How do I schedule and administer the Free Reading Assessment?

The Free Reading Assessment is a standalone, one-time test that measures students’ reading comprehension. In this article, we will cover how to:

1. Schedule the assessment
2. Prepare for testing
3. Administer the assessment

Schedule the assessment

You can schedule the Free Reading Assessment for grades 3-12. To do so, click Free Reading Assessment (the gauge) in the menu on the left. Alternatively, from the Home page, click the Free Reading Assessment tile.

From the Free Reading Assessment page, you can preview a sample 6th grade assessment before scheduling the assessment. Once you are ready to schedule the assessment:

1. Click the Schedule button
2. Choose the class(es) you'd like to assign the assessment
3. Select the assessment grade level(s) that matches students’ grade level(s) in school
   1. If all students have the same grade level on their account, and this matches the grade level of the class, the grade of the assessment will be auto-selected
   2. If you have a mixed-grade class, choose "Assign by student grade level" to give students different grade level assessments within the same class
   3. If all students should take the same grade level assessment, choose "Assign X Grade to ALL Students"
4. Set the test start date for each class
5. Click Schedule

Please note, if you choose a test date in the future, your students will not see or be able to complete their assessment until the test date arrives.

Prepare for testing

There are steps you can take between scheduling and administering the Free Reading Assessment to help ensure the best results.

Plan ahead for ideal test conditions

• Develop a plan for providing universal accessibility supports and testing accommodations for students who require them. (Note: Read Aloud is now available in assessments. Follow the instructions to enable Read Aloud for specific students.)
• Prepare to provide a quiet testing environment for the day of testing.
• Ensure students will have adequate time to complete their tests. Most students complete the test in 50-60 minutes.
• Plan to prevent cheating during testing, including by setting up the classroom for active monitoring during testing and reviewing academic honesty expectations with students.
• Encourage student motivation by helping students understand the purpose of the test and avoiding administering the test during low-motivation or distracting times of the day or year.

🆕 Enable Read Aloud

Read Aloud accommodations are available on the Free Reading Assessment. Read Aloud is enabled at the individual student level and must be enabled before the student begins the assessment. This feature is for students whose IEP or 504 plan includes this accommodation. Once the assessment is scheduled, follow the steps below to enable Read Aloud for specific students:

1. Click Free Reading Assessment (the gauge) in the menu on the left
2. Select the Student Status tab
3. Check the "Enable Read Aloud" box in the Read Aloud column for any student whose IEP or 504 plan includes this accommodations

If you need to disable Read Aloud for a student, you can do so before the student begins the assessment by unchecking the box.

Complete last minute checks & troubleshooting

• Confirm that the correct grade-level test has been assigned to the correct students on the Student Status page
• Check the scheduled start date listed for the assessment in the Assessment Series tab of the Classes and Assignments page to confirm it is correct
• Ensure that students’ devices, software, and browsers are up to date
• Check that all students have their CommonLit usernames and passwords (if they do not log in via Google or Clever)
• Check that all devices are charged and connected to the Internet

Administer the assessment

It is best for students to complete their assessment in one sitting and with minimal distractions. Most students complete the test in 50-60 minutes.

Start by providing clear directions for students before they begin testing. Remind students they should not receive any outside help or support from teachers, parents, tutors, peers, or online sources. The purpose of the test is to assess their abilities, not anyone else's, to better inform your instruction.

As students complete their assessment, be sure to:

• Monitor students’ progress to ensure that they are on task.
• Answer students’ questions about CommonLit’s platform, but not about test content.

🔒 If for any reason students are not able to complete the assessment in one sitting, you can lock students' assessments from the Student Status page to prevent them from working on the assessment outside of class.