Kindergarten Mathematics — Testing-Out Examination
A student who passes this examination has demonstrated mastery of the Common Core Kindergarten standards (K.CC, K.OA, K.NBT, K.MD, K.G) and is eligible to advance directly to Grade 1 Mathematics.
Format and proctor instructions
- This examination is proctor-administered. The student is a kindergartner (5–6 years old). The proctor reads each task aloud and writes down what the student says on this answer sheet. The student uses real objects (counters, pattern blocks, shape cards) for most tasks.
- Time: 120 minutes total in three sessions of about 30 minutes, separated by two 10-minute breaks. Sessions: Tasks 1–3, Tasks 4–6, Tasks 7–8.
- Materials the proctor provides: a set of 30 same-color counters; a set of pattern-block shapes (triangle, square, rectangle, hexagon); 3-D shape models (cube, cone, cylinder, sphere); a printed picture sheet (proctor's set); pencil; crayons.
- Scoring: Each task is worth the points shown. Award full credit only for fully correct, smooth answers; partial credit (half points, listed by sub-task) for answers that are mostly correct or that need one short proctor prompt.
- Recording: The proctor writes the student's spoken answers in the space provided. For drawing or counting tasks, the student marks directly on the answer sheet.
SESSION 1 · Tasks 1–3 (about 30 minutes)
- Counting to 100 out loud. The proctor says: "Please count out loud starting from 1. I will tell you when to stop." The student counts to 100. (Proctor: stop the student at 100. Mark any number where the student gets stuck or skips. Award up to 3 points: 3 = counted to 100 with no mistakes; 2 = counted to 100 with at most 2 mistakes; 1 = counted to at least 50; 0 = otherwise.)
Errors observed: ____________________________ Points: ___ / 3
- Counting forward from a given number. Proctor: "Start at 47 and count up to 60."
Result: ____________________________ Points: ___ / 2
- Skip-counting by tens. Proctor: "Count by tens up to 100."
Result: 10, 20, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___ Points: ___ / 2
- Writing numerals. The student writes each numeral in the box: 0, 5, 9, 13, 17, 20.
[student writes here] Points: ___ / 2
- Count objects to answer "How many?" — line, array, scattered. The proctor presents three cards in turn:
Card A: 14 stars in a single line. Student answer: ___ Card B: 18 dots in a 3-by-6 array. Student answer: ___ Card C: 9 fish scattered. Student answer: ___ Points: ___ / 3
- Compare two groups. The proctor places two piles of counters: pile X has 8 counters; pile Y has 11 counters. "Which pile has more? Which has fewer? How many more does Y have than X?"
Student answers: more = ___ fewer = ___ difference = ___ Points: ___ / 2
- Find each answer using counters or fingers. The proctor lays out groups of counters and asks "How many in all?":
(i) \(3 + 4\) → ___ (ii) \(5 + 2\) → ___ (iii) \(6 + 4\) → ___ (iv) \(0 + 7\) → ___ Points: ___ / 4
- Word problem (proctor reads): "There are 4 birds in a tree. 3 more birds fly into the tree. How many birds are in the tree now?"
Student draws the situation here. Answer: ___ Points: ___ / 2
- Break 7 into two groups in three different ways. "Show three ways to make 7 using two groups of counters."
Student draws or describes:
___ + ___ = 7 ___ + ___ = 7 ___ + ___ = 7 Points: ___ / 3 - Make 10. The proctor says: "What number do I need to add to 6 to make 10?" Then: "To 4?" Then: "To 9?"
Answers: ___, ___, ___ Points: ___ / 3
- Find each answer (counters or fingers OK):
(i) \(8 - 3\) → ___ (ii) \(10 - 6\) → ___ (iii) \(7 - 7\) → ___ (iv) \(9 - 4\) → ___ Points: ___ / 4
- Word problem (proctor reads): "Mia has 9 cookies. She gives 4 cookies to her brother. How many cookies does Mia have left?"
Student draws the situation here. Answer: ___ Points: ___ / 2
- Quick math facts to 5. Proctor reads each one quickly: "5 minus 2; 4 minus 1; 3 plus 2; 5 minus 5."
Answers: ___, ___, ___, ___ Points: ___ / 4
— 10-minute break. —
SESSION 2 · Tasks 4–6 (about 30 minutes)
- Show 14 using one ten-rod and four ones (base-ten blocks). Then say: "14 is one 10 and 4 ones." Repeat for 11, 17, 19.
