CTP 5 Test (Comprehensive Testing Program) from ERB
What is the ERB-CTP® 5 Test?
The ERB-CTP® 5 is a test for high-achieving students and is given at private and public schools nationwide. It is used to collect basic information about student achievement and ability in the areas of the English language (reading comprehension, vocabulary, and writing skills) and mathematics. Students in Grades 1 through 11 take the CTP 5 (Comprehensive Testing Program) assessment.
The Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP) is a rigorous assessment for high achieving students that is administered by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB). Commonly referred to as the ERB-CTP, this test is used across the United States, and is particularly popular in private and select public schools, as well as in independent schools internationally.
The ERB-CTP 5, the latest version of the test, is designed to measure a student’s abilities in key academic areas such as reading, listening, vocabulary, writing, and mathematics. The content of the test is constantly updated to reflect the changing standards in education and the skills that students need to be successful in the 21st century.
The ERB-CTP 5 is unique because it assesses not only a student’s skills in these academic areas, but also their reasoning abilities. The test includes both multiple choice and open-ended questions, requiring students to apply their knowledge and think critically.
It is not one test, but a battery of subtests consisting of a series of multiple-choice and optional constructed-response questions. It is administered in either fall or spring. It can be given online or pencil to paper.
The test is administered over several days and is divided into subtests. Each subtest focuses on a specific academic area, allowing educators to gain a comprehensive understanding of a student’s academic strengths and areas for improvement.
The results from the ERB-CTP 5 can provide valuable information to teachers, administrators, and parents about a student’s academic performance. This information can be used to guide instruction, identify students who may need additional support or enrichment, and track a student’s academic growth over time.
When is the ERB-CTP 5 test given to students?
Grade Level When Given in Fall. During the fall window, the school will usually test at one grade level below the grade the child is in as they are testing for mastery of content knowledge from the previous year. For example, a child in Grade 4 will most likely test at Level 3 during the fall window. The fall testing period typically occurs at the beginning of the school year, often in September or October. The purpose of the fall testing period is to assess the students’ knowledge and skills at the start of the academic year. The results can provide teachers with valuable baseline data that can help them understand each student’s strengths and areas for improvement. This information can then be used to tailor instruction to meet the unique needs of each student, set individualized learning goals, and determine necessary supports or interventions.
Grade Level When Given in Spring. During the spring window, the school will most likely test at the same level as the grade the child is in as the school is testing for content knowledge of the current year. For example, a child in Grade 6 will test at Level 6 during the spring window. The spring testing period typically takes place towards the end of the school year, often in April or May. The spring test allows teachers, administrators, and parents to measure the students’ progress and growth over the course of the year. By comparing the results of the spring test with those of the fall test, educators can evaluate the effectiveness of instruction and interventions, identify areas where students may still be struggling, and plan for instructional needs for the following year.
In both testing periods, the ERB-CTP 5 seeks to provide a comprehensive and detailed understanding of a student’s academic abilities. This enables schools to ensure that their educational practices are effectively meeting the needs of their students, and that every student is receiving the support and enrichment necessary to foster their academic growth.
| Current Grade Level | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Grade 5 | Grade 6 | Grade 7 | Grade 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Test Level Fall to Spring: | N/A to 1 | 1 to 2 | 2 to 3 | 3 to 4 | 4 to 5 | 5 to 6 | 6 to 7 | 7 to 8 |
ERB-CTP Online and Paper-Based Test
The ERB-CTP5 Online Test
This is an adaptive test. It is computer-based and contains ELA, math, and science subtest sections (science for grades 3-9 only). Each CTP Online test consists of two parts: Stage 1 and Stage 2. For a specific content area, all students are given the same Stage 1 questions. How well a student performs in Stage 1 will determine what level of questions he/she will be given during Stage 2. Students who can handle harder questions are routed to more difficult questions during Stage 2. Students who can’t handle harder questions are routed to less rigorous questions in Stage 2.
Within each section (e.g. ELA, math), the Content Mastery Score takes into account whether a student answers the question correctly and difficulty level of the items they answered. The CTP Online test differs from the CTP 5 test in that it is adaptive, and students will not receive the exact same questions. The adaptive testing available online provides a more precise measurement of a student’s abilities. The computer-based version of the CTP test is automatically timed online.
The ERB-CTP 5 Paper-Based Test
This version was developed in 2018. The main difference between this test and its predecessors is that it assesses not only content-based curriculum performance but also has questions with increased complexity and critical thinking skills. CTP 5 consists of ELA and math subtest sections. It is presented in a multiple-choice format with an optional open-ended question format. Students in early grades take the test under untimed conditions and mark their answers in the test booklet. Students in the middle and upper grades take CTP 5 under timed conditions and mark their answers on a separate answer sheet. The time limits are generous, and all but a few students are able to complete the test in the time allowed. There is also an option for schools to include open-ended reading comprehension and mathematics questions in the test that provides full, partial, or no credit.
There is no wrong answer penalty on the CTP 5 or CTP Online test. Students are encouraged to answer every question.
For both the CTP 5 and CTP Online test, each question is assigned its own DOK (Depth of Knowledge) level. In short, this is a measure of the difficulty level of the question.
Sections of the ERB-CTP5 Test
English Language Arts:
The ERB-CTP 5 test in English Language Arts (ELA) focuses on assessing a student’s abilities in key literacy skills, including reading comprehension, vocabulary, writing, and listening. The test is designed to evaluate not only a student’s knowledge and understanding of these areas, but also their ability to apply, analyze, and evaluate information.
This test incorporates different Depth of Knowledge (DOK) levels, which refer to the complexity of mental processing that must occur to answer a question, perform a task, or generate a product.
