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Homeschool Standardized Achievement Testing Services

Basic Skills offers the California Achievement Test (CAT)/TerraNova 2 and the TerraNova 3 year-round in both group and private settings. Both tests are nationally normed and evaluate three content areas: reading, language, and math. Both in-person and remote testing options are available to interested families. Additionally, parents may administer achievement tests to their own children. Rules regulating the administration and use of achievement tests vary from state to state.  

Remote and in-person group testing is available. To find dates and locations for in-person testing, scroll down to the testing information tabs and choose an “On-Site” tab to see all available dates for Oregon or Washington. Choose the “Remote” tab to see remote group testing dates. Testing dates and locations are added as they become available.  Registration is open unless otherwise marked or if the deadline for registration has passed, whichever comes first.

Testing fees may vary. You must submit a complete form and payment (see options below to get started) for materials and fees to complete registration for any test(s).

Any active discounts to testing registration fees will be applied at checkout. You must register your students with our forms in order to purchase a test through Basic Skills and take advantage of any discounts.

Why Test?

  • Test scores are useful for:
  • Assessing academic strengths and weaknesses
  • Planning future lessons
  • Complying with state requirements
  • Recording student academic progress

Questions?

Please consult the FAQ on this page to see answers to common questions.
If you still have questions, please contact us. We’ll be happy to help.

2025 Remote Testing Rates
(per student)

In-person testing rates may vary. Any active discounts will be applied at checkout.

Test TypeSurvey OnlySurvey PlusSurvey/
Plus PER
Private Test$110$150$15/$20
Semi-Private Test$80$100$15/$20
Group Test $65$80$15/$20
Parent Administered Test$55—$15/–
Please note: An $8 fee for 3rd grade tests (to cover consumable materials) is added at checkout.

Private and semi-private remote tests administered via Zoom are available throughout the year.
Text or call an examiner below for the day you wish to test:

DayExaminerContact Info
MondayHeather Cates
Email:
Tuesday - ThursdayJenny Bumcrot
FridayStephanie GriffithEmail:
SaturdayAlice EmmettEmail:

Testing Options and Registration

> See dates and deadlines in the "Remote Group Testing" tab below.

Ready to sign up? Click Here

Test in the comfort and privacy of your own home by joining a remote group test date below. Your testing experience will be led remotely* by a qualified examiner. The test sign-up process is very simple:

  • Choose a remote group test date below
  • Complete an online registration form
  • Click to submit your registration form and pay the associated testing fees

Test materials will be mailed to you approximately one week prior to your scheduled test. Once you complete your testing, simply mail your student’s test back to Basic Skills in the prepaid, stamped envelope we provide. You’ll receive test results in about two weeks.

* A computer with a camera is necessary to ensure the integrity of your test.

Remote Group Testing Registration Form

Ready to sign up? Click Here

The Parent Administered Test option is designed for parents who wish to administer an achievement test to their children themselves.  The CAT/TerraNova 2 is available for this purpose. This option is chosen by parents who primarily want to assess their student’s academic strengths and weaknesses from a national perspective. In Oregon, the Parent Administered Test does not satisfy state requirements. In other states, this option does satisfy state testing requirements. To find out your state’s testing requirements, go here. 

The Parent Administered Test option allows you to test in the comfort and privacy of your own home. Choose the week you want to test!
The registration process is very simple:

  • Choose a week to test
  • Complete an online registration form
  • Click to submit your registration form and pay the associated testing fees

Test materials will be mailed to you approximately two to three days prior to the week you will be giving your test. Testing must be completed within the time period indicated on the registration form. Once you complete your testing, simply mail your student’s test back to Basic Skills in the prepaid, stamped envelope we provide. You’ll receive test results in about two weeks.

Again, if you are an Oregon resident, the use and results of this test are for informational purposes only. To satisfy Oregon state testing requirements, an achievement test must be administered by a neutral and qualified examiner as defined by OAR 339.035. Choose one of our private, semi-private, or group testing options if you are an Oregon resident and are testing to satisfy testing the testing requirement.   

