The North Carolina Read to Achieve Test is linked to the Read to Achieve Program and is aligned to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS) for English Language Arts, adopted by the North Carolina State Board of Education in June 2017. 

North Carolina General Statute §115C-83.7(a) states that the North Carolina State Board of Education (SBE) “shall require that a student be retained in the third grade if the student fails to demonstrate reading proficiency appropriate for a third grade student, as demonstrated on a State-approved standardized test of reading comprehension administered to third grade students” (i.e., end-of-grade [EOG] test). “The test may be re-administered once prior to the end of the school year.” Students may, however, be exempt from mandatory retention in third grade for good cause by demonstrating reading proficiency appropriate for third-grade students on an alternative assessment approved by the SBE. The Read to Achieve Test is a valid and reliable standardized alternative assessment of reading comprehension that has been approved for good cause by the SBE. 

Students who score Achievement Level 3 or higher on the Read to Achieve Test demonstrate reading proficiency appropriate for third-grade students, which satisfies the requirements of the Read to Achieve legislation. 

For more information, visit https://www.dpi.nc.gov/documents/accountability/testing/readtoachieve/read-achieve-test-grade-3-test-specifications