Grade 8 English SOL Study Guide
Practice for the Grade 8 English Virginia SOL test across all 25 standards and 8 strands. SOL Prep turns every standard into a diagnostic, guided notes, flashcards, and SOL-style practice questions — so you drill what you’re actually weak on instead of re-reviewing what you know.
Grade 8 English SOL practice tests
Practice Grade 8 English with 169 free questions from official Virginia Department of Education released tests, or drill standard by standard with SOL Prep.
What Grade 8 English covers
Developing Skilled Readers and Building Reading Stamina
- 8.DSR — Build knowledge and comprehension skills from reading a range of challenging, content-rich texts, including fluent reading, gathering evidence, reading widely, and using reading strategies.
Reading and Vocabulary
Reading Literary Text
- 8.RL — Use textual evidence to comprehend and build knowledge from diverse complex literary texts.
- 8.RL.1 — Analyze key ideas and plot details, including theme, plot patterns, and character development.
- 8.RL.2 — Analyze author's craft and style, including poetic elements, stylistic choices, point of view, and literary devices.
- 8.RL.3 — Integrate and compare concepts across literary texts.
Reading Informational Text
- 8.RI — Use textual evidence to comprehend and build knowledge from complex informational texts.
- 8.RI.1 — Identify main ideas, summarize, analyze author's unfolding of ideas, and evaluate arguments in informational texts.
- 8.RI.2 — Evaluate author's use of text features, analyze impact of stylistic choices, and understand author's perspective/purpose in informational texts.
- 8.RI.3 — Integrate and compare concepts across informational texts.
Writing
- 8.W — Compose various works for diverse audiences and purposes, linked to grade eight content and texts.
- 8.W.1 — Write narratives, expository texts, persuasive texts, and reflective texts for specific purposes.
- 8.W.2 — Generate, organize, and compose multi-paragraph texts using the writing process, focusing on thesis, central idea, evidence, transitions, voice, and conclusions.
- 8.W.3 — Revise and edit writing for usage and mechanics.
Language Usage
Communication and Multimodal Literacies
- 8.C — Develop effective oral communication and collaboration skills to process, understand, and interpret content.
- 8.C.1 — Facilitate and contribute to collaborative discussions, practicing active listening and respectful communication.
- 8.C.2 — Deliver effective oral presentations, both collaborative and individual.
- 8.C.3 — Plan and present multimodal presentations and craft media messages.
- 8.C.4 — Examine how media influences beliefs and behaviors, analyze information presentation in diverse media, and evaluate sources for motives and content.
Research
- 8.R — Conduct research and read related texts to build knowledge, solve problems, and support cross-curricular learning.
- 8.R.1 — Formulate research questions, collect/organize/synthesize information, evaluate sources, quote/summarize/paraphrase findings, organize/share findings, cite sources, and use technology ethically.
Frequently asked questions
What is on the Grade 8 English SOL test?
The Grade 8 English Virginia SOL test is organized into 8 reporting strands: Developing Skilled Readers and Building Reading Stamina, Reading and Vocabulary, Reading Literary Text, Reading Informational Text, Writing, Language Usage, Communication and Multimodal Literacies, Research. It assesses the 25 Standards of Learning listed on this page.
How many standards does Grade 8 English cover?
Grade 8 English covers 25 individual Virginia SOL standards across its 8 strands.
Where can I find Grade 8 English SOL practice tests?
The Virginia Department of Education publishes official released tests and practice items at doe.virginia.gov — see our Virginia SOL practice tests guide for direct links. SOL Prep adds standard-by-standard practice for each of the 25 Grade 8 English standards below.
How should I study for the Grade 8 English SOL?
Start with a diagnostic to find which of the 25 Grade 8 English standards you're weakest on, then focus practice there instead of re-reviewing what you already know. Work each standard's skills, then take a mixed practice check.