About Tests.School
Tests.School is an independent educational information website for parents and students trying to understand school assessments.
Our guides explain what an assessment is designed to measure, how it may be administered, what common score terms mean, and which questions parents can ask their child’s school.
We currently publish information about assessments used in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and other school systems, including:
- NWEA MAP Growth;
- Renaissance Star Assessments;
- i-Ready Inform, formerly i-Ready Diagnostic;
- CAT4;
- the Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test, or CCAT-7.
Our purpose:
We aim to help families understand assessment information without presenting one score as a complete measure of a child’s ability, intelligence, effort, or future potential.
What You Can Find on Tests.School
Our assessment guides may include:
- an explanation of the assessment’s purpose;
- the subjects, batteries, or domains measured;
- general information about format and administration;
- explanations of scale scores, percentiles, stanines, placement levels, and growth measures;
- questions parents can ask teachers or school administrators;
- independently created sample questions;
- practical guidance for reducing uncertainty or test anxiety;
- links to official providers, school systems, and relevant educational resources.
We try to distinguish clearly between:
- information published by an assessment provider;
- policies established by a school or school board;
- general educational guidance;
- independently created practice content;
- commercial preparation resources.
How We Research Assessment Information
Assessment products and school policies can change.
When preparing or updating a guide, we aim to consult the most relevant available sources, such as:
- official assessment-provider documentation;
- official support and family resources;
- school-district or school-board guidance;
- technical manuals and score guides where publicly available;
- current product announcements;
- official testing policies;
- current versions of referenced preparation resources.
Where a rule varies by school, district, board, country, grade, or testing year, we try to state that variation rather than present one local procedure as universal.
School information takes priority:
Your child’s school controls the assessment actually assigned, the testing date, permitted accommodations, preparation rules, score interpretation, and educational decisions. Always follow the school’s current instructions.
How We Handle Information That May Change
We place an updated date on substantive assessment guides and revise pages when we identify meaningful changes.
Information that may change includes:
- assessment names;
- grade availability;
- test versions;
- question counts;
- testing duration;
- score norms;
- placement tables;
- school screening procedures;
- preparation policies;
- commercial product contents;
- prices and access periods.
An updated date does not guarantee that every local school policy changed on the same date.
Parents should verify time-sensitive details with the assessment provider or their child’s school.
Our Approach to Scores
Assessment reports can contain several measures that answer different questions.
These may include:
- raw scores;
- scale scores;
- standard age scores;
- percentiles;
- stanines;
- grade-level placements;
- growth measures;
- domain or battery results;
- benchmark categories.
We aim to explain these measures without treating them as interchangeable.
For example:
- a percentile is not the percentage of questions answered correctly;
- a growth measure is not the same as current achievement;
- a grade-equivalent result does not prove mastery of an entire grade;
- one composite score may conceal meaningful differences between domains or batteries.
We encourage families to interpret results alongside:
- classroom work;
- teacher observations;
- previous assessments;
- instructional history;
- language background;
- testing conditions;
- the child’s development over time.
Tests.School does not diagnose learning disabilities, developmental conditions, or medical conditions.
Independent Sample Questions
Sample questions published on Tests.School are independently created for explanation and familiarisation.
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, they are not:
- official assessment questions;
- copied from secure tests;
- released operational items;
- approved by the assessment publisher;
- calibrated to an official score scale;
- capable of producing an official result.
Independent questions cannot reproduce an assessment provider’s:
- secure item bank;
- adaptive algorithm;
- difficulty calibration;
- scoring model;
- norms;
- accessibility configuration;
- administration conditions.
We do not claim access to secure or unreleased assessment content.
Preparation Is Not Always Appropriate
Some schools permit limited familiarisation. Others discourage or prohibit test-specific preparation.
For example, a school may want an assessment to measure how a student responds to unfamiliar tasks. Prior exposure to closely matched questions could affect the validity of the result.
Before using any test-specific preparation material, parents should confirm:
- the exact assessment;
- the grade or level;
- whether the school permits preparation;
- whether only general familiarisation is appropriate;
- how the result will be used.
Where a school prohibits preparation, its policy takes priority over any practice material linked or published on this website.
Commercial Links and Affiliate Disclosure
Most Tests.School content is available without charge.
Some pages contain links to third-party preparation providers. Certain links are affiliate links. This means Tests.School may receive a commission when a reader follows the link and completes a qualifying purchase.
Affiliate relationships do not make a third-party product official, school-approved, or necessary.
Before purchasing a resource, families should verify:
- the assessment covered;
- the grades or levels included;
- the current product contents;
- the access period;
- the provider’s terms;
- the refund policy;
- whether preparation is permitted by the school.
We do not guarantee that a commercial resource will produce a particular score, percentile, placement, identification decision, or academic outcome.
Independence From Assessment Providers
Tests.School is an independent website.
Unless a page expressly states otherwise, Tests.School is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or part of:
- an assessment publisher;
- a school;
- a school district;
- a school board;
- a government education authority;
- a commercial preparation provider.
Assessment names and trademarks belong to their respective owners and are used for identification and educational discussion.
Corrections
We aim to correct material errors when they are identified.
A correction may involve:
- an outdated product name;
- an inaccurate grade range;
- an obsolete score interpretation;
- a changed school policy;
- a broken link;
- an ambiguous sample question;
- an incomplete disclaimer.
To report a possible error, email info@tests.school and include:
- the page address;
- the section concerned;
- the information you believe is incorrect;
- a reliable source supporting the correction, where available.
We review correction requests, but we cannot guarantee that every suggested change will be accepted.
Sharing an Experience
Parents, students, and educators may share general information about their experience through our experience form.
Do not submit:
- a child’s full name;
- a school login or password;
- a student identification number;
- a home address;
- private medical or psychological records;
- secure test questions;
- copyrighted assessment pages;
- information identifying another child;
- information you are not authorized to share.
Personal experiences may help us identify unclear explanations or changing school procedures, but they do not replace official documentation.
Educational Information, Not Professional Advice
Tests.School provides general educational information.
The website does not provide:
- medical advice;
- psychological diagnosis;
- legal advice;
- individualized special-education advice;
- official score interpretation;
- guaranteed placement guidance;
- a substitute for consultation with your child’s school.
Questions about a specific student’s score, accommodation, intervention, identification, or placement should be discussed with the relevant teacher, school administrator, qualified educational professional, or licensed specialist.
Contact Tests.School
Questions, corrections, and general feedback can be sent to:
You can also use the Share Your Experience page for general feedback about an assessment or school process.
Please do not email secure test content or sensitive information about a child.
Website Policies
You can review the website’s current policies here:
Tests.School may update its editorial approach, coverage, and policies as the website develops.