CMAS Math is an important spring assessment for Colorado students in grades 3-8. It shows how well they can apply the grade-level math they’ve been learning and gives families and schools another measure of progress toward Colorado Academic Standards in Math.
At Mathnasium of Lakewood, we help local students sharpen the math skills, problem-solving habits, and confidence they need to approach CMAS prepared.
Today, we’re sharing six practical tips to help your child prepare for CMAS Math, from identifying the skills to review to building an effective test-day routine.
Although CMAS can feel like a big event, understanding what it involves can make it much more manageable.
To help you support your child at home, we guide you through all you need to know about the exam, including which students take the test, when it is given, what subjects and skills it covers, and what the testing experience is like.
Jeffco students in grades 3 through 8 take CMAS Math each spring. In other words, your student takes the assessment for the grade they are enrolled in, so the questions reflect the math expected at that grade level.
CMAS Math checks how well your student is meeting Colorado’s grade-level math expectations. The assessment is based on the Colorado Academic Standards, which set out what students should learn in math at each grade.
The test goes beyond repeating a rule or completing a calculation. Your student may need to:
Solve a problem,
Decide which method fits,
Use a diagram or equation to show their thinking, or
Explain their answer.
The specific content changes by grade and can include number and operations, algebraic reasoning, geometry and measurement, and data analysis.
That is why a useful CMAS review reflects the student’s current grade-level math rather than treating the test as one long list of disconnected skills.
CMAS Math is computer-based and includes several types of questions. Your student may see:
Traditional multiple-choice questions,
Technology-enhanced questions that use on-screen tools, and
Constructed-response questions that ask them to enter or write an answer.
Students take CMAS through TestNav, the online testing platform Colorado uses for computer-based state assessments. Your student can use Colorado’s official practice resources to try TestNav, use its tools, and become familiar with the types of questions they may see.
Calculator rules vary by grade.
Students in grades 3–5 complete CMAS Math without a calculator, unless their school has arranged a testing support that allows one.
Students in grades 6–8 complete both non-calculator and calculator work. During calculator sections, students in grades 6–7 use a five-function calculator, while eighth graders use a scientific calculator.
CMAS takes place each spring. The next CMAS testing window is scheduled for April 5–23, 2027. Jeffco schools set their own testing dates within that statewide window, so check with your child’s school for the days your student will take CMAS Math.
The best time to start preparing is in late winter or early spring, well before your school’s testing dates. This gives your child time to:
Identify skills that need review,
Revisit confusing concepts, and
Get comfortable with the computer-based format.
The approach you should take also depends on where your student stands with math. For example:
If your student feels confident with grade-level math, they may need only focused review and a small amount of practice with the online format.
If your student keeps making the same errors, has skills they have not fully learned, or feels anxious about testing, they may benefit from starting earlier.
CMAS preparation does not need to mean long study sessions or a stack of extra worksheets. A clear plan can help your child spend time on the math, habits, and test format that need the most attention.
With that in mind, we recommend six practical tips to help your child prepare before spring testing.
Start with the work your child is already bringing home. Look at recent homework, classwork, quizzes, tests, and teacher feedback together.
Instead of trying to review every math topic at once, look for two or three trouble spots that show up more than once. We often see that a repeated mistake points to one specific step that needs attention.
Some of the examples are:
Your child may understand fractions but make the same mistake when comparing them.
They may know how to solve an equation but lose track of a negative sign halfway through.
They may choose the correct operation in a word problem but use the wrong numbers from the question.
Pay attention to where the work first goes off track. A recent review of research on students’ math errors by Shimizu and Kang found that looking closely at the steps in a student’s work can reveal misconceptions and support more useful instruction.
When you find the first incorrect step, review the math idea your child missed before giving them more practice problems. If your child, for example, keeps adding denominators when adding fractions, talk about what the denominator means and use a visual model.
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Colorado provides free CMAS practice resources for each grade. They include short sets of example questions and tutorials that help students become familiar with:
Online test format,
Built-in tools, and
Question types.
Start small, especially if your child has not used computer-based test questions before. In other words, one short tutorial or a few sample questions is enough for the first session. Try to help your child learn how to move through the test, use the on-screen tools, and respond to different question types.
Do not treat these practice questions as a preview of the actual CMAS test or a way to predict a score. Colorado states that its example questions do not represent a complete test and do not cover every assessed topic or question type.
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CMAS Math questions can ask students to do more than one thing. For example, one problem may require them to:
Read a situation,
Decide which details are important,
Choose a method, and
Solve.
Before your child starts calculating, we recommend that you encourage them to pause and ask questions like:
What am I trying to find?
Which information do you find important?
What math could help me solve this?
Diagrams, tables, number lines, graphs, or equations can make the relationship in a problem easier to see. The Education Endowment Foundation’s guidance recommends helping students choose visual representations that show the structure of a problem, rather than adding a picture that does not help them solve it.
