MAP or Measures of Academic Progress test is a computer-based exam conducted by the NWEA, a non-profit organization. The NWEA aims to support students and educators worldwide to create accurate assessments that measure the test-taker’s growth and proficiency.
Despite the pandemic in 2020, nearly 4.4 million American students from grades 3-8 appeared for the exam. If you’re also planning to appear for the MAP test, you should get familiarized with some of the basics of the paper.
This article will guide you through some of the most frequently asked questions.
- What subjects are tested in the MAP test?
In the NWEA MAP test, students are tested for core subjects like Mathematics, Language Usage, Reading Skills, and Science.
- What is the purpose of taking the MAP test?
The MAP test is taken by school students all over the US. Since it is an adaptive test, the MAP test scores are put together with other data, and then an accurate report is created for you.
The test results help teachers to identify each student’s strengths and progress throughout the year. Teachers can even link the MAP software to their teaching devices to plan their curriculum effectively.
- What is the duration of the test?
The best thing about the MAP test is that it is not timed. But on average, a student takes about 1-1.5 hours in the higher-level exam, while the primary-grade MAP test can be completed in 30 minutes or so.
- Why should the MAP test be prioritized over other tests?
As mentioned earlier, the MAP test is an adaptive test that aims to understand a student’s grasp of core subjects. MAP test results are available within 48 hours of completing the test, whereas other exams take nearly a month (or even more) to publish.
Difficulty level of each question is based on how well a student manages to answer the previous question. Optimally, a student can answer about half the questions correctly.
Also read: Role of Critical Thinking and Problem solving in Education
- What is MPG?
MPG stands for MAP for Primary Grades. This is the most basic level of the MAP test, where the questions are set according to the comfort of primary school learners. For example, the computer will automatically play audio instructions to the test taker to make it easier for children who have just started to learn how to read.
- When is the test conducted?
Another great advantage of the MAP test is that it is conducted multiple times a year. Students from grades 1 to 8 are assessed either at the beginning of the school year (Fall), in the middle of the year (Winter), or at the end of the school year (Spring).
- What are some of the common terms needed to know for the test?
If you want to understand your MAP test scores well, you need to know some of the common terms used here:
District average: This is the average score for all the students taking the MAP from the same grade of a particular school district.
Percentile range: The percentile is the score used to compare how well you have performed as compared to other students. For example, a 60 percentile indicates that you have performed as well as, or better than, 60 percent of the students who have appeared for the test.
RIT: NWEA uses a scale known as RIT to measure a student’s achievement and growth. RIT stands for Rasch unit, a scale developed to simplify the obtained scores in the MAP test. The RIT score in each area can be added to calculate the total score
- How many MAP test levels are there?
The MAP test can be taken by students in grades kindergarten (level K) to 9 (level 9). For each level, the number of questions in each section is different.