Parent Administered Test Registration Form

Test in the comfort and privacy of your own home by scheduling a private or semi-private test. Survey Private tests are two hours and 30 minutes long. Survey Plus tests are three hours and forty-five minutes long. Both tests are administered remotely, and in some cases in person. Semi-private tests work exactly like private tests, but they have a minimum of 2 students. Some restrictions apply based on grade levels being tested. These tests can be scheduled year-round.

The test scheduling process is very simple:

Test materials will be mailed to you approximately one week to ten days prior to your scheduled test. Once you’ve completed your testing, simply mail your student’s test materials back to Basic Skills in the stamped envelope we will provide. Test results are mailed approximately two weeks from the date your materials are received back in our office.

Test appointments are considered confirmed upon submission of a registration form and payment of testing fees. Because appointments are on a first-come, first-serve basis, we recommend scheduling early to better ensure you get the date and time you desire.

Ready to confirm your appointment? Click a button below to complete a registration form.

Private Surveys

Private Survey Registration Form
Private Survey PLUS Registration Form

Semi-Private Surveys

Semi-Private Survey Registration Form
Semi-Private Survey PLUS Registration Form
Choose a tab below to see available testing dates and locations.
  • Please contact the coordinator listed for testing details and to sign up.
  • Dates and locations will be added as they become available.
LocationTest DateCoordinatorContact Info
BeavertonJune 4Karen Pautz
BeavertonJune 12Karen Pautz
BeavertonJune 18Karen Pautz
EstacadaJune 2Jenna Cornelissen
HermistonMay 22 Alison Herman
McMinnvilleJune 2Lisa Kent
Pendleton
Ready to Register?
Click HERE!
June 3
Register by May 12		Janet Haddock
PrinevilleMay 20Casey McKinnon
Sweet HomeMay 27 - 9AMCynde Burford
Sweet HomeMay 28 - 9AMCynde Burford
Sweet HomeMay 29 - 1PMCynde Burford
Sweet HomeJune 30 - 9AMCynde Burford
Sweet HomeJuly 1 - 9AMCynde Burford
Sweet HomeAugust 12 - 1PMCynde Burford
The DallesMay 28Alexandra Smith
The DallesMay 29Alexandra Smith
WarrenJune 5Shelley Harley
WilsonvilleJune 25Basic Skills
  • Please contact the coordinator listed for testing details and to sign up.
  • Dates and locations will be added as they become available.
LocationTest DateCoordinatorContact Info
Ready to Register?
Click HERE!
VancouverMay 22Heather Cates
VancouverMay 29Heather Cates
VancouverMay 30Heather Cates
VancouverJune 13Heather Cates
VancouverJune 14Heather Cates
VancouverJune 27Heather Cates
VancouverJune 28Heather Cates
VancouverJuly 11Heather Cates
VancouverJuly 12Heather Cates
  • Register for remote testing here.
  • Remote testing dates for 2025 are below. Registration is open unless otherwise marked OR if the deadline for registration has passed, whichever comes first.
  • All tests begin at 9:00am.
    3rd graders finish around 11:30am. Tests for 4-12th graders finish at 12:00pm.

Test Date
Grades Offered
Registration Deadline		Registration Deadline
(Outside OR, WA)
Host
May 30 CLOSED3-12 CLOSEDMay 20 CLOSEDMay 18 CLOSEDBasic Skills
June 6 CLOSED3-12 CLOSEDMay 27 CLOSEDMay 25 CLOSEDBasic Skills
June 13 CLOSED3-12 CLOSEDJune 3 CLOSEDJune 1 CLOSEDBasic Skills
June 273-12June 17June 15Basic Skills
July 113-12July 1June 29Basic Skills
July 253-12July 15July 13Basic Skills
August 13-12July 22July 20Basic Skills
August 6 - Wednesday3-12July 27July 25Basic Skills
August 83-12 July 29July 27Basic Skills
August 13 - Wednesday3-12August 3August 1Basic Skills
August 153-12August 5August 3Basic Skills
August 27 - Wednesday3-12August 17August 15Basic Skills
August 293-12August 19August 17Basic Skills
September 123-12September 2August 30Basic Skills

FAQ

We make available the California Achievement Test/TerraNova 2 and the TerraNova 3 for grades K-12. The TerraNova 2 is made available to  parents for parent administered testing nationwide.  Oregon excepting, the TerraNova 2 does satisfy testing requirements in other states. Click here to find your state’s requirements.

