Homeschool Testing

Homeschool testing requirements vary by state, so check the homeschooling laws for your area to make sure you are meeting the minimum requirements. Find out what I think about homeschool test prep.

I test my children yearly because that's what the law in my state requires. Sometimes I have someone else give the Woodcock Johnson (WJ) which is mostly answered orally. I like this test because it is somewhat interactive. Each section of the test gets progressively harder and the administrator keeps asking questions until the child reaches a level where they miss several questions in a row. It also takes less time than the traditional testing, usually just a few hours.

I have also given the CAT (California Achievement Test) on alternating years. This is the typical "bubble in" test most people think of when they think of school testing. This test is limited in the amount of subject matter that is covers. Once they finish bubbling the answers, the test is over.

My husband was interested to know how the two tests compared. He seemed to think it would be easy to score higher on the WJ since it was oral and the "nice lady" sat with the kids and talked the whole time. So, one year I gave the kids BOTH the WJ and the CAT within two weeks of each other. The nationally normed scores for each subject on the different tests were very similar.

Some families do no like to do homeschool testing. I think it is a good experience for those kids who are college bound. They get the experience of being in testing situations. Doing a "bubble test" is second nature for those of us who grew up in the public schools because we did them so often, but learning to keep your place on the bubble answer sheet is harder than you would think (especially for younger kids) if you don't have alot of practice.

Speaking of college bound homeschool students. If you have one, you might be interested in the Regional Talent Search Programs. (Click the link for a map.) These programs allow academically talented kids to take college entry tests several years early, as a practice run. They do have awards for kids who score exceptionally high as a Talent Search participant. Contact the university that serves your region for specific details.

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