GMAS Sample Questions: Grade 4 ELA

The GMAS is a Computer-Based Longitudinal Assessment System for College and Career Readiness. The students will face a variety of new technology-enhanced questions as a part of the computer-based tests.

Some of them are Multiple choice-single correct responses, Multiple choice-multiple correct responses, Matching Tables, Drag and Drop, Hot text, Table Fill in, Graphing, Equation/numeric, Extended constructed response, Short answer, and many more.

Today, we will share several sample questions along with practice test links for grade 4 English Language Arts that gives you an idea of questions that your students are likely to see on the test. After each sample question, an explanation follows that includes any important aspects of the task that you may need to consider with respect to the skills, processes, and information your students need to know.

Domain: Grade 4 >> Reading Standards for Literature

Sample Question: Read the poem and answer the question.

I found a shell, a curly one;
Lying on the sand.
I picked it up and took it home,
Held tightly in my hand.

Mommy looked at it and then,
She held it to my ear,
And from the shell there came a song
Soft and sweet and clear.

I was surprised, I listened hard,
And it was really true:
If you can find a nice big shell,
You’ll hear the singing too.

–Unknown

What did mommy do with the shell?

  1. She broke it.
  2. She held it to the poet’s ear.
  3. She held it to her ear.
  4. She threw it out.

Answer Explanation: The second choice is correct. In the second line of the second stanza of the pooem, it says “she held it to my ear.” It refers to the shell. The poet is the narrator.

Standards: ELAGSE4RL1

Click here to practice: Reading Standards for Literature Questions on 4th Grade

Domain: Grade 4 >> Reading Standards for Informational Text

Sample Question: Sacagawea is a famous Native American from the Shoshone tribe. She became known because she helped two male, explorers named Lewis and Clark, find their way through the unexplored west. Before she was able to do that, however, she was kidnapped when she was 12 years old by an enemy Native American tribe called the Hidatsa. Then, legend has it, that the chief of the Hidatsa tribe sold Sacagawea into slavery.

In 1804, she became an interpreter and guide for a group of explorers led by Lewis and Clark and she helped them find their way from near the Dakotas to the Pacific Ocean. She became a famous Native American in our history for being brave and helping these men discover unknown territory.

What is the main idea of the story above?

  1. Sacagawea was a woman who did so many things that women didn’t do at the time and she will be remembered as part of American history.
  2. Sacagawea’s life was amazing.
  3. Sacagawea helped two men explore the west.
  4. What Sacagawea did will be remembered forever.

Answer Explanation: The first choice is correct because it includes what the passage was about and the most important information.

Standards: ELAGSE4RI2

Click here to practice: Grade 4 Reading Standards for Informational Text Questions

Domain: Grade 4 >> Writing Standards

Sample Question: Mindy failed her history test. _____________, her mother grounded her for the weekend.

Choose the transition word that shows a cause and effect relationship.

  1. On the other hand
  2. Consequently
  3. As mentioned earlier
  4. Further on

Answer Explanation: “Consequently” is a transtion word used to show the effect in a cause/effect relationship.

Standards: W.4.1

Click here to practice: 4th Grade Writing Standards Questions

Domain: Grade 4 >> Language Standards

Sample Question: The world change so rapidly that we can hardly keep up.

Choose the correct sentence.

  1. The world will be changing so rapidly that we can hardly keep up.
  2. The world change so rapidly that we can hardly keep up.
  3. The world is changing so rapidly that we can hardly keep up.
  4. The worlds change so rapidly that we can hardly keep up.

Answer Explanation: Change in the sentence is ongoing and is happening now, so we use the present progressive tense.

Standards: L.4.1

Click here to practice: Language Standards Questions for 4th Grade

Looking for online practice tests? Here is the link to practice more of GMAS Grade 4 English Language Arts questions.

Jaci Smith