Middle school standardized tests in North Carolina: What to expect for your child
After undergoing their first standardized tests in elementary school, students entering middle school will encounter similar tests as they navigate this stage in their education.
What standardized assessments will my student take in North Carolina?
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's tests vary by grade and some school districts also employ additional tests.
Which standardized tests will my sixth grader take in North Carolina?
Public and charter school students in North Carolina will take a variety of tests starting in the third grade. Those tests continue through middle school.
NC Check-Ins 2.0
These tests offer teachers a chance to "check in" on their students' progress before the end-of-grade tests. The tests are designed to help gauge a student's proficiency and help determine what areas the student might need to work on before the EOGs. Students take these tests more than once a year. For the 2023–24 school year, all NC schools may choose to participate in the NC Check-Ins 2.0 for students in third through eighth grades. The testing windows are from Sept. 18, 2023, through May 31, 2024.
The NC Check-Ins for math have 25 total questions. There are four-option, multiple-choice questions, open-ended numeric response questions and technology-enhanced questions. There are sections where you can use your calculator and ones where you are not allowed to.
NC Check-Ins for reading have 24 questions divided across three sections. The students will be given passages to read that are informational, literature or poetry. They will then answer six to nine multiple-choice or technology enhanced questions for each reading selection. Note that poetry is only included for middle school students.
End-of-Grade (EOG) Tests
Students in sixth grade are given EOG tests in reading and math subject areas. The testing window for EOGs is the last 10 days of the school year.
The reading EOG tests how students comprehension of literature and informational texts. In sixth grade, they are expected to be able to determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases, demonstrate simplistic understanding of figurative language and nuances; determine an explicit central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through details; and explain simplistically how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
In math, sixth graders are expected to be able to solve math problems involving percentages; identify the multiplicative relationship of a ratio from a variety of representations; compute and interpret quotients of fractions, using models and common denominators; divide with long division involving four-digit dividends, using the standard algorithm; solve real-world and mathematical problems by graphing points in the same quadrant of the coordinate plane and solve math problems involving rectangular prisms with fractional edge lengths.
The NCDPI estimates it will take about two hours for students to take each EOG. Students are allowed a maximum of three hours, unless they have documented special needs that require accommodations.
Students who score a level 3 or above on the EOGs are considered proficient in that subject area.
What happens if you fail an EOG? Students are given the option to re-take the test. Even if the parent chooses not to request a re-test, the principal ultimately makes the decision whether a student will be held back or advance to the next grade year based on test scores, classroom performance and other factors.
What are the test scores used for? Test results are used for school and district accountability and for federal reporting purposes.
Standards Based Measure of Proficiency (STAMP)
In Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools this test is given once every April to students in grades 2 through 8. This test measures language proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking.
In Wake County, middle school students are given the FastBridge assessment for reading three times a year.
See which tests your child will be taking this year
STAR Math and other assessments
Some school districts use STAR Math, which is an adaptive assessment for measuring student achievement in math. These assessments are given three times per year on a computer.
In Chapel-Hill Carrboro Schools, students from kindergarten to ninth grade take a Star Math; in Wake County, students in third through eighth grades take Star Math.
Which standardized tests will my seventh grader take in North Carolina?
Seventh grade students take the same standardized tests as sixth graders.
NC Check-Ins 2.0
These tests offer teachers a chance to "check in" on their students' progress before the end-of-grade tests. The tests are designed to help gauge a student's proficiency and help determine what areas the student might need to work on before the EOGs. Students take these tests more than once a year. For the 2023–24 school year, all NC schools may choose to participate in the NC Check-Ins 2.0 at grades third through eighth. The testing windows are from Sept. 18, 2023 through May 31, 2024.
The NC Check-Ins for math have 25 total questions. There are four-option multiple-choice questions, open-ended numeric response questions and technology-enhanced questions. There are sections where you can use your calculator and ones where you are not allowed to.
NC Check-Ins for reading have 24 questions divided across three sections. The students will be given passages to read that are informational, literature or poetry. They will then answer six to nine multiple-choice or technology enhanced questions for each reading selection. Note that poetry is only included for middle school students.
End-of-Grade (EOG) Tests
Students in seventh grade are given EOG tests in reading and math subject areas. The testing window for EOGs is the last 10 days of the school year.
The reading EOG tests how students comprehension of literature and informational texts. Some of the standards for seventh grade include being able to cite at least two pieces of textual evidence to support a simplistic analysis of what the text says explicitly or inferences drawn from the text; determine the meaning of common or familiar words and phrases as they are used in a text; determine two or more explicit central ideas in a text; and determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases.
