SOL Test Administration & Development

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Assessment Administration

The administration of Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments is a cooperative effort involving the VDOE and educators and administrators in the commonwealth’s 132 school divisions. Key division-level and school-level personnel include:

Division Director of Testing – The Division Director of Testing (DDOT) serves as the point of contact between the school division and VDOE. The DDOT has division-wide responsibility for implementation of SOL test procedures.
School Test Coordinator – The School Test Coordinator (STC) serves as the point of contact between the DDOT and the school. The STC is also responsible for ensuring that all procedures required for the SOL tests are implemented within the school and for maintaining the security of test materials.
Test Examiner – Test examiners are responsible for administering the SOL tests according to procedures and for maintaining the security of SOL test materials.

Virginia Assessment Program Testing Calendars

2023 – 2024 (PDF)
2022 – 2023 (PDF)

2023-2024 Fall and Winter Grades 3-8 Reading and Mathematics Growth Assessments

Growth Assessments - includes the Fall and Winter Grades 3-8 Reading and Mathematics Growth Assessments Manuals and resources

SOL Test Implementation Manuals

Test implementation manuals describe procedures that the DDOT and STC should follow before, during, and after SOL test administration.

Summer 2023 Test Implementation Manual (PDF)
Fall 2023 Test Implementation Manual (PDF)
Spring 2024 Test Implementation Manual (PDF)

Supplement to the Virginia Assessment Program Test Implementation Manuals

The Supplement to the Test Implementation Manuals provides the information the DDOT and STC must use for the management of paper testing materials for the Growth Assessments, Writing SOL tests, Non-Writing SOL tests, and Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) test administrations.

Supplement to the Virginia Assessment Program Test Implementation Manuals (PDF)

Examiner's Manuals

The Examiner’s Manuals contain the information, guidance, procedures, and responsibilities that the Test Examiners and Proctors are required to follow in order to administer the SOL tests.

These manuals also contain the testing directions for online format tests. Paper/pencil format testing directions are found in the Supplements to the Examiner’s Manuals.

Non-Writing Examiner's Manuals

2023-2024

Grades 5, 8, and End-of-Course Integrated Reading and Writing (PDF)
Grades 3, 4, & 5 (PDF)
Grades 6, 7, & 8 (PDF)
Content Specific History (PDF)
End-of-Course Reading (PDF)
End-of-Course History/Social Science (PDF)
End-of-Course Mathematics (PDF)
End-of-Course Science (PDF)

Writing Examiner's Manual

2023-2024

Writing Examiner's Manual (PDF)

Examiner’s Resource Guide

2023-2024

Examiner’s Resource Guide (PDF)

Supplements to the Writing and Non-Writing Examiner’s Manuals

The Supplements to the Examiner’s Manuals provide the testing directions that Test Examiners and Proctors must use for the administration of the paper/pencil Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments.

2023-2024

Ancillary Test Materials

Ancillary Test Materials

SOL Practice Tools

SOL Practice Items and Guided Practice Suggestions - includes SOL Writing Practice Tool

VDOE Guidelines

Approved Calculators for the Virginia Standards of Learning Assessments (Word) – This chart lists the approved calculators for use on the mathematics Standards of Learning assessments, listed by grade level.

Also see: Participation & Inclusion – includes guidelines for Read Aloud testing, limited English proficient students and students with disabilities.

Testing Irregularities (TIWAS)

The Testing Irregularity Web Application System (TIWAS) provides a method for submitting and resolving testing irregularities. Division Directors of Testing and School Test Coordinators submit information using the online system, TIWAS. Examiners should report testing irregularities immediately. Division Directors of Testing may resolve irregularities locally or submit irregularities to VDOE with 24 hours of receipt of the irregularity. All irregularities involving a retest situation should be submitted to the VDOE.

Assessment Development

SOL tests are designed to assess whether students meet specific minimum expectations for learning and achievement expressed in the Standards of Learning. Tests are developed through an extensive process of review and field testing to ensure that tests are fair and of appropriate difficulty for the grade or course.

SOL Review Committees

Virginia teachers, school administrators, and content specialists participate in the development of SOL assessments by serving on committees that review test items and forms to ensure that they measure student knowledge accurately and fairly.

More about the application process and SOL Review Committees.

SOL Test Blueprints

SOL test blueprints guide test developers as they write test questions and construct the assessments. They also provide information to educators, parents, and students, including:

Specific standards covered by the test
Number of test items in each reporting category and on the total test
Standards assigned to each reporting category

Blueprints for SOL tests are available on SOL resource tables for:

Released SOL Test Items

VDOE releases sample sets of SOL tests that were administered during a previous test administration. Released tests and items are not inclusive of all assessments administered during the previous year but are representative of the content and skills assessed. Released tests and test items are available online.

Technical Quality of the Virginia Assessment Program

Use the following links to access the United States Department of Education (USED) website with decision letters about the Virginia Assessment Program:

Please email the Office of Student Assessment to request a copy of the Virginia Standards of Learning Technical Report.