New Hampshire Homeschool Standardized Testing: Your Options and How They Work

One of the more liberating facts about New Hampshire homeschool law is that standardized testing, while a valid evaluation option, carries no pass-fail threshold. If you choose to use a nationally normed test as your annual evaluation, no one reviews the score, no minimum percentile is required, and the results belong entirely to your family. What follows is a practical breakdown of how testing works in New Hampshire and how to decide whether it's the right evaluation path for you.

The Legal Framework: Testing as One of Four Options

RSA 193-A gives New Hampshire homeschooling families four ways to satisfy the annual evaluation requirement. A nationally normed standardized test is Option 2 on that list. You are not required to use testing — portfolio review, the state assessment, or an alternative measurement through an online program are all equally valid — but testing is a popular choice for families who want an objective external benchmark.

The key 2012 change: the old requirement that students score at or above the 40th percentile on a nationally normed test was eliminated. There is now no minimum score. The test simply needs to be a recognized national assessment administered according to the publisher's guidelines by a qualified person.

Results are not submitted to the district, the state, or any participating agency. You keep the score report. That is the end of the state's involvement.

Which Tests Qualify

Any nationally normed standardized test administered by a qualified individual per publisher requirements satisfies the law. In practice, New Hampshire homeschool families most often use one of these four:

Iowa Assessments (IOWA) Formerly called the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) at the elementary level and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED) at the secondary level, the Iowa Assessments are among the most widely used standardized tests in the homeschool community nationwide. They cover reading, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Scores are reported as grade equivalents, national percentile ranks, and standard scores, giving you a detailed picture of where your child stands relative to a national norming sample.

In New Hampshire, the Iowa is frequently available through local homeschool co-ops and some umbrella schools, which arrange group testing administrations and handle the qualified-administrator requirement on your behalf.

Stanford Achievement Test (SAT10) The Stanford 10 is another nationally normed achievement test commonly used in homeschool evaluations. It covers similar content areas to the Iowa and produces comparable score reports. Some certified teacher evaluators in New Hampshire are authorized to administer the Stanford 10 directly, which allows you to combine your testing and portfolio review into a single appointment if you prefer.

Classic Learning Test (CLT) The CLT is designed with a classical education orientation and is gaining traction in the homeschool community as an alternative to the SAT/ACT for college admission as well as a standalone achievement measure. It is an option for older students (typically middle and high school) who want a test aligned with classical content.

PASS Test (Grades 3–8) The Personalized Achievement Summary System (PASS) was developed specifically for homeschooled students. It is available in grades 3 through 8 and is designed to be parent-administered, which eliminates the logistical complexity of finding a qualified administrator. It covers reading/language arts and mathematics.

Who Can Administer the Test

This is the practical bottleneck for most families. Each test publisher specifies who qualifies as an administrator, and those requirements vary.

For the Iowa and Stanford 10, the publisher typically requires the administrator to hold a teaching credential or be a recognized testing administrator. This means you usually cannot self-administer these tests as a parent unless you are a certified teacher. Options include:

• Hiring a certified teacher evaluator (the same evaluators used for portfolio reviews can often administer tests)
• Using a local homeschool co-op that organizes group testing days
• Contacting your resident district — under NH law, the district must offer the state assessment to homeschoolers on request, and some districts are also willing to arrange nationally normed test administration

For the PASS test, parent administration is explicitly permitted by the publisher, which is its main practical advantage for families who want full control over scheduling.

If you're unsure about administrator requirements for a specific test, the GSHE (Greater Nashua Homeschool Education) organization maintains resources and evaluator lists that can point you toward locally available testing options.

What the Scores Tell You (and Don't Tell You)

Because there is no minimum score requirement under New Hampshire law, the scores serve one purpose: giving you information about your child's learning. A score in the 30th percentile does not trigger any action from the state. A score in the 90th percentile does not earn any recognition from the state. The test exists for your benefit.

That said, scores are useful if you treat them as diagnostic tools rather than grades. A low percentile rank in a specific subject area is a signal to adjust your curriculum or approach in that area. Score reports from nationally normed tests are also useful if your child ever transfers back to public school, applies to a competitive private school, or you want an external benchmark for college-planning purposes.

Testing vs. Portfolio Review: Which Is Better?

Neither is inherently better. The choice depends on your child and your approach.

Testing tends to work well if:

• Your child tests well and the experience is low-stress
• You use a structured, curriculum-aligned approach and want a quantitative measure of progress
• You prefer an evaluation that requires less ongoing documentation throughout the year

Portfolio review tends to work well if:

• Your child does not test well or has test anxiety
• You use a project-based, eclectic, or unschooling approach where a standardized test would not capture actual learning
• You have already been collecting work samples throughout the year

One practical note: You can switch methods from year to year without notifying anyone. If you use testing one year and portfolio review the next, that is entirely lawful.

Before you can use testing or any other evaluation method, you need a valid Notice of Intent on file with your participating agency. If you haven't completed that step yet — or if you're withdrawing a child from public school and aren't sure of the sequence — the New Hampshire Legal Withdrawal Blueprint walks through the full process, including the Notice of Intent, subject-list requirements, and a documentation checklist that carries through to your first annual evaluation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to tell anyone the test score? No. Test results are private family property. You retain the score report. Nothing is submitted to the district, the state, or the participating agency.

What if my child scores below the 40th percentile? There are no consequences. The 40th percentile floor was eliminated in 2012. There is no minimum score requirement under current law.

Can I order the Iowa test directly? Some test publishers sell directly to homeschool parents; others require a credentialed administrator to order and administer the test. Check the specific publisher's requirements. Several homeschool testing services also act as intermediaries who handle ordering and provide qualified administration.

Does testing count as the full annual evaluation, or do I also need a portfolio? A standardized test, properly administered, is the complete annual evaluation under Option 2. You do not also need a portfolio review. However, maintaining a portfolio throughout the year is still good practice as a documentation record independent of the formal evaluation requirement.

At what age does my child need to start being evaluated? The evaluation requirement applies to all children of compulsory school age (6 through 18 in New Hampshire) who are enrolled in a home education program.

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