Official Site of The State of New Jersey

All LEAs and APSSDs with eligible students are required to participate in the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments-Adaptive (NJSLA-Adaptive) and New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment-Adaptive (NJGPA-Adaptive) fall 2025 field test. Please find additional information below.

What are the dates for the fall field test?

Field testing for the Fall NJSLA-Adaptive and NJGPA-Adaptive Test is scheduled to occur from October 27 through November 14, 2025. There will be no testing on November 4, 6, 7, or 11. For your reference, this timeframe, along with the complete 2025-2026 assessment schedule, is available on the Statewide Assessment Testing Schedule 2025-2026.

Will students take an entire battery of tests during the fall field test?

No, students will be taking a sampling of items and not a complete test for any subject. Field tests are intended to sample various types of test items for future potential use and to provide New Jersey educators and students with an opportunity to become familiar with the assessments and their administration.

Does the new assessment impact the spring NJSLA-Science administration?

There will be no changes to the science assessment in the 2025-2026 school year. The “next generation” adaptive assessments being rolled out in the 2025-2026 school year are NJSLA-ELA, NJSLA-Mathematics, and NJGPA. Therefore, the NJSLA-Science will not be administered during the fall 2025 field test. The 2025-2026 NJSLA-Science schedule may be found on the Statewide Assessment Testing Schedule 2025-2026.

Will schools receive test results from the administration of the NJSLA-Adaptive and NJGPA-Adaptive field test?

Field test results are not provided to students, educators, or schools because the primary purpose of a field test is to evaluate the quality and performance of test items—not to measure student achievement. A field test is administered to ensure that test items are valid, reliable, and fair for all students. The data collected helps the state and test developers analyze how questions function across diverse student populations, refine scoring models, and improve the overall quality of the assessment before it is officially used for reporting purposes. The field test will also provide New Jersey educators and students with an opportunity to become familiar with the assessments and their administration before operational testing in spring 2026.

Where can I find information on training opportunities before the fall field test?

A variety of training options will be provided to support LEAs and APSSDs during the transition to the new adaptive statewide assessment.

Standalone, asynchronous training modules will be available beginning the week of September 8, 2025. These training modules are available to everyone and provide an introduction to the platforms associated with the new statewide assessments. These will be accessible on the New Jersey Assessments Portal Testing Personnel webpage.

Mandatory training for district test coordinators (DTCs) and technology coordinators (TCs) will begin the week of September 15, 2025 and will be delivered as live webinars and in-person trainings. The mandatory trainings were strategically planned to offer a variety of dates, times, and locations to ensure DTCs and TCs have ample opportunities to complete the required training prior to the NJSLA-Adaptive and NJGPA-Adaptive fall field test administration. Registration for in-person training is limited to two individuals (the DTC and the TC) per LEA or APSSD. For live webinars LEAs and APSSDs may invite additional individuals to register, such as school test coordinators. Registration for the live webinars and in-person trainings are available on the New Jersey Assessments Portal Mandatory Training webpage.

Will we have a new assessment platform for testing?

Yes, a new testing platform will be implemented for the state’s adaptive assessments. Cambium Assessment, Inc. (CAI) will manage all aspects of assessment delivery, including test registration, administration, scoring, and reporting for the new adaptive assessments. The Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE) will allow schools to manage student data, assign accommodations, select test formats, as well as other features, all from one interface. The platform is web-based and works with existing school technology. The Test Delivery System (TDS) supports the administration of the assessments. It consists of two key components: the Test Administrator (TA) Interface and the Student Interface. TDS is designed to provide a seamless testing experience for both the TAs and students. 

Districts will be required to download and install a secure browser on testing devices for access to the assessment platform.

Please note that the New Jersey Assessments Portal will host all of the tools necessary for DTCs, TCs, and test administrators to prepare for and administer the NJSLA-Adaptive and NJGPA-Adaptive.

It will also host information and resources, such as sample items, item type tutorials, and practice tests, that will be helpful for educators, students, and parents as they familiarize themselves with the content and interface of the new assessments and prepare for the fall field test and first operational administration in spring 2026. These resources, curated to specific audiences, will be located on the Students & Families, Technology Coordinators, and Testing Personnel web pages. Educators are encouraged to check this page frequently, as it is continuously being updated as additional resources become available.

What is an adaptive test, and what are the benefits to students?

A computer-adaptive test (CAT) is an assessment tool that determines future questions based on a student's responses to prior questions, creating a more personalized experience for each learner. This approach can help reduce testing anxiety by presenting students with questions closer to their current level, encouraging confidence and focus. An adaptive assessment measures each student’s knowledge with greater precision since the students will receive more items closer to their current level.

Are there any impacts to the fall block NJSLA administration for districts who operate on a block schedule?

For the 2025-2026 school year, there will be no fall block NJSLA administration. Instead, all federally mandated testing for ELA and mathematics will take place during the spring NJSLA-Adaptive administration.

Are there any impacts to the fall NJGPA administration?

The fall New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) will once again be conducted using PearsonAccess^next and TestNav. Students in the class of 2026 will have the opportunity to participate in the current version of the NJGPA this fall. All grade twelve students (or students who are intending to graduate with the class of 2026) who do not have a valid score on one or both components of the NJGPA must test during this fall 2025 administration. This includes multilingual learners who were newly enrolled in a U.S. school after June 1, 2025 and students who were unable to test for any reason during a previous NJGPA administration. The fall NJGPA administration can also serve as a re-take opportunity for students in the class of 2026 who previously took but did not achieve a graduation-ready score on either the ELA or math component. The fall NJGPA administration will occur from October 6 through October 17, 2025. Please refer to the Fall 2025 New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment Key Dates and Information broadcast released on August 13, which is available on the Department Broadcasts webpage.

Where can I go to get additional information?

Additional information about the new adaptive assessments is available on the NJDOE Office of Assessment webpage or by visiting the New Jersey Assessments Portal.

Who can I contact with further questions about the state’s new statewide assessments in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics?

If you have any questions, please contact the NJDOE’s Office of Assessment at assessment@doe.nj.gov or (609) 376-3960.