In other words, your child does not need to use every tool. They only need to choose one that helps them organize the information. After solving, have them check whether the answer makes sense in the situation.
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Calculator rules change by grade, so practice at home should match the conditions your child will have during CMAS Math.
Students in grades 3–5 complete CMAS Math without a calculator, unless their school has arranged a testing support that allows one. Include no-calculator practice so your child is used to working through calculations and reasoning without the tool.
Students in grades 6–8 complete both calculator and non-calculator work. During calculator sections, students in grades 6–7 use a five-function calculator, while eighth graders use a scientific calculator.
For calculator practice, use the kind of calculator allowed for your child’s grade. That way, your child can focus on the math instead of figuring out unfamiliar buttons or functions during the test.
At our center, we help students of all levels achieve higher CMAS math scores. From our experience, we recommend a few simple habits that can help your child stay organized during CMAS Math.
Start with questions they can answer efficiently, then come back to harder ones.
If a question takes too long, flag it for review instead of staying stuck.
On multiple-choice questions, rule out answers that clearly do not fit before choosing from the remaining options.
Use scratch paper to work through several steps, label quantities, and check whether an answer is reasonable.
CMAS includes tools that let students flag questions to revisit within the current test section and mark answer choices they want to eliminate.
Practice these habits during short CMAS-style sessions at home. Instead of rushing, help your child use their time and attention well when a question feels difficult.
While the tips we suggested will help some students prepare for CMAS, some students may need extra help, which is okay. Despite your best efforts, you should consider extra support if your child:
Makes the same type of error across homework, quizzes, and tests,
Cannot explain how they got an answer,
Still feels confused about a grade-level topic after classroom review, or
Is so worried about CMAS that it affects study time or confidence.
Structured support can give families a clear view of a child’s current skills and provide regular instruction that responds to their individual learning needs.
This is the kind of support Mathnasium provides. We start with a diagnostic assessment to understand where your child currently stands with math and what their learning goals and styles are.
From there, we build a personalized learning plan and provide ongoing, face-to-face instruction to help your child prepare for the upcoming CMAS Math exam with confidence.
At Mathnasium, we work with students across all levels to help them prepare for the upcoming CMAS math exam and build confidence that lasts both at the exam and beyond.
Mathnasium of Lakewood is a math-only learning center dedicated to helping K–12 students of all skill levels learn and master math.
We proudly serve students from Lakewood and the surrounding communities and help them successfully prepare for the CMAS Math exam with success.
As each student learns and experiences math differently, we meet them exactly where they are and progress towards their goal at the pace that works for them.
We personalize each student's learning experience, including test prep, through the Mathnasium Method™, a proprietary teaching approach designed around each student’s needs and learning styles.
Each student starts their Mathnasium enrollment with a diagnostic assessment that helps us identify their current skills, knowledge gaps, and learning goals. From there, we build a personalized learning plan tailored to their needs and pace.
We use natural language and a mix of verbal, visual, mental, tactile, and written techniques so the math makes sense. If students get stuck on any math concept in the preparation process, we break it down into manageable steps and teach both the how and the why behind it.
As time goes on, students learn to do the same independently and walk out of our centers with the problem-solving skills and critical thinking they can use in math and beyond.
Fun is an important part of how we work. Sessions often include game-based and hands-on activities that keep students engaged and learning enjoyable. Students earn rewards along the way, and every bit of progress gets celebrated, so confidence grows alongside mastery.
Beyond pure content, our tutors can integrate essential test-taking strategies directly into every session, including pacing, question deconstruction, process of elimination, and organized scratch work for digital testing.
The Mathansium Method™ brings measurable results:
94% of parents report an improvement in their child's math skills and understanding
93% of parents report their child's improved attitude toward math after attending Mathnasium
90% of students saw an improvement in their school grades
Mathnasium of Lakewood’s commitment to student success is also reflected in our community. Our center has been recognized by Business Rate as the Best Tutoring Services in Lakewood.
Whether your child is looking to catch up, keep up, or get ahead in math, our team is more than happy to help!
Schedule a diagnostic assessment with Mathnasium of Lakewood as a first step. It will help us identify their current math needs and create a focused CMAS preparation plan.
📅 Schedule a Free Diagnostic Assessment at Mathnasium of Lakewood
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Mathnasium of Lakewood CO is a math-only learning center for K-12 students in Lakewood, CO. Trusted by over a million parents, Mathnasium uses personalized learning plans and the proprietary Mathnasium Method™ to help students catch up, keep up, and get ahead on their math journey.
Our specially trained tutors deliver face-to-face instruction in a supportive and fun small-group environment, working with students both in center and online to develop a deep understanding of math, build confidence, and improve academic performance.
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