NYS 3-8 Assessments

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 maintains the requirement that students in Grades 3-8 are tested once a year in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. The tests are designed to measure how well students are mastering the learning standards that guide classroom instruction and ensure that students are on track to graduate from high school with the critical thinking, problem solving and reasoning skills needed for success in college and the modern workplace.

NYS 3-8 Assessments


When are the State tests for grades 3–8?

The New York State Board of Regents and state Education Department announced Friday, March 20, that the elementary-and intermediate-level state assessments for Grades 3-8 have been suspended for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year.

The U.S. Department of Education announced Friday that states may cancel any scheduled standardized tests for this school year.

This suspension applies to the following New York state testing programs:

  • New York State Grades 3-8 English Language Arts Test

  • New York State Grades 3-8 Mathematics Test

  • New York State Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test

  • New York State Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test

  • New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) in Grades K-12

  • New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) for students with severe cognitive disabilities in Grades 3-8 and high school

Click here for more information regarding the cancelation of the 3-8 Assessments and Regents Exams.

Why are State tests important?

State tests are an important part of a student’s core educational program. Students and families benefit when:

  • They receive detailed information about students’ performance on tests aligned to the standards they should be reaching in their curricula.

  • Schools have measures to determine whether or not every student has the same basic foundation to prepare them for college, careers and life.

  • Schools have data to determine which students or groups of students are progressing, which are falling behind and need more support, which are excelling and where teachers might need extra support.

How has the pressure of test taking been reduced in response to public concerns?

In response to public concerns, the New York State Education Department has made a number of changes to the Grades 3-8 tests including:

  • Moving to untimed testing

  • Reducing the number of questions on the tests

  • Decreasing the number of test sessions from three days to two days for both the ELA and Math tests, and further reducing the number of questions

  • Involving NYS teachers in developing test items

For more information about how you can prepare your child for the state tests, take a look at these guides on NYSED.gov.