The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Language Use test is given to students grades 2 through 11 and is used to track student growth and progress in language, writing, and grammar.
The test is computer-adaptive, which means every student will receive a unique version of the exam as questions get more difficult if they answer them correctly. Students can expect to answer about 52 questions on average, but that number may vary based on how well they do. The test is also untimed.
The MAP Test Language Use Section comprises four subsections: Mechanics, Writing Strategy, Writing Application, and Grammar. The questions for each grade level are tailored to the common core curriculum, so the questions will be grade-level appropriate.
The mechanics subsection of the Language Use test will assess the student’s punctuation, capitalization, and spelling use. These concepts are introduced early on; however, the difficulty of the question will increase with grade level. For example, a 2nd grader may be asked to spell the word “community,” whereas an 8th grader may be asked to spell “audacious.”
Before students dive into writing, schools will teach children writing strategies. This means researching, planning, prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing their work. So, for example, when your student is learning about five-paragraph essays, they’ll need to learn how to outline their work prior to writing.
The writing application questions will ask students to correct sentences and paragraphs and demonstrate an understanding of different composition forms, including personal narratives, poetry, and expository writings. They may also see questions about figurative language such as metaphors and idioms.
Lastly, the grammar subsection will ask students to correctly use different word forms, word tenses, phrases, clauses, sentence structures, and grammar. For example, your child may have to identify the correct comma placement or the simple subject of a sentence.
Like the other MAP Test sections, the Language Use Test will present your child’s score using the Rasch unIT (RIT) scale. This standardized scale is a great way to easily track your student’s growth because the score will increase as they learn more material. The RIT score can also be compared with other students to identify children who may be behind in this subject area.
Because the Language Use Test is computer-based, your child will receive their score as soon as they complete the exam. The score report will have two major sections.
The first section will be a graph that shows your child’s score and progress compared to other children their age. The graph will show your child’s progress since their last semester’s score, the average score for children in their district, the average progress a child will make in the Language Use section, and your child’s predicted future growth.
The second section will be a table focusing solely on your child’s score. Here you’ll see the student’s RIT score, how it compares to their last test, and their growth projection in the Language Use section.
Both report areas are essential; however, you must stress to your child that how they compare to other children isn’t as important as how they grow year-to-year. The MAP Test aims to track learning and progress, so your child’s score should be increasing every time they take the test.
The following table shows the average scores for students in the Language Use section:
Grade Level | Fall | Winter | Spring |
2nd Grade | 174 | 184 | 188 |
3rd Grade | 188 | 195 | 198 |
4th Grade | 197 | 203 | 205 |
5th Grade | 204 | 208 | 210 |
6th Grade | 209 | 213 | 214 |
7th Grade | 213 | 215 | 216 |
8th Grade | 216 | 218 | 219 |
9th Grade | 217 | 218 | 219 |
10th Grade | 219 | 220 | 221 |
11th Grade | 221 | 222 | 222 |
Here are a few tips for your child to help them do the best they can in the Language Use section:
Online resources such as practice tests and study guides are the best way to prepare for the MAP Language Use exam. Practice tests would present questions similar to what you will find on the actual test and solutions so you can check your answer and get an explanation if your original answer was incorrect. It is also essential to be exposed to the format of the MAP test so you can get used to the adaptive nature of the test.
Study guides are also an excellent tool for the Language Use exam because you must memorize all the concepts and definitions. Study guides will present all the necessary information in one place, making it easier to prepare.
Students who take the time to adequately prepare for the Language Use test are more likely to raise their scores on the exam, so encourage your child to study regularly.