Georgia Homeschool Standardized Testing: Which Tests Count, When They're Required, and How to Keep the Records

Every year, Georgia homeschool parents ask some version of the same question in Facebook groups and subreddits: "My child just finished third grade. Do I really need to do a standardized test? And if so, which one counts?"

The short answer is yes. And the distinction between tests that satisfy the law and tests that do not is one of the most commonly misunderstood requirements in Georgia's home study framework.

This post explains exactly what O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690 requires, which tests are legally acceptable, how to administer them, and what records your portfolio needs to contain.

What Georgia Law Actually Requires

Under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690(c), Georgia home study programs must administer "an appropriate nationally standardized testing program" for each student at least every three years, beginning at the conclusion of third grade. The standard testing cycle for most families falls at the end of grades 3, 6, 9, and 12.

This is a separate requirement from the annual written progress report. Georgia law mandates both — the progress report every year, and the standardized test every three years. These are not interchangeable. A parent who writes a thorough progress report at the end of third grade but skips the standardized test is out of compliance, even if the report is detailed and well-organized.

With approximately 89,510 students homeschooling in Georgia during the 2024-2025 academic year, this is not a technicality that affects a small handful of families. It touches every Georgia home study program operating a student at or past third grade.

The Critical Distinction: Criterion-Referenced vs. Norm-Referenced Tests

Here is where a very common and potentially serious error occurs.

Georgia public schools administer the Georgia Milestones Assessment System. Some parents assume that taking the Milestones — either informally or through an arrangement with a local district — satisfies the homeschool testing requirement. It does not.

The Georgia Milestones are criterion-referenced tests. They measure whether a student has mastered specific Georgia Performance Standards. They rank a student against a defined set of skills, not against a national population.

Georgia law requires a norm-referenced test — one that compares a student's performance to a representative national sample. The result must be a percentile score showing how the student performed relative to students across the country at the same grade level. No state-specific achievement test can fulfill this requirement.

Which Tests Qualify

The following nationally normed, standardized tests satisfy Georgia's home study statute:

Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) The ITBS is one of the most widely used homeschool-approved norm-referenced tests in the country. It covers reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science — a direct match with Georgia's five mandated core subjects. The ITBS is available through BJU Press Testing Services and requires a parent to hold a bachelor's degree to purchase and administer. If you do not hold a degree, you can use a third-party proctoring service.

Stanford Achievement Test (Stanford 10) The Stanford 10 is available through Seton Testing Services and several other educational distributors. It is nationally normed and widely accepted by colleges and scholarship programs. Seton offers online administration, which satisfies the statutory requirement for a "trained administrator."

California Achievement Test (CAT) The CAT is available through Christian Liberty Press and similar distributors. Online versions can be completed from home. The CAT is particularly popular with families who prefer a lower-stakes testing environment for younger children.

Personalized Achievement Summary System (PASS) The PASS test is specifically designed for home-educated students. It is administered at home, with a parent serving as proctor. It generates a standardized percentile report that satisfies Georgia's norm-referenced requirement, and it does not require a bachelor's degree to administer.

These four tests are the most commonly used among Georgia homeschoolers. Other nationally normed tests may also qualify, but the key criteria are: nationally normed, standardized administration, and a resulting percentile score based on a national comparison group.

Iowa Standardized Testing: Why It Comes Up So Often

When searching for standardized testing guidance, many families encounter references to Iowa standardized testing for homeschoolers. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills comes up frequently because it has a long history in the homeschooling community and because Iowa's own homeschool assessment laws use it as a benchmark.

For Georgia families, the relevance is straightforward: the ITBS is one of the most academically respected norm-referenced tests available to home educators, and it satisfies Georgia's triennial testing requirement. It is not a Georgia-specific requirement — it is simply one of the qualified instruments a Georgia family can choose to use.

The decision between the ITBS, Stanford 10, CAT, and PASS often comes down to cost, administration convenience, and whether the parent holds a bachelor's degree. All four produce the nationally normed percentile report that Georgia law requires.

Who Administers the Test

Georgia law states that testing must occur "in consultation with an individual trained in the administration and interpretation of norm-referenced tests." This language causes some confusion.

In practice, this does not mean you must hire a certified psychologist. The requirement is satisfied when:

• A parent with a bachelor's degree purchases and administers a test like the ITBS according to the publisher's standardized protocols
• A parent uses a third-party testing service that provides a trained proctor (online or in-person)
• A parent joins a homeschool co-op that arranges standardized testing through a qualified administrator

The publisher's standardized protocols are what transform a home-administered test into a legally valid standardized assessment. Following the protocols — time limits, no assistance, consistent conditions — is what creates the legally defensible record.

