South Carolina PASS Test Prep
About South Carolina’s Standardized Tests
Are your kids preparing for South Carolina’s Palmetto Assessment of State Standards? Also known as SC PASS, these South Carolina standardized tests measure the progress of students from 3rd grade to 8th grade. South Carolina PASS test results provide actionable data that will help parents, teachers, and students improve academic performance in English language arts, math, writing, science, and social studies. SC PASS testing is also used in evaluating each school’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
Time4LearningTime4Learning, an online service that teaches many of the SC PASS skills, provides this page to support your research on SC PASS and the best ways to help your kids with SC PASS practice and test prep.
SC PASS Tests for 3rd – 8th Grades
South Carolina’s Palmetto Assessment of State Standards is aligned to South Carolina State Curriculum Standards, which define what students should learn each year. The annual SC PASS tests are given as follows:
- All students in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades take the SC PASS tests in English language arts, writing, and math
- Fourth and seventh graders also take SC PASS tests in science and social studies
- Third, fifth, sixth, and eighth graders take either science or social studies SC PASS tests, with half of the students in each grade taking each test
How SC PASS Tests Are Scored
SC PASS tests measure how well students have mastered the South Carolina state standards, and report student performance in each subject using the following three levels:
Exemplary: Student demonstrated exemplary performance in meeting the grade level standard.
Met: Student met the grade level standard.
Not Met: Student did not meet the grade level standard.
Other South Carolina Standardized Tests
SC High School Assessment Program
The South Carolina High School Assessment Program (HSAP) is administered to all 9th grade students and is required for graduation. SC HSAP consists of two tests—English language arts and math—and has four achievement levels. Students must score at level 2 or higher, or retake the test(s).
SC End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP)
The South Carolina EOCEP tests are administered in Algebra 1, Math for the Technologies 2, English 1, Physical Science, and U.S. History and the Constitution. Students in public middle and high schools, as well as alternative, virtual, and home schools take the tests, which count for 20 percent of the final grade.
Additional South Carolina Assessments
South Carolina uses a balanced range of assessments to promote learning for all students. The South Carolina Alternate Assessment (SC-Alt) is designed to measure the progress of students with severe cognitive disabilities who require special accommodations. Students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) take the English Language Development Assessment (ELDA), which measures their progress in English language acquisition. Gifted and talented students are identified through South Carolina’s Project STAR performance assessments.
NAEP in South Carolina
South Carolina also participates annually in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the Nation’s Report Card, where a sampling of students (from grades 4, 8, and/or 12) are tested in several content areas as part of a nationally representative assessment of student performance.
A good resource on South Carolina state testing is the South Carolina Department of Education’s assessment webpage.
Preparing for the South Carolina PASS
For general tips on test preparation, please visit our standardized test overview page.
The real preparation for the SC PASS tests, or any standardized test, begins with your commitment to your children’s education throughout their school years. Devote time and effort to helping your children learn. Start by making sure your kids do their homework and read every day. Many families also employ tutors or an online learning program, such as Time4Learning, to build fundamental skills.
When preparing for standardized tests, students often benefit from test prep programs and books, which offer guidance and practice with test formats, time restrictions, test-taking strategies (when to guess, when not to), and different types of questions. For instance, when a reading passage is followed by comprehension questions, many test prep programs teach students to scan the questions first in order to know what areas of the passage require close reading. Time4Learning is not a test prep program, it is a program that builds the skills that will be tested.
Time4Learning is a new approach that takes advantage of today’s technology. It’s a convenient, online home education program that combines learning with fun educational teaching games.
The online language arts and math curriculum comprise a comprehensive program for preschool, elementary school, and middle school. Science and social studies programs are provided for most grades.
Kids like using the computer to learn and to develop their skills. Time4Learning’s educational teaching games give students independence as they progress at their own pace.
Parents like that it tracks progress and helps kids advance by teaching through individualized learning paths that assure mastery of the skills and concepts that makes kids succeed.
Have a child with math and language arts skills at different grade levels? No problem, just tell us in the online registration process.
Time4Learning is proven effective, has a low monthly price, and provides a money-back guarantee so you can be sure that it works for your family, risk free!
For more information and resources on South Carolina Education, visit: South Carolina Homeschooling Information
