Administering the CAT

[Kate in Arabia]

I'm giving the CAT (California Achievement Test) to my boys this week. I decided to split it across three days, we'll be doing day three tomorrow. My dh asked me whether this was appropriate, whether they shouldn't be doing the entire test in one day. Honestly, I can't remember that far back how I took them in gradeschool, I know highschool was an entire day. I did ask a parent at the local English-speaking school, but he said that they only take the math section of a national standardized test, so obviously that's in one day.

 

So do you give it all in one day or spread it out across days? Is it different for your lower-grade child than a higher-grade one? The instruction sheet that came with the test suggested it could be taken over more than one day, but wasn't specific.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

We've always spread it out over two days. The first day we do the LA, and the second day we do math. I don't remember what the tests were called that I took back in school, but I do remember that they were scheduled over more than one day. HTH

[Kate in Arabia]

Thanks Deanna.. we did the English yesterday, math today, and tomorrow is science/social studies. I'm confident that for my younger he must do it over several days, he just can't hold it together that long. But my older? I think that's the real question here, and I think that's really who my dh is thinking about.. just he's wondering whether as an experience it would be better to have it in a day.. but I can't remember in 5th grade how it was.

[Samiam]

Public schools spread their testing out over 3-5 days, depending on the grade level and school district.

 

Homeschool groups in my area who administer group testing spread it out over 3 days.

 

Seton, who sells the CAT, advises to spread it out over 3 days.

 

I think you are fine.

[Renai]

The only one-day testing sessions I know about are college exams, and those are only half day (unless the student registers for more than one exam, then it's half day morning, break, half day afternoon).

 

I test the homeschoolers in the area over a three day period (ITBS). The public schools here do testing over 5 days.

 

You should be fine doing it in three. If you think you're older can handle more, give him the other test, but opt the younger out. The younger can finish the next day. I've done that before when I tested the high schoolers, but we were already separated from the younger group (who had to stay another day).

[arcara]

My 3rd grader took the CAT a couple of week ago, and she did it in one day. In our state, parents can't give the test to their own student, so another mom came over and we 'switched' kids (I gave her son the test and she gave my dd the test). It was easier to do it in one day so that she wouldn't have to drive over another day. I was worried, but it worked out well, and my dd did wonderfully! It took a little more than 2 hours. I would do it again.

[Zoo Keeper]

My boys are currently doing testing (the Stanford Achievement) along with the students at a local private school. The school has spread it out over three days: day one was the practice test, the next two days are for the real test. Testing was done in the morning till lunch, afternoon was other schoolwork.

 

Sounds like it is pretty normal to spread the process out.

[Kate in Arabia]

A related question, if you have the opportunity do you go over your child's test answers to see what he/she got wrong? With my younger it is easy because for his grade much of the test is read aloud to him, so you're sitting right there and involved in the process. I could easily see where he was weaker (no surprises, I had anticipated it).

 

With the older it's the "you have 50 minutes to complete this portion of the test. You may begin." routine. It's too late now because I've already mailed in the tests for scoring, but I was wondering whether anyone has gone over their child's answers (not with the child, on your own).

 

We're not testing because we have to; I just wanted it as a benchmark and to contribute to the paper trail, should we ever need one. But I kind of think that I should get as much info out of the experience as I can, kwim? Otherwise, in a few months I'll just get a very cursory breakdown of scores, but won't know specifics on what he missed.

 

Not sure..

[mamaof2andtwins]

No I don't, and I will tell you why. Standardized test have weighted questions. All questions are weighted differently. As merely the proctor of the test, I have no idea which questions carry what weight. For true validity it is just best to give it, darken the circles and erase stray marks if necessary, copy the answer sheet and send it in.

 

We give the PASS test, and I get a very specific breakdown of what I need to work on with each child in each area. The results are very, very goal specific.

 

Jennie

[Mom0012]

I know that for the IOWA, you are supposed to administer no more than 1-2 sections per day. I'm pretty sure it's the same for the CAT. Our local school district tests homeschoolers for "free", but they give them the entire test in one day. That meant that my 7 year old sat through 4 hours of testing in one morning. Somehow, I don't think she's going to do as well as she could have if the test was administered properly.

 

Lisa