Everything You Need to Know About Placement Tests in Elementary School

Don’t worry! We’ve got all the information you need gathered in one place. By the end of this article you’ll know the what, why and how of elementary placement tests. 

While students will take many tests throughout their education, placement tests are a little different. 

So what are placement tests? Placement tests assess a child’s skills and abilities. They provide a full picture of the academic concepts a student understands. 

Certain elementary school placement tests focus less on specific skills and instead on a specific style of learning. It all depends on what information the teacher and school wants to know about the student. 

Students will often take placement tests when entering a new school, at the beginning of a school year or the end of the school year. 

Some placement tests will test all school subjects while others may only test one specific skill. Now, let’s talk about math placement tests and English placement tests in more detail.

Math Placement Tests

Math skills are ones that build on each other from one grade to the next.

If a student doesn’t know how to subtract single-digit numbers, they won’t be able to subtract double-digit numbers. If they don’t understand the order of operations, they won’t be able to do algebra. 

When placing a child in the appropriate math class, it’s essential to know what skills they have. 

Sometimes their age isn’t the best indicator of where they’re at, they may be ahead or behind their peers. 

Math placement tests allow teachers and parents alike to know exactly what material a student knows and what they have yet to learn. 

If your child tests below or above where they should, it’s not a reason to worry. It’s simply an opportunity to give them specialized support or more challenging material. 

Preparation for a Math Placement Test

The most important and impactful way you can prep for a math placement test is by telling your student what to expect. 

Math test anxiety is very real and can dramatically impact your student’s ability to show off everything they know.

Let them know the specifics such as where the test will be, how long it will take, what the questions will look like and what tools they can use during the test. 

Allow them time to think about your answers and ask if they have any questions. Let them know that you are available if they think of questions later or want help preparing. 

Another great way to prepare your child for a math placement test is practice. The Prodigy Placement Test can provide valuable feedback and allow your child to experience what a placement test is like in a low-stakes way. 

For even more ways to set your child up for success if they’re scheduled to take a math placement test, check out our article on Math Placement Test Prep.

Math Placement Test Results

Receiving the results of a test can be just as nerve-racking as taking the test itself. And this goes for both you and your student! 

It’s important to remind your learner that test results don’t define them.  Test scores simply provide information and show us where we can improve. 

Some test results are more straightforward than others, so you may need to consult your child's teacher or school administration to fully understand the results. They will also be able to provide insight into how the results will be used at school. 

If you’re wondering where to go or what to do after receiving your child’s math placement test results, head over to this article.

English Placement Tests

Another subject a student may take a placement test in is English. 

Elementary English placement tests broadly cover reading skills, grammar skills and writing skills. The specific skills and concepts that a student should understand are different for each grade level. 

Here are the main English skills and concepts that a student should know by the end of every grade.

Grade 1:

• Recite the alphabet, recognize all the letters and know the sounds they make.
• Be familiar with the parts of a book, as well as the roles of an author and illustrator.
• Blend sounds, such as consonant-vowel-consonant combinations.
• Read the kindergarten sight/Dolch words.
• Write all the letters of the alphabet in lower- and upper-case.
• Write their first and last name.
• Spell shorter words correctly and longer words phonetically.

Grade 2: 

• Answer a question about a story they have just read or listened to (who, what, when, why, where).
• Read simple stories, fables and articles fluently and independently.
• Figure out unfamiliar words using phonetic strategies.
• Identify the main topic in a text.

Grade 3:

• Use a number of comprehension strategies to answer questions.
• Compare and contrast information.
• Use transition words when writing.
• Use proper punctuation and capitalization.
• Understand idioms, prefixes and suffixes in order to expand their vocabulary .

Grade 4:

• Read with a higher level of fluency and expression.
• Utilize root words, prefixes, suffixes and context clues to analyze unfamiliar words.
• Apply comprehension strategies to literary and expository texts.
• Identify and describe the theme of a story, as well as retell story elements with details.
• Formulate multiple paragraph pieces that focus on a specific purpose or audience.
• Write chronological pieces, pieces focusing on cause and effect and pieces that draw from personal experience.

Grade 5:

• Use pronouns in subjective and objective cases.
• Use reference material such as dictionaries, glossaries and thesauruses.
• Apply knowledge and information from texts to make inferences.
• Decode words using prefixes and suffixes.
• Identify and summarize the theme/main idea of a story.

Grade 6: 

• Read and summarize works from different genres (plays, poems and news articles).
• Apply understanding of grammar, vocabulary and spelling skills in different types of writing.
• Write a complete paragraph with topic sentences and supporting details.
• Conduct research through different sources (books, websites, articles) and summarize findings.

Grade 7:

• Develop complex writing skills.
• Constructively critique their own and other’s writing.
• Apply punctuation, grammar and syntax skills.
• Recognize and apply grade appropriate vocabulary.
• Read with fluency, with focus on comprehension.
• Compare books to their movie version and describe how the message is affected.
• Compare and contrast texts from different authors presenting the same topic.
• Write more in-depth research papers with citations and quotes from multiple sources.

Grade 8:

• Identify and determine the meaning of synonyms, antonyms, idioms and homophones.
• Summarize, paraphrase or synthesize information from two or more literary or expository texts.
• Identify vocabulary words in a text and give their meaning.
• Understand main ideas, cause and effect, symbolism, making inferences, mood, tone and point of view in a story.
• Apply their writing skills to activities such as composing their own cover letters, poems, biographies, position papers and more.

Prodigy Placement Test

The Prodigy Placement Test is a high-quality placement test that covers both math and English concepts and gives a full picture of where a student is at. 

While it may not replace curriculum-specific placement tests, it will give a full picture of where a student is at. It can also be great practice before a student takes a placement test that is really important. 

Prodigy’s placement test is easy to take and provides simple results that are easy to understand. 

It typically takes 3 or 4 sessions to complete since it’s recommended to only have students work for about fifteen minutes at a time. These short intervals reduce test fatigue and allow students to do their absolute best 

To read more about the Prodigy Placement Test, check out our Placement Test Guide for Parents.

Free, Effective Placement Tests with Prodigy

The Prodigy Placement Test is available for parents and teachers alike. Whether you want to use Prodigy Math, Prodigy English or both, the place to start is the placement test.