3rd grade math test: a free online check-up
A free 3rd grade math test that finds the gaps, then tells you what to practice.
🧒 Kids: answer each question as well as you can. If you don’t know, press Skip. There are no wrong buttons!
What the check-up covers
The check-up follows what most US schools teach in grade 3 (Common Core 3.OA, 3.NBT, 3.NF, 3.MD and 3.G). It has 9 topics. Each one has a grade 3 target and, for most, a few earlier steps that lead up to it.
| Topic | Grade 3 target | Earlier steps it checks if needed |
|---|---|---|
| Place value and rounding | Rounding to the nearest 10 and 100 | Hundreds, tens and ones → 10 more and 10 less |
| Addition | 3-digit addition | Addition facts within 20 → 2-digit addition with regrouping |
| Subtraction | 3-digit subtraction, including across zeros | Subtraction facts within 20 → 2-digit subtraction with regrouping |
| Multiplication | The 6, 7 and 8 times tables | Equal groups and arrays → The 2, 5 and 10 times tables → The 3, 4 and 9 times tables |
| Division | Dividing by 7, 8 and 9 | Sharing and grouping → Dividing by 2, 5 and 10 → Dividing by 3, 4 and 6 |
| Fractions | Equivalent and comparing fractions | Halves and quarters → Naming fractions → Fractions on a number line |
| Time | Elapsed time | Time to 5 minutes → Time to the minute |
| Length, mass and volume | Grams, kilograms and liters | Measuring length with a ruler |
| Shapes and area | Area of rectangles | Naming shapes and counting sides → Quadrilaterals |
How it works
Every topic starts with two questions at the grade 3 target. Two right answers mean the topic is solid, and the check moves on. One right answer brings a third question.
If the target is missed, the check steps down to the skill before it. If needed it steps down once more, until it finds what your child can already do. That is where practice should start.
A wrong answer is never wasted. Common mistakes, like forgetting to regroup, reading the hour hand too early, or mixing up area and perimeter, are named in the report.
Fact answers are also timed quietly. A fact answered correctly after a long pause is still being worked out, not remembered, and the report says so.
How to read the report
- Solid (green): your child got both grade 3 questions right. Keep it fresh with a little mixed practice.
- Shaky (yellow): two out of three right. Your child mostly has it; a week of short practice usually makes it solid.
- Gap (red): the grade 3 target is not there yet. The report shows the step your child can already do and the next lesson to work on.
The report starts with one line: Start here. It is the first topic, in the usual teaching order, that is not yet solid. Work on that one first, because later topics often build on it.
You can print the report. It is also saved in this browser, so you can compare after a few weeks.
Tips for a fair result
- Choose a calm time, and let your child read the questions. The Read to me button reads them aloud.
- Don’t help or give hints. If your child is stuck, Skip is the right answer.
- If your child gets tired, take a break. Two short sittings are better than one rushed one.
After the check-up
Open the lesson linked for each gap and read it together first. Each lesson has a parent script, worked examples and a short quiz. Then use the topic’s levels test to confirm the step, and the worksheet for practice on paper.
Take the check-up again in three or four weeks. Gaps that turn into solid topics are the clearest sign that practice is working. For a whole-grade overview, see 3rd grade math. For printable practice, use the worksheets and the math test generator.
Which grade’s check-up to choose
Pick the grade your child is in now, or has just finished. Early in the school year, the grade just finished is often the better choice. The new grade’s topics haven’t been taught yet. If most topics come back as gaps, try the 2nd grade check-up; if every topic is solid, try the 4th grade check-up. All grades are on the math check-up page.
Topic quizzes and levels
Every topic in the check-up has its own levels page. It is a ladder of short tests from the first step to the grade target: place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, measurement and geometry. Use them after the check-up to pin down the exact step.
More grade 3 practice on paper
Each topic has a printable worksheet with an answer key. Try rounding, 3-digit addition, 3-digit subtraction, multiplication facts, division facts, fractions on a number line, elapsed time, measuring length and area of rectangles.
For teachers and tutors
Use the check-up at the start of the year or before a tutoring block. Each child takes it on their own device and prints or shows you the report. Nothing needs a login, and no student data leaves the device.
Last reviewed
Questions parents ask
What should a 3rd grader know in math?
By the end of grade 3: multiplication and division facts to 10 × 10, adding and subtracting within 1,000, and rounding to 10 and 100. Also fractions on a number line, equivalent fractions, time to the minute, elapsed time, grams and liters, and the area of rectangles.
How long does the 3rd grade math test take?
Usually 15 to 20 minutes and 18 to 28 questions. It asks more questions only where an answer is unclear, so a child who is secure finishes faster.
Is this a real assessment?
It is a screening check, not a formal test. It shows which topics are secure and where to look. The levels test for each topic then finds the exact step to practice.
Can my child use paper, fingers or a calculator?
Paper and pencil are fine and encouraged for multi-digit sums. No calculator: the check is about what your child can do on their own.
What if my child is not in grade 3 yet?
Use it at the end of grade 2 to see what is coming, or in grade 4 to check the grade 3 basics. If most topics come back as gaps, the report suggests an easier check.
Is my child’s data saved or shared?
The report is saved only in this browser so you can open it again. Nothing is sent to us, and there is no sign-up.