Sample Tests

English

The ICAS Year 3 English exam assesses students’ understanding of written language through engaging tasks.

Students may sequence events, identify a text’s purpose, join ideas with conjunctions, and more—across four key skill areas

Text Comprehension
Writer’s Craft
Syntax
Vocabulary

"Laying the Foundation for Fluent Futures."

The ICAS English exam helps assess Year 3 students' core literacy skills through engaging tasks designed to reflect their curriculum level. It focuses on reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and writing craft—building confidence in everyday literacy, clear communication, and critical thinking. An ideal way to benchmark progress and identify learning needs early.

Skill Area	Learning Objective	Key Student Outcomes
Text Comprehension	Understand and interpret events, ideas, and key details in texts	Name when an event occurs in a narrative Identify event sequence Understand cause and effect State the main purpose Analyse scientific texts for key information Identify the writer’s point of view
Writer’s Craft	Recognise and explain stylistic features and text types	Find a simile Identify text types (e.g., diary, poem) Explain the use of opening techniques (e.g., joke or question) Explain subheadings in factual texts
Syntax	Identify and apply correct sentence structure and grammar	Identify correct punctuation Recognise full forms of contractions Join sentences using conjunctions
Vocabulary	Identify and interpret word meanings in context	Find definitions in text Interpret the meaning of unfamiliar words

Mathematics

The ICAS Mathematics Year 3 competition challenges students with tasks that develop higher-order thinking skills. It covers key areas including: Numbers, Arithmetic, Patterns, Pre-Algebra, Units, Measurement, Space, Shape, and Geometry.

"Numbers, Logic, and Confidence Start Here."

The ICAS Maths test helps Class 3 students build strong numeracy foundations while developing essential skills like logical reasoning, problem solving, and critical thinking. Aligned with their level, it offers an engaging way to assess understanding of numbers, patterns, measurement, and shapes—supporting early success in STEM and everyday problem-solving

The questions increase in complexity throughout the paper and encourage the use of higher-order thinking skills.

Skill Area	Learning Objective	Key Student Outcomes
Number & Arithmetic	Develop number sense and apply basic operations to solve simple problems	Count, order, and compare numbers to 1000 Understand place value Skip count by 2s, 3s, 5s, 10s Compare halves, quarters, eighths Multiply/divide using arrays and repeated addition Solve simple addition and subtraction problems
Algebra & Patterns	Recognise and extend simple patterns; apply early algebraic thinking	Continue linear patterns Identify missing elements Solve simple number puzzles Complete number sentences
Measures & Units	Measure and compare using informal units; read basic time and calendars	Compare mass, length, area, volume, capacity Order months/seasons Read a calendar Read analog/digital clocks to the quarter hour
Space & Geometry	Understand position, movement, and properties of shapes	Follow directions Identify relative positions Recognise transformations (flip, slide, turn) Describe and compare 2D/3D shapes
Chance & Data	Interpret and organise data; estimate likelihood	Estimate probability using simple terms Classify data Read and complete tables, lists, and picture graphs

Science

The Year 3 Science assessment encourages curious minds to observe, investigate, and think critically. Students develop key skills in observing, measuring, interpreting, predicting, and problem solving—while exploring exciting topics like Life & Living, Energy & Change, and Materials.

It’s a fun and meaningful way to spark scientific thinking from an early age!

"Exploring the World Like Young Scientists "

The ICAS Science test helps young learners think like scientists—observing, investigating, predicting, and problem solving. Aligned to their year level, the assessment covers core STEM skills in a fun and challenging way, encouraging curiosity and critical thinking from an early age.

Skill Area	Learning Objective	Key Student Outcomes
Observing & Measuring	Identify and describe physical characteristics and phenomena through observation	Compare rock types Observe absorption of liquids Measure lengths of living things Read a thermometer
Interpreting	Extract and interpret information from data tables and visual sources	Interpret planetary data tables Interpret data on household products Identify habitats Interpret floating/sinking results
Predicting & Concluding	Make logical predictions and draw conclusions based on scientific understanding	Predict seasonal changes Conclude differences between natural and synthetic materials Predict magnetic effects Draw conclusions about body parts’ functions
Investigating	Plan and explore scientific questions through structured investigation	Investigate the Sun’s movement Test new material designs Explore sound and its uses Examine recycling processes
Reasoning & Problem Solving	Apply reasoning skills to explain scientific outcomes or solve simple science-based problems	Assess weather impact on regions Determine characteristics of living things Select efficient machinery based on a scenario

Digital Technologies

The Year 3 Digital Technologies assessment introduces young learners to the exciting world of tech. From creating and formatting documents to designing simple slideshows and sending emails, students explore real-world digital tasks. Building confidence and essential skills for the digital age, all in a fun and interactive way.

