Homeschool testing in North Carolina
Verified against primary sources on July 19, 2026
North Carolina requires every home school to administer a nationally standardized test each year — there is no portfolio or evaluator alternative. The flip side: you choose the test, no state office pre-approves it, and scores stay in your own records unless DNPE asks to see them.
At a glance
- Testing required
- Yes
- When
- annual
- What qualifies
- Nationally standardized test required
- Who administers
- Parent may administer if the test publisher allows.
- Results
- Kept in your records
- Score floor
- None; records retained and shown on request.
What the law says
“Nationally standardized test… measur[ing] achievement in the areas of English grammar, reading, spelling, and mathematics. DNPE: “reports scores as national percentiles, stanines and/or grade equivalents and compares student test results to a national norm.””
— N.C.G.S. § 115C-564
Your options
Annual nationally standardized test — the only route
N.C.G.S. § 115C-564 requires a nationally standardized test measuring achievement in English grammar, reading, spelling, and mathematics. DNPE expects it to report national percentiles, stanines and/or grade equivalents against a national norm. You self-certify that your chosen test meets these criteria — there is no state pre-approval, and DNPE's commonly-used list is explicitly non-exhaustive.
Parent administration — the publisher's call
You may administer the test yourself if the test publisher's rules allow parent administration. Per DNPE, an older-normed test remains acceptable provided scoring is still available.
Key dates
- Every year
- Administer a nationally standardized test covering English grammar, reading, spelling, and mathematics.
- No filing
- Scores are not submitted to the state — keep them with your school records and show them to DNPE on request.
Worth knowing
Parent self-certifies the test meets the three DNPE criteria — no state pre-approval. DNPE FAQ: older-normed tests acceptable “provided scoring is still available.” CLT on the nonexhaustive commonly-used list.
Where the Fledgemark Check fits
The Fledgemark Check is a diagnostic, not a nationally standardized test — it reports no percentiles or stanines, so it cannot be the test North Carolina requires. Families use it between annual tests to see what their child has actually mastered, then sit the required test with no surprises.