The reading section of an achievement test encompasses knowledge of vocabulary, phonics, comprehension and other qualities associated with reading and interpretation. Some elementary achievement tests feature further detailed questions about letters and sounds. Other topics in reading achievement tests include literacy development and the ability of the student to answer questions and critically analyze reading passages using literary strategies.
The language portion focuses on the mechanics and principles of writing: grammar, sentence structure, spelling, parts of speech, punctuation and capitalization. This section may feature an actual editing test for students to determine if parts of the document are correct or need to be changed. There may also be several spelling questions featuring common misspellings to see if the student recognizes them.
Mathematics is one of the foundations of achievement tests and is a fundamental skill that every student should have. Depending upon the level of the test (elementary, secondary or beyond), topics in the math portion include: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, geometry, algebra and calculus. Other topics that may be included are statistics, probability, patterns and estimation.
The disciplines of science often featured on an achievement test include biology, earth science, geology, chemistry and physics. Students should expect objective questions that can be answered based upon memorized knowledge. Other types of scientific questions that are slightly more subjective will ask the student to make observations, recognize cause and effect, read standard instruments and draw reasonable conclusions across a wide variety of scientific topics.