School Level: High
Subject/Type: College Entrance Exams
Required or Optional: Required by state
Who takes it?: Students in Grade 11 in March
What is it and why is it important?: The ACT is a standardized, curriculum-based, multiple-choice achievement test that includes four areas: English, mathematics, reading and science. The ACT writing test is optional. The ACT assesses skills and knowledge that are important for success in college.
How are results used?: Results are used by high schools for advising and counseling students, by WCPSS for evaluating instructional effectiveness and planning curriculum, and by colleges and universities to make decisions regarding admissions, scholarships and loans and course placement. Results are also used as part of the state’s high school accountability framework.

School Level: High
Subject/Type: Career and Technical Education (CTE)
Required or Optional: Required by state
Who takes it?: Students enrolled in Grade 12 who are identified as Career and Technical Education concentrators
What is it and why is it important?: The three ACT WorkKeys assessments measure mastery of Applied Mathematics, Locating Information and Reading for Information.
How are results used?: Results are the basis of the National Career Readiness Certificate program and connect work skills, training and skill testing for educators and employers. Results are also used as part of the state’s high school accountability framework.

School Level: High
Subject/Type: Various
Required or Optional: Optional
Who takes it?: Any high school student who wants to take an AP exam, regardless of whether they are enrolled in an AP course.
What is it and why is it important?: The AP program allows students to take college-level courses and exams to earn college credit. There are 34 different AP exams that consist of multiple-choice and free-response items. All AP exams are optional for students.
How are results used?: Students’ AP exam results enhance their college applications and eligibility for scholarships. Results are also used by high schools for advising and counseling students, by WCPSS for evaluating instructional effectiveness and planning curriculum, and by colleges and universities to make decisions regarding admissions and scholarships.

School Level: Middle
Subject/Type: Diagnostic
Required or Optional: Required by district
Who takes it?: Grade 6-8 students who are performing below grade level
What is it and why is it important?: i-Ready is a computer adaptive assessment that monitors student growth over time, particularly for those students who are not performing on grade level.
How are results used?: Results provide teachers with detailed information about specific learning gaps that are preventing students from reaching grade-level performance and strategies for how to close those gaps.

School Level: Middle
Subject/Type: Diagnostic
Required or Optional: Required by district
Who takes it?: Grade 6-8 students who are performing below grade level
What is it and why is it important?: i-Ready is a computer adaptive assessment that monitors student growth over time, particularly for those students who are not performing on grade level.
How are results used?: Results provide teachers with detailed information about specific learning gaps that are preventing students from reaching grade-level performance and strategies for how to close those gaps.

School Level: High
Subject/Type: Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate
Required or Optional: Required for students wanting to earn an IB Diploma
Who takes it?: IB juniors and seniors in the final year of an IB course
What is it and why is it important?: At the end of each course, students sit for an external examination prepared by an International Board of Examiners, which has the final authority on the setting of examinations and the assessment of all candidates for the awarding of the IB diploma. International Baccalaureate course exams are rigorous, and performance is measured against predetermined criteria rather than the performance of other students taking the same examinations.
How are results used?: Results are used by high schools for advising and counseling students, by WCPSS and IB for evaluating instructional effectiveness and planning curriculum, to determine awarding of IB diplomas, and by colleges and universities to make decisions regarding admissions, scholarships and course credit or placement.

School Level: Elementary
Subject/Type: Kindergarten Entry
Required or Optional: Required by state
Who takes it?: All Grade K students
What is it and why is it important?: Measures kindergarten readiness in literacy, math, physical, personal and social skills.
How are results used?: The results provide a baseline of student strengths and challenges and informs instruction for Kindergarten teachers.

School Level: Elementary
Subject/Type: Screening
Required or Optional: Required by state for grades K-3, required by district in grades 4-5
Who takes it?: All Grade K-3 students, selected students in Grade 4-5
What is it and why is it important?: mCLASS measures basic skills which predict future reading success, such as a student’s ability to hear beginning sounds, to separate words that they hear, and to decode words. It also measures print concepts, and the student’s ability to read text, orally retell and answer questions in written form.
How are results used?: Results are used to identify students in need of extra support in early reading skills, and to monitor student progress over time. Parents also receive information from mCLASS about their student’s progress and activities to do at home to help students become stronger readers. In grades K-3, the state also uses the results for teacher and principal evaluation purposes (as per State Board policy GCS-A-016).

School Level: Elementary/Middle
Subject/Type: Mathematics and English/Language Arts
Required or Optional: Optional
Who takes it?:  Grade 3-8 students, and students in NC Math I
What is it and why is it important?: These tests were created by the district to assess students’ understanding of math and English/Language Arts standards for the grade level.  They cover the topics taught during the first half of the year, and are intended to help give teachers an idea of which students are on track at the midway point of the year, and which may need additional support. (In Grades 3-5, the mathematics version of these benchmark tests are provided by the NC Department of Public Instruction). 
How are results used?: Teachers use these results to reflect on students’ mastery of standards covered during the first half of the year, and to help support students during the second half of the year. Results may also be shared in conferences with parents.

School Level: Elementary

Subject/Type: English / Language Arts

Required or Optional: Required by state

Who takes it?: All Grade 3 students

What is it and why is it important?: The Beginning of Grade 3 (BOG) test is the state’s mandated reading assessment to collect baseline data in English/Language Arts (ELA).

