Middle Grades Math

Placement Test
For Students New to the Saxon Math Program
The Objective
This test can be used to help teachers find the best initial placement for students who are new
to the Saxon Math program. This test includes selected content from Math 5/4, Math 6/5, Math
7/6, Math 8/7, and Algebra __12 . Please note that this placement test is not infallible. It is simply one
indicator that can be used to place students. The best placement for most students is to start the
year in the textbook designed for students at that grade level (Math 5/4 for fourth grade, Math 6/5
for fifth grade, Math 7/6 for sixth grade, Math 8/7 for seventh grade, and Algebra __12 for eighth grade).
Students who have missed math concepts in their previous study may be better served beginning
one textbook level lower. Exceptional students, at either end of the spectrum, can be well served
when they are placed at levels consistent with their competencies. This test is not intended for use
with current Saxon students.

The Rules
1. Allow the student to work until he/she cannot complete any more problems.
2. The student may not use a calculator during the test.
3. The student should work independently without coaching or other assistance.
4. The student should show all of his/her work. Look over the student’s work carefully as you
grade the test.
5. Use the placement guide provided along with sound judgment to help you place the student in
the most appropriate book.

The Score
• Fifteen or fewer correct from Questions 1–20 and the student is an average-to-accelerated
fourth grader: Student may begin Math 5/4.
• Sixteen or more correct from Questions 1–20: Student may begin Math 6/5.
• Sixteen or more correct from Questions 1–20 and 16 or more correct from Questions 21–40:
Student may begin Math 7/6.
• Sixteen or more correct from Questions 21–40 and 16 or more correct from Questions 41–60:
Student may begin Math 8/7.
• Sixteen or more correct from Questions 41–60 and 16 or more correct from Questions 61–80:
Student may begin Algebra __12.
• Sixteen or more correct from Questions 61–80 and 16 or more correct from Questions 81–100:
Student may begin Algebra 1 or be given an additional test for possible placement in a higher-
level text.
For more information or to request copies of other placement tests, call:
(800) 416-8171
Or e-mail us:
info@saxonhomeschool.com
Visit our Web site:
www.saxonhomeschool.com

The math placement tests are only one tool used to place a student who is new to the Saxon Math program. You must also consider
the student’s age, previous curriculum, and how quickly the student grasps math concepts. If you need more information from a
qualified Saxon Math teacher about specific circumstances, please email us at info@saxonhomeschool.com.

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 Show Your Work!

Math 5/4
1. Mae-Ying bought a package of paper priced at $1.98 and 2 pens priced at $0.49 each. The
tax on the entire purchase was 18¢. What was the total cost of the items?

2. Seventy-five beans were equally divided into five pots. How many beans were in each pot?

3. Robo could run 7 miles in 1 hour. At that rate, how many miles could Robo run in 3 hours?

4. At 11:45 A.M. Jason glanced at the clock. His doctor’s appointment was in 2 __12 hours. At
what time was his appointment?

5. Find the sixth number in this counting sequence: 7, 14, 21, . . .

6. Write the number of shaded rectangles shown as a mixed number.

7. Twenty-five percent of this square is shaded.

What percent of the square is not shaded?

IN

8. What is the perimeter of this rectangle? IN

9. A square has one side that is 7 inches long. What is the area of the square?

10. To what number is the arrow pointing?

  

11. 4.2 + 3.5 + 0.25 + 4.0

12. 460 13. 6)3795

× 9

14. 6 × 4 × 10 15. $4.86

+ $2.95
Find each missing number for 16–17:
16. z 17. 67
+ 179 − B
496 16
18. Use digits to write the number three hundred forty-three.

19. Which digit in 6.125 is in the hundredths place?

2 3 4

20. What is the length of ST?

CM          

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Math 6/5
21. In 2 hours the 3 boys picked a total of 1347 cherries. If they share the cherries evenly, then
each boy will get how many cherries?

22. After paying $7.50 for a movie ticket, Salvador still had $3.75. How much money did
Salvador have before paying for a ticket?

23. When three new members joined the club, the number of members increased to 28. How
many members were in the club before the new members arrived?

1 of her dad’s age. If her dad is 36 years old, how old is Adriana?
24. Adriana’s age is __
3

25. Estimate the sum of 672 and 830 by rounding to the nearest hundred before adding.

26. Use digits to write eight hundred eighteen thousand, eighty.

27. $2.54 28. 7 × 8 × 10

5.36
+ 0.75

29. 4287 30. 3647 ÷ 6

× 5

31. 41,026 32. 30m = 6000 Find m.

