NAEP (The Nation's Report Card)
NAEP is not a test you sign up for: NCES picks a sample of schools and students to measure how the nation, states and some large districts are doing. No student or school gets a score.
Made by National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education). Who: Grades 4, 8 and 12 (a sample of students). Checked on the owner's own pages, 21 Oct 2026.
Who takes it
NAEP is required by Congress and run by NCES, part of the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences; the National Assessment Governing Board sets its policy. It has measured achievement since 1969. NCES
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- Schools are chosen to match the makeup of the nation, a state or a district; inside each chosen school and grade, students are picked at random.
NCES
NAEP Frequently Asked Questions (sampling, no individual scores)National Center for Education Statistics- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- National results use 10,000 to 20,000 students; state and district results about 3,000 students from about 100 schools in each place.
NCES
NAEP Frequently Asked Questions (sampling, no individual scores)National Center for Education Statistics- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Format and sections
Subjects, grades and where results are reported: NCES
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| Subject | Grades | Results for |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 4, 8, 12 | Nation, states, districts |
| Mathematics | 4, 8, 12 | Nation, states, districts |
| Science | 4, 8, 12 | Nation; states (grades 4 and 8) |
| Writing | 8, 12 | Nation |
| Arts | 8 | Nation |
| Civics | 4, 8, 12 | Nation |
| Geography | 4, 8, 12 | Nation |
- NAEP also assesses economics, technology and engineering literacy, and U.S. history.
NCES
About NAEP (The Nation’s Report Card): subjects and gradesNational Center for Education Statistics- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Scoring
- No scores for individual students or schools, by design: each student takes only a small part of the assessment, and results are reliable only when added up for a state, district or the nation.
NCES
NAEP Frequently Asked Questions (sampling, no individual scores)National Center for Education Statistics- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- State tests measure a state's own standards and usually give each student a score; NAEP is the only assessment that compares one state with another or with the nation. NAEP's 'Proficient' does not mean the same as 'proficiency' on a state test.
NCES
NAEP Frequently Asked Questions (sampling, no individual scores)National Center for Education Statistics- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Test dates
All assessments take place between January and March, except long-term trend assessments (October to May). Schedule as of 15 May 2026: NCES
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- NAEP 2027: a grade 8 science pilot with student, teacher and school questionnaires, 25 January to 19 March 2027. Pilot results are not released.
NCES
NAEP Participation: NAEP 2027, what you need to knowNational Center for Education Statistics- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Free official practice
- Sample questions from recent assessments by subject, content area, difficulty and grade, from the NAEP Questions Tool (over 3,000 questions).
NCES
NAEP Participation: NAEP 2027, what you need to knowNational Center for Education Statistics- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Used by these careers and colleges
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Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- About NAEP (The Nation’s Report Card): subjects and grades · National Center for Education Statistics checked 2026-10-21
- NAEP Frequently Asked Questions (sampling, no individual scores) · National Center for Education Statistics checked 2026-10-21
- NAEP Assessment Calendar (schedule as of 15 May 2026) · National Center for Education Statistics checked 2026-10-21
- NAEP Participation: NAEP 2027, what you need to know · National Center for Education Statistics checked 2026-10-21