ELPAC practice test for kindergarten
On the real test every kindergarten question is given one to one by a test examiner, who reads the directions and questions aloud and works through the test alongside the child. The practice here is written for you to do the same — sit with your child and read it to them. Two differences are worth knowing: the real test often offers pictures to point at where this site has to offer answers in words, which asks more of a young child’s memory; and on the real test a listening recording is normally played once, unless the child has been assigned the pause or replay support, where here you can replay the audio as often as you like.
Kindergarten has its own form of the test, and every part of it is given one to one, so each practice question here is written for an adult to read aloud: the directions, the question and all three answers. The reading and listening practice below is scored as you go, with an explanation after every question. Writing and speaking cannot be scored automatically — a trained person judges them against a rubric on the real test — so those pages give you the prompts, the rubric, a worked sample and personalized practice feedback instead of a score. Work through one part at a time to get used to a single task type, or take one of the two mixed practice tests to practice switching between them the way the real test does. The two tests use different questions, so the second one is a fresh try rather than a repeat.
Mixed practice tests
Mixed practice test 1
Listening, then reading, in the order the real test presents them: short exchanges, two stories, a short talk about bees, and read-along words, a story and a text about rain. An explanation follows every question.
Start the mixed practice test →Mixed practice test 2
A second set with different questions: short exchanges, a story, a short talk about turtles, and read-along words, a story and a text about frogs. An explanation follows every question.
Start the mixed practice test →
Practice one part at a time
Reading
Passages followed by comprehension questions, plus word and sentence choice tasks.
Practice Reading →
Listening
Short spoken passages played as recorded audio, with a transcript available, followed by questions.
Practice Listening →
Writing
Writing prompts with a rubric based on the published scoring guides, plus sample responses and optional personalized feedback. Not scored here — writing is scored by a person on the real test.
Practice Writing →
Speaking
Speaking prompts with a rubric based on the published scoring guides, plus sample responses and optional personalized feedback. Not scored here — speaking is scored by a person on the real test.
Practice Speaking →
ELPAC for kindergarten: common questions
What is on the kindergarten ELPAC?
Kindergarten has its own form of the test, covering listening, speaking, reading and writing, and every part is given one to one by a test examiner who reads the directions and questions aloud. Reading is done as read-along tasks: naming the letters and first sound of a word, and following a short story and an informational text as the examiner reads. Writing asks the child to label a picture and to compose a short story together with the examiner.
What kindergarten ELPAC practice is on this site?
There are 21 listening questions, 19 reading questions, 8 speaking prompts and 4 writing prompts, plus two mixed practice tests of 20 questions each that run listening and then reading in the order the real test uses. Reading and listening are scored as you go, with an explanation after every question. Speaking and writing give you the prompt, a rubric and a worked sample instead of a score, because a trained person scores those parts on the real test.
How should I use a kindergarten ELPAC practice test with my child?
Sit with your child and read everything aloud: the directions, the question and all three answers, the way the examiner does on the real test. Two differences are worth knowing. The real test often lets a child point at pictures, while this site offers answers in words, which asks more of a young child's memory. And a real listening recording is normally played once unless the child has the pause or replay support, while here you can replay it as often as you like.
Does this help with the Initial ELPAC as well as the Summative?
Yes, as format practice. The Initial ELPAC is given once, within 30 calendar days of a child first enrolling, to decide whether they are an English learner. The Summative ELPAC is given every spring after that. The two share the same four domains and the same published task formats, which is what these questions are written to match. This independent site's practice is not calibrated against either test, so it cannot predict a result.
Guides for families and teachers
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This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the California Department of Education or the official ELPAC program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published task formats.