Contact Us

This page applies only to the required testing for grades 3, 5, and 8. For information on college board testing, visit our high school information page.

You need to give your student in grades 3, 5, and 8 a test that has been approved of by the state department of education. Even though science and social studies, etc. are offered as well on the achievement tests, you only have to give the student the reading/language arts and mathematics portion; however, it is up to your discretion of you want your student to take the whole thing. It is also up to your discretion if you want your student to take a standardized test in other grade l evels. The test cannot be given by the child's parent or guardian. In grades 3, 5, and 8 this test needs to be included in the student's portfolio. See law.

Our family did the standardized testing with Stanford Achievement Tests every year, even though it's not required. This way, we were comfortable with taking the tests, and our progress was documented. Some studies have shown that home-schoolers' scores are generally higher than public school students' scores, and our mom always felt encouraged when she received our test results.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has approved of ten nationally normed standardized tests for home-schoolers:

1. California Achievement Test (CAT)
2. Comprehensive Testing Program (CTPIII)
3. Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS)
4. Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)
5. Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT)
6. Peabody Individual Test (PIT)
7. Stanford Achievement Test (SAT)
8. Tera Nova (TN)
9. Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT)
10. Woodcock Johnson Revised Tests of Achievement (WJRTA)

The options for testing are:

• You may choose to have your child tested at your local public school. This is an inexpensive option. However, you would need to notify the school district by December that you wish your student to take the PSSA along with the public school students. They need to know in advance so they can order additional tests. The school district will let you know when and where the students need to be for the test.
• You may have the child tested privately. Check with your evaluator to see if he/she would be willing to test your student. Sometimes he/she will obtain the test for you, and sometimes they will ask you to have it sent to them.
• You can also have a private psychologist, guidance counselor, or tutoring program oversee the testing, and he/she will arrange to get the test.

Test Suppliers

Don't wait until the last minute to order your child's achievement test. It takes time to receive the tests, it takes time to take the tests, and it takes time to receive the test results. The results need to be in your portfolio in time for your evaluation in third, fifth, and eighth grades. Allow 5-7 weeks for your test to arrive, a week to take the test (pre-arrange this with the test proctor), and 4-8 weeks to receive results (about 3 ½ - 4 months). Sometime between January and March is a good time to make arrangements for your tests depending on when you wish to receive your test results.

You can obtain achievement tests from the following sources:

California Achievement Test

• Organizing your school year
• Keeping a log
• Grading your students' work
• Testing
• Portfolios
• Evaluations