Standardized Testing for Homeschoolers: The Options Explained
Homeschoolers usually take one of a handful of nationally normed achievement tests: the Iowa Assessments, the Stanford 10, the TerraNova 2/CAT 6, Hewitt’s PASS, or NWEA’s MAP Growth. You don’t buy them from the publisher. You order them through a testing service, which sends a paper booklet or an online login and then scores the results. Many can be given at home by a parent, sometimes only if the parent meets the service’s requirements. Others are given in a group through a co-op or homeschool organization. Whether your state requires testing at all, and which tests count, is a separate question with a state-by-state answer.
That last sentence is the important one, so I’ll say it plainly before anything else. This post explains what the tests are. It won’t tell you what your state requires, because the rules vary widely, they change, and a summary written here would eventually be wrong. Start with your own state’s current rules, via where to find your state’s homeschool laws, and come back here once you know whether a test is required and which ones your state accepts.
How homeschool testing actually works
This part confuses almost everyone the first time. As HSLDA’s guide to choosing a standardized test explains, “Test publishers establish rigorous standards for how their tests are to be administered,” while “private testing centers or providers then make the tests available to the public and score them.”
So you’re really choosing two things:
- The test, such as the Iowa Assessments or the Stanford 10.
- The testing service that sells and scores it. HSLDA notes that services differ in which tests and versions they offer, how far ahead you must order a paper test, how quickly scores come back, their proctoring and timing options, and the grade levels they cover.
The same test can come with quite different rules depending on which service you order it from. Read the service’s own instructions before you order.
The common tests, side by side
HSLDA’s comparison of the three big general achievement tests looks like this. Its own caveat applies: details vary by the testing center you choose.
| Iowa Assessments Form E | Stanford 10 (SAT10) | TerraNova 2 / CAT 6 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grades | K–12 | K–12 | K–12 |
| Who can give it | Bachelor’s degree preferred | Bachelor’s degree for the paper test; no requirement online | No degree requirement; proctoring rules may vary |
| Timing | Timed (untimed for K–2) | Timed and untimed available | Timed |
| Format | Paper and online | Paper and online | Paper |
| Subjects | Reading, language arts, math, science, social studies | Same | Same |
HSLDA notes that the Iowa and the Stanford are “more rigorous than some other tests.”
Two more come up constantly in homeschool circles:
- PASS (Personalized Assessment of Student Success), from Hewitt Homeschooling. HSLDA describes it as “non-timed,” using “a pretest to determine the most appropriate level test for each student to take in three subjects: reading, math, and language.” Being untimed makes it worth a look for a child who freezes under a clock.
- MAP Growth, from NWEA. NWEA describes it as “computer-adaptive,” measuring “academic growth and achievement” from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Adaptive means the questions get harder or easier depending on how your child answers. HSLDA lists a homeschool provider that offers it online and untimed for K–12, covering math, reading, language and science.
You’ll also see CAT E/Survey and similar shorter tests. HSLDA’s list, for example, shows Seton Testing Services selling the TerraNova 2/CAT 6 for grades K–12 and CAT E/Survey options for grades 4–12. Check the exact edition with the service, and check it against your state’s list if you have one.
Where to order, and how to give the test
HSLDA’s list of providers is a reasonable place to start. A few examples from it:
- Abeka offers the Iowa Assessments Form E online (K–12) and the Stanford 10 online (3–12).
- BJU Press Testing and Evaluation sells the Iowa in paper booklets (K–12), the Iowa online (1–12), and practice tests.
- Seton Testing Services sells the Iowa in paper, the Stanford 10 online, and the TerraNova 2/CAT 6 in paper.
- Hewitt Homeschooling offers PASS.
The other choice is the setting. There are three ways it usually goes.
At home, with you as administrator or proctor. HSLDA’s guide explains that as long as you meet a test’s requirements, “you can administer a test to your own child.” Some services also let a parent who doesn’t qualify act as the proctor, while the testing service acts as administrator. Either way, you don’t need to find a third party. Whether testing your own child counts for your state is a legal question, so check it first.
In a group. HSLDA points to local and state homeschool organizations, co-ops that “regularly coordinate testing days,” some public school districts and private schools, and umbrella schools. If you belong to a homeschool co-op, ask there first. A group testing day is often the easiest route for a first-timer.
With a hired tester. Testing services can often put you in touch with local test administrators.
For a paper test at home, order early. HSLDA suggests leaving room for sickness and mailing delays, so the scores come back in time for any state deadline, and in case you want to retest.
What the scores are good for
Most of these tests are norm-referenced: they compare your child’s performance with a national sample of children in the same grade. That makes the score a percentile, not a percentage. A 60th percentile doesn’t mean your child got 60% of the questions right. It means they scored as well as or better than about 60 out of every 100 children in the comparison group.
If your state requires a test, the score’s main job is to satisfy that rule. If it doesn’t, a test can still be useful for a few things:
- A neutral outside check. It’s a second opinion from someone other than you on whether reading and math are roughly where you think they are.
- Spotting a gap. A subject that scores well below the others is worth a closer look, though a single test day is a snapshot, not a diagnosis.
- Practice for later tests. A child who will eventually sit the SAT, the ACT or a placement test benefits from having filled in a bubble sheet before it counts.
- Records. A score report is a tidy, dated document for your homeschool record-keeping files, whether or not anyone asks for it.
What a score is not good for is grading your homeschool. One morning’s performance on a timed test reflects nerves, sleep, and whether the test happens to cover what you’ve taught this year. Treat it as one piece of information.
Preparing a child who has never taken a test
Many homeschooled children have never seen a timed, multiple-choice test. A little practice removes most of the strangeness. A workbook such as Spectrum Test Practice (the grade 3 book, in this case) shows the format: reading a passage and answering questions about it, filling in a circle, moving on when stuck. A few short sessions in the weeks before are plenty. The aim is familiarity with the format, not cramming content.
On the day, keep the morning ordinary: breakfast, a normal bedtime the night before, and a calm explanation that the test is about finding out what to teach next, not about passing.
FAQ: homeschool standardized testing
Do homeschoolers have to take standardized tests?
It depends entirely on your state. Some require testing at certain grades, some offer it as one option among several, and some require nothing. Check your state’s current rules before you order anything.
Can I give my child a standardized test at home?
Often, yes. HSLDA explains that a parent who meets a test’s administrator requirements can give it, and some services let other parents act as proctors. Whether a parent-given test counts is set by your state.
Which standardized test is best for homeschoolers?
The one your state accepts, if it has a list. Otherwise choose for your child: an untimed option such as PASS suits a child who freezes under time pressure, while the Iowa or the Stanford 10 gives a broader picture across subjects.
How do I order a standardized test for my homeschooler?
Through a testing service, not the publisher. The service sells the paper booklet or online login and scores the results. Compare services on the test editions they carry, administrator rules, turnaround time and grade levels.
