The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has published the Testing Schedule this school year. Specific testing schedules for each site can be viewed by viewing the calendar above or by clicking on the link Assessments Calendar. The window for Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments begins in March and ends in May. Assessments will take place on 2-4 days in that window. Changes to these dates may occur, please check back as the testing window approaches.

Maintaining the integrity of tests and test items is of great importance to MDE. Improper or unethical behavior by students or educators undermines the validity of test score interpretation. Please report suspected incidents of cheating or piracy of test items by using the Minnesota Statewide Test Security Tip Line.

Parent/Guardian Guide and Refusal for Student Participation in Statewide Testing (PDF Form)

Districts have a number of requirements to fulfill for students’ career and college planning, but students are not required to achieve a specified score on an assessment in order to graduate or meet graduation assessment requirements.

Additional resources are available on the Minnesota Department of Education website.

Benchmark assessments serve three purposes:

1. Allow students to be screened to monitor their academic progress. Students below benchmark are identified for further assessment.

2. Help set a baseline for school goal setting purposes.

3. Provide data on school programming effectiveness.

FastBridge • Reading, Math

The purpose is to monitor student achievement in reading and math
Grades: K-12
Use of results:

• Monitor academic progress

• Provide data for goal setting

• Provide data for program effectiveness

Timeline: Fall, winter, spring
Estimated test administration time: Approximately 35 minutes total for all tests per grade level per testing window

Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA)

The purpose is to monitor student achievement and curriculum in math, reading, and science
Grades: 3-8, 10, 11
Use of results:

• Individual student achievement

• Review for instruction and placement

• School and district accountability for achievement

Timeline: Spring
Estimated test administration time

Reading: 2-3.5 hours, Math: 1.5-2.5 hours, Science: 1.75-2 hours

What are Preliminary Results?

Preliminary Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) or Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) or Alternate MCA results are posted to the Parent Portal. These preliminary results provide general information about student learning of Minnesota academic standards in reading, science and math. These results are not final. Final results are shared with paper copies in the fall of the following school year during conferences.

The assessment results are snapshots of the “health” of our academic instruction. Much like a well child visit at the pediatrician is a snapshot of your child’s physical health, statewide assessments are a “snapshot” of the instructional “health” of our school district.

Assessments are designed to provide information about student learning, but there is no single assessment that can provide the full perspective of what a student has learned. These assessments provide one data point that should be considered in the context of additional evidence of student learning. For example, test grades, homework assignments, attendance, and behavior are other types of data points of evidence of student learning.

This page provides links that discuss the types of statewide assessments given in Minnesota each year and how they contribute to student learning and equity.

https://education.mn.gov/mde/fam/tests/

How the Data is Used

• In the classroom, teachers use the results of the statewide assessments to guide their instruction in reading, math and science.

• At the building level, the principals use the results of the statewide assessments to guide their decision making on where to allocate resources in their building.

• At the district level, statewide assessments results are used to determine the effectiveness of professional development, the effectiveness of the curriculum resource purchases and the effectiveness of implemented programs.

Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) Reading and Math

MTAS Science is being replaced by Alternate MCA to coincide with new state science standards.

This test is administered to students who receive special education services and meet eligibility criteria.
Grades: 3-8, 10, 11
Use of results:

• Individual student achievement

• Review for instruction and placement

• School and district accountability for achievement

Timeline: Spring, as scheduled

Alternate Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment

Alternate MCA Science

Timeline: Spring, as scheduled

Alternate MCA Reading

Coming 2025-2026

Alternate Math

Anticipated 2027-2028

ACCESS K-12 and Alternate ACCESS

This test is administered to English learners in order to measure progress toward meeting Minnesota’s standards for English language development. Alternate ACCESS is available.
Use of results:

• Individual student achievement

• Review for instruction and placement

• School and district accountability for achievement

Timeline: Winter
Estimated test administration time: Listening/Reading: 75 minutes, Writing: 75 minutes, Speaking: 15 minutes

Alternate ACCESS

This test is administered to English learners who received special education services and meet the eligibility guidelines
Use of results:

• Individual student achievement

• Review for instruction and placement

• School and district accountability for achievement

Timeline: Winter
Estimated test administration time: Variable, based on student need

NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)

The purpose of this assessment is to measure the student achievement in the United States. It is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what our nation's students know and can do in various subjects. The results of NAEP are released as the Nation's Report Card. 
Estimated test administration times: Math and Reading: 2 hours each. Each student will be assessed in only one subject.

Students are typically selected to participate in the reading and math assessments at grades 4 and 8 every two years at both the national and state level; other subjects and grade levels are assessed less frequently.

American College Testing (ACT)

The purpose is standardized college readiness assessment for high school achievement and college admissions.
Grades: 11, 12
Use of results:

• College admission 

• Counseling students for college

• When available, scores are posted online and accessed using your secure ACT web account.

Timeline: Spring
Estimated test administration times: As scheduled