The standardized testing season is an opportunity for students to showcase all of the incredible knowledge they’ve gained throughout the year. As educators, we take pride in helping our students feel confident and successful. With the right preparation and encouragement, this season can become a chance for students to demonstrate their growth and celebrate their hard work instead of stressing over their outcomes.

That’s why we need to use a test prep approach that is more than just drilling content. Instead, we need a thoughtful balance of teaching test-taking strategies, fostering a positive, resilient mindset, and engaging standard review. When we approach test prep from multiple angles, we can support student growth and ease anxiety about the testing process so all students can do their personal best.

This post includes a roundup of my favorite resources and strategies that help you prepare your students for the upcoming testing season. It also includes the best test prep tips from current classroom teachers in our free Inspired in Upper Elementary Facebook group!

Test Prep Toolkit

Set your students up for test-taking success with this comprehensive, interactive resource! This test-prep resource is designed to boost students’ confidence, equip them with essential test strategies, and build their understanding of tricky, domain-specific vocabulary commonly found on standardized tests.

I NEED THIS!

Featured Test Prep Resources

I strive to use test prep resources that fit authentically into our everyday routine so students never feel like they’re completing activities “just for the test.” However, in the days leading up to testing, I do focus on those crucial standards that always cause trouble as well as review of topics we haven’t covered recently. 

Here are four of my favorite test prep resources!

Math Test Prep Task Card Bundle: This bundle is a comprehensive, engaging way to help your students review math concepts. It includes Math Review Test Prep packs for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades, covering all math standards for each level. 

Each pack features printable task cards, a digital Google Slides version with interactive components, recording sheets, and answer keys. It’s perfect for in-class test prep, homework, enrichment, differentiated practice, or math centers.

Paired Passage Bundle: This comprehensive bundle is perfect for 4th to 6th grade, offering six paired passage sets (12 total!) that combine poems and stories on themes like honesty, change, and overcoming adversity. Each set includes guiding annotation tools, text-based questions, and targeted tasks that encourage students to analyze, evaluate, and create. With both digital (Google Slides) and printable formats, this resource is versatile for test prep, review, or literary skill-building throughout the year, but especially in the weeks leading up to assessments. Packed with engaging activities, it covers key skills such as making inferences, analyzing themes, comparing texts, and more.

Math Review Projects for Fourth or Fifth Grades: Engage your students in meaningful content review with these math projects that comprehensively cover all of the essential grade-level math skills. This project will prepare your students for the rigor of upcoming state tests and work as a review of content!

Math Test Prep Review Flipbooks for Third, Fourth, or Fifth Grades: Looking for a comprehensive way to review every grade-level math standard? This flipbook is an engaging tool for teaching, reinforcing skills, and preparing for tests. Covering all math domains for each specific grade, this resource offers three flexible formats: a printable flipbook with tabs, a full-page version (no tabs), and a digital Google Slides option. Each section provides targeted practice, while the final “Put it All Together” review helps students synthesize their learning. Ideal for test prep, year-end review, or even nightly homework… this flipbook makes math review rigorous and fun!

The Best Test Prep Tips and Strategies Blog Posts

I’ve shared several test prep posts over the years and you can browse them all here in one place for easy reading, but here’s a cheat sheet of what you’ll find in each one!

Meaningful Test Prep Tips for Students: This post focuses on test prep tips for students that help you prepare for the state exam without taking away from meaningful instruction time. It covers ways to make test prep authentic, book lists that help students get in the right mindset, and quick test-taking strategies.

Alexis A. posted in our FREE Inspired in Upper Elementary Facebook group that she likes “finding a way to make test prep fun! Incorporate games like Jeopardy to review skills.” This Whole Class Task Card Review Game shares my spin on Jeopardy in the classroom and includes a FREE fraction operations game set. 

4 ELA Test Prep Tips: This post has my tried and true ELA-specific test prep tips.

Test Prep: Engaging and Meaningful Ways to Prepare for State Testing: This post includes a variety of my favorite test prep resources, including links to many free activities!

The Great Big Collection of Test Prep Resources: I took some time to curate a collection of my favorite blog posts and resources with the best test prep tips that help you and your students get ready for the big tests.