Standardized Testing

Testing is used in schools to measure student achievement. State tests are given to students in a district once a year, based on their grade level and subject area. The MCAs help districts measure student progress toward Minnesota’s academic standards and also meet federal and state legislative requirements. The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments is a Minnesota based standardized test.

The list below shows tests by subject and the grades they are given:

Reading: MCA or MTAS (grades 3-8, 10)

Mathematics: MCA or MTAS (grades 3-8, 11)

Science: MCA or MTAS (grades 5, 8, and once in high school)

To learn more about the MN Statewide Testing, click here.

Check back for updated 2021-2022 testing information.

The PSAT/NMSQT is the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The PSAT is a great primer for the SAT, and even the ACT, but it’s more than just a trial run. PSAT scores are used to identify National Merit Scholars and award merit scholarships. The PSAT won’t count towards your college admissions applications, but it is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship for 11th grade students. To learn more about the PSAT, please click here. The PSAT/NMSQT test is a nationally recognized standardized test.

Check back for updated 2021-2022 PSAT Information.

The ACT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. It is a multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper test administered by ACT, Inc.

The purpose of the ACT test is to measure a high school student's readiness for college, and provide colleges with one common data point that can be used to compare all applicants. College admissions officers will review standardized test scores alongside your high school GPA, the classes you took in high school, letters of recommendation from teachers or mentors, extracurricular activities, admissions interviews, and personal essays.

There is an ACT test date offered, free of charge to 11th grade MSA students each spring. Specific dates and information is shared with the 11th grade families each year. The ACT test is a nationally recognized college entrance exam.

To learn more about the ACT and to register to take the ACT at a local testing center, please click here.

April 5, 2022

Advanced Placement (AP) is a College Board program that offers Minnesota high school students the opportunity to take rigorous, college-level courses and the potential to earn college credit while in high school. Students engage in intense discussions, solve problems collaboratively, and learn to write clearly and persuasively.

AP exams are open to all students, not just those who have taken an AP course. Students who complete an AP course and/or take the end-of-course examination may qualify for college credit from postsecondary institutions, provided their score meets the institution’s credit policy. To seach college's AP Credit policies click here. AP exams are a nationally recognized standardized test.

Screener tool done three times a year to monitor students in middle school. This test evaluates students in math and reading. We use this tool to see how they are progressing throughout the year. FASTBridge allows us to add supports for students early on. My SAEBERS test is a social emotional screener getting a snapshot of how the student is doing social/emotionally when it comes to their interactions with peers and academics. FASTbridge/SAEBERS is a locally recognized standardized test. This test is taken by students in grades 6,7 and 8.