Achievement tests are used to determine the general skill or knowledge level attained by a student (compared to his peers), regardless of grade level placement. Their purpose is to evaluate what a student has learned over a period of time. Placement tests, on the other hand, are used to help find out whether a student has sufficient knowledge to enter a particular grade level.
Between the two, the achievement test is usually the better option. We have found that most parents are more concerned with the overall aptitude of their student. They have already chosen the grade level, and are looking for an objective indicator of their student’s abilities. Therefore, Christian Liberty generally recommends the California Achievement Test (either paper or online) for their testing needs. Furthermore, because of this preference, you will find that our testing service options apply only to the CAT.