− 39,543
3 3
33. $10 − ($5.80 + 28¢) 34. 1 __ + 1 __
4 4

35. ___ ■
7 = ____ 36. Half of 100 is 50, and half of 50 is 25.
25 100
What number is half of 25?

37. A stop sign is the shape of an octagon. An octagon has how many sides?

38. What are the next three terms in this counting sequence?
. . ., 2700, 2800, 2900, ____, ____, ____, . . .

39. This rectangle is half as wide as it is long.

What is the perimeter of the rectangle?
CM     

40. The length of segment AC is 78 millimeters. If BC is 29 millimeters, then what is the length
of segment AB? ! " #

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Math 7/6
41. Which digit is in the hundred-thousands place in the number 987,654,321?

42. Write the number twenty-one and five hundredths.

43. In an auditorium there are 25 rows with 18 chairs in each row. How many chairs are in the
auditorium?

44. The average pumpkin weighs 6 pounds. The prize-winning pumpkin weighs 324 pounds.
The prize-winning pumpkin weighs as much as how many average pumpkins?

45. What is the total price of a $45.79 item when 7% sales tax is added?

46. How many quarter-pound hamburgers can be made from 100 pounds of ground beef?

47. There were 13 original states. There are now 50 states. What fraction of the states are the
original states?

8 __
48. __ ·3 49. 3.7 × 0.25
3 1

50. 5)0.8 51. 2 __12 + 1 __16

___ __
52. __34 ÷ 1 __12 53. 23 + √ 25 × 3 − 42 ÷ √ 4

54. What is the average of 4.2, 2.61, and 3.6?

55. The area of a square is 64 cm2. What is the perimeter of the square?

M

M M
56. What is the area of this polygon?
M

57. 26.9 + 12 + w = 49.25 Find w.

58. If d = rt, and if r = 60 and t = 4, what does d equal?

Complete the table for 59–60.

Fraction Decimal Percent

5
__
59. 8
0.625

60. 1.25 125%

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Math 8/7
61. Round 7.49362 to the nearest thousandth.

62. President Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office in 1945 at the age of 63. In what year was he
born?

63. Eric ran 8 laps in 11 minutes 44 seconds. How many seconds did it take Eric to run 8 laps?

64. A one-quart container of oil costs 89¢. A case of 12 one-quart containers costs $8.64.
How much is saved per container by buying the oil by the case?

65. Ricardo ran the 400-meter race 3 times. His fastest time was 54.3 seconds. His slowest
time was 56.1 seconds. If his average time was 55.0 seconds, what was his time for the
third race?

66. The perimeter of a square is one yard. What is the area of the square in square inches?

67. The perimeter of the square equals the perimeter of the

regular pentagon. Each side of the pentagon is 16 cm long.
How long is each side of the square?



68. Find the volume of the triangular prism shown. Dimensions are in millimeters. 


69. The sale price of an item on sale for 40% off is $48. What was the regular price?

70. A bag contains 3 red marbles, 4 white marbles, and 5 blue marbles. If one marble is drawn
from the bag, what is the probability that the marble will be blue?

71. 6w = 63 Find w. 72. 4 __45 · 1 __19 · 1 __78

(
73. 3 __56 – __23 – __12 ) 74. (0.15)(0.05)

1.2
75. ___ = __3a Find a. w = 3, what does __
76. If __ x
4.4 x w equal?

77. Write a fraction equal to __12 with a denominator of 6 and a fraction equal to __13 with a
denominator of 6. Then add the fractions.

78. Evaluate x3 – xy – _xy if x = 2 and y = 0.5

79. Forty percent of what number is 60?

80. Only three-tenths of the print area of the newspaper carried news. The rest of the area was
filled with advertisements. What percent of the print area was filled with advertisements?

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 1
Algebra __
2
81. The first flock contained 5283 birds. The second flock contained 5 times as many birds. The
third flock had twice as many birds as the second flock. How many birds were there in all?

82. The whole batch cost $28,000 and contained 140 items. Write the two rates (ratios) implied
by this statement. What would be the price for 200 items?

83. For 4 hours Sam traveled at 40 miles per hour. Then he increased his speed to 60 miles per
hour and drove for another 3 hours. How far did he go in the 7 hours he traveled?

84. The ratio of roses to snapdragons was 4 to 5. If there were 26,000 roses on the float, how
many snapdragons were there?

85. The number of red frogs exceeded the number of blue frogs by 80. The number of green
frogs was 20 less than the number of blue frogs. If there were 120 blue fogs, what was the
sum of the reds, the blues, and the greens?

