Provincial Achievement Test · Alberta
Grade 9 Social Studies Provincial Achievement Test
- Grade 9
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
- 1 h 20 min
- Marked questions
- 50
- Calculator
- Not allowed
- Format
- On a computer
Grade 9 Social Studies 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
2 sessions this school year: January and June.
January 2027
- Wednesday, January 27, 20279:00–10:20 AM
June 2027
- Friday, June 18, 20279:00–10:20 AM
The dates are Alberta’s own, read on September 28, 2026. See the official schedule (alberta.ca)
What’s on it
5 topics. Consumerism, Quality of Life, and Political Decision Making counts most, at 24%.
- The Political and Judicial System22%11 questions · 9.1.4, 9.1.5
- Individual and Collective Rights22%11 questions · 9.1.6, 9.1.7
- Immigration16%8 questions · 9.1.8
- Economic Decision Making16%8 questions · 9.2.4
- Consumerism, Quality of Life, and Political Decision Making24%12 questions · 9.2.5, 9.2.6
The skills it tests · 22 skills
- Choosing and accountability of MPs and Senators
- Collective rights and language rights
- Comparing Canada and the United States
- Government decisions on the environment
- How citizens take part in justice
- How laws are passed and the three branches
- How the Charter protects individual rights
- Immigration’s impacts and benefits
- Market economy principles and the consumer
- Marketing and consumer power
- Métis rights and the Alberta Settlements
- Parties, media and lobby groups
- Party platforms and philosophy
- Provincial and Québec immigration policy
- Quality of life and consumer behaviour
- Regional views and social programs
- The Charter in the workplace
- The Indian Act and the numbered treaties
- The underground economy and taxes
- The Youth Criminal Justice Act
- What shapes immigration policy
- Why Canada is a mixed economy
How it’s built
- Whole test
- Time
- 80 min
- Questions
- 50
- Marks
- 50
- Of the marks
- 100%
- Multiple choice
- Questions in sets
50 multiple-choice questions, in sets of 3 or 4 around sources about issues.
How it’s marked
- Below the acceptable standard
- Acceptable standard
- Standard of excellence
A computer marks every question. Your results are reported against two provincial standards: the acceptable standard and the standard of excellence.
On the day
One session on the computer, and everyone may take up to 160 minutes. Words that need explaining are defined on the page.
Getting ready
1 official document to practise with, and 3 tips.
Official practice
Tips from the people who write it
- Nearly every question is about a source, such as a cartoon, document, chart or map: practise reading sources, not just remembering facts.
- Study government and rights, and economic systems. Values and attitudes are assessed in class, not on this test.
- You can't use a dictionary, but important words are defined on the page.
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 9 Social Studies Provincial Achievement Test in 2026–27?
The next sitting is January 27, 2027, 9:00–10:20 AM. This school year it’s written in January 2027 and June 2027.
How long is the Grade 9 Social Studies Provincial Achievement Test?
It takes 1 hour 20 minutes in all, over 1 part.
How many questions are on the Grade 9 Social Studies Provincial Achievement Test?
It has 50 marked questions.
Can you use a calculator on the Grade 9 Social Studies Provincial Achievement Test?
No. Calculators aren’t allowed.
How are Grade 9 Social Studies 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 9 Social Studies Provincial Achievement Test?
Alberta publishes Grade 9 social studies practice tests + parent guide. MapleMind also builds a full practice exam in its format, free with an account.
Practise for the Grade 9 Social Studies Provincial Achievement Test
Every skill on the Grade 9 Social Studies Provincial Achievement Test, taught one at a time, then practised on questions written like the real ones.
