Do Homeschoolers Have to Take Standardized Tests? A State-by-State Answer

18 states make homeschoolers test or be evaluated: 8, including North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Georgia, require a standardized test, and 10 more accept a test or another evaluation. Another 16 states, including Texas, Illinois and California, require no testing. The other 16 set no testing rule in state law.

Where testing is required, the state usually sets the grades, the subjects and who may give the test. Many states also let you swap the test for a portfolio review or a teacher's evaluation.

Key Takeaways

• 8 states require a standardized test, though most only in certain grades.
• 10 states let you choose between a test and another evaluation, such as a portfolio review.
• 16 states require no test at all, counting Iowa's IPI option.
• In the remaining 16, state law is silent, so check with the state or district.

The Short Answer

Most states do not require a standardized test, but 18 require some kind of yearly or grade-level check. The table sorts every state by its rule.

"No testing rule in state law" means the statute does not mention testing. It does not guarantee a district will never ask, so confirm before you skip it.

States With No Testing Requirement

In these 16 states, the law or the state education department says homeschoolers do not have to take a standardized test. Some still expect you to keep records or show progress in other ways.

• Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas and Utah: State law sets no testing requirement. In New Jersey, the Department of Education says boards may not test homeschooled children.
• Arkansas, Idaho, Nebraska, New Mexico and South Dakota: The statute is silent, and the state education department says testing is not required. South Dakota dropped its testing and reporting rule in 2021.
• Maryland: No standardized test, but under the portfolio option the local school system reviews your child's work.
• Missouri: No standardized test, but parents keep a record of evaluations of the child's progress.
• Iowa: No assessment under IPI. Families who report under CPI file an annual evaluation by May 31, either a test or a portfolio review.

A child who later enrolls in public school may be tested for grade placement in several of these states, including Arizona and Texas. That placement test is separate from any homeschool rule.

States That Allow a Test or Another Evaluation

In these 10 states, a standardized test is one way to meet a yearly or grade-level assessment rule. The other choices usually include a portfolio review or a written evaluation by a teacher.

• Colorado: In grades 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11, your child takes a nationally standardized achievement test or is evaluated by a qualified person.
• Florida: Each year, you file an evaluation with the county superintendent using one of five methods. Options include a portfolio review, a nationally normed test and a licensed psychologist's evaluation.
• Hawaii: You send the principal a yearly progress report using one of four methods, including a nationally normed test, a teacher's written evaluation or a parent evaluation with work samples.
• Louisiana: For approved home study, each renewal includes one of three forms of evidence: a packet of materials, a standardized test score or a certified teacher's statement.
• Maine: Each year, you submit one of several options, including a standardized achievement test, a teacher's progress review or a portfolio review.
• New York: An annual assessment goes in with the fourth quarterly report. In grades 1 to 8 it can be a test or a certified teacher's written narrative, but grades 9 to 12 must test.
• Vermont: Your child is assessed each year by a standardized test, a licensed teacher's review or a parent report with a portfolio.
• Virginia: By August 1 after each school year, you submit a qualifying test score or an evaluation the superintendent accepts.
• Washington: Each year, your child takes an approved standardized achievement test or gets a written progress assessment from a certificated person.
• West Virginia: Each year, your child is assessed by a nationally normed test, a portfolio review or another method agreed with the county superintendent.

States That Require Standardized Testing

These 8 states require a standardized test, though most limit it to certain grades or to one homeschool option. Check who may give the test and where results go.

• Georgia: Students take a nationally standardized test at least every three years, starting at the end of third grade.
• Minnesota: Each year, children ages 7 through 16 (and some 16- and 17-year-olds) take a nationally norm-referenced achievement test agreed on with the district superintendent.
• North Carolina: Every student takes a nationally standardized achievement test each year covering English grammar, reading, spelling and math.
• North Dakota: In grades 4, 6, 8 and 10, your child takes the district's achievement test or, at your request, a nationally normed test. Results go to the superintendent.
• Oregon: Children take a test from the State Board of Education's approved list at the end of grades 3, 5, 8 and 10.
• Pennsylvania: Students in grades 3, 5 and 8 take state tests or an approved nationally normed test in reading, language arts and math.
• South Carolina: Option One students take the annual statewide tests for their grade.
• Tennessee: Independent home school students in grades 5, 7 and 9 take a nationally normed test in English language arts and math, or the state tests public school students take.

States With No Testing Rule in State Law

In Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Wyoming, the homeschool statute does not mention testing. That usually means no state test, but local practice can differ.

In Massachusetts, districts may review how progress will be evaluated under their own policies. In Rhode Island, the state education department says parents and the school committee should agree on an evaluation method, which may include periodic testing.

What to Do If Your State Requires Testing

Confirm the test, timing, proctor and reporting steps before you book anything. A test that covers the right subjects may still need to be given or sent in a specific way.

• Check the rule for your homeschool option. South Carolina's test rule applies to Option One, and Louisiana's evidence rule applies to approved home study.
• Mark the grades and deadlines. Oregon tests at the end of grades 3, 5, 8 and 10, while Virginia wants results by August 1.
• Confirm who can give the test. Pennsylvania requires someone other than the parent, and Oregon requires a neutral qualified tester.
• Find out where results go. North Dakota sends results to the superintendent, and Florida files evaluations with the county superintendent.
• Keep copies. Save test results, evaluation reports and portfolio work in case you need them later.

If your state has no testing rule, a test can still be useful. Several states, including Idaho and New Hampshire, let homeschoolers sit for state or college-entrance tests through the district.