View Placement Test Results

When your children begin to use CARS & STARS Online, the first thing they must do is complete the Placement Test. This will determine each child's reading level so that you will be able to place them into the right reading level.

Once each child has completed the placement test, a recommended reading level will be assigned to them within the Recommendation column. The result displayed in the Status column is based on a child's results from their starting level to their finishing level, and will indicate whether a child has Maintained, Struggled or Excelled in the placement tests.

If a child achieves less than a 50% correct response rate on the placement test, the Placement Centre will recommend that they continue to move down one placement level until a suitable reading level is reached. If a child achieves between a 50% to 90% correct response rate, they will be placed at the current placement level. If a child performs exceedingly well and achieves more than 90% correct response rate, the child will continue to move up one placement level until a suitable reading level is achieved. As defined by the Placement Centre, a child's suitable reading level will be reached when they achieve a 50% to 90% correct response rate.

Under View Placement Test Results, beside each child name you will see: Date Tested, Starting Level & Percentage, Finishing Level & Percentage, Status and Recommendation. The child's status will be briefly described as follows (detailed explanations can be found under How to Read the Placement Table below):

• IN PROGRESS – The child is still currently working on the placement test(s). The placement test results may be inconclusive at this point and will require the children to take additional placement tests to determine their suitable reading level.
• EXCELLED – The child has completed the placement test(s) and it is recommended that they proceed at a higher reading level than their starting level.
• MAINTAINED – The child has completed the placement test(s) and it is recommended that they proceed at the same reading level as their starting level.
• STRUGGLED – The child has completed the placement test(s) and it is recommended that they proceed at a lower reading level than their starting level.
• REASSIGNED – The parent has reassigned the child's reading level.

How to Read the Placement Table

Please refer to the image below, which displays the Placement results after four children have completed their placement tests.

The columns contain the following information.

Name - the name of the child who completed the placement test. You may click on the name of the child to find out all the placement test attempts by the child over the years.

Date Tested – the date when the child completed the last placement test.

Starting Level & Percentage – Starting Level indicates the initial reading level at which the child began their placement test, and Percentage indicates the number of correct responses they gave in percentage (%) format. How to determine a child's Starting Level will depend on the parent's awareness of a child's reading ability. The Percentage value will determine whether the child is required to take another placement test at a lower or higher reading level, or remain on the same level.

Finishing Level & Percentage – Finishing Level indicates the last reading level at which the child completed their placement test, and the Percentage indicates the number of correct responses in percentage (%) format. 

The placement test attempts, Starting Level & Percentage and Finishing Level & Percentage will determine each child's Status while undertaking placement test(s), and generate a Recommendation regarding their reading level.

Timing – For children who have taken the Placement Test after 12 May 2020, the Timing column will display how long the child spent completing the test.

Status – the child's performance after having completed the placement test(s). The final statuses will be Excelled, Maintained or Struggled. These statuses do not require additional placement tests. In Progress indicates that additional placement testing is required to determine the child's suitable reading level. 

Recommendation – the recommended reading level for the child.

The following is a breakdown of the child's status and its corresponding detailed descriptions:

• IN PROGRESS – The child is still currently working on the placement tests. The placement test results may be inconclusive at this point and will require the child to take additional placement tests to determine their suitable reading level. 
• EXCELLED – The child has completed the placement test at their starting level and has achieved a 90% or more correct response rate. The child should attempt to take placement tests at a higher reading level until their suitable reading level is achieved. The EXCELLED status appears when the recommended reading level is higher than the child's starting level.
• MAINTAINED – The child has completed the placement test at their starting level and has achieved a 50% to 90% correct response rate. Or the child had excelled at their starting level, but has struggled with the higher-level placement test, and so their recommended reading level should remain the same as their starting level. The MAINTAINED status appears when the recommended reading level is the same as the child's starting level.
• STRUGGLED – The child has completed the placement test and experienced difficulties at their starting reading level, i.e. the child achieved less than a 50% correct response rate. The child should attempt to take placement tests at a lower reading level until their suitable reading level is achieved. The STRUGGLED status appears when the recommended reading level is lower than the child's starting level.
• REASSIGNED – The parent has reassigned the child's reading level.

For more information on the duration of the placement tests, click here.

For more information on controlling the Placement Test Settings, click here.

For more information on changing the child's recommended placement level, click here.