Provincial Achievement Test · Alberta
Grade 6 English Language Arts and Literature Provincial Achievement Test
- Grade 6
Dates and details can change. We do our best to keep this page up to date, but check the official sources before relying on it.
- Total time
- 3 h
- Marked questions
- 50
- Parts
- 2
- Calculator
- Not allowed
- Format
- On a computer
Grade 6 ELA PAT practice test
The whole exam or the parts you choose, in its own format, on the clock.
The exam in the app
Its parts, and what you can use in each
A question, timed, with the exam’s tools
The marked result, part by part
A practice run of Saskatchewan’s Grade 9 math assessment.
Free with a MapleMind account
When
June 2027
- Wednesday, June 2, 20279:00–11:00 AM · Part A
- Friday, June 4, 20279:00–10:00 AM · Part B
The dates are Alberta’s own, read on September 28, 2026. See the official schedule (alberta.ca)
What’s on it
2 topics. Part A — Writing and Part B — Reading count most, at 50% each.
- Part A — Writing50%Non-fiction + fiction
- Part B — Reading50%Informational/narrative/poetic/visual
The skills it tests · 21 skills
- Building a persuasive argument
- Editing your own work
- Expository and report writing
- Grammar that keeps writing accurate
- How structure organizes ideas
- Listening to understand, not just to reply
- Oral skills that make speaking effective
- Personal voice and creative expression
- Precise words add clarity
- Punctuation and spelling conventions
- Reading form as a clue to purpose
- Reading media texts critically
- Researching and writing a report
- Responding with evidence
- Sentence variety for effect
- Shades of meaning and connotation
- Strategies that unlock meaning
- Taking part in a group discussion
- Text-to-self, text-to-others, text-to-world
- Theme, inference, and author’s craft
- Working out new words
How it’s built
An essay, multiple-choice questions and questions in sets.
- Part A: Writing
- Time
- 120 min
- Of the marks
- 50%
- Essay
Two pieces of writing: plan, draft, revise and edit them in the time given, which includes the 10 minutes of discussion.
- Part B: Reading
- Time
- 60 min
- Questions
- 50
- Marks
- 50
- Of the marks
- 50%
- Multiple choice
- Questions in sets
50 reading questions, each worth 1 mark, on fiction, non-fiction, poetry and visual media.
How it’s marked
- Below the acceptable standard
- Acceptable standard
- Standard of excellence
Teachers mark your writing centrally, and a computer marks the reading. Your results are reported against two provincial standards: the acceptable standard and the standard of excellence.
On the day
- First sittingPart A, the writing, set for 2 hours.
- Two days laterPart B, the reading, set for 1 hour.
Two parts, on the computer. Part A starts with 10 minutes to talk over ideas in a small group, or think on your own, and you can make notes on planning pages. Everyone may take up to double the time for each part.
Getting ready
1 official document to practise with, and 4 tips.
Tips from the people who write it
- In Part A the platform's spelling and grammar tools are on, so practise writing with them.
- You may use a dictionary, printed or digital, in Part A only.
- In Part B the questions follow the order of the passage, and the last ones ask about the whole selection. A word in bold, like best, tells you what to look for.
- Before you answer, reread the lines a question quotes.
After the exam
- Results
The school shares early results with families by the end of the school year. The Individual Student Profile follows in early September 2027, on myPass and from the school.
- Marks
Whether the test counts in a school mark is up to the school authority.
- If you miss it
A student absent on test day writes it when they’re back, before the last scheduled day. The principal, with the parents, can ask for a student to be excused where writing would harm them or they can’t take part in a meaningful way.
From General Information Bulletin 2026–2027, Grades 6 and 9 Provincial Achievement Testing (alberta.ca), read on October 27, 2026.
More for you
Students
Start with the topics worth the most marks, then write full practice exams under the real time limit.
Practise itParents
Put the dates on the family calendar. The Parent Dashboard shows each practice exam’s result and the skills that need another look.
See the Parent DashboardEducators
The topic weights and the official practice above make a review plan. Students can practise each skill on its own in MapleMind, free with daily limits.
For schools
Questions about this exam
When is the Grade 6 English Language Arts and Literature Provincial Achievement Test in 2026–27?
The next sitting is June 2, 2027, 9:00–11:00 AM.
How long is the Grade 6 English Language Arts and Literature Provincial Achievement Test?
It takes 3 hours in all, over 2 parts.
How many questions are on the Grade 6 English Language Arts and Literature Provincial Achievement Test?
It has 50 marked questions.
Can you use a calculator on the Grade 6 English Language Arts and Literature Provincial Achievement Test?
No. Calculators aren’t allowed.
How are Grade 6 English Language Arts and Literature Provincial Achievement Test results reported?
At 3 levels: Below the acceptable standard, Acceptable standard and Standard of excellence.
Where can I find practice tests for the Grade 6 English Language Arts and Literature Provincial Achievement Test?
Alberta publishes Grade 6 narrative-writing scoring guide + parent guide + practice tests. MapleMind also builds a full practice exam in its format, free with an account.
Practise for the Grade 6 English Language Arts and Literature Provincial Achievement Test
Every skill on the Grade 6 English Language Arts and Literature Provincial Achievement Test, taught one at a time, then practised on questions written like the real ones.
