TerraNova is a series of
standardizedA standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a...
achievement testAn achievement test is a test of developed skill or knowledge. The most common type of achievement test is a standardized test developed to measure skills and knowledge learned in a given grade level, usually through planned instruction, such as training or classroom instruction...
s used in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
designed to assess
K-12K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
student achievement in reading, language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, vocabulary, spelling, and other areas. The test series is published by CTB/McGraw-Hill. TerraNova was created with an update in 1996 CTB to the California Achievement Tests and the California Tests of Basic Skills.
TerraNova are used by many
Department of Defense Dependents SchoolsThe Department of Defense Dependents Schools are a network of schools, both primary and secondary, that serve dependents of United States military - and other non-US - personnel outside the United States. The schools themselves are operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity...
. The state of
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
uses the test as part of the
CAT/6 or
California Achievement TestsThe Computerized Achievement Levels Test is a student achievement test, and is more commonly referred to as the Northwest Achievement Levels Test , the paper version of the test.According to , the publisher of the CAT,...
, 6th edition statewide testing program, STAR. The CAT series of tests have been available for quite some time and before many US states began developing their own standards-based tests as part of an overall testing movement in the United States, which began in the early 2000s. The CAT were also widely used outside of California to assess student achievement.
Tests
They are usually multiple choice with bubble sheets. Many take a few hours. Test sometimes extends to over one day. Fifth grade and above have difficult short answers. The questions are usually on the same level as other tests. Some are a bit more difficult, depending on grade level (usually more difficult for private schools).