How are results used?: Results are used by the state to measure student growth between the beginning and end of the third grade year for school accountability, as well as for teacher and principal evaluation purposes (as per State Board policy GCS-A-016).

School Level: Middle/High
Subject/Type: Career and Technical Education (CTE)
Required or Optional: Required by state
Who takes it?: Students enrolled in various CTE courses
What is it and why is it important?: N.C. Career and Technical Education assessments assess student mastery of state standards in many career and technical education courses offered in middle and high school.
How are results used?: CTE assessment results are used for feedback on curriculum implementation and instructional practice at the local level. They are also used for state reporting, specifically for teacher and principal evaluation via the NC Educator Evaluation System (as per State Board policy GCS-A-016). For CTE-tested courses that carry high school credit, this test also counts for a percentage of a student’s final grade in the course as per state policy.

School Level: Elementary
Subject/Type: Mathematics
Required or Optional: Required by state
Who takes it?: All Grade 3 - 5 students
What is it and why is it important?: The EOG assessments are state-mandated tests that measure students’ mastery of state standards in ELA/ Reading, Mathematics and Science.
How are results used?: The state uses EOG results for school accountability as well as teacher and principal evaluation purposes (as per State Board policy GCS-A-016). Results are also used for school improvement planning.

School Level: Elementary
Subject/Type: English / Language Arts
Required or Optional: Required by state
Who takes it?: All students grades 3-5
What is it and why is it important?: The EOG assessments are state-mandated tests that measure students’ mastery of state standards in ELA/ Reading, Mathematics and Science.
How are results used?: The state uses EOG results for school accountability as well as teacher and principal evaluation purposes (as per State Board policy GCS-A-016). Results are also used for school improvement planning.

School Level: Elementary/Middle
Subject/Type: Science
Required or Optional: Required by state
Who takes it?: All 5th grade and 8th grade students
What is it and why is it important?: The EOG assessments are state-mandated tests that measure students’ mastery of state standards in ELA/ Reading, Mathematics and Science.
How are results used?: The state uses EOG results for school accountability as well as teacher and principal evaluation purposes (as per State Board policy GCS-A-016). Results are also used for school improvement planning.

School Level: Middle/High
Subject/Type: Multiple
Required or Optional: Required by state
Who takes it?: All students enrolled in Math I, Math III, English II, or Biology
What is it and why is it important?: The EOC assessments are state-mandated tests that measure mastery of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts/ Reading and Mathematics, and the N.C. Essential Standards for Science.
How are results used?: The results of the EOC tests are used for school accountability as well as for teacher and principal evaluation purposes (as per State Board policy GCS-A-016). Results are also used for school improvement planning. For students, EOC tests also counts for a percentage of a student’s final grade in the course as per state policy.

School Level: Elementary
Subject/Type: Mathematics
Required or Optional: Required by state
Who takes it?: All Grade K-2 students
What is it and why is it important?: This test was created by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction to assess students’ understanding of math standards for the grade level.
How are results used?: Teachers use these results to reflect on students’ mastery of the math standards covered during the year. Results are also used to conduct conferences with parents, and are included in students’ cumulative records for the following year’s classroom teacher.

School Level: Elementary
Subject/Type: Screening
Required or Optional: Required by district for Grades K-2
Who takes it?: Selected students in Grades K-1, all students in Grade 2
What is it and why is it important?: The Number Knowledge Test (NKT) is a universal screener for early elementary mathematics. It was designed to measure a student's conceptual knowledge of number sense. The purpose is to determine which students are performing at grade level and which students are struggling in the area of mathematics.

School Level: High
Subject/Type: College Entrance Exams
Required or Optional: Required by state
Who takes it?: Students in Grade 10
What is it and why is it important?: The Pre-ACT is a standardized, curriculum-based, multiple-choice achievement test that includes four areas: English, mathematics, reading and science, reported on the same scale as the ACT.
How are results used?: Results are used by high schools for advising and counseling students, by WCPSS for evaluating instructional effectiveness and planning curriculum, for predicting which students are on track to be ready for college, and to asa source of data to help counselors, students and parents make appropriate course placement decisions.

School Level: High
Subject/Type: College Entrance Exams
Required or Optional: Optional
Who takes it?: Open to any student each fall
What is it and why is it important?: The PSAT is a standardized, multiple-choice test that includes three sections: critical reading, mathematics and writing. The test provides practice for the SAT and allows students the opportunity to enter National Merit scholarship programs. Individual PSAT results are helpful for advising and counseling students.
How are results used?: At the high school and division levels, PSAT results are used to evaluate instructional effectiveness and to plan curriculum, serving as an additional piece of data for student course placement. Results are also used to qualify 11th graders for National Merit Scholarships.

School Level: High
Subject/Type: College Entrance Exams
Required or Optional: Required by many colleges for admission
Who takes it?: High school students bound for colleges
What is it and why is it important?: There are two types of SAT tests offered: the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests. The SAT is a standardized, multiple-choice test with three sections: critical reading, mathematics and writing. The SAT assesses skills students need to be successful in college.
How are results used?: Results are used by high schools for advising and counseling students, by WCPSS for evaluating instructional effectiveness and planning curriculum and by colleges and universities to make decisions regarding admissions, scholarships and loans, course placement and academic advising.