Placement tests
A quick way to find where to begin in a program. It is a publisher's tool, not a state test.
A placement test tells you which level of a curriculum fits your child. It is a publisher's tool, not a state test. All About Learning Press offers free placement tests for its reading levels 1 to 4, its spelling program and its math readiness levels, plus a pre-reading checklist. Most curriculum publishers have their own; look on the program's site.
Checked October 29, 2026.
How to use one
- Take it in a quiet moment with no pressure.
- Start at the level it suggests, or one lower if your child is unsure.
- After two weeks, move up if it is too easy or back if it is hard.
A free example
All About Learning Press lists free placement tests for All About Reading (levels 1 to 4), All About Spelling and All About Math, and a pre-reading readiness checklist. Level numbers do not match grade numbers.
Without a publisher test
Have your child read a short passage aloud and do a few problems from the previous grade. Where it stops being easy is where to start.
Sources
- All About Learning Press: free placement tests (checked October 29, 2026)