Help CenterGenerally, no. Students who are independently homeschooling with Homeschool Pro usually do not have to take the same state tests as students enrolled in public school.
However, some states require homeschooled students to complete standardized testing or another type of annual assessment. Those requirements are separate from the quizzes, tests, and exams inside Homeschool Pro.
Your Homeschool Advisor can help you determine whether testing is required, which options meet the applicable requirements, and whether your student can complete an appropriate assessment online from home.
Tip: Not having to take a public school state exam does not necessarily mean that no testing or evaluation is required. The important thing is to follow the requirements that apply to your family’s homeschool arrangement.
What About Tests Like STAAR or Regents?
Parents often ask whether their student must continue taking the state tests they remember from public school.
Examples include Texas’s STAAR, New York’s Regents examinations, North Carolina’s End-of-Grade tests, Florida’s FAST assessments, and Tennessee’s TCAP.
The answer depends on the state and how the student is enrolled:
| State and test | What homeschool families should know |
|---|---|
| Texas: STAAR | Independent homeschool students generally do not have to take STAAR. Public school testing requirements do not automatically apply to an independent homeschool. |
| New York: Regents examinations | Regents examinations are not required for home-instructed students. New York does have separate annual assessment requirements, with the available assessment methods depending on the student’s grade level. |
| North Carolina: End-of-Grade tests | Public school End-of-Grade tests are not required for homeschool students. Instead, homeschools must arrange annual nationally standardized achievement testing. |
| Florida: FAST assessments | Students registered in a home education program are not automatically required to take FAST. Families must complete an annual educational evaluation, but state testing is only one of the available evaluation options. |
| Tennessee: TCAP and homeschool testing | Independent homeschool students must be tested in grades 5, 7, and 9. Families may use a qualifying nationally normed standardized test or the applicable state-approved assessment. Specific administration and reporting rules apply. |
These are examples, not a complete list of every state’s requirements.
If you are unsure which rules apply to your student, email your Homeschool Advisor before registering for a test or deciding to skip one.
Why Are Homeschool Testing Requirements Different?
Using an online curriculum at home is not the same as being enrolled in an online public school.
When your family uses Homeschool Pro for independent homeschooling, you follow the requirements for your homeschool arrangement rather than automatically following your local public school’s testing schedule.
If your student is still enrolled in a public school, public virtual school, or another school program, that program’s testing requirements may still apply even when the student completes work at home.
Purchasing Homeschool Pro does not, by itself, withdraw a student from another school or create an exemption from testing. Make sure any required withdrawal and homeschool registration steps have been completed.
Can Standardized Testing Still Be Required?
Yes. Some states require standardized testing annually or at particular grade levels. Others allow a choice between testing and another approved way to demonstrate educational progress.
For example, North Carolina requires annual nationally standardized achievement testing. Florida’s home education law allows several annual evaluation options, including a qualifying teacher’s review of the student’s portfolio and a discussion with the student.
This means two families using the same Homeschool Pro curriculum may have different testing responsibilities because they live in different states or use different homeschool options.
Your advisor can help clarify:
- Whether testing or an evaluation is required for your student.
- Which tests or alternative assessment methods are permitted.
- When the assessment must be completed and what records must be retained or submitted.
Can My Student Take the Test Online at Home?
In many cases, yes. Some standardized achievement tests offer online, at-home options, so your student may not need to return to a school building or travel to a testing center.
However, the test and the way it is administered must meet the applicable requirements.
Before choosing an at-home option, confirm that:
- The specific test, edition, and subjects covered meet your state’s requirements.
- Home administration is permitted and any required approval has been obtained.
- The person supervising the test meets the state’s and testing provider’s rules.
Some assessments allow a parent to supervise. Others require a qualified administrator or a proctor who is not related to the student. A proctor is the person who supervises the testing session.
For example, Tennessee’s parent-selected homeschool testing option requires an unrelated proctor. New York requires superintendent consent for a parent to administer the annual standardized assessment.
