Primary school attendees, typically comprised of grades kindergarten through eight, take standardized general skills tests, such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. This test broadly measures what they have learned. Achievement is also measured through the distribution of report cards each quarter or semester.
High school students generally take the SAT general test or the ACT general test to apply for admission to undergraduate university study. The SAT also offers subject tests, which define an individual's prowess in a specific area of study. For advanced students, Advanced Placement (AP) tests are offered. These highly specialized concentration tests are usually given at the end of a yearlong course. They are scored on a scale of 1-5. AP tests offer high school students the opportunity to gain college credit, allowing them to skip preliminary classes in college.
Most colleges record every student GPA, and the final GPA is used to measure the success of your undergraduate career. To advance to graduate school, a variety of tests prove the skills learned at the university level. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is the most common, along with the LSAT exam for law school.