The Criterion Referenced Test, or CRT, is given annually to students throughout their elementary, middle school and high school years. During middle-school years, the CRT test given to students is source specific. If the student is enrolled in pre-algebra, for example, she will take a pre-algebra CRT at the end of the year. The CRT-ELA is the English Language Arts CRT that is given to students in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades. The CRT Science is also given to students during their middle-school years.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the Nation's Report Card, is given to Utah middle-school students in the eighth grade. Students taking the NAEP in Utah middle schools are taking the exact same test as their corresponding counterparts across the nation. Test subjects include mathematics, reading, science, writing, arts, civics, economics, geography and U.S. history. Results from the NAEP provide educators and regulatory agencies with information on instructional experiences and the school environment for populations of students.
The Direct Writing Assessment, or DWA, is designed to test the writing skills of Utah students in the fifth through sixth grades. This is an untimed test, meaning that students are given as much time as they need to complete the test, as long as it is in a single session. This is to ensure that all students receive the same experience: no one is rushed, stressed, or forced to turn in an incomplete paper due to running out of time.
The Iowa Test of Basic Skills is a nationwide standardized test that is given to Utah middle-school students when they are in the eighth grade. It is designed to obtain information that can be used to support instructional decisions made by classroom instructors. It is also used to provide information to students and their parents about a student's educational progress and growth. Finally, it is used to examine the yearly progress of grade groups as they pass through Utah's middle-school curriculum. In Utah, the ITBS is administered to middle-school students when they are in the eighth grade.