Preparing for Testing
Group testing sessions are held at
The Liminal Store
8142 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway
Beaverton OR 97225
The Liminal Store is a small novelty store, located in the rear (downstairs) section of a small mall. Enter the parking area from the driveway on Laurelwood Avenue. Please be respectful of the store staff and customers. Parents will sign in their child, but are requested not to stay during the testing. Parents may return at the end of the testing period, or may be called if the tester finishes early.
Private sessions may be scheduled at The Liminal Store, or at the learner’s home.
For home sessions, the testing area must be in a room with no distractions (such as phones, other siblings, pets, etc.) The tester must have a clean desk to work at, and there must be a separate table or desk for the test proctor. Parents may not be in the testing room during testing.
A test session is scheduled to take three hours, but sometimes takes less. Tests are delivered in segments, with each segment from 10 to 50 minutes. Breaks are offered between segments. All tests are multiple choice. Calculators may be used.
- Grade 3 tests include two 25-minute reading segments, one 30-minute language segment, a 10-minute and a 30-minute math segment. Third graders are tested in a separate group.
- Grade 4 through 12 tests include two 55-minute reading/language segments, plus a 15-minute and a 40-minute math segment. Grades 4 through 12 can be tested in a single group.
Make sure the learner has a good night’s sleep before testing, and eats a good breakfast.
Group testing sessions begin at 10:30am. Testers should arrive between 10:00 and 10:15am. (Do not be late!) Things to bring:
- Two #2 pencils (we’ll have extras)
- A small calculator. (Not a phone, not a scientific calculator) (we’ll have extras)
- Something to drink – preferably plain water – in a container with a secure lid.
- A nut-free snack.
- A book to read if the tester finishes a section before other testers, or during breaks.
Children who are disruptive in group sessions or cannot follow testing instructions will be asked to leave. (Parents will be called for pickup.) There will be no refund of testing fees.
Getting Ready to Test
There is no particular prep needed for these tests, since they are simply measuring the skills your child has in the areas of reading, language mechanics, and math, but here are a couple of resources if you feel like your learner would benefit from the practice or get familiar with the format of the questions. We do not encourage extensive test preparation — it adds unnecessary stress for the test taker.
TestingMom Website maintains TerraNova Practice Tests
Spectrum Workbooks align with TerraNova (mostly)
Grade 3 tests are answered directly in the test booklet. Grades 4 through 12 use bubble sheets to record their answers. For practice in filling out the bubble sheets, there are some printable practice sheets available at these pages. (Note: these are not the TerraNova tests, but the content is very similar.) If your child has not taken a paper test with bubble sheets before, it is recommended that they practice with these sheets.