Homeschool Testing in Tennessee

Required hours

720 hrs/year

School days

180 days/year

Required subjects

Your choice

Notice

Required

Testing / evaluation

Standardized testing

Recordkeeping

Recommended

Jump to the full Tennessee requirements for plain-English detail on each of these.

Does Tennessee require testing?

Under Tennessee's independent home-school option, students are tested at the end of grades 5, 7, and 9. Since Public Chapter 912 (2026) the parent chooses between a self-selected nationally normed test covering English language arts and math — proctored by someone not related to the student, scored by the test's publisher, at the family's expense — and the state board-approved test public school students sit that year, which at grade 9 may not be an end-of-course exam. Results go to the parent-teacher, the director of schools, and the state board under § 49-6-3050(b)(5); families registered through a church-related school follow that school's assessment policy instead.

What kind of assessment Tennessee accepts

Tennessee looks for a nationally normed standardized test, such as the Iowa (ITBS), Stanford, or CAT. These can often be administered at home by an approved proctor or through an online testing service. Keep the score report once it comes back.

When assessments happen

In Tennessee, assessment is expected at specified grade levels. Put the window on your calendar so testing or evaluation doesn't sneak up at year end, and plan to keep the result with your records once it's done.

If scores fall short

A low score usually isn't an automatic problem. States that require testing typically ask that you keep the results and, if scores fall below a set level, work with your child and reassess the following year rather than ending the homeschool. Check Tennessee's specific threshold, but a single low result rarely undoes your homeschool on its own.

Keeping your assessment records

Keep every score report or evaluation with the date and the test or evaluator's name. Tennessee may ask to see them, and they're useful for your own records and for college applications later. Homeschool Fox stores results alongside your hours and activity log so everything lives in one place.

What Homeschool Fox tracks for Tennessee

Everything Tennessee expects you to keep, in one place — no spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.

• Hours toward your 720-hour goal
• Required subjects & core hours
• Daily activity logs
• Attendance records
• Notes & portfolio records
• Printable PDF reports
• High school transcripts
• State-specific progress tracking

More Tennessee guides

• Tennessee Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• How to Start Homeschooling in Tennessee A step-by-step guide from withdrawal to your first logged day.
• Homeschooling High School in Tennessee Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
• Record Keeping in Tennessee What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
• How to Withdraw From School in Tennessee The steps, the letter, and timing to avoid truancy issues.
• Moving to Tennessee What to file when you arrive and whether your records transfer.
• Public School Sports in Tennessee Whether homeschoolers can play, what it takes, and who to ask.
• Homeschool Hours Required in Tennessee The number, what counts toward it, and the pace to hit it.
• Tennessee Letter of Intent Who to file with, when it's due, and a free generator.
• Tennessee Year End Report What goes in it, when it's due, and who reviews it.
• ESA & School Choice in Tennessee Funding amounts, who qualifies, and the trade-offs.