Minnesota Homeschool Testing Requirements: What the Law Actually Requires

Minnesota homeschool families ask this question constantly: do we actually have to do standardized testing? The short answer is yes — unless you qualify for one specific exemption. The longer answer involves understanding what the law requires, what it leaves entirely up to you, and where the real gotchas are.

Here is a clear breakdown of Minnesota's testing requirements under §120A.22, without the vagueness that usually surrounds this topic.

Who Must Test

Annual standardized testing is required for homeschooled students ages 7 through 17 in Minnesota. This maps directly to Minnesota's compulsory education ages.

There is one important extension: if a student began homeschooling after their 16th birthday, the testing requirement extends until age 17 regardless of when they started. This prevents families from using a late start to sidestep the final year of the requirement.

The testing requirement does not apply to:

• Children under age 7
• Students who have completed a recognized homeschool diploma and are no longer under compulsory education age
• Students enrolled in an accredited homeschool program (see below)

The HBEAA exemption. Families who enroll through a Home-Based Education Accreditation Association (HBEAA) accredited school are exempt from the annual testing requirement entirely. HBEAA accreditation costs approximately $450 per year. For families with strong philosophical objections to standardized testing, this is the only legal route to full exemption under Minnesota law.

Do Homeschoolers Have to Take State Tests?

No. Minnesota homeschoolers are not required to take the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) — the state tests administered to public school students. MCAs are a district-administered program, and homeschoolers are not district students.

The requirement is for a nationally norm-referenced standardized test — a different category entirely. Norm-referenced tests compare a student's performance to a national sample of peers. The MCA is a criterion-referenced test measuring mastery of state standards. These are different instruments for different purposes, and the state cannot require you to use the MCA.

What Counts as an Acceptable Test

Under §120A.22, the test must be:

1. Nationally norm-referenced — it must compare your child's performance to a national sample at the same grade level
2. Standardized — consistent administration conditions, published norms

Tests that meet this standard include:

• Iowa Assessments (formerly Iowa Tests of Basic Skills / ITBS) — among the most widely used by Minnesota homeschool families, available through the University of Minnesota's Statewide Testing Program and private testing providers
• Stanford Achievement Test (SAT-10) — also available through the Minnesota Statewide Testing Program (MSTP) at the University of Minnesota
• Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) — individually administered, commonly used for students with learning differences or testing anxiety
• NWEA MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) — computer-adaptive, used by many co-ops and learning centers
• California Achievement Test (CAT) — widely used nationally, available through multiple homeschool-specific providers
• Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement — individually administered by a licensed examiner

The list is not exhaustive. As long as the test is nationally standardized and norm-referenced, it satisfies the legal requirement. You are not limited to this list.

Annual Assessment Options: How Families Actually Test

Minnesota law gives parents significant flexibility in how they arrange testing. Three common methods:

1. University of Minnesota Statewide Testing Program (MSTP) The MSTP offers Iowa Assessments (Form E) and the Stanford Achievement Test to homeschool families. Tests are administered at designated sites. This is a state-adjacent program, but it is not the same as submitting to district oversight — the MSTP provides you with scores; it does not report them to your superintendent.

2. Home administration Some tests can be administered at home by a parent. Iowa Assessments and the CAT are commonly used this way. You must follow the standardized administration procedures exactly — timed sections, no assistance with individual questions, appropriate test conditions. Deviating from administration guidelines compromises the normative comparison.

3. Co-op or group testing Many Minnesota homeschool co-ops organize group testing days where a trained administrator conducts the test. This removes the parent from the role of test administrator (which can reduce pressure on both sides) and keeps costs lower through group purchasing of test materials.

4. Private evaluator A licensed psychologist or educational evaluator can administer individually-administered tests like the Peabody or Woodcock-Johnson. These are more expensive but provide detailed diagnostic information beyond a simple percentile score — useful if you have specific concerns about your child's development or want a comprehensive picture for a college application portfolio.

What the Test Must Measure

Minnesota requires the test to assess academic achievement. The law does not specify which subjects must be tested, but a "total battery" score is the mechanism that triggers the 30th percentile threshold. Tests that assess only one subject area (a reading-only assessment, for example) technically satisfy the form of the requirement but may not produce a total battery score.

For compliance purposes, use a full-battery test that covers core academic areas and produces a composite or total percentile score. This protects you from ambiguity if a question ever arises.

The 30th Percentile Rule

If your child's total battery score is at or below the 30th percentile, §120A.22 Subd. 11 requires you to obtain an additional evaluation by a qualified professional to assess whether a learning problem exists.

This does not mean your child returns to public school. It does not mean you lose your right to homeschool. It triggers an evaluation requirement only — and even the evaluation outcome does not dictate your instructional approach.

The evaluation must be conducted by a "qualified professional." This is intentionally broad. Private educational psychologists, licensed special education evaluators, and licensed psychologists all qualify. You are not required to use the public school district's personnel or services.

What the Superintendent Can and Cannot Require

Your superintendent receives your annual Statement of Assurance — the document you file each October that declares you are homeschooling, lists your subjects, and identifies your assessment method. The SOA names the test you plan to use.

What the superintendent cannot require:

• Submission of actual test scores
• Review of test results
• A specific test from a district-approved list
• That the test be administered by a district employee or at a district facility

Test scores are private. You retain them. You do not file them with the district unless you choose to, or unless you are responding to a specific legal proceeding. The requirement is to test — not to report.

Keeping Your Records in Order

Maintain test score reports from every year your child is under the testing requirement. If a question ever arises about your compliance — from a superintendent, a court, or a college admissions office — your test records are the clearest evidence that you fulfilled the legal obligation.

If you're building a complete homeschool compliance record that integrates your testing documentation with your subject logs and annual reporting, the Minnesota Legal Withdrawal Blueprint includes templates designed specifically for Minnesota's documentation requirements — including how to structure your testing records year over year.

Common Misunderstandings

"I heard we have to test every year." Yes, but you choose when. There is no state-mandated testing window. Most families test in spring so results are available before the next October reporting deadline. Some test in fall for a baseline. The law requires annual testing; it does not specify the month.

"The district said we had to use their test." That is not accurate. Districts cannot mandate which nationally norm-referenced test you use. They can ask which test you plan to use (because you disclose this on your SOA), but the selection is yours. If a district is pressuring you to use a specific test or to test at their facility, that exceeds their authority under §120A.22.

"We use an online curriculum — does that count?" No, not on its own. Curriculum-based assessments, end-of-year online quizzes, and portfolio evaluations do not satisfy the standardized testing requirement. The test must be nationally norm-referenced, which means your child's performance is compared against a national sample, not against the curriculum's own benchmarks.

See more United States homeschool guides →