As regular readers know, I am no fan of standardized tests or extensive test prep for them, but they are a reality and I do indeed try to help my students become “test wise” (see My Best Posts On How To Prepare For Standardized Tests (And Why They’re Bad)).

As part of this effort, I’m thinking that one day in the computer lab doing self-correcting tests can’t hurt, and would be a relatively painless way of getting students a little more familiar with them, and, I hope, confident. I’m also thinking that at least some tests in different states might be relatively similar.

So I’ve begun compiling a list of sites that offer free online self-correcting practice tests for state assessments, and I’m hoping that readers can contribute a lot more. As I mentioned, the criteria include:

* being free

* being interactive and self-correcting — in other words, not a PDF of test prep questions

* ideally, no registration is required. However, if it’s a really good site, I’ll overlook that requirement.

* the questions are sample questions from previously released versions of the state tests, or modeled on them

Here are the ones I’ve come up with so far, but I’m hoping that readers can contribute far more:

SOL Practice Tests (Virginia) from the Wise County Alternative Education Center

Virginia State Standards of Learning Practice Tests — Science, Math & Technology

Elementary Test Prep For New York — Oswego School District

High School Test Prep For New York — Oswego School District

Ohio Department Of Education Practice Tests

Texas Education Agency — Released Tests–Interactive Online Versions

California State High School Exit Exam Math Practice (CAHSEE)

Online CAHSEE Practice Tests

Maryland High School Assessment Program

The New York Times Learning Network provides regular interactive “Test Yourself” questions in various subjects that can service as useful student practice for standardized tests:

English

Math

Critical Thinking

History

“editing practice”

The final site I want to include on this list is the newest. Unfortunately, it’s only available to California students (and,unfortunately, it’s recently been made unavailable to any new students — even in California — because of budget cuts) though teachers in other areas might want to explore it and potentially replicate it in their own communities. The California Community Colleges have developed a phenomenal website to specifically help English Language Learners prepare for the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE), the test that all students have to pass in order to receive a high school diploma. It’s interactive with image, text, and audio support, and is very accessible to Intermediate and Advanced English Language Learners.

I’m looking forward to more suggestions in the comment section…

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