California Achievement Test

[McSalty]

Hello! 

I’m thinking of having my kids take the California Achievement Test for my own records this year. The question I have is we only have iPads and not a personal computer. Does anyone know if the online test will work with an iPad or if I should just order the paper version just to be safe. TIA! 

[ieta_cassiopeia]

Welcome, McSalty! I see from your post count that you are new to the Well-Trained Mind community.

The Academic Excellence site states their version of the California Achievement test is "tablet-compatible", and the description of the California Achievement Test from Shop Christian Liberty indicates that Safari (the browser iPads use by default) is one of the ones with which the California Achievement Test is compatible, provided your iPad is new enough that it can run the latest version of Safari. On the other hand, the same source recommends Chrome (which is also available in iPad version) if you are in a position to choose the browser used for the test. (I haven't seen anywhere else offer it as an online test - some providers only have the paper version available due to norming concerns, but if it's primarily for your records, norming is not a high priority).

 

If you're administering it to a 2nd or 3rd-grader, make sure the sound system works on your iPad - the Cathy Duffy review states the speaker is used on those grades of online CAT.

 

I'd also be wary of using the timed option, as it is likely to have been timed with the assumption that students have access to, and age-appropriate knowledge of how to use, a physical full-size keyboard. There is an untimed option available for online testing that may be more appropriate if your students are new to taking tests on iPads, especially if they are also young (simply because a test is tablet-compatible does not automatically mean that it takes full account of every quirk a given device has, or how any given student may attempt to use it).

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has actually attempted/completed the California Achievement Test on an iPad.

[McSalty]

Thank you so much for your response.

i was looking directly on the California Achievement Test website and couldn’t find what I needed so thank you so much! 

I did buy it today to use for a 4th grader. We tried it on Firefox as that is my preferred browser.  

I used and IPad mini 4 with the latest update and everything worked seamlessly. We did not do the timed option as that was a big concern for my kids as they felt they never had enough time when being tested in the public schools. It would have caused unwanted stress.

The test doesn’t look to have any typing at this age but we do use a Bluetooth keyboard when needed.