86. Six times a number is 45 greater than the product of the number and -3. Find the number.

87. If 200 is increased by 130 percent, what is the resulting number?


 
 

88. Find x. X 



 
89. Find the surface area of this right solid. Dimensions are in centimeters.
  

90. What is the volume in cubic meters of the right


solid whose base is the figure shown on the
left and whose sides are 200 centimeters tall? 

Dimensions are in meters. All angles are right angles. 

91. Write 0.000387 in scientific notation.

1821.5
92. ______
0.7
2
93. 9 __ 15
– 3 __
14 21

94. 9876.5 – 643.99 95. 3 __12 × 6 __13 ÷ 2 __13 × 1 __13

___ 102
96. 32 + 3[23(√ 49 – 22)(32 – 23) – 22] 97. Reduce to lowest terms: ___
170

98. Convert 250.025 to a mixed number.

99. Use two unit multipliers to convert 144 square feet to square miles. Round any decimal
answer to two places.
__ x__
100. Evaluate: m√ p + ___
√p
if p = 16, m = 4, and x = 3

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 Saxon Homeschool Middle Grades
Placement Test Guide
Name Date Tested

Directions: For each correct answer, place a check mark in the corresponding box. For each
section, count the number of correct answers. Place the student according to the placement
information for that section.

Number
Score Card of Correct Placement
Answers
Fifteen or fewer correct from 1–20:
1. 6. 11. 16. 1. Average-to-accelerated fourth grader:
2. 7. 12. 17. Begin Math 5/4
3. 8. 13. 18. 2. Below average fourth grader:
4. 9. 14. 19. Consider Math 3
5. 10. 15. 20. Sixteen or more correct from 1–20:
Begin Math 6/5

21. 26. 31. 36.

22. 27. 32. 37. Sixteen or more correct from
23. 28. 33. 38. Questions 1–20 and 16 or more correct
24. 29. 34. 39. from Questions 21–40: Begin Math 7/6.
25. 30. 35. 40.

41. 46. 51. 56.

Sixteen or more correct from
42. 47. 52. 57.
Questions 21–40 and 16 or more
43. 48. 53. 58.
correct from Questions 41–60:
44. 49. 54. 59. Begin Math 8/7.
45. 50. 55. 60.

61. 66. 71. 76.

Sixteen or more correct from
62. 67. 72. 77.
Questions 41–60 and 16 or more
63. 68. 73. 78.
correct from Questions 61–80: Begin
64. 69. 14. 79. Algebra __12 .
65. 70. 75. 80.

Sixteen or more correct from

81. 86. 91. 96.
Questions 61–80 and 16 or more
82. 87. 92. 97.
correct from Questions 81–100:
83. 88. 93. 98.
Student may begin Algebra 1 or can be
84. 89. 94. 99. given an additional test for possibility of
85. 90. 95. 100. beginning a higher-level text.
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 Answers for
Saxon Homeschool Middle Grades
Placement Test
11
1. $3.14 31. 1483 59. 62.5% 88. __
9
2. 15 beans 32. 200 60. 1 __14 89. 736 cm2
3. 21 miles 33. $3.92 61. 7.494 90. 800 m3
4. 2:15 P.M. 34. 3 __12 62. 1882 91. 3.87 × 10-4
5. 42 35. 28 63. 704 seconds 92. 2602.142857
6. 3 __16 36. 12 __12 64. $0.17 per 93. 5 __37
7. 75% 37. 8 sides container 94. 9232.51
8. 20 in. 38. 3000, 3100, 65. 54.6 seconds 38
95. __
3
3200 66. 81 square inches
9. 49 sq. in. 96. 69
39. 12 cm 67. 20 cm 97. __35
10. 286
11. 11.95 40. 49 mm 68. 30,000 mm3 1
98. 250 __
40
41. 6 69. $80
99. 5.17 × 10-6 mi2
12. 4140
5
42. 21.05 70. __ 100. 2 __34
13. 632 R3 12
43. 450 chairs 71. 36
14. 240
44. 54 average 72. 10
15. $7.81
pumpkins 73. 3 __23
16. 317
45. $49.00 74. 0.0075
17. 51
46. 400 hamburgers 75. 11
18. 343 13
47. __50 76. __13
19. 2
48. 8 77. __56
20. 5 cm
49. 0.925 78. 3
21. 449 cherries
50. 0.16 79. 150
22. $11.25
51. 3 __2 3 80. 70%
23. 25 members
52. __12
81. 84,528 birds
24. 12 years old
53. 15
82. $40,000
25. 1500
54. 3.47
83. 340 mi
26. $818,080
55. 32 cm
84. 32,500
27. $8.65 2
56. 138 m
85. 420 frogs
28. 560
57. 10.35
86. 5
29. 21,435
58. 240
87. 460
30. 607 R5
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