Georgia Promise Scholarship Testing Requirements: Annual Assessments Explained

Annual Testing, Not Every Three Years

This is one of the biggest regulatory differences between standard Georgia homeschooling and Promise Scholarship participation. Under standard home study law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690(c)), homeschoolers test once every three years beginning in third grade and keep the results at home. No submission to any state agency required.

Promise Scholarship families complete an assessment every year. Every participating student — whether in a private school or home study program — must complete a nationally norm-referenced test or statewide assessment in mathematics and English language arts annually. Results must be uploaded to GESA through the Odyssey portal as part of the May 31 recertification.

Approved Assessments

GESA publishes a list of approved testing instruments. As of the current program guidelines, approved assessments include:

• ACT and Pre-ACT
• Classic Learning Test (CLT 3-8, CLT 10, CLT) — popular with homeschool families for its classical education alignment
• Curriculum Associates i-Ready Diagnostic Assessments
• Data Recognition Corporation TerraNova 3 and TerraNova NEXT
• Educational Records Bureau Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP)

The test must measure both math and language arts. You choose which approved assessment to administer — GESA doesn't assign one.

Testing fees qualify as an approved scholarship expense, so you can pay for the assessment through your Odyssey account.

When to Test and How to Submit

Testing must be completed and results uploaded before the May 31 annual recertification deadline. That means the practical testing window is narrower than it appears — you need time to:

1. Select and register for an approved assessment
2. Schedule the administration date (some tests require a testing center or proctor)
3. Administer the test
4. Receive scored results (paper-based tests mailed for scoring can take weeks)
5. Upload results through the Odyssey portal

If you're using a computer-adaptive test like i-Ready, results are typically available immediately. Paper-based assessments like TerraNova require mailing answer sheets and waiting for scored reports.

Start the process no later than March to build in margin for delays. Families who push testing to May often find themselves racing the recertification deadline.

What Happens If You Miss the Deadline

Failure to complete recertification — including test score submission — by May 31 results in immediate removal from the program. The consequences are specific:

• Your child loses returning-student priority status
• Their Promise Scholarship account is closed
• Any remaining funds revert to the state general fund
• To rejoin, your child must reapply as a new applicant during a future window, competing for a spot against all other new applicants

Treat May 31 as a firm program deadline; missing it results in immediate removal.

Testing Costs and Scholarship Coverage

Standardized testing fees are an approved expense under the Promise Scholarship. Depending on the assessment you choose, costs range from roughly $25 to $75 per sitting.

If the testing provider is listed as an approved vendor in the Odyssey marketplace, payment flows directly from your child's account. If not, you may need to request custom vendor approval through GESA before the purchase clears.

The Georgia Promise Scholarship Parent Guide includes a testing timeline, approved assessment comparison, and step-by-step instructions for uploading results to GESA before the deadline.

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