In math, seventh graders are tested on their ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide rational numbers; use long division to convert a fraction to a decimal; determine a proportional relationship between quantities from tables, graphs, equations and verbal descriptions; add, subtract and expand linear expressions involving integers; represent triangles from three measures of angles or three measures of sides and use data to calculate the experimental probability of a chance event.
The NCDPI estimates it will take about two hours for students to take each EOG. Students are allowed a maximum of three hours, unless they have documented special needs that require accommodations.
Students who score a level 3 or above on the EOGs are considered proficient in that subject area.
What happens if you fail an EOG? Students are given the option to re-take the test. Even if the parent chooses not to request a re-test, the principal ultimately makes the decision whether a student will be held back or advance to the next grade year based on test scores, classroom performance and other factors.
What are the test scores used for? Test results are used for school and district accountability and for federal reporting purposes.
STAR Math and other assessments
Some school districts use STAR Math, which is an adaptive assessment for measuring student achievement in math. These assessments are given three times per year on a computer.
In Chapel-Hill Carrboro Schools, students from kindergarten to ninth grade take a Star Math and in Wake County, students in third through eighth grades take Star Math.
In Orange County, they use AimswebPlus to assess math and reading skills for all students from kindergarten through eighth grade.
In Durham County, the iReady math assessment is given to children from kindergarten through ninth grade.
In Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools give the Standards Based Measure of Profiency (STAMP) test once every April to students in grades second through eighth. This test measures language proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking.
In Wake County, middle school students are given the FastBridge assessment for reading three times a year.
Which standardized tests will my eighth grader take in North Carolina?
Eighth grade students have one extra EOG test to take.
NC Check-Ins 2.0
These tests offer teachers a chance to "check in" on their students' progress before the end-of-grade tests. The tests are designed to help gauge a student's proficiency and help determine what areas the student might need to work on before the EOGs. Students take these tests more than once a year. For the 2023–24 school year, all NC schools may choose to participate in the NC Check-Ins 2.0 at grades third through eighth. The testing windows are from Sept. 18, 2023 through May 31, 2024.
The NC Check-Ins for math have 25 total questions. There are four-option multiple-choice questions, open-ended numeric response questions and technology-enhanced questions. There are sections where you can use your calculator and ones where you are not allowed to.
NC Check-Ins for reading have 24 questions divided across three sections. The students will be given passages to read that are informational, literature or poetry. They will then answer six to nine multiple-choice or technology enhanced questions for each reading selection. Note that poetry is only included for middle school students.
For grades fifth and eighth, there is a Science NC Check-In. These check-ins focus on Physical Science, Earth Science and Life Science. In eighth grade, there are 30 life questions, 24 earth science questions and 24 items related to physical science. They are each multiple-choice.
End-of-Grade (EOG) Tests
Students in eighth grade are given EOG tests in reading, math and science. The testing window for EOGs is the last 10 days of the school year.
By the end of eighth grade English and Language Arts, students are expected to be able to be able to cite textual evidence that supports a simplistic analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text; demonstrate simplistic understanding of figurative language and nuances in word meaning; and analyze the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing a key concept.
The EOG for math is required to be administered online for eighth grade. It tests students on their ability to estimate the values of square roots and cube roots to the tenths; Identify the two integers that a square root or cube root falls between (including on a number line); use numbers expressed in scientific notation to estimate very large or very small numbers; identify linear functions from tables, equations, and graphs; and apply the Pythagorean theorem to find the missing side of a right triangle.
The eight grade EOG for Science covers the science-related topics they have covered throughout the year. To be deemed proficient a student must be able to describe the properties of matter and recognize the changes that occur when matter interacts in an open and closed container. Students will need to be able to recognize some environmental implications associated with obtaining, managing and using energy resources. They will also need to have some understanding of Earth’s history based on evidence of change recorded in fossil records and landforms. See a full list of standards for science EOGs.
The NCDPI estimates it will take about two hours for students to take each EOG. Students are allowed a maximum of three hours, unless they have documented special needs that require accommodations.
Students who score a level 3 or above on the EOGs are considered proficient in that subject area.
What happens if you fail an EOG? Students are given the option to re-take the test. Even if the parent chooses not to request a re-test, the principal ultimately makes the decision whether a student will be held back or advance to the next grade year based on test scores, classroom performance and other factors.
What are the test scores used for? Test results are used for school and district accountability and for federal reporting purposes.
STAR Math and other assessments
Some school districts use STAR Math, which is an adaptive assessment for measuring student achievement in math. These assessments are given three times per year on a computer.
In Chapel-Hill Carrboro Schools, students from kindergarten to ninth grade take a Star Math and in Wake County, students in third through eighth grades take Star Math.
In Orange County, they use AimswebPlus to assess math and reading skills for all students from kindergarten through eighth grade.
In Durham County, the iReady math assessment is given to children from kindergarten through ninth grade.
