Basic Achievement Skills Inventory (BASI)

•         nationally normed (standardized) test available for grades 3-12
•         no requirements as to who can give it; parents may administer it to their children
•         covers math, reading, and language
•         timed test
•         takes about two hours to administer

Brigance Diagnostic Inventories

While anyone can use this test, it is particularly valuable for students with special needs. The test is a long, in-depth test, but very thorough and helpful in goal setting. Public and private schools routinely use these tests to develop an IEP; parents can use them to develop objectives for the next year and to develop their own student evaluation plan.

•          parents are allowed to administer the test
•         parents may tailor the test to their student’s needs and abilities, choosing the subtests to be administered
•         most subtests are untimed; some have suggested time limits; others are untimed
•         may be given over a period of time
•         Yellow Brigance covers birth to developmental age 7
•         Green Brigance covers grade levels Pre-K through 9

California Achievement Test 6 (CAT6)/Terra Nova

This test is popular among Christian schools and homeschooling families because it contains more traditional values and because there are no qualifications necessary to administer it. Parents can administer the test and return it to the company for scoring. The CAT is a timed test.

The CAT/6, normed in 2005, has changed its name to the TerraNova 2nd Edition. It is the same test as the CAT/6. You can expect to see fewer references to the CAT (California Achievement Test) since the TerraNova name is replacing the CAT name. There is also a TerraNova 3rd Edition, normed in 2011.

Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS; High School Version – ITED)

This is a top-rated, nationally standardized test designed to evaluate thinking skills.

•         timed test
•         permits greater flexibility for students taking a test out of grade level
•         permits a wider grade range of students to be tested at the same time
•         administrators must hold a bachelor’s degree
•         “Directions for Administering” come with the test and should be returned with the test after testing is complete
•         the ITBS takes 2-3 days to administer
•         some restrictions on who may proctor the test that vary by company
•         can be given to grades K-12 and can be coupled with a cognitive test called the CogAT (optional)
•         the ITBS tests listening skills through grade 2
•         optional to cover science, social science, and reference skills for grades 1-12
•         grades 8-12 can also take the Interest Explorer, a test that asks about 180 questions

The information on the Interest Explorer is combined with the test results to suggest several fields of study for higher learning and/or employment that would be most appropriate for that student

Personalized Assessment Summary System (PASS; High School Version – ITED)

•         not nationally normed
•         approved by the State Department of Education as an alternative test
•         developed by homeschoolers for homeschoolers
•         untimed
•         grades 3 – 8
•         administered by parents
•         a placement test is available, allowing children to be tested at their actual level instead of taking a test with questions both above and below their level
•         scoring includes detailed analysis and suggestions for dealing with areas of difficulty

Stanford Achievement Test (SAT; High School Version – TASK)

•         top-rated, nationally standardized test
•         tests listening skills through 8th grade
•         includes the scores from science/social studies in the Complete Composite score
•         gives the option to cover science, social science, and reference skills for grades 1-12; if these are not given, the score is reported as a Core score
•         untimed
•         can be administered in a group or individual setting
•         proctor must adhere to certain criteria such as holding a baccalaureate degree and there may be certain limitations as to whom they can test in a specific setting
•         takes 2-4 days to administer depending on the student
•         students should be given all the time they need as long as they are working productively
•         may be given to grades K-12
•         may also be coupled with a cognitive test called the OLSAT

Note: This test is not to be confused with the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT), which is a completely different type of test, administered to primarily high school students and used for college admission.

Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement III (WJIII) or Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement-Revised (WJIII-R) or Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement IV (WJIV)

The Woodcock-Johnson is a nationally standardized test that is widely used by school systems to determine eligibility for learning disabilities as well as for gifted programs. It is particularly suited for students who need flexibility in their testing.

•         must be administered one-on-one (no group testing)
•         must be administered by someone who owns the test; only qualified examiners may own the test
•         provides flexibility; the examiner has 20+ subtests to choose from and can combine these various subtests to meet any special testing needs
•         test has oral sections and written sections
•         timed and untimed sections
•         not a multiple choice test
•         ages 4 through adult
•         may be administered in one sitting or multiple sittings

Other testing options:

Some testing distributors offer online testing services.  Do a search for “standardized achievement testing online” for these opportunities.

(Copied from GHEA website)