Key takeaway: This grade 4 patterns test has 9 questions that total 20 points. It covers number and shape patterns, finding a rule, spotting an error, and describing features of a pattern. Students should finish in about 45 minutes. They write the terms, explain their thinking when asked, and check each pattern by repeating the rule. In addition, a separate answer key lists the scoring notes, so grading takes only a few minutes.
This test covers number and shape patterns from standard 4.OA.C.5. It has 9 questions worth 20 points, and a student should finish in about 45 minutes. Show the terms you write and explain your thinking when asked.
- Grade: Grade 4
- Chapter: Number and Shape Patterns
- Common Core: 4.OA.C.5
- Time: 45 minutes
- Total: 20 points (Question 1: 2 pts; Question 2: 2 pts; Question 3: 3 pts; Question 4: 2 pts; Question 5: 3 pts; Question 6: 2 pts; Question 7: 2 pts; Question 8: 3 pts; Question 9: 1 pt)
Grade 4 Patterns Test: questions 1–5
1. Start at 6, add 7 (2 points)
- Write the first 6 terms of the pattern with the rule “start at 6, add 7.” (1 point)
- Describe how the terms change between odd and even. (1 point)
2. Find the rule and continue (2 points)
Here are the first three terms of a pattern.
- Write the rule. (1 point)
- Write the next two terms. (1 point)
3. Tile figures (3 points)
Tiles are arranged in figures. Figure 1 has 5 tiles, Figure 2 has 8 tiles, and Figure 3 has 11 tiles.
- Write the rule for the number of tiles. (1 point)
- How many tiles are in Figure 6? (1 point)
- Could a figure in this pattern have exactly 50 tiles? Explain. (1 point)
4. Decreasing pattern (2 points)
Look at the pattern \(90, 82, 74, 66\).
- Write the rule. (1 point)
- Write the next two terms. (1 point)
5. Add 9 from 0 (3 points)
The rule is “start at 0, add 9.”
- Write the first 8 terms. (1 point)
- Describe what happens to the ones digits. (1 point)
- Explain why every term is a multiple of 9. (1 point)
Grade 4 Patterns Test: questions 6–9
6. Hundred chart rule (2 points)
The shaded numbers on the chart follow a pattern.
- Write the rule for the shaded numbers. (1 point)
- Describe one feature that is true for every shaded number. (1 point)
7. Find the error (2 points)
Priya wrote this pattern for the rule “start at 9, add 4”: \(9, 13, 17, 22, 26\).
- Which term is wrong? (1 point)
- Write the correct pattern. (1 point)
8. Muffin sales (3 points)
Priya bakes 8 muffins on day 1. Each day she bakes 6 more muffins than the day before.
- How many muffins does she bake on each of the first 6 days? (1 point)
- On which day does she bake 50 muffins? (1 point)
- Can she bake exactly 45 muffins on some day? Explain. (1 point)
9. Next term (1 point)
Write the next term: \(2, 6, 18, 54\).
What does the grade 4 patterns test cover?
Question 1 starts at 6 and adds 7, and students describe how the terms change. Then question 2 gives three terms and asks for the rule and the next terms. Next, question 3 uses tile figures with 5, 8, and 11 tiles. Question 4 shows 90, 82, 74, 66, a decreasing pattern.
Which questions ask students to describe features?
Question 5 starts at 0 and adds 9 for eight terms. Students then describe what happens to the ones digits. Meanwhile, question 6 reads a rule from shaded numbers on a hundred chart. After that, question 7 shows Priya writing 9, 13, 17, 22, 26 for start at 9, add 4. Students must find which term is wrong.
How do the last questions work?
Question 8 follows Priya’s muffin baking, which increases by 6 each day starting at 8. It is worth 3 points. Finally, question 9 asks for the next term in 2, 6, 18, 54, and students discover that the rule multiplies instead of adds.
Preparing for test day
First, make a mini poster of three rules and their terms. Then practice finding gaps between neighbors in new lists. Also, build one tile pattern and write its rule. Finally, practice explaining why a pattern stays odd, because an explanation earns points.
See every chapter on the Grade 4 math page.
