Disclosure. Some links on this page are affiliate links. Every Homeschool may earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. Editorial picks are not influenced by commissions; see how we make money.
Key takeaways
- 01Placement is by level, not grade. Most skill-based programs place a student into a level that may sit above or below the student’s school-grade label. All About Spelling and Singapore Math both state this directly on their placement pages (retrieved June 2026).
- 02When switching curricula, test into the new program. A child finishing “grade 4” in one publisher may place a level lower in another, because scope and sequence differ. Singapore Math calls beginning at an earlier level “common and perfectly acceptable” for transferring students (retrieved June 2026).
- 03Where the publisher says so, place lower for confidence. Christian Light recommends beginning testing below grade level, and All About Spelling advises that struggling spellers of any age start at Level 1 (retrieved June 2026). This is publisher guidance, not a universal rule.
- 04Most placement tests are free. Nearly every test below is a free PDF download or a free online tool on the publisher’s site. A few diagnostic teacher’s manuals are sold separately.
How to use a placement test when switching curricula
A placement test answers one question: where, inside this specific program, should this specific student begin. It does not certify a grade level, and it does not transfer between publishers. The most common mistake families make when changing programs is assuming the new curriculum’s “grade 3” matches the old curriculum’s “grade 3.” Scope and sequence vary, so the only reliable method is to test into the new program directly.
Several publishers state this in their own words. Singapore Math notes that “the placement test is not the only factor in deciding where to place students” and that beginning at an earlier grade level is “common and perfectly acceptable” for students transferring from another program (retrieved June 2026). Houghton Mifflin Harcourtdescribes Saxon as a skill-level rather than grade-level program, so the placement test, not the student’s age, sets the starting book (retrieved June 2026).
On the question of placing lower when in doubt, follow the publisher’s own guidance rather than a blanket rule. Christian Light tells families to begin testing below grade level and continue upward until the student can no longer score high enough to advance (retrieved June 2026). All About Spelling directs struggling spellers of any age to start at Level 1 to close gaps (retrieved June 2026). Other programs, including Teaching Textbooks, push the opposite way: a student scoring just under the threshold is “almost assuredly ready” for the higher level (retrieved June 2026). Read the instructions on each test before deciding.
Math
| Program | Direct link | Format | Free | How the publisher says to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math-U-See | placement.mathusee.com | Online interactive tool (plus printable pretest) | Yes | Yes/no questions and sample problems point to a level; the printable version uses an 80–89% mastery score to advance (scoring guide). |
| Saxon Math | hmhco.com Saxon placement | Downloadable PDFs (K–3, middle grades, upper grades/algebra) | Yes | Saxon is skill-level, not grade-level; the test sets the starting book regardless of age. |
| Teaching Textbooks | teachingtextbooks.com/placement | Downloadable PDFs (Math 3 through Pre-Calculus) | Yes | If unsure, take two tests starting with the higher level; a student just under the score is almost certainly ready for that level. |
| CTCMath | ctcmath.com diagnostic guides | Online diagnostic tests inside the program (short/standard/comprehensive) | Free with subscription | Diagnostics flag what a student knows or needs; the parent reviews results and chooses the placement (no automatic grade assignment). |
| Singapore Math | singaporemath.com placement tests | Downloadable PDFs (Dimensions Math, Primary Mathematics) | Yes | Untimed; allow about an hour per test; consider how the student worked the problems, not the score alone. |
| RightStart Mathematics | rightstartmath.com/placement | Online placement test | Yes | Works through the levels to identify the best starting point for the AL Abacus sequence. |
| Math Mammoth | mathmammoth.com placement tests | Downloadable PDFs (grades 1–8, end-of-year format) | Yes | Untimed to reduce stress; groups questions by topic so gaps are visible; the author invites families to send results when in doubt. |
| Horizons (Alpha Omega) | aop.com assessment and placement | Downloadable PDF readiness evaluations (grades 1–6, Pre-Algebra, Algebra I) | Yes | Each readiness evaluation includes scoring and re-teaching guidance for weak areas; grade 1 is administered orally. |
| Beast Academy (AoPS) | beastacademy.com placement tests | Downloadable PDFs (a pretest for each unit A–D per level) | Yes | Choose a level primarily by age, then use the unit pretests to confirm the right starting point. |
| Art of Problem Solving | artofproblemsolving.com choosing a course | “Are You Ready?” pretests and “Do You Need This?” posttests (PDFs on each course page) | Yes | “Are You Ready?” checks prerequisites for a course; “Do You Need This?” checks whether the student has already mastered it. |
