The FCAT for third grade is composed of two sections: one for math and one for reading. Students may have up to 120 minutes to complete each section. The reading section comprises about 50 to 55 questions; the math section, about 45 to 50 questions. Each section is composed entirely of multiple-choice questions.
One of the most challenging aspects of the test for students is the stamina required to finish it. Two hours is a long time for an average third-grader to sit still and focus on a test. Help your child practice with other quiet activities for extended periods of time in order to build up her ability to sit still.
The third-grade reading FCAT covers the following core topics: Words & Phrases in Context; Main Idea, Plot, & Purpose; Comparison and Cause/Effect; and Reference & Research.
Words & Phrases in Context is a vocabulary section, covering the meanings of words as they are used in sentences or stories. Main Idea, Plot & Purpose questions ask students to identify those key elements in a reading passage, while Comparison & Cause/Effect questions ask them to explore relationships between events in a story. Reference & Research questions ask students to identify the best sources of specific information or the types of information they may obtain from a particular source.
There are a variety of third-grade-level reading passages on this test. Passages vary from 100 to 700 words, with 350 words being the average. Sixty percent of the texts are literary (entertaining and fictional), while the other 40 percent are informative. Students must answer multiple-choice questions about every reading passage.
The third-grade math FCAT covers the following main topics: Number Sense, Concepts & Operations; Measurement; Geometry & Spatial Sense; Algebraic Thinking; and Data Analysis & Probability. Each multiple-choice question on the test will fall into one of these categories.
Multiple-choice does not mean students don't have to perform any calculations. They must calculate an answer and then match their answer to the correct option on the multiple-choice menu. Some questions ask students about mathematical theories, while others ask for numerical answers.
Students in third grade must take the mathematics FCAT, but they do not have to earn any specific score to move on to the fourth grade.