The TerraNova 3 is administered only by qualified examiners. It is given in both in- person settings and remotely via Zoom. The TerraNova 3 meets Oregon and Washington’s  testing requirements.  

Both tests take approximately two and a half hours to complete which includes a break. Questions are multiple choice and are broken into subtests. Content areas measured are reading comprehension, language, and math.  Students provide their own pencils and scratch paper. The use of calculators is optional, but recommended beginning at grade 7.

While both tests cover similar content, one difference is how they are constructed. The TerraNova 2 combines reading comprehension and language into one subtest. It also combines math computation and math problem solving. The TerraNova 3 separates each of these content areas into stand alone tests. Another difference is that the tests use different comparison groups from different years when evaluating student performance.

Most parents test their children between March and the end of August. The decision of when to test is typically informed by when the student is nearing the completion of their school year. This varies family to family. Oregon home-schoolers are required to test at the end of grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. Other states have different testing requirements. Click here to find your state’s requirements:

  • Common reasons for testing at other times of the year include the following:
  • wanting to pinpoint academic strengths and weaknesses
  • help with choosing or modifying curriculum
  • wanting to know if a student is working  at, above or below grade level

Yes. We send test results only to the family whose name appears on the registration form. We provide you with two copies of your student’s test results. One is for your own records; the other is for your use if  submission to state authorities is required. Click here to find your state’s requirements. Basic Skills keeps a copy of the Basic Report for the duration of the year in which the student was tested. Test reports in digital format may be available beyond a year from when the test was taken.

While remote testing in the comfort of your own home is the most popular option, it isn't the only option. For families living in Oregon, we have examiners affiliated with Basic Skills all over the state ready to serve you. Many will come to your home or arrange to meet at a  convenient location to test. Testing fees vary. To find out if there is an examiner in your area, please refer to our list of qualified examiners.

Once your student’s test materials are received in our office, they are scored, a report generated, and mailed back to you within two weeks.

First, please read through the Interpretive Guide that accompanied your test results. This guide should answer many of the basic questions you may have.

Secondly, go to our Testing 101 series of articles. The articles in this series go deeper into explaining the significance of each score on the report you received.

The Performance Evaluation Report (PER) is an additional report that provides more information about your student’s performance. While the basic test report compares your student’s performance with other students nationwide, the PER compares your student’s performance to the learning objectives on the test itself. This report tells you what items your student answered correctly and which ones your student missed. Please click here to view a sample of the Performance Evaluation Report.

Children who struggle academically can opt out of the testing requirement if they are on a privately developed plan. To learn how PDPs work and can be created, click here to read this article.

If you decide to move forward with testing, choose a private setting rather than a group setting. This will allow for some customization in the administration of the test.

Want to test with an examiner near you?

You can test privately or semi-privately with a qualified, local examiner.
See our list of qualified private examiners in Oregon.

Locate an Examiner in Oregon

Practice Tests

We produce a series of practice tests available as E-book downloads or printed booklets.

Browse Practice Tests

Become a Qualified Examiner

Are you an Oregon resident and interested in ordering and administering achievement tests through Basic Skills? If so, we’d like to work with you! Click the button above to see if you qualify. Apply today!

Apply Today

More Information About Testing

Test Results

Confidential test results are generated within two to three weeks from the time test materials are received in our office.

Two copies of each report are mailed to parents. A third copy is kept on file in our office for up to a year.  Each report provides raw scores, national percentiles, NCE scores, stanines, grade equivalents, and scale scores.

Check out our Testing 101 series for tips on taking and passing the test, and interpreting test results!

About the TerraNova 2 and 3

Both the TerraNova 2 and 3 Survey evaluate student performance in reading, language, and math.

Both tests are comprised of four, timed sections that measure concepts, processes, and skills taught nation-wide.

An optional test called the Plus, can be taken in addition to the Survey test. The content areas that make up this test are word analysis (grades 1-3 only), vocabulary, language mechanics, spelling, and math computation.

An additional report called the Performance Evaluation Report (PER), pinpoints objectives measured by the test item by item. It shows if the student each item correctly or incorrectly.

Please see the samples linked below to get an idea of how test reports are presented. A PDF viewer or PDF compatible browser is required to view these samples.

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