PASS Test for Homeschool: What New York Parents Need to Know

Every year, New York homeschool parents face the same question: which standardized test should we use, and what actually counts as passing? The PASS test — Personalized Achievement Summary System — is one of the more popular choices among New York families precisely because it was designed with homeschoolers in mind. But before you order one, it helps to understand exactly where it fits in New York's annual assessment requirement and what the state considers an adequate score.

Why New York Requires Annual Assessments

New York is one of the most heavily regulated homeschool states in the country. Commissioner's Regulation 100.10 mandates that homeschooled students demonstrate adequate academic progress each year. The mechanism for that demonstration is the annual assessment, submitted alongside your fourth quarterly report at the end of the school year.

The assessment requirement varies by grade:

• Grades 1-3: Parents may choose either a standardized test or a written narrative evaluation prepared by a New York State-certified teacher.
• Grades 4-8: A standardized test is required, but a written narrative evaluation may be used in alternating years — so a standardized test one year, narrative the next.
• Grades 9-12: A standardized test is required every year, with no narrative alternative.

Note that standard college entrance exams like the SAT or ACT do not satisfy New York's annual assessment requirement, even at the high school level.

What Is the PASS Test?

The PASS test (Personalized Achievement Summary System) is a home-administered, norm-referenced achievement test developed by Hewitt Homeschooling. It is approved for use by New York homeschoolers and is widely used because it can be administered at home without a certified proctor — which removes a significant logistical hurdle.

The PASS test covers reading, language, math, science, and social studies. It is available for grades 3 through 8. Each grade level takes approximately 3 to 4 hours total, typically spread across multiple sessions.

At the time of writing, the PASS test costs in the range of $25 to $35 per grade level. Families purchase it directly from Hewitt Homeschooling.

Other Approved Standardized Tests for New York Homeschoolers

The PASS test is one option, not the only one. New York State accepts several norm-referenced achievement tests for annual assessment:

• Iowa Assessments (formerly ITBS — Iowa Test of Basic Skills)
• Stanford Achievement Test (SAT-10, not the college SAT)
• California Achievement Test (CAT)
• Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS)
• PASS test

Each test has different administration requirements. Some — like the Iowa Assessments and Stanford — require a qualified proctor. In New York, "qualified" means a New York State-certified teacher or another individual to whom the superintendent has consented. If you want to administer the test at home without finding an outside proctor, the PASS test is typically the simplest option for that reason.

What Score Counts as Passing in New York?

New York uses two passing standards under Regulation 100.10:

Standard 1 — Percentile threshold. A score is adequate if the student scores above the 33rd percentile nationally. This means your child's score just needs to place them in the top two-thirds of the national norm group for their grade — not the top half.

Standard 2 — One year's growth. Even if a student scores below the 33rd percentile, the score is still legally adequate if it reflects one academic year of growth compared to the previous year's test score. This is a meaningful protection: a student who starts below grade level but makes measurable progress still passes.

Either standard can satisfy the requirement. A student who scores at the 25th percentile but grew from the 15th percentile the previous year has met Standard 2.

What Happens If a Student Does Not Meet Either Standard

If a child fails to participate in the annual assessment, or submits a result that falls below the 33rd percentile without demonstrating a year's growth, the homeschool program is formally placed on probation. Probation can last up to two school years.

During probation, parents must submit a written Remediation Plan addressing the academic deficiencies. The district reviews this plan. If the student achieves at least 75% of the remediation goals by the end of any given semester, probation ends. If the student fails to hit that threshold, or does not meet 100% of the goals after two years, the Board of Education reviews the case — and can terminate the family's right to continue homeschooling.

Probation is also the only circumstance under which a district superintendent can legally demand a home visit (with three days' written notice). This is worth understanding clearly: a district cannot inspect your home or observe instruction unless you are formally on probation.

How to Administer the PASS Test at Home

The PASS test is specifically designed for home administration by a parent without third-party proctoring. You purchase the test materials, schedule the sessions across a week or two, and administer each subtest following the provided instructions. Your child's score report arrives within a few weeks and constitutes the annual assessment documentation you submit with your fourth quarterly report.

Practical tips from families who have done this:

• Schedule morning sessions when possible. Test fatigue is real, and younger students tire quickly on standardized tests.
• Read-aloud administration is allowed for younger grades and students with documented reading challenges.
• The test is norm-referenced, not curriculum-dependent — it measures general academic skills, not mastery of any specific program you have been using.

Narrative Evaluations as an Alternative

For grades 1-3, or during off-years for grades 4-8, a narrative evaluation can replace the standardized test entirely. The evaluation must be prepared by a New York State-certified teacher (or a home instruction peer review panel) who has interviewed your child and reviewed a portfolio of their work. The evaluator certifies whether the child has made adequate academic progress.

This option is worth knowing about. If your child is an anxious test-taker, using the narrative evaluation in alternating years reduces the stress load and still satisfies the law.

Keeping Your Annual Assessment on Track

Many families underestimate how tight the submission timeline gets at the end of the school year. Your fourth quarterly report and annual assessment are due on the date you specified in your IHIP — typically in late June. If you are using a test that requires a certified proctor, start scheduling in April. Certified teachers get busy in May and June. The PASS test, being self-administered, gives you more flexibility, but procrastinating until mid-June creates unnecessary pressure.

The full compliance picture — Letter of Intent, IHIP, four quarterly reports, and annual assessment — is documented in New York's Commissioner's Regulation 100.10. If you are still setting up your homeschool program or want pre-formatted templates for each required document, the New York Legal Withdrawal Blueprint walks through each step with done-for-you forms and specific NYC DOE instructions.

The Bottom Line

The PASS test is a legitimate, widely accepted option for New York's annual assessment requirement, particularly for families who want a home-administered test without the complexity of scheduling a certified proctor. The passing bar — above the 33rd percentile, or one year's measurable growth — is genuinely achievable for a student receiving consistent, engaged instruction.

What matters most is not which approved test you use, but that you submit the result on time alongside your fourth quarterly report. A missing annual assessment triggers the same probation process as a failing score. The test itself is the easy part. The administrative consistency is what keeps you in good standing with your district year after year.

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