AASA Grade 8 Math practice should focus on the skills that connect middle school math to Algebra 1: functions, linear equations, exponent rules, scientific notation, transformations, the Pythagorean theorem, and data analysis. The Arizona Department of Education describes AASA as the statewide English language arts and mathematics assessment for Arizona public school students in Grades 3-8.
This guide gives Grade 8 students a targeted topic checklist, 20 original practice questions, and a complete answer key.
ViewMath is an independent publisher and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Arizona Department of Education, Pearson, AASA, or any state assessment program. For official information, visit Arizona’s AASA page and the Arizona assessment portal.
What Arizona Grade 8 Students Should Review
The Arizona Mathematics Standards for Grade 8 emphasize algebra readiness. A practical AASA review plan should include these areas:
- Expressions and equations: integer exponents, square roots, scientific notation, linear equations, and systems of equations
- Functions: defining, evaluating, comparing, and graphing functions
- Geometry: congruence, similarity, transformations, angle relationships, and the Pythagorean theorem
- Statistics: scatterplots, patterns of association, lines of best fit, and two-way tables
- Number sense: rational and irrational numbers, including estimating square roots
AASA Grade 8 Math Practice Questions
Functions and Linear Relationships
1. The table shows a linear function.
| x | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| y | 4 | 7 | 10 | 13 |
What is the rule for y in terms of x?
2. A line passes through (2, 5) and (6, 13). What is its slope?
3. Which equation has a y-intercept of -3 and a slope of 4?
A. y = -3x + 4 B. y = 4x – 3 C. y = 3x – 4 D. y = -4x + 3
Equations and Exponents
4. Solve: 5(x – 2) = 3x + 8
5. Simplify: 2^3 x 2^5
6. Write 0.0000062 in scientific notation.
7. Estimate sqrt(72) to the nearest whole number.
Geometry
8. A right triangle has legs of 8 inches and 15 inches. What is the hypotenuse?
9. Point A(3, -2) is translated left 5 units and up 4 units. What are the new coordinates?
10. A triangle has side lengths 6, 8, and 10. Is it a right triangle? Explain.
11. A figure is dilated by a scale factor of 3. If one side was 7 cm before dilation, what is the new side length?
Data and Statistics
12. A scatterplot shows that as hours of exercise increase, resting heart rate generally decreases. Is the association positive, negative, or no association?
13. A line of best fit predicts y = 2x + 5. What is the predicted y-value when x = 9?
14. In a two-way table, 30 students were surveyed. 18 play a sport, 14 play an instrument, and 6 do both. How many students do neither?
15. Which number is irrational: 0.75, sqrt(49), sqrt(20), or 5/8?
Mixed AASA-Style Review
16. Solve the system: y = 2x + 1 and y = -x + 7.
17. A cube has a side length of 5 inches. What is its volume?
18. The points (1, 3), (2, 5), and (3, 7) lie on a line. What is the y-intercept of the line?
19. A scatterplot has points that rise from left to right and stay close to a straight line. Describe the association.
20. Which expression is equivalent to 3(2x – 5) + 4x?
A. 6x – 15 B. 10x – 15 C. 10x – 5 D. 14x – 15
Answer Key
1. y increases by 3 each time x increases by 1, and y = 4 when x = 0. Rule: y = 3x + 4.
2. Slope = (13 – 5) / (6 – 2) = 8 / 4 = 2.
3. B. y = 4x – 3 has slope 4 and y-intercept -3.
4. 5x – 10 = 3x + 8 -> 2x = 18 -> x = 9.
5. Same base, add exponents: 2^3 x 2^5 = 2^8 = 256.
6. Move the decimal 6 places right: 6.2 x 10^-6.
7. sqrt(72) is between sqrt(64) = 8 and sqrt(81) = 9, so it is about 8 to the nearest whole number.
8. 8^2 + 15^2 = 64 + 225 = 289. sqrt(289) = 17 inches.
9. x: 3 – 5 = -2. y: -2 + 4 = 2. New point: (-2, 2).
10. Yes. 6^2 + 8^2 = 36 + 64 = 100 = 10^2, so it is a right triangle.
11. 7 x 3 = 21 cm.
12. Negative association, because y tends to decrease as x increases.
13. y = 2(9) + 5 = 18 + 5 = 23.
14. At least one activity: 18 + 14 – 6 = 26. Neither: 30 – 26 = 4.
15. sqrt(20) is irrational because 20 is not a perfect square. The other choices are rational.
16. Set the expressions equal: 2x + 1 = -x + 7 -> 3x = 6 -> x = 2. Then y = 2(2) + 1 = 5. Solution: (2, 5).
17. Volume of a cube is s^3. 5^3 = 125 cubic inches.
18. The slope is 2. Use y = 2x + b with point (1, 3): 3 = 2(1) + b, so b = 1.
19. The association is positive and approximately linear because y increases as x increases and the points follow a line-like pattern.
20. Distribute and combine like terms: 3(2x – 5) + 4x = 6x – 15 + 4x = 10x – 15, so the answer is B.
How to Use This Practice Set
Do not just count correct answers. Sort mistakes by topic. If a student misses Problems 1-4, prioritize linear functions and equations. If they miss Problems 8-11, review Pythagorean theorem and transformations. If they miss Problems 12-14, add scatterplots and two-way tables to the next review session.
Quick Diagnostic Checklist
After completing the set, mark each missed question with one reason: did not know the concept, chose the wrong operation, made an algebra step error, or misread the question. The label matters. A student who misses Problems 4, 16, and 20 because of algebra step errors needs equation practice, not more geometry review. A student who misses Problems 12, 14, and 19 needs data vocabulary and interpretation practice before more calculation.
Common Grade 8 Review Mistakes
- Only practicing computation: Grade 8 review also needs explanation, graph interpretation, and model choice.
- Ignoring prerequisites: Weak fraction, integer, or equation fluency can make functions feel harder than they are.
- Skipping written work: Multi-step algebra and Pythagorean theorem questions are easier to check when each step is visible.
- Studying one topic at a time forever: Mix topics each week so students learn to recognize what kind of problem they are seeing.
Recommended Arizona Grade 8 Practice Path
For a four-week review, use this order:
- Week 1: exponent rules, scientific notation, square roots, and irrational numbers
- Week 2: linear equations, slope, functions, and systems
- Week 3: transformations, similarity, and Pythagorean theorem
- Week 4: scatterplots, mixed practice tests, and error log review
ViewMath Arizona Grade 8 books include topic review, worksheets, quizzes, and full practice tests aligned to the Arizona grade-level math standards. Browse the full collection at ViewMath Arizona Grade 8 Math.
ViewMath practice questions are original and are not official AASA items.
