Once every year, multilingual students take a test to show that they know and understand English. This test has about three sections, and each of the tests typically take two or three hours. The first of the three tests took place on Tuesday, Jan 17. It started at the beginning of first period, 7:45 a.m. Access testing took about four days to complete this year, spanning from Jan. 17 to 20. 

In the reading test, students use details from a short text to answer multiple-choice questions. The test helps staff to determine students’ reading levels, if they will do well in more advanced classes, and if students need any additional help. 

The writing test asks students to write short constructed paragraphs and short essays. Students gather details from a given text and answer questions. In order to pass, students must use correct punctuation and spelling. They must also correctly process the information they read, which is shown in how students refer to the text to answer the questions.

The listening test is where students listen to someone speak or read (usually from a specific text) and write down what they hear. They also answer basic questions based on what they heard. The purpose of the listening test is to determine if multilingual students fully understand what speakers are saying or if they need support with understanding what is being said in English.

The final test is the speaking test. This test requires students to answer questions and speak clearly in a microphone. The speaking test reveals if students can speak English proficiently. If they aren’t able to fully speak English, they will test again the following year for improvement.

If they pass the literacy test and receive an overall score of four or higher, they won’t be required to take the access test in the future.