DOK 1 – At the DOK 1 level, students are expected to recall or recognize facts, terms, and basic concepts. In the context of the ELA test, this might include identifying the correct meaning of a word in a sentence, recognizing correct punctuation, or recalling details from a text. These questions are typically straightforward and don’t require complex reasoning.
DOK 2 – At the DOK 2 level, students must use some mental processing, but it is not as complex as at higher levels. In ELA, this could include interpreting the meaning of a metaphor in a text, making predictions based on information in the text, or identifying the main idea of a passage. These tasks require students to make some decisions about how to approach the question or problem, but the mental processing is still relatively straightforward.
DOK 3 – At the DOK 3 level, students are required to engage in more complex reasoning, planning, and thinking. In ELA, this might include analyzing the relationship between different elements of a text, evaluating the validity of an argument, or writing a well-structured essay in response to a prompt. These tasks require students to use evidence, consider multiple variables, and engage in higher-order thinking.
The ERB-CTP 5 test in ELA is designed to provide a comprehensive picture of a student’s literacy skills, incorporating all three DOK levels to accurately assess a student’s understanding, application, and critical thinking skills in English Language Arts.
Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning:
The ERB-CTP 5 test in Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning is designed to measure a student’s understanding and application of mathematical concepts, as well as their problem-solving abilities. The test assesses a wide range of mathematical areas, including number sense, operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and data analysis. The questions are designed to capture varying levels of Depth of Knowledge (DOK).
DOK 1 – At the DOK 1 level, students are required to recall or recognize mathematical facts, definitions, terms, and simple procedures. For instance, they may be asked to perform simple calculations, recognize geometric shapes, or recall basic mathematical properties. These tasks require minimal cognitive processing beyond recall and recognition.
DOK 2 – DOK 2 involves some degree of mental processing. At this level, on the ERB-CTP 5, students might need to classify or sort items, interpret data from a simple graph, or solve word problems that require a direct application of a known procedure. These tasks require students to make decisions on how to approach the problem but are still quite structured and generally have a single correct response.
DOK 3 – At the DOK 3 level, students are expected to engage in more complex reasoning and problem solving. In the context of the Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning test, this might include solving multi-step problems, making conjectures, or justifying a solution method. These questions require students to engage in higher-level thinking, planning, and analysis.
The ERB-CTP 5 test in Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning integrates all three DOK levels to present a comprehensive assessment of a student’s mathematical abilities. The goal is to measure not only their knowledge of mathematical facts and procedures but also their ability to apply this knowledge in problem-solving situations and reason mathematically.
Karen Quinn, the Testing Mom, breaks it down for you below. What is the CTP Test?
See if TestingMom.com supports your child’s test by your school district. If you don't see your child's school district listed, check with us! We have practice for other tests as well.
Tell us about your experiences
44 Responses
My kid is going to take CTP level 9, do you have practices (online or paper-based) once I join the membership?
I am trying to find out what sort of results / scoring I’ll receive, as our state requires a composite score (stanine and/or percentile) for the basic and/or the complete battery. I can’t seem to find a sample of the results sheet?
Excellent results with print out of ERB 3ed grade for this year. I would like to print out similar test questions for 5th grade as this is the grade I will be teaching in the fall. Many thanks
I need Language Arts ERB questions at 6grade level.
I need ERB multiple choice questions at the 6th grade level to use for working with my son. He has scored in the 2-5% so I think he just picked answers at random. I need to help him get comfortable with selecting the best answer in a multiple choice scenario that matches what he is experiencing in the ERB test at school.
Seeking practice CTP tests for third and sixth grade level.
Are CTP ERB online adaptive questions included if I purchase the Black Friday special?
you need to provide the solutions so someone can learn the thought process
Hello,
My son needs to prepare for CTP 4th grade. Where can I get the sample practice questions.
Thank you,
Sonal
Could I please get a CTP 4 test for ERB practice
Would like some proactive test for my students.
Thanks
I paid and have never gotten to log on it’s been a year now and membership is expired, very disappointing
I am interested in CTP 5. How can I get this from you?
Thank you,
Angela
Hello!
My 4th grade son will be taking the ERB, CTP tests in February. I was wondering if sample questions are available. 🙂
Thank you!
Elizabeth
Hi, i signed up as member and was looking for CTP ERB test for my 7th grader but your sample questions portion only shows up to 6th grade. Where can i find the 7th grade sample tests?
Hi!
I am looking for some sample ERB questions for my 4th and 5th grade math students. Would you mind emailing me some or telling me where to find some?
Thank you,
Abbie
Hello, my twin sons will take CTP 5 in a few months. Where can I find sample tests and preparation materials? Many thanks.
Looking for practice tests!
Are there practice questions for 8th grade?
My son is currently in grade five. He is a sharp kid who does well in school but regularly bombs ERBs. We would like to give him some guided ERB or ERB-type test practice at home. Do you have any resources for this?
Thanks
Andrew
Do you have sample questions/tests for ERB/CTP for level 2?
Thanks!!
Hi, I would also like to know if you have CTP 5 tests. Thank you.
Do you have the CPT 5 test? That is what the new school we are attending says they will be testing with this year. Thank you for your time.
What’s the difference between CTP and CTP-4R? What’s 4R? What is that level
Are the 100 free questions for ERB or CoGAT ?
My son will be taking CTP4 testing for 5th grade. Where do I find some samples of the test?
Hello! My daughters will be taking the NYC ERB, CTP test for 4th and 5th grade this fall. Where can I find some sample tests? Thank you so much.