Based on the Common Core State Standards, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC)is the District of Columbia’s annual assessment of Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA).
Each spring, students from grade 3 to grade 8 and high school take state assessments in ELA and Mathematics. The assessments measure the ability to understand complex texts, mathematics problem-solving, and evidence based critical writing skills. Refer to some practice papers for more comprehensive understanding.
PARCC Test Format
The ELA part of the test has 2 units and the Math part of the test has 3 units.
- Grade 3 ELA -> Unit 1 – 75 mins and Unit 2 – 75 mins
- Grades 4-8 ELA -> Unit 1 – 90 mins and Unit 2 – 90 mins
- Grades 3-8 Math -> Unit 1 – 60 mins and Unit 2 – 60 mins and Unit 3 – 60 mins
PARCC Test Scoring
Like most similar tests, PARCC scores fall into the five categories mentioned below:
- Level 1: Did Not Yet Meet Expectations
- Level 2: Partially Met Expectations
- Level 3: Approached Expectations
- Level 4: Met Expectations
- Level 5: Exceeded Expectations
The scores range for each level can be found below in detail:
Different Question Types on the PARCC Test
There are different types of questions from multiple choice to matching.
Calculator Policy for the PARCC Math Test
- For grades 3-5 – calculator is not allowed
- For grade 6, only four function calculator allowed for the Calculator Available section
- For grades 7-8, full scientific calculator is allowed for the Calculator Available section
PARCC is continuously evolving and improving its measurement and testing methodology. Therefore, the student performance levels will see a change in percentile scores for the same absolute scores as the test evolves further.
Hope this is useful, thank you.
You may like to read about: The MISA Test, Education Assessments for Students in Ohio, & The PSSA Assessment – Grade 3 to 8
