dual-language immersion program at Pueblo Elementary School in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Sept. 16, 2025. Experts say all students can benefit from dual-language education, but there's a long way to go toward making these programs equitable.
Courtney Pedroza for Education Week
English Learners Why Bilingual Hispanic Teachers Make a Big Difference for English Learners
A new study found benefits from hiring teachers of color with language certifications.
3 min read
Second grade students raise their hands in Dalia Gerardo's classroom at West Elementary, in Russellville, Ala., on Dec. 9, 2022.
Second grade students raise their hands in Dalia Gerardo's classroom at West Elementary, in Russellville, Ala., on Dec. 9, 2022. Gerardo is a bilingual educator. Experts say Hispanic ÌÇÐ͝Âþvlog with bilingual certification can boost English learners' academic performance.
Tamika Moore for Education Week