ELPAC Writing Practice Tests for Every Grade (K–12)
Practise the ELPAC Writing domain for your grade: letters and words for young learners, sentences, short answers and longer writing tasks for older students, with model answers to compare.
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8 questions, 12 points, on paper: Label a Picture—Word, with Scaffolding (write the first letter of a pictured word, then write a short dictated word) and Write a Story Together with Scaffolding (add missing first letters to title words, then missing words in dictated sentences). Untimed; about 15 minutes. Model answers and scoring notes for every question.
7 questions, 17 points, on paper: Write a Story Together with Scaffolding (a letter, a word and your own ending sentence), Write an Informational Text Together (a dictated sentence and your own sentence), Describe a Picture (0–3) and Write About an Experience (0–3). Untimed; about 20 minutes. Model answers and scoring notes for every question.
6 questions, 17 points, on paper in a small group: Write a Story Together (a word and your own ending, 0–2 and 0–3), Write an Informational Text Together (a dictated sentence and your own sentence), Describe a Picture (0–3) and Write About an Experience (a paragraph of at least three sentences, 0–4). Untimed; about 20 minutes. Model answers and scoring notes for every question.
6 questions, 17 points: Describe a Picture (2 tasks, 0–2 each: add details, fix two errors, combine sentences or say what happens next), Write About an Experience (0–4), Write About Academic Information (one sentence from a graphic organizer, 0–2, then two or more sentences, 0–3) and Justify an Opinion (an opinion with at least two reasons, 0–4). Untimed; about 45 minutes. Model answers and scoring notes for every question.
6 questions, 17 points: Describe a Picture (2 tasks, 0–2 each: add details, fix two errors, combine sentences or say what happens next), Write About an Experience (0–4), Write About Academic Information (a sentence using at least two organizer details, 0–2, then a paragraph of three or more sentences, 0–3) and Justify an Opinion (a persuasive essay to the principal in two or more paragraphs, 0–4). Untimed; about 50 minutes. Model answers and scoring notes for every question.
6 questions, 17 points: Describe a Picture (2 tasks, 0–2 each: add details, fix two errors, combine sentences or say what happens next), Write About an Experience (0–4), Write About Academic Information (a sentence using at least two organizer details, 0–2, then a paragraph of three or more sentences, 0–3) and Justify an Opinion (a persuasive essay to the principal in two or more paragraphs, 0–4; the register must suit the reader). Untimed; about 50 minutes. Model answers and scoring notes for every question.
6 questions, 17 points: Describe a Picture (2 tasks, 0–2 each: add details, fix two errors, combine sentences or say what happens next), Write About an Experience (0–4), Write About Academic Information (a sentence using at least two organizer details, 0–2, then a paragraph of three or more sentences, 0–3) and Justify an Opinion (a persuasive essay to the principal in two or more paragraphs, 0–4; the register must suit the reader). Untimed; about 50 minutes. Model answers and scoring notes for every question.
More ELPAC practice
ELPAC Listening practice · ELPAC Speaking practice · ELPAC Reading practice. Or choose a full ELPAC practice test by grade.
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7ESL practice material written in the public format of the Summative ELPAC. 7ESL is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the California Department of Education (CDE), ETS or the ELPAC program. The English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) are a program of the California Department of Education. All texts, pictures and questions are original 7ESL material. Practice level estimates are not ELPAC scale scores or official performance levels.