Standardized Testing for Homeschoolers: Which States Require It and Which Tests Count

Standardized testing for homeschoolers is required in roughly 17 states. About a third of US jurisdictions. The accepted tests vary by state: Stanford Achievement Test, IOWA Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), TerraNova/CAT (California Achievement Test), MAP (Measures of Academic Progress), and a handful of state-specific or proprietary alternatives. Some states accept any nationally normed test from an approved list. Others mandate a specific test. The decision tree about which test, when, and from whom can feel disproportionately complicated for what is, in the end, one morning of bubbling in answer sheets.

If your state doesn't require testing, you can still choose to test voluntarily, for benchmarking, college-prep practice, or to satisfy a state ESA program's requirements. The piece below covers both required and optional testing.

States that require testing

The list, with frequency varying by state:

Some states (Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts) allow alternatives to standardized testing, typically a portfolio review by a certified evaluator. Our sibling post on homeschool portfolio reviews vs. standardized tests compares the two paths.

States not listed don't require testing for homeschoolers (about 33 states). Pull up your state's specific page for the current rules.

The major tests, briefly

Stanford Achievement Test

Long-running standardized achievement test. Covers reading, language arts, math, science, and social studies. Multi-grade levels (K–12). Widely accepted by US states that require homeschool testing. Administered by certified testers; family-administered option not generally available.

IOWA (Iowa Test of Basic Skills, now ITBS)

Long-trusted achievement battery covering reading, language, math, science, social studies. Available for grades 1–8 (older versions) and now offers Iowa Assessments for grades 9–12. Often cheapest of the major options, especially for the family-administered version (where allowed). Widely accepted.

TerraNova / California Achievement Test (CAT)

Achievement battery from CTB/McGraw-Hill. Multi-grade. Accepted by most states that allow nationally normed tests. Comparable cost and content coverage to Stanford and IOWA.

MAP (Measures of Academic Progress)

Computer-adaptive testing. Questions adjust difficulty based on student responses. Provides grade-equivalent scores and growth tracking across years. Increasingly popular with families using ESAs (some states require MAP specifically as part of ESA reporting). More frequently administered (some families test 2 to 3 times per year).

Lesser-used tests

• PASS (Personalized Achievement Summary System): used by some homeschool support organizations; accepted in some states

• Brigance: diagnostic, less widely used for state compliance

• BJU Press testing: Bob Jones University offers achievement testing

• NWEA MAP: same as the MAP listed above

• State-specific tests: a few states have proprietary tests (rare)

Most homeschool families choose between Stanford, IOWA, and CAT/TerraNova based on cost and convenience. MAP is gaining traction especially in states with ESAs.

How testing is administered

Three patterns.

Certified administrator

The most common. You hire a certified test administrator, often a former teacher, current homeschool parent who's been certified, or a homeschool support organization that runs group testing sessions. The administrator follows standardized procedures, secures the materials, and submits scores. Cost: typically $30 to $150 per student per test.

How to find one: state homeschool support organizations maintain lists of certified testers. HSLDA's directory includes tester contacts in many states. Local homeschool co-ops sometimes have testing days where multiple families test together at lower per-student cost.

Group testing days

Homeschool co-ops or support organizations run testing days where 10 to 50 students test together. Often most efficient and cheapest. Look for these in spring (April through June, before summer break).

Family-administered (limited)

Some tests allow parent administration. IOWA Test of Basic Skills historically offered this. Cheapest option but increasingly restricted; most major test publishers now require certified testers. Family-administered scores may not be accepted by states that mandate certified administration.

Costs

• Family-administered ITBS (where available): $30 to $50 per child

• Certified-administered Stanford or IOWA: $50 to $150 per child

• Group testing days at co-ops: $50 to $100 per child

• MAP testing (for ESA reporting): often free if state-required for ESA, otherwise $50 to $100 per administration

• Independent psychoeducational evaluation (for educational evaluator letter alternative): $300 to $1,500

For a family with 3 homeschooled kids in a state requiring annual testing, expect $150 to $400 per year in testing costs. Many state ESA programs cover this expense; some homeschool families budget for it as a routine annual cost.

Reporting results to the state

Pattern depends on your state.

Score report sent directly to the state. Pennsylvania, Hawaii, others. The certified tester submits scores; you don't see them first (though you can request copies).

Score report sent to you, you forward. Most other states. You receive the score report; you forward to the state DOE or local district by their deadline.

Pass/fail score thresholds. Some states (Pennsylvania at certain grades, others) require scores above a percentile threshold. Below threshold may trigger remedial review.

Most states accept scores at the 30th percentile or above as "satisfactory." Below that, your state may require a formal evaluation, retest, or remediation plan. The vast majority of homeschoolers score well above this threshold (homeschool students average 80th to 90th percentile on these tests, well above public school averages).

Testing voluntarily when your state doesn't require it

Three reasons families test voluntarily.

Benchmarking

Annual or biennial testing gives you data on your child's grade-level standing. If your child is behind in a specific area (reading at 6th grade level when they're 8th grade chronologically, for example), the test catches it early. Many homeschool families test once every 2 to 3 years for this purpose.

College-prep practice

For high schoolers heading to college, Stanford / IOWA / CAT scores aren't directly used (SAT and ACT replace them), but the test-taking experience itself is valuable practice. Younger high school grades (9, 10) sometimes test for the practice. Our pillar on can homeschoolers take SAT or ACT covers college-relevant testing.

Documentation for re-enrollment or transition

If you anticipate the child returning to public or private school, scoreable test results document academic progress for the receiving school's placement decisions. Useful insurance.

State ESA requirements

Even if your state doesn't require testing for homeschool registration, ESA recipients often must test. Coordinate with the ESA program rules.

Test prep

Generally minimal for elementary and middle-school achievement tests. The tests measure cumulative learning; cramming doesn't help much. Some families do 1 to 2 weeks of light "test taking strategies" practice (pacing, eliminating wrong answers, reading questions carefully) but heavy prep is unnecessary.

For SAT/ACT, the calculus is different. Strategic prep meaningfully improves scores. That's a separate topic; covered in our pillar on can homeschoolers take SAT or ACT.

Special-needs accommodations

Standardized testing accommodates students with documented disabilities. Extended time, separate testing rooms, large-print or audio versions. Required documentation: a recent (within 3 to 4 years) psychoeducational evaluation showing the disability.

To request accommodations:

1. Have the formal evaluation completed (typically a psychologist or pediatric neuropsychologist)

2. Submit accommodations request to the test administrator at least 4 to 6 weeks before the test date

3. Test administrator coordinates with the test publisher (Stanford, IOWA, etc.) to approve accommodations

Don't wait until test day. Accommodations approvals take time and can't be added retroactively.

Wrap-up

Standardized testing requirements vary widely. About 17 states require it, with annual or every 2-to-3-year frequencies depending on grade. Tests typically used: Stanford Achievement, IOWA, CAT/TerraNova, and increasingly MAP. Cost runs $30 to $150 per child per administration. Certified testers are widely available through homeschool support organizations. Even in states that don't require it, periodic voluntary testing helps with benchmarking and re-enrollment readiness.

For tracking the academic work that feeds into test performance, plus state-required attendance and hours, Homeschool Fox handles the daily logging in a low-friction way. Free 14-day trial.

Keep reading: Homeschool portfolio reviews vs. standardized tests, our pillar on homeschool record-keeping, our refresh post on what goes into a homeschool portfolio, and pillars on SAT/ACT for homeschoolers and how to homeschool high school.