M-STEP mathematics is built from the Smarter Balanced framework and draws its items from the Smarter Balanced item pool (Spring 2019 M-STEP Technical Report; federal assessment peer-review documentation). It uses the four Smarter Balanced claims, and Michigan publishes per-grade “Claims, Targets, and Standards” crosswalks in which the Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures) assessment targets are the Smarter Balanced lettered targets — verbatim CCSS-M cluster headings with the standards in each cluster listed alongside. MDE’s published mathematics blueprint (all grades) notes that Claims 2 and 4 are reported together, matching Smarter Balanced score reporting. Since spring 2019, M-STEP mathematics is administered in grades 3-7 only: grade 8 mathematics moved to PSAT 8/9, and grade 11 mathematics is the SAT within the Michigan Merit Examination.
M-STEP Grade 6 math practice. Domain by domain.
M-STEP Grade 6 math practice organized by the test's 1 official reporting domain. Together they connect 22 playable math skills to Michigan Academic Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-M) aligned to Smarter Balanced mathematics claims and assessment targets.
M-STEP Grade 6 reporting domains
How the M-STEP structures Grade 6 math
M-STEP Mathematics Blueprints, all grades (MDE “Mathematics 2024 Overview,” Michigan School Testing Conference, February 2024): Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures) 19-21 items, Claim 2 (Problem Solving) 3-5 items, Claim 3 (Communicating Reasoning) 7-9 items, Claim 4 (Modeling and Data Analysis) 3-5 items; Claims 2 and 4 are reported together. At range midpoints (20 + 4 + 8 + 4 = 36 items) Claim 1 is ~56% of the test, Claim 3 ~22%, and Claims 2 and 4 ~11% each — mirroring the Smarter Balanced claim distribution.
Michigan Department of Education M-STEP Summative
MDE Math Crosswalks: Claims, Targets, and Standards (per-grade PDFs)
MDE Mathematics 2024 Overview — Michigan School Testing Conference, February 2024 (M-STEP math blueprints, claim item counts, grade 6 crosswalk sample)
Skills covered across these domains
Area formulas (triangle, parallelogram, trapezoid)
Decimal operations
Multiplying and dividing fractions
Absolute value
Describing a Data Distribution
Identifying Statistical Questions
Rational number line locations (ACT)
Custom unit conversions
Fraction-decimal-percent conversion
Percent of a quantity
Two-step unit conversions
Central Measures from Tally Charts (ACT)
Prepare for M-STEP inside a game.
Start a M-STEP-tailored placement, then practice Grade 6 skills at the right difficulty.
M-STEP Grade 6 math FAQ
What math does the M-STEP cover in Grade 6?
Grade 6 math on the M-STEP is reported across one official domain: Concepts and Procedures. Each domain page here maps that reporting category to playable practice skills.
What standards is the M-STEP based on?
The Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress is built on Michigan Academic Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-M) aligned to Smarter Balanced mathematics claims and assessment targets (Michigan). M-STEP mathematics is built from the Smarter Balanced framework and draws its items from the Smarter Balanced item pool (Spring 2019 M-STEP Technical Report; federal assessment peer-review documentation).
How is Grade 6 math weighted on the M-STEP?
M-STEP Mathematics Blueprints, all grades (MDE “Mathematics 2024 Overview,” Michigan School Testing Conference, February 2024): Claim 1 (Concepts and Procedures) 19-21 items, Claim 2 (Problem Solving) 3-5 items, Claim 3 (Communicating Reasoning) 7-9 items, Claim 4 (Modeling and Data Analysis) 3-5 it…
How can students practice for the M-STEP Grade 6 math test for free?
Every M-STEP Grade 6 domain page includes free practice questions with worked answers — 8 sample questions across this domain — and each skill links to arcade games that drill it. No sign-up is needed to start.