Testing & Assessments
Prince George Testing Calendars
Thank you for visiting the Prince George County Public Schools (PGCPS) Testing & Assessments page. View assessments being administered throughout PGCPS during the 2026-2027 school year by opening the desired calendar below or by downloading the 2026-2027 PGCPS Division & Benchmark Testing Calendar (coming soon).
Please contact the district's Coordinator of Testing and Accountability, Wade Kliebenstein, by phone at (804) 733-2700 or by email at wkliebenstein@pgs.k12.va.us if you have questions about any information on this page.
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Assessment Grade Level(s)/Student Group(s) Testing Window^ STAR Reading & Math – Fall Grades 1-5 August 24 – September 18, 2026 VALLSS – Fall Grades 1-8* September 8 – September 28, 2026 VKRP – Fall Pre-K & Kindergarten September 21 – October 2, 2026 VALLSS – Fall Pre-K & Kindergarten October 5 – October 23, 2026 Gifted Testing – Fall Elementary & Secondary October 5 – October 30, 2026 PSAT (Weekend) 10th Grade (Voluntary) October 17, 2026 SAT/PSAT (School Day) Grades 10-12 (Voluntary) TBD SOL Writing – Fall 11th Grade October 26 – November 13, 2026 Term Grad (First Attempt) October 26 – November 6, 2026 Term Grad (Retake) November 16 – December 11, 2026 CogAT 2nd Grade January 2027 STAR Reading & Math – Mid-Year Grades 1-5 January 4 – 29, 2027 VALLSS – Mid-Year Grades 1-8* January 5 – January 27, 2027 SOL Non-Writing – Fall Grades 9-12 January 6 – January 20, 2027 ACCESS for ELLS Grades K-12 February 1 – February 26, 2027 Gifted Testing – Spring Elementary & Secondary February 22 – March 19, 2027 SOL Writing – Spring 11th Grade March 1 – March 26, 2027 Term Grad (First Attempt) March 1 – March 12, 2027 Term Grad (Retake) April 5 – April 23, 2027 VKRP – End-of-Year Pre-K & Kindergarten April 12 – April 23, 2027 VAAP Testing Grades 3-8 & 11 April 12 – April 30, 2027 VALLSS – End-of-Year Grades 1-2 April 19 – May 7, 2027 Pre-K & Kindergarten April 26 – May 14, 2027 SOL Integrated Reading & Writing (IRW) Grades 5 & 8 April 26 – May 14, 2027 Advanced Placement Grades 10-12 May 3 – May 14, 2027 STAR Reading & Math – End-of-Year Grades 1-5 May 3 – May 28, 2027 SOL Non-Writing – Spring Grades 3-6 May 3 – May 28, 2027 Grades 7-12 May 20 – June 3, 2027 SOL Non-Writing – Summer Grades 9-12 June 28 – July 1, 2027 *Not all students in all grades will be assessed.
^Dates represent the division testing window. Contact your child’s school for specific testing dates.
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Course Schedule Quarter 1^ Quarter 2/Mid-Year^ Quarter 3^ Semester 1 September 21-25, 2026 October 21-28, 2026 December 2-9, 2026 Semester 2 February 22-26, 2027 March 22-26, 2027 April 28-May 5, 2027 Year-Long October 19-30, 2026 January 19-29, 2027 March 22-April 9, 2027 ^Dates represent the division testing window. Contact your child’s school for specific testing dates.
Assessments Administered in Prince George
Assessments help students, families, and educators better understand academic progress and learning needs. Throughout the school year, Prince George County Public Schools administers a range of assessments that provide important information about student achievement and support informed instructional decisions.
This section provides an overview of the assessments administered in Prince George County Public Schools, along with resources and information to help students and families prepare for testing.
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The Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) set the minimum expectations for what children should know and be able to do at the end of each course. The assessments at the end of SOL-tested courses measure the success of students in meeting the minimum expectations in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. SOL assessments are administered in various courses between a student's 3rd and 12th grade year. Each year, the Virginia Department of Education publishes School Quality Profiles for each district and school in the state.
More information can be found on the VDOE’s Virginia SOL Assessment Program webpage.
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The Virginia Alternative Assessment Program (VAAP) is designed to assess achievement of students with significant cognitive disabilities. In the past, the VAAP assessments have centered around a year-long collection of evidence that shows student achievement. Students participating in the VAAP assessments will now be administered an online assessment in math, reading, and science. Students in grades 3-8 who are participating in the VAAP are administered a VAAP assessment that is equivalent to the SOL assessment being administered to students of the same grade level. However, students in grades 9-12 who are participating in the VAAP are only assessed once each in the content areas of math, reading, and science. You can find more information about the new VAAP assessments by watching the 2022 VAAP Parent Video.
More information can be found on the VDOE’s Virginia Alternate Assessment Program webpage.
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The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation in 2014 that eliminated the following SOL tests:
- Grade 3 History
- Grade 3 Science
- Grade 5 Writing
- United States History to 1865
- United States History: 1865 to the Present
While the SOL tests were eliminated, the legislation requires that each division assess students using locally created alternative assessments. Within these local alternative assessments, teachers will incorporate performance assessments. Performance assessments allow students to demonstrate the five C's outlined in the Profile of a Virginia Graduate by completing a task or creating a product that transfers classroom learning to real-world applications.
More information can be found on the VDOE's Performance Assessments and Local Alternative Assessments webpage.
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The Virginia Language & Literacy Screening System (VALLSS) assessment is the state-provided screening tool for Virginia's Early Intervention Reading Initiative (EIRI). The purpose of the EIRI is to reduce the number of children with reading problems through early diagnosis and immediate intervention. By screening K-3 students, PGCPS identifies struggling readers and receives incentive funds for intervention. All students not meeting the Entry Level benchmark for their grade level must receive intervention services in addition to their regular classroom instruction.
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The Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP) is a statewide initiative focused on building a more comprehensive understanding of school readiness and success. The VKRP is a multi-dimensional measure that partners with VALLSS to also include a focus on mathematics, social skills, and self-regulation.
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The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) allows educators to gain insights into students' abilities and opens a whole new realm of possibilities. Teachers can tailor instruction to match how students learn, consider students for enrichment programs that pique their interest and challenge their thinking, and uncover gaps between student achievement and ability.
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Star Reading and Star Math tests help educators foresee which students are on track to perform well on state summative assessments, giving teachers the information they need to intervene early and help get all students on track for success.
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WIDA ACCESS is the collective name for WIDA's suite of summative English proficiency assessments. The WIDA ACCESS test is taken anually by English language learners in Kindergarten through Grade 12.
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While enrolled in PGCPS, many high school students take advantage of opportunities to earn industry certifications in various fields. They do so by passing an industry-recognized assessment after completing a sequence of courses throughout their time at Prince George High School. Contact your counselor to learn more about these opportunities.