Student demonstrations: 11 = ___ ten and ___ ones 17 = ___ ten and ___ ones 19 = ___ ten and ___ ones Points: ___ / 6
- Break each teen number apart as \(10 + ?\):
(i) \(13 = 10 + ?\) (ii) \(15 = 10 + ?\) (iii) \(18 = 10 + ?\) Points: ___ / 3
- Build the number 16 in two different ways using counters and 10-frames. Sketch or describe each.
Way 1: ____________________ Way 2: ____________________ Points: ___ / 3
- The proctor places three pencils of obviously different lengths on the table. The student orders them from shortest to longest.
Order recorded by proctor: ____________________ Points: ___ / 2
- The proctor places two objects (e.g., a book and a stuffed animal) on the table. The student says which is heavier after lifting both.
Student says: heavier = ____________________ lighter = ____________________ Points: ___ / 2
- The proctor sets out a mixed group of buttons: 4 red, 3 blue, 5 yellow. The student sorts them into groups by color and counts each.
Counts: red ___, blue ___, yellow ___ Which group has the most? ___ Which has the fewest? ___ Points: ___ / 4
- The student arranges the three groups in order from fewest to most.
Order: ____________________ Points: ___ / 2
- Describe one measurable attribute (length, weight, height) of a typical object, e.g., "This pencil is __________ (long / short / heavy / light)."
Student response: ____________________ Points: ___ / 2
- The proctor shows the shape cards in turn: triangle, circle, square, rectangle, hexagon. The student names each and tells how many sides and corners (vertices).
Triangle: ___ sides, ___ corners Circle: ___ sides, ___ corners Square: ___ sides, ___ corners Rectangle: ___ sides, ___ corners Hexagon: ___ sides, ___ corners Points: ___ / 5
- The proctor places three objects on the table — a book, a cup, and a pencil. The proctor asks the student to describe positions:
"Is the pencil above or below the book?" → ___
"Is the cup beside or behind the book?" → ___
"Is the pencil next to or far from the cup?" → ___ Points: ___ / 3 - Sketch each shape on the answer sheet:
(i) a triangle (ii) a square (iii) a hexagon
- The proctor places two pattern-block triangles next to each other to form a larger shape. "What new shape did we make?" (Expected answer: a rhombus or "diamond" or larger triangle, depending on orientation.)
Student response: ____________________ Points: ___ / 2
— 10-minute break. —
SESSION 3 · Tasks 7–8 (about 30 minutes)
- The proctor shows the four 3-D shape models in turn: cube, cone, cylinder, sphere. The student names each and points to one example of each in the room (e.g., a ball is a sphere; a soup can is a cylinder).
Cube example: ____________________ Cone example: ____________________ Cylinder example: ____________________ Sphere example: ____________________ Points: ___ / 4
- How is a square (2-D) different from a cube (3-D)? Student explains in one phrase.
Response: ____________________ Points: ___ / 2
- How is a circle different from a sphere?
Response: ____________________ Points: ___ / 2
- Build a shape. The student uses pattern blocks to make a hexagon out of two trapezoids. Then out of six triangles. The proctor checks each.
Built with two trapezoids? Yes / No Built with six triangles? Yes / No Points: ___ / 4
- Build with pattern blocks. The proctor says: "Use two triangles to build a square. Then use two squares to build a longer rectangle. Tell me what shape you made each time."
Square from 2 triangles? Yes / No Rectangle from 2 squares? Yes / No Points: ___ / 2
The proctor reads each story slowly, twice. The student may use counters, draw, or use fingers. The proctor records both the answer and the strategy used.
- "There are 5 frogs sitting on a log. 3 more frogs jump onto the log. Then 2 frogs hop off. How many frogs are on the log now?"
Answer: ___ Strategy used: ____________________ Points: ___ / 3
- "A box has 10 crayons. 4 are red and the rest are blue. How many crayons are blue?"
Answer: ___ Strategy used: ____________________ Points: ___ / 3
- "Sam counts 6 birds in his yard. He sees 4 more birds in the tree. How many birds in all?"
Answer: ___ Strategy used: ____________________ Points: ___ / 3
- "Anna has 8 stickers. She gives some to her friend. Now she has 5 stickers. How many did she give away?"
Answer: ___ Strategy used: ____________________ Points: ___ / 3
- "There are 12 cookies on a tray. The tray has two equal rows. How many cookies are in each row?"
Answer: ___ Strategy used: ____________________ Points: ___ / 2