TerraNova Test – Overview
What is the TerraNova?
The TerraNova Test is an achievement test commonly given to students in grades K-12 that measures achievement in reading, language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, vocabulary, spelling, and other areas. CTB/McGraw-Hill publishes the TerraNova Test and has set the bar for the highest standards in research, item reliability and validity, and technical quality.
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What Parents Need to Know
Help your child become familiar with the skills and question types found on the TerraNova test. TestingMom.com offers TerraNova practice questions organized by grade level and skill area, giving children opportunities to practice important reading, language, math, science, and social studies skills.
TestingMom members also receive access to additional learning resources, educational games, parent resources, and our Family Success Team to help answer questions along the way.
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What Is the TerraNova Test?
The TerraNova, Third Edition (TerraNova3) is a nationally norm-referenced achievement assessment published by Data Recognition Corporation (DRC). It measures students’ academic achievement and helps schools understand how students are performing in key academic areas.
TerraNova3 uses 2017 national norms (NOT a typo!), allowing educators to compare a student’s achievement with that of students in the national norm group.
Depending on the test level and version selected by a school, TerraNova assessments may measure achievement in areas such as:
- Reading
- Language
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Studies
Schools and educational organizations determine which TerraNova assessments and subject areas they administer, so your child’s testing experience may not include every subject listed above.
What Does the TerraNova Test Measure?
TerraNova is an achievement test, which means it measures academic knowledge and skills rather than intelligence or IQ. Questions may require students to recall information, apply skills, interpret information, solve problems, and use reasoning.
Results can help educators identify academic strengths and areas where a student may benefit from additional instruction or enrichment.
TerraNova Complete Battery
The TerraNova Complete Battery provides a broad assessment of academic achievement. Depending on the level and format administered, it can provide norm-referenced achievement information across multiple academic areas.
Schools may use the results to evaluate student performance, identify strengths and learning needs, and monitor academic achievement.
What Subjects Are on the TerraNova Test?
The exact content varies by test level and the assessments the school selects. In general, TerraNova academic testing may include the following areas:
Reading
Students may encounter skills involving:
- Reading comprehension
- Understanding important details
- Analyzing text
- Vocabulary and meaning
- Making inferences
- Evaluating and extending meaning
- Reading strategies
Language
Language questions may assess skills such as:
- Sentence structure
- Grammar and usage
- Writing strategies
- Editing
- Language conventions
Mathematics
Mathematics may include:
- Number concepts and relationships
- Computation
- Estimation
- Operations
- Measurement
- Geometry and spatial reasoning
- Data analysis
- Statistics and probability
- Patterns and algebraic thinking
- Mathematical problem solving and reasoning
Science
Depending on the assessment administered, science may include topics such as:
- Scientific inquiry
- Physical science
- Life science
- Earth and space science
- Science and technology
- Applying scientific information and reasoning
Social Studies
Social studies may include:
- Geography
- History and culture
- Civics and government
- Economics
- Interpreting maps, charts, graphs, and other sources of information
How Can My Child Prepare for the TerraNova Test?
Because TerraNova measures academic achievement, one of the best ways to prepare is to make sure your child has a strong foundation in the skills taught at their grade level.
Practice can also help children become comfortable answering standardized-test-style questions, following directions, working independently, and applying what they know to unfamiliar problems.
TestingMom provides grade-appropriate practice that can help children strengthen academic skills while becoming more comfortable with test-style questions.
Want to help your child build confidence and familiarity before the TerraNova test? Join TestingMom.com for access to TerraNova practice and additional learning resources.
TerraNova Test FAQs
What type of test is the TerraNova?
TerraNova is a standardized, norm-referenced achievement test. It measures what students have learned in academic areas rather than IQ.
A student’s performance can be compared with the performance of students in the test’s national norm group.
What grade levels take the TerraNova test?
TerraNova assessments are designed for students across multiple grade levels. The specific TerraNova level and assessments administered depend on the school, district, or educational organization using the test.
Parents should check with their child’s school to find out exactly which TerraNova assessment and level their child will take.
Does every child take Reading, Language, Math, Science, and Social Studies?
Not necessarily. The subjects your child takes depend on the TerraNova assessment the school selects. A school may administer a broader battery of subjects or select particular assessments based on its testing goals.
Ask your child’s school for the exact name and level of the TerraNova assessment being administered before beginning test preparation.
Is TerraNova an IQ test?
No. TerraNova is primarily an achievement assessment. It measures academic skills and knowledge.
If your child is being evaluated for a gifted program, ask the school whether TerraNova is being used as an achievement measure along with a separate cognitive or ability assessment.
How long does the TerraNova test take?
Testing time varies according to the student’s level, the TerraNova assessment being administered, the subjects selected, and the school’s testing schedule.
