WIDA ACCESS

IMPORTANT UPDATES FOR SY27

New! All students taking WIDA ACCESS Online and WIDA Screener Online will select the Play button on each screen to begin playing audio. The audio will no longer play automatically.

ACCESSIBILITY UPDATES

Modified use of color on test items for better contrast and avoid using color alone to convey meaning
Replaced Listening and Reading items that use drag-and-drop response methods
Speaking domains have a new user interface for the microphone check and the recording buttons

ASSESSMENT ACCOMMODATIONS

New Accommodation: Assistive Technology (AT): The Assistive Technology (AT) accommodation allows students with hearing, visual, cognitive or physical disabilities to use specific external devices or third-party software to access and interact with test content
New Accommodation: Speech-to-Text (STT): Speech-to-text is third-party software that uses voice recognition to convert speech into written text in applications and text boxes
Updated Accommodation: Manual Control of Item Audio (MC): The Manual Control of Item Audio (MC) accommodation will only be applicable to WIDA ACCESS Paper and WIDA Screener Paper starting in the 2026-2027 school year

Click here to learn more about this year's updates from WIDA

What is WIDA ACCESS?

The WIDA ACCESS test is an annual English language proficiency assessment used to measure the language development of multilingual learners in grades K–12. The test evaluates students’ abilities in the four language domains: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Results help teachers understand students’ current English language skills, monitor their progress over time, and plan instruction that supports their academic language development. ACCESS scores also help schools make decisions about English language support services and ensure students receive appropriate instruction to help them succeed in the classroom.

Use the navigation buttons below or along the top page to find templates, resources, and information about training, planning, and preparing students for WIDA ACCESS testing.