| BJU Press | bjupresshomeschool.com testing | Downloadable PDF math placement tests (upper elementary) | Yes | Scores show how well a student understands a textbook’s concepts; a good score means ready for the next grade, not ready to skip one. |
| Life of Fred | stanleyschmidt.com questions page | Guidance page plus short placement questions for upper-elementary and algebra books | Yes | Elementary readers start at Apples and proceed in order; short placement questions decide readiness for Fractions and the pre-algebra/algebra books. |
Reading, spelling, and language arts
| Program | Direct link | Format | Free | How the publisher says to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All About Reading | allaboutlearningpress.com reading placement | Online placement tests (Levels 1–4) | Yes | Worked through with the student, not independently, to find the matching reading level. |
| All About Spelling | allaboutlearningpress.com spelling placement | Online placement test | Yes | Mastery-based, not grade-based; most students begin at Level 1, and struggling spellers of any age start at Level 1 to avoid gaps. |
| Logic of English | logicofenglish.com Foundations resources | Downloadable PDF assessments (Foundations and Essentials) | Yes | The “Starting at B” assessment decides between Foundations A and B; Essentials includes a placement test for level and pre-lessons. |
| IEW (Phonetic Zoo spelling) | iew.com spelling placement test | Placement test for the Phonetic Zoo spelling program | Yes | Determines the starting Phonetic Zoo level for the student. |
| IEW (Structure and Style writing) | iew.com curriculum pathway | Guidance chart (no formal test for Structure and Style) | Yes | Level A suits families new to IEW with students reading at a 3rd–5th grade level; the pathway chart guides selection by need. |
| IEW Fix It! Grammar | iew.com Fix It! Grammar info | Information and placement guidance for the 6-book sequence | Yes | Students with little or no grammar background begin at Level 1 (Nose Tree) regardless of age. |
| Christian Light | christianlight.org diagnostic tests | Downloadable PDF diagnostics (Math and Language Arts, levels 100–400 and 500–800) | Tests free; teacher’s manuals sold separately | Begin testing below grade level and continue upward until the student scores too low to advance; that level sets placement. |
Latin and classical
| Program | Direct link | Format | Free | How the publisher says to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memoria Press (Latin) | memoriapress.com which Latin program | Guidance article (no single graded placement test) | Yes | Walks families from Prima Latina through First Form based on age and readiness rather than a single placement score. |
| Memoria Press (Simply Classical) | memoriapress.com Simply Classical placement | Online placement tool for the special-needs line | Yes | Helps place a student into the Simply Classical levels (A through 3) by readiness. |
Complete programs and level-choosers
| Program | Direct link | Format | Free | How the publisher says to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonlight | sonlight.com curriculum builder | Online level browser and SmoothCourse builder (placement tests offered as needed) | Yes | Browse by level and build a package; advisors and placement tests help confirm the right level for each student. |
| BookShark | bookshark.com choosing guide | Online level chart by age plus a Quick Reading Assessment for reader level | Yes | Pick a level using the age chart; if unsure, choose the middle level for the child’s age, then set reader level with the reading assessment. |
| Accelerated Christian Education | aceschooloftomorrow.com testing materials | Free online diagnostic (registration) plus printed diagnostic tests | Online diagnostic free; printed sets sold | Diagnostic testing places a student at performance level per subject; gap PACEs are prescribed for weak areas before the student proceeds. |
Publishers without a placement test
A few well-known publishers do not publish a placement test, and this directory does not invent one for them. Abeka directs families to its Scope & Sequence to judge grade fit rather than to a placement test, and its standardized testing line is a separate product (Abeka on standardized testing, retrieved June 2026). Shurley English is organized by grade-numbered levels and does not offer a separate placement test on its site (shurley.com homeschool, retrieved June 2026). Rod and Staff sells grade-leveled material without a published placement test; families typically match by grade and review samples (rodandstaffbooks.com, retrieved June 2026).
Links on this page were checked in June 2026. Publisher pages move; if a link no longer resolves, the publisher’s support or curriculum-help page is the next place to look. Report a broken link to editor@everyhomeschool.com.
Every Monday
A new dispatch, published here.
Curriculum reviews, ESA changes, state-law updates, and plain-English coverage of the research that matters. Reader-supported. Always open. No paywall, no email list.