An online test is not automatically an at-home test. Your Homeschool Advisor can help you find an appropriate option and understand the administration requirements before you register.
Which Standardized Test Should My Student Take?
There is no single test that is the best choice for every Homeschool Pro student.
Depending on the state and grade level, options may include tests such as the California Achievement Test, Iowa Assessments, Stanford Achievement Test, or another qualifying assessment.
Despite its name, the California Achievement Test is not the same thing as California’s public school testing program.
The appropriate choice depends on what your state accepts, which subjects must be assessed, your student’s grade level, and the available testing arrangements.
Rather than purchasing the first test you find online, email your Homeschool Advisor. They can help you compare suitable options, including at-home testing when permitted.
Do Homeschool Pro Quizzes and Exams Meet the State Testing Requirement?
Homeschool Pro’s course assessments are separate from any standardized testing or annual evaluation required by your state.
The quizzes, tests, and exams inside your student’s classes assess the material taught in those courses. An external standardized achievement test measures a broader set of skills using its own administration and scoring procedures.
Do not assume that completing a Homeschool Pro final exam automatically satisfies a separate state testing requirement.
Course grades, worksheets, projects, and other records may be useful during a permitted portfolio evaluation, but the evaluation must still follow the applicable rules.
Also, follow the external testing provider’s instructions. Homeschool Pro’s policies about notes, retakes, and flexible pacing do not automatically apply to an outside standardized test.
Will My Student Need to Go Back to Their Previous School for Testing?
Not necessarily.
An approved at-home assessment, independent testing provider, or another permitted evaluation method may be available.
In some situations, testing at a local school is an option or part of the required arrangement. For example, a New York home-instructed student who chooses to take a Regents examination must take it at an authorized school location, not at home.
Before arranging a school visit, ask your advisor to help confirm whether that particular exam is required and whether an acceptable alternative is available.
What If I Receive a Testing Notice From a School or District?
Do not assume that every testing notice applies to your student, but do not ignore it without checking.
Contact the sender to clarify whether the notice concerns your student’s current homeschool arrangement or a previous school enrollment. You can also send a copy to your Homeschool Advisor for help reviewing it.
Include your state, your student’s grade level, the name of the requested test, and any deadline shown in the notice.
Your advisor can help you identify the relevant requirements and the questions to ask before deciding what to do next.
How Can My Homeschool Advisor Help?
Your Homeschool Advisor can help you understand testing and evaluation requirements and identify suitable options for your student.
This may include guidance with choosing a qualifying assessment, locating a testing provider, checking whether home administration is permitted, and understanding what records to keep.
A message can be as simple as:
My student is in 7th grade, and we homeschool in [state]. Do we need standardized testing or an annual evaluation this year? Could you recommend an appropriate option, preferably one we can complete at home?
If you participate in an umbrella school, public school program, scholarship program, or another arrangement with its own requirements, mention that as well so your advisor can help you check the correct rules.
The advisor provides guidance, while the parent remains responsible for arranging any required assessment and meeting the applicable deadlines.
What Should We Do With the Results?
Keep a copy of the score report or evaluation in your student’s homeschool records, along with any required documentation about who administered it.
Whether the results must be submitted depends on the state and homeschool arrangement. Some require submission, while others require families to retain results and make them available upon request.
For example, North Carolina generally requires families to keep test results on file rather than routinely upload them to the state. Florida requires families registered in home education to submit their annual evaluation to the district.
Your advisor can help you understand the recordkeeping process that applies to your family.
The Bottom Line
Your student generally does not have to take the same state exams as public school students.
However, your state may still require a standardized achievement test or another annual assessment. The requirement, accepted test, administration method, and reporting process all matter.
At-home and online options are available for many assessments, and your Homeschool Advisor can help you find an appropriate choice.
You do not have to sort through testing requirements alone. Check with your advisor so your family knows what is required and can plan ahead.
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