What Records Your Portfolio Needs

Here is where many families leave themselves exposed.

Georgia does not collect standardized test scores. You are not required to submit results to the local school district or to the Georgia Department of Education. But you are required to retain them, and the portfolio implications are significant.

Your portfolio should contain:

The official score report from the testing publisher. This is the printed or PDF report generated by BJU Press, Seton Testing Services, Christian Liberty Press, or whichever service you used. It should show the student's name, the test date, the grade level tested, and the percentile scores by subject area.

A note identifying the test as a nationally normed instrument. When your portfolio is reviewed — whether by a DFCS caseworker, a college admissions officer, or a HOPE scholarship evaluator — it should be immediately clear that the test used was nationally normed, not a state assessment or a diagnostic quiz.

The test year mapped to the student's grade. Your portfolio should show clearly that testing occurred at the end of grades 3, 6, 9, or 12. A simple one-page testing timeline that maps each testing year to the student's academic record makes this audit-ready without over-explaining.

Georgia law requires that annual progress reports be retained for three years. Standardized test scores should be retained for at least as long — and for high school students, scores are a permanent part of the transcript record used for college admissions and scholarship applications.

High School Testing: Where the Stakes Sharpen

During the elementary and middle school years, the primary purpose of the triennial standardized test is compliance documentation. For most families, the scores are retained and rarely referenced again.

In high school, the stakes change dramatically.

For students graduating from unaccredited home study programs — which is the legal classification for the vast majority of Georgia homeschool families — the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) requires specific SAT or ACT scores for immediate HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship eligibility. To receive the HOPE Scholarship upon college entry, an unaccredited student must score at or above the 75th percentile nationally on a single SAT or ACT administration (historically around 1160 SAT or 24 ACT). The Zell Miller Scholarship requires a 1200 SAT or 26 ACT from a single sitting.

The triennial test administered at 9th grade — typically an ITBS or Stanford 10 — is not an SAT or ACT, so it does not directly unlock scholarship eligibility. But maintaining the testing record through the high school years creates an evidentiary foundation showing a consistent, accountable academic trajectory. Colleges reviewing homeschool applications, particularly Georgia Tech and UGA, look favorably on students with a documented history of externally administered assessments.

The Compliance Calendar

Here is a simplified schedule for families planning ahead:

• End of 3rd grade: First required standardized test. Begin building your testing portfolio record.
• Annual (every year): Written progress report covering all five core subjects. This is separate from testing.
• End of 6th grade: Second required standardized test.
• End of 9th grade: Third required standardized test. This is also when high school transcript-building becomes critical.
• End of 12th grade (or prior): SAT or ACT for HOPE/Zell Miller eligibility (if graduating from an unaccredited program). Fourth standardized test if completing on a standard schedule.

Note that Georgia permits flexibility in what counts as "the end of a grade year." The testing should occur within the academic year that corresponds to the grade being completed. Families who accelerate or work on multi-year programs should document clearly which grade level corresponds to which testing administration.

Organizing Your Assessment Records

The testing record is one component of a complete Georgia home study portfolio. It fits alongside the annual Declaration of Intent confirmation code, the 180-day attendance log, the written progress report, and work samples.

Many parents collect years of solid documentation but then scramble when it actually matters — at the point of college application, scholarship evaluation, or an unexpected compliance inquiry. The reason is almost always organization rather than substance: the records exist but they are not structured in a way that presents clearly to an outside reviewer.

If you want a framework that maps the testing requirement alongside the other statutory obligations, the Georgia Portfolio & Assessment Templates include an assessment tracking section designed specifically around Georgia's triennial schedule. The templates are built around the five mandated core subjects and the specific requirements of O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690, so you are not retrofitting a generic planner to Georgia's rules.

Key Takeaways

Georgia requires a nationally normed standardized test every three years starting at the end of third grade, separate from the annual progress report. The test must be norm-referenced — state tests like the Georgia Milestones do not qualify. Acceptable tests include the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Stanford Achievement Test, California Achievement Test, and PASS. You are not required to submit scores to the state, but you are required to retain them. In high school, the SAT or ACT becomes the critical assessment for HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship eligibility for unaccredited homeschool graduates.

The testing record is not paperwork for its own sake. It is the documentation that allows your student's educational program to be verified, validated, and rewarded — at scholarship offices, college admissions departments, and anywhere else a Georgia homeschool record needs to speak for itself.

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