"Where Tech Skills Take Off "

In today’s tech-driven world, digital literacy is a must—starting from an early age. The ICAS Digital Technologies exam helps Year 3 students build confidence with tasks like creating documents, using multimedia, browsing safely, and interpreting data. Aligned with their learning level, the test assesses real-world digital skills that support success in school and everyday life.

Skill Area	Core Topics	Student Outcomes – Tasks May Require Students To:
Digital Systems	Hardware & Software Terminology Peripheral Devices Basic Operations	Identify hardware/software Recognise parts of digital systems and menu bars Understand apps and backup purpose
Word Processing	Document creation Editing & formatting Print functions	Create/save documents Use cut, copy, paste Format text (font, size, colour, alignment) Use spell check Use print preview
Graphics & Multimedia	Drawing tools Image manipulation Multimedia components	Resize, rotate, flip graphics Use drawing tools Recognise icons (audio/video) Create simple slideshows
Internet & Email	Web browsing Email basics Cyber safety Search skills	Send, receive, reply to emails Identify browser parts, bookmarks, hyperlinks Apply search terms Understand digital footprint risks
Spreadsheets & Databases	Spreadsheet layout Data display Basic databases	Identify active cells Interpret simple spreadsheets Present data appropriately Perform simple database searches
Programming	Coding logic Block-based coding	Recognise sequence and logic in basic block coding

Writing

The Year 3 Writing competition assesses students on grammar, punctuation, syntax, and spelling—while also testing their ability to write clearly and appropriately for a given purpose. Students complete two writing tasks: one persuasive, where they aim to convince the reader, and one narrative, where they craft a story with characters, setting, and structure. It’s a great way to develop confident, creative, and purposeful young writers.

Express, Create, Persuade Bottom of Form

Writing is a vital skill that supports learning in every subject—and beyond the classroom. The ICAS Writing test helps assess Year 3 students' ability to plan, create, and express ideas clearly through two key genres: narrative and persuasive writing. Students are evaluated on grammar, punctuation, spelling, and structure, while also developing creativity, clarity, and purpose in their writing. It’s the perfect way to nurture confident young communicators from the early years

Skill	Learning Objective	Learning Outcome
Genre Awareness	Understand the structural and stylistic features of narrative and persuasive writing	Constructs writing with appropriate layout, tone, and vocabulary for the chosen text type
Idea Development & Cohesion	Generate, organise, and link ideas clearly and logically	Maintains relevance and uses cohesive devices (e.g., connectives, conjunctions, paragraphs) to link ideas
Grammar & Sentence Control	Use appropriate tense, pronouns, and sentence structures for clarity	Applies consistent verb tense, correct pronouns, and varied sentence structures to ensure clear meaning
Syntax & Word Use	Apply correct syntax, including prepositions, articles, and plural forms	Demonstrates accuracy in sentence construction and correct use of grammatical forms
Punctuation & Editing	Use punctuation to enhance readability and revise writing for accuracy	Uses full stops, commas, capitalisation, and other marks correctly; identifies and corrects basic errors

Spelling Bee

The Year 3 Spelling Bee tests students across three key contexts: dictation, spelling rules and conventions, and error correction. Word difficulty ranges from everyday to tricky, helping assess visual memory, sound–letter patterns, word building (like prefixes and suffixes), and even word origins. It’s a fun and focused way to build strong spelling foundations and confident young writers.

"Word Power in Action "

Spelling is more than getting words right—it’s the foundation for strong reading, writing, and clear communication. The ICAS Spelling Bee challenges Year 3 students through dictation, rule-based spelling, and error correction, helping build confidence and accuracy. With word types ranging from simple to tricky, the test strengthens visual memory, sound–letter patterns, and word-building skills—essential for literacy success in school and beyond.

Skill Area	Learning Objective	Learning Outcome
Visual Knowledge	Recognise and recall common sight words and grammatical structures	Accurately spell high-frequency and functional words from memory (e.g. said, through, who)
	Distinguish between homophones and commonly confused words	Select and spell the correct word based on context (e.g. quiet vs quite)
	Identify words with silent letters	Spell words with silent elements (e.g. know, lamb) without visual aids
Phonological Knowledge	Understand vowel and consonant digraphs, trigraphs, and blends	Apply sound–letter knowledge to spell phonetically regular and irregular words (e.g. stretch, frighten)
	Recognise patterns in long vowel sounds and silent 'e' constructions	Spell multisyllabic words with long vowels correctly (e.g. attitude, alive)
	Distinguish between confusing consonant patterns and doubling rules	Apply correct spelling rules to consonant usage (e.g. happy, swallow, exciting)
Morphological Knowledge	Understand suffix and prefix rules and how they affect word structure	Correctly add suffixes and prefixes, including spelling changes (e.g. caring, flies, dislike)
	Apply conventions for word families and affix combinations	Spell words with multiple affixes and morphological changes (e.g. unkindly, unpopularity)
Etymological Knowledge	Recognise words of foreign origin and subject-specific terminology	Spell commonly used foreign-derived and academic words (e.g. chef, bicycle, garage)