UTAH Rise Practice Test
Prep for Utah RISE Assessment and Aspire Plus with Practice Tests
When testing time comes around, you want your students prepared for whatever the Utah RISE Assessment or the Utah Aspire Plus Assessment throws their way. These assessments, for elementary, middle, and high school students, make use of digital testing technology to go beyond old-fashioned bubble tests. This means your students not only need to be familiar with the subject matter — they also need to know how to navigate the virtual testing environment to properly answer questions.
Here’s what you need to know about Utah RISE and Aspire Plus (not be confused with ACT Aspire) — and how to best prepare your students for the virtual tests.
What Is Utah RISE Assessment and Aspire Plus?
Readiness Improvement Success Empowerment, or RISE, is an annual summative assessment for students in grades 3 through 8. It tests Utah students’ mastery of Utah State Core Standards in English language arts, mathematics, science, and writing. The Utah Aspire Plus assessment is a similar test for students in grades 9 and 10 that combines elements of ACT Aspire with Utah Core test items.
Along with providing indicators of how students are tracking with grade-level standards, Utah Aspire Plus (like the ACT Aspire) provides test-takers with predicted ACT score ranges. These ACT score ranges can then be used by students and educators to hone in on areas of improvement as students prepare to take the ACT in grade 11.
The grades and subjects tested with RISE and Utah Aspire Plus are as follows:
- RISE
- English language arts (grades 3–8)
- Mathematics (grades 3–8)
- Science (grades 4–8)
- Writing (grades 5 and 8)
- Utah Aspire Plus (grades 9 and 10 for all subjects)
- Reading
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
Utah students with significant cognitive disabilities take an alternative assessment, Dynamic Learning Maps, which covers the same subjects and grade levels as RISE, Utah Aspire Plus, and the ACT. English language learners are assessed with the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs to measure their proficiency in the English language. English language learners with significant cognitive disabilities take WIDA Alternate ACCESS for ELLs.
RISE and Utah Aspire Plus tests (similar to the ACT Aspire) are delivered online. RISE tests are computer-adaptive, so the questions become easier or harder depending on how a student answers preceding questions. The tests also make use of technology-enhanced items to get a deeper sense of students’ levels of academic skills like problem solving and critical thinking. The writing portion of RISE in grades 5 and 8 requires students to keyboard their entry.
How to Prep for Utah RISE Assessments and Utah Aspire Plus with Practice Tests
Virtual testing environments, like those used for Utah RISE, Utah Aspire Plus, and ACT Aspire, require more than a number two pencil for filling in bubbles. Your students need to know how to navigate from question to question — and how to make use of the digital tools in order to answer individual questions.
Even though many students spend a lot of time in digital environments, virtual testing still requires some practice to ensure that students are prepared on test day and won’t face any unforeseen challenges due to the technology. You’ll want to provide your students with ample opportunities to practice in the same sort of environment they’ll encounter when they take the Utah RISE or Aspire Plus tests.
To get the greatest bang for your virtual buck, have your students practice on the same device they’ll use for the real test. That way, not only will they be familiar with the testing interface, but they’ll know the specific nuances of how it interacts with their tablet, laptop, or desktop computer.
Virtual test practice for the Utah RISE and Aspire Plus assessments will make sure your students know the ins and outs of drag-and-drop, table filling, graph creation, and more. And they’ll also learn how to access the other tools, whether a calculator (for appropriate grades) or digital notepad, that can help them find success come test time. Along the way, your students will build confidence that will calm any nervousness on test day.
Utah RISE and Aspire Plus Practice Tests Are Available Now in Pear Assessment
To make practicing for the Utah RISE and Aspire Plus tests as easy as possible, Pear Assessment has uploaded practice test content to our Pear Assessment Public Library. All you have to do is sign up for a free account, and you’ll be able to welcome your students into our virtual testing environment, where they can practice navigating the technology and answering sample questions.
The Pear Assessment environment includes many of the digital testing features your students will encounter on Utah RISE and Aspire Plus tests, so they’ll be able to hone those test skills while you gain insight on where they might need more practice. You can also administer your own assessments through Pear Assessment, pick from the test library, or assemble an assessment from pre-made items. Questions may be aligned with Utah standards to track student mastery. Plus, on Pear Assessment everything is automatically graded, saving you time as the teacher that you can otherwise spend instructing and teaching your students.
Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to boost student confidence and give them the best chance on testing day.
Ready to get started?
Join Pear Assessment for FREE to administer the RISE Practice Test
Resources:
- https://schools.utah.gov/assessment
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCeDYhNRY6w&list=PL2WvfDlxdszmMhP5xOxMd7iVQyuVguFsT&index=1
- https://utahrise.org/en/announcements/2022/03/rise-summative-assessments-spring-2022
- https://utahonline.org/students/testing/
- https://www.pta.org/docs/default-source/files/family-resources/2021/state-assessment-guides/ut-assessmentguide-familyguide.pdf
- https://dynamiclearningmaps.org/utah