Schools may divide testing into multiple sessions rather than administering all sections at once. Your child’s school is the best source for the testing schedule and expected testing time.
Is the TerraNova test mandatory?
That depends on the school or educational organization administering it. TerraNova is used by various public, private, religious, charter, and other educational programs, but testing requirements are determined by the organization using the assessment.
Contact your child’s school to find out whether TerraNova testing is required and how the results will be used.
How are TerraNova scores used?
Schools may use TerraNova results to:
- Measure academic achievement
- Compare performance with a national norm group
- Identify academic strengths and areas for improvement
- Help guide instruction
- Monitor student or group performance over time
- Provide additional information for academic placement or programming decisions
How scores are used ultimately depends on the policies of the school or educational organization administering the assessment.
What does a TerraNova percentile rank mean?
A National Percentile Rank (NPR) describes a student’s performance relative to students in the applicable national norm group.
For example, a National Percentile Rank of 75 does not mean the student answered 75% of the questions correctly. It means the student’s performance was as high as or higher than approximately 75% of students in the comparison group.
Interpret percentile ranks along with the other scores and information provided on the student’s score report.
When will I receive my child’s TerraNova results?
The timing of score reports varies by school, testing format, scoring process, and administration schedule. Parents should contact their child’s school to find out when results will be released and whether families will receive an individual score report.
Can my child retake the TerraNova?
The school or organization administering the TerraNova determines retesting policies. If you have concerns about your child’s performance or believe unusual circumstances affected the test results, contact the school to ask about its testing and retesting policies.
Are accommodations available for students with disabilities or special needs?
Appropriate testing accommodations may be available depending on the student’s needs, educational plan, assessment requirements, and school policies.
If your child normally receives testing accommodations through an IEP, 504 Plan, or another educational plan, contact the school before testing to discuss which accommodations will be provided during the TerraNova assessment.
Prepare for the TerraNova with TestingMom
Looking for resources to help your child approach the TerraNova with greater confidence? TestingMom.com provides:
- TerraNova practice questions organized by grade level and skill area.
- Targeted academic practice in areas such as reading, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
- Interactive educational games and learning activities that make skill-building more engaging.
- A Family Success Team to help parents navigate TestingMom resources and find appropriate practice.
- Practice for many popular Pre-K through 8th-grade assessments, including gifted and talented testing, school admissions assessments, achievement tests, and state assessments.
- Parent resources to help families better understand testing and support their children’s preparation.
The goal isn’t simply for children to memorize answers. Effective preparation helps students strengthen underlying academic and reasoning skills while becoming more confident and comfortable with the types of questions they may encounter on test day.
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23 Responses
I want to learn more
Our daughter will be going into the 6th grade in August 2022. Her school gives the Terranova test every March. We are told that area high schools will look at the 6th-8th grade Terranova tests so I’m looking for. Way to get her ready. She always scored in the top 10% on March but recent years showed a little slip in her verbal/reading scores (We suspect lack of focus but want her to get better prepared for when it comes times for the March 2023 tests.). Our daughter is heavily involved with volleyball, travel softball, and other school activities so I wanted to first get a sense of what is the recommended weekly time commitment she would need if she started your programs this summer. So if you can give me a sense of that and any other info on your Terranova test prep I’d greatly appreciate it . Regards, Rob G
Do you have information on the new TerraNova test called TerraNova Next?
I may be inclined to enlist your help if you knew how to spell practice.?
PHENOMINAL!
Support services, aide at elementary school looking for ways to improve our scores and test taking over all.
i would like additional information for my 8th grader who needs to test for the state of Pennsylvania. Is this test acceptable for the state of PA? how much does the test cost?
thank you
I have logged in to try the 100 free questions and cannot access any free questions. Please help.
Athena Figueroa
figueroa.athenam@gmail.com
I am writing regard a non public school, Yeshiva Birchas Shmuel, located in Bklyn., NY. We tried to apply for Title 1 services and were told that the students nominated need to have been Tested with an authorized test. Can you assist me so that we can test this week or next week. Thank you. We have 2 seventh graders and 5 eight graders who are in need of testing.
What kinds of skills does the Language Mechanics section cover at the 8th grade level? Can you break it down for me?
What are graphic strategies in the 3rd grade Terranova?
how do I become a member and get study material for my 8th grader? What is a IQ game? Do u have that for 8th graders.
I am a parent of a second grader who just took these tests in Spring of 2018. Where online can I find out comprehensive info on Terra Nova Testing as a whole? I was told second grade does not take the same CSI portion as the other grades? It would be great as a parent for either McGraw-Hill or the school district to be able to provide parents a detailed understanding by grade so we can keep track of our children’s progress.
It was a good practice test