6th grade math test: a free online check-up
A free 6th 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 6 (Common Core 6.RP, 6.NS, 6.EE and 6.G). It has 9 topics. Each one has a grade 6 target and, for most, a few earlier steps that lead up to it.
| Topic | Grade 6 target | Earlier steps it checks if needed |
|---|---|---|
| Factors, GCF and LCM | GCF and LCM | Factors and multiples → Prime factorization |
| Fractions and decimals | Dividing fractions | Multiplying fractions → Multiplying and dividing decimals |
| Ratios and rates | Unit rates and unit price | Writing ratios → Equivalent ratios and ratio tables |
| Percents | Percent of a number and finding the whole | What a percent is → Percents, fractions and decimals |
| Integers | Comparing integers and the coordinate plane | Integers on a number line → Opposites and absolute value |
| Exponents and order of operations | Order of operations with exponents | Order of operations → Exponents |
| Expressions | Writing and evaluating expressions | Parts of an expression |
| Equations | One-step equations | Evaluating expressions |
| Area, surface area and volume | Volume and surface area | Area of rectangles → Area of triangles and composite shapes |
How it works
Every topic starts with two questions at the grade 6 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 getting the sign wrong, multiplying the base by the exponent, or using the same operation instead of the inverse, are named in the report.
How to read the report
- Solid (green): your child got both grade 6 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 6 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 6th 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 5th grade check-up; if every topic is solid, try the 7th 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: factors and multiples, fractions, ratios, percentages, integers, order of operations, equations and geometry. Use them after the check-up to pin down the exact step.
More grade 6 practice on paper
Each topic has a printable worksheet with an answer key. Try greatest common factor, dividing fractions, unit rates, percent of a number, adding integers, exponents, evaluating expressions, one-step equations and area of triangles.
For a month of daily practice on paper, the Grade 6 Math in 30 Days workbook has one page a day, tip sheets, start and finish tests and an answer key. A free sample is on the same page.
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 6th grader know in math?
By the end of grade 6: ratios, unit rates and percents, dividing fractions, GCF and LCM, and integers on a number line. Also exponents, writing and evaluating expressions, one-step equations, and the area of triangles, surface area and volume.
How long does the 6th grade math test take?
Usually 18 to 22 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 is fine for working out. A calculator is not, because the check looks at number sense as well as method.
What if my child is not in grade 6 yet?
Use it at the end of grade 5 to see what is coming, or in grade 7 to check the grade 6 basics. If most topics come back as gaps, the report suggests the grade 5 check-up.
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.