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Forward Exam Practice Test and Sample Items

Students may perform better and with less anxiety if they are familiar with the format of the test and with the types of questions they will be required to answer. However, please note that test preparation is only useful to the extent that it is also teaching content area knowledge and skills. Therefore, the use of test preparation resources is of limited value to students due to the narrow opportunity for content learning. It is very important to ensure that teachers are teaching to the curriculum and not to the test, as teaching to the test narrows the focus of instruction to only that content covered by the test.

Forward Exam Online Tools Training (OTT)

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The OTT provides students with hands-on practice logging in, selecting a test session, responding to different item types, and using the tools available in the testing system. The OTT is not scored and is not for content practice or to see how well students will perform on the Forward Exam.  (must be accessed with a chrome browser) 

NOTE: If you have to choose one practice option (OTT vs. Sampler) due to time constraints, please use the OTT with your students. The OTT allows students to practice all item types where the sampler does not. As curriculum should be tied to the Wisconsin State Standards, content practice (sampler) is not a necessity. 

Forward Exam Item Samplers

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Online Item Sampler - All grades/content areas

Students work in an online system of the same format as the Forward Exam. (Must be accessed with a chrome browser)

Quick Guide to the Item Sampler

PDF Item Samplers - Printable version  

Text-Dependent Analysis (TDA) Samplers

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The following grade band documents contain samples of TDA test questions, stimulus passages, and student responses. The TDA portion of the Forward Exam requires students to read the text (passage or passages) and then respond in writing to a prompt in one of several ways:
  • identifying and explaining a theme or central idea, using textual evidence to support the claim about what that theme or central idea is,
  • and analyzing the development of an event, character, central ideas, or theme, using textual evidence to support the explanation and analysis.

TDA Samplers (updated samplers coming by end of December 2019)

Text Dependent Analysis (TDA) Sampler - Grades 7 & 8