What is MAP?
The Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test is a computer adaptive test. It is offered by the NWEA. The test measures what students have learned over the last year. It also gauges their projected growth over time. Its primary purpose is to identify students’ individual progress to allow teachers and guardians to gain a better understanding of where they are academically.
Who takes MAP?
The MAP test assesses students ranging from Grades K-12. Students are evaluated by something called RIT (Rasch Unit). RIT is a unit of measure that uses individual test question difficulty levels to gauge student achievement. It allows schools and parents to track their students’ progress over the years. Depending on the school, MAP tests will happen a few times in an academic year. Typically schools will conduct the test once in the fall and once in spring.
What subjects are offered in MAP?
As it aims to measure growth and progress, the MAP test assesses students in the following core subjects: Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, Language Usage, and Science.
Since the MAP test is computer adaptive, it provides a range of easy, medium, and more difficult questions so that it can gauge where each student stands academically. If the student does well on a question, the following question may be a little more difficult. If the student answers that question wrong, the next one will be a little easier. This shows a clearer indication of what the student struggles with and where his or her limits are in that subject.
What is MAP used for?
The MAP test is used to measure what students have learned in the past academic year. It also measures their expected growth in the next few years. The test is offered a few times per academic year in some international schools in Hong Kong. It serves as a way for parents and teachers to track their students’ progress in learning. Some international schools in Hong Kong conduct MAP tests as part of their entrance. Prospective students applying for the school will be asked to take the MAP test as part of the application. The MAP test offered for these entrance tests usually covers Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, and Language Usage.