Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content

A new GaDOE.org is coming soon!

Click here to learn more.


 Retired Assessments


​​Basic Sk​ills Test (BST) (1982-1984)

State Board of Education Rule 160-4-2-.30 required that all students who entered grade nine for the first time between July 1, 1981 through June 30, 1991 demonstrate mastery of competencies in the areas of reading and mathematics as part of the requirements for obtaining a regular high school diploma. Students who entered grade nine for the first time between July 1, 1986 through June 30, 1991 were also required to pass the writing test. The Basic Skills Test (BST) was a grade 10 assessment designed to measure achievement in the areas of reading, mathematics, writing, and problem solving.  

On March 30, 2015, Governor Nathan Deal signed House Bill 91 into law, thereby creating a new code section, O.C.G.A. § 20-2-281.1. This law provides that students shall no longer be required to earn a passing score on any graduation tests to earn a high school diploma. For Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about House Bill 91, please click here. ​

Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) (2000 - 2014) ​

The A+ Education Reform Act of 2000 (O.C.G.A. §20-2-281) mandated that all students in grades one through eight take the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) in the content areas of reading, English language arts, and mathematics. Students in grades three through eight were also assessed in science and social studies.  

The CRCT was an end-of-year summative assessment designed to measure how well students acquired the skills and knowledge described in the state-mandated content standards in reading, English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. The state legislature did not fund the CRCT in grades one and two after the 2009-2010 school year due to budgetary constraints. 

The Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests - Modified (CRCT-M) was an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards in reading, English language arts, and mathematics for a small number of students with disabilities (approximately 2%) who received special education services through an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and who met specific eligibility criteria. The CRCT-M was developed and administered from spring 2011 through spring 2014, based on federal flexibility introduced in April 2007 allowing states to design an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards for those students who struggle, due to their disability, to demonstrate grade-level proficiency in the same timeframe as their peers.  

The CRCT program, including CRCT-M, was retired after the 2013-2014 administrations.  

The Georgia Milestones Assessment System replaced the CRCT beginning with the 2014-2015 school year. For more information about the Georgia Milestones Assessment System, please click here. ​

End of Course Tests (EOCT) (2003 - 2014) 

The A+ Education Reform Act of 2000 (O.C.G.A. §20-2-281) mandated the adoption of end-of-course assessments for core courses to be determined by the State Board of Education. Spanning three sets of state academic content standards (Quality Core Curriculum, Georgia Performance Standards, and Common Core Georgia Performance Standards), End of Course Tests (EOCTs) were developed and administered for Algebra I (followed by Mathematics I and Coordinate Algebra), Geometry (followed by Mathematics II and Analytic Geometry), Physical Science, Biology, Economics/Business/Free Enterprise, United States History, Ninth Grade Literature and Composition, and American Literature and Composition. The EOCT operational administration began in spring 2003. The EOCT program was retired after the November 2014 mid-month administration.  

The Georgia Milestones Assessment System replaced the EOCTs beginning with the 2014-2015 school year. For more information about the Georgia Milestones Assessment System, please click here. ​

Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) (2006 - 2018)  

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 required that all students, including students with significant cognitive disabilities, have access to a general curriculum that encompassed challenging academic standards. The Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) was designed to ensure all students, including students with significant cognitive disabilities, were assessed for their progress toward meeting academic standards. The first operational administration of the GAA was during the 2006-2007 school year. The assessment was designed as a portfolio of student work that enabled the demonstration of achievement and progress relative to selected skills aligned to Georgia’s academic content standards. The portfolio was used to capture student learning and progress in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. This assessment program promoted a vision of enhancing capabilities and integrated life opportunities for students who experience significant cognitive disabilities.  

The GAA as a portfolio-based assessment was retired after the 2017-2018 administration. The Georgia Alternate Assessment 2.0 (GAA 2.0) replaced the portfolio-based GAA beginning with the 2018-2019 school year. For more information about the GAA 2.0, please click here. ​

Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT) (1994 - 2015) 

In 1991, Georgia law (O.C.G.A. Section §20-2-281) required that curriculum-based assessments be administered in grade 11 for graduation purposes. The purpose of the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT) were to measure student achievement of the state-mandated content standards, to identify students who failed to master content, to provide educators with diagnostic information, to inform educators on instruction, and to assist school systems in identifying strengths and weaknesses so as to establish priorities in planning educational programs. 

The GHSGT was administered to students who entered grade nine for the first time between July 1, 1991 and June 30, 2011. For students who entered grade nine for the first time between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2011, the graduation assessment requirement for diploma eligibility could be achieved through the demonstration of proficiency on one of the two End of Course Tests (EOCTs) in each content area or the corresponding content area GHSGT. For this cohort, the EOCT contributed 15% to the students’ final course grades. For students who entered grade nine for the first time on or after July 1, 2011, the GHSGT was no longer required to earn a high school diploma. Instead, students participated in the EOCTs, which contributed 20% to the students’ final course grades. The GHSGT was last administered in spring 2015.  

On March 30, 2015, Governor Nathan Deal signed House Bill 91 into law, thereby creating a new code section, O.C.G.A. § 20-2-281.1. This law provides that students shall no longer be required to earn a passing score on any graduation tests to earn a high school diploma. For Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about House Bill 91, please click here. ​

Georgia High School Writing Test (GHSWT) (1994 – 2015) 

In 1991, Georgia law (O.C.G.A. Section §20-2-281) required that writing assessments be administered to students in grades three, five, eight, and 11. The Grade 3 Writing Assessment and the Grade 5 Writing Assessment provided diagnostic feedback to students, parents, and teachers concerning individual student writing performance. The Grade 8 Writing Assessment provided predictive information to eighth graders about their future writing performance in advance of taking the Georgia High School Writing Test (GHSWT). The GHSWT was administered to 11th grade students to measure achievement in writing as a part of the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT).  ​

Students who entered grade nine for the first time between July 1, 1991 and June 30, 2013 were required to pass the GHSWT as one requirement for receiving a high school diploma. The GHSWT was last administered in spring 2015. 

On March 30, 2015, Governor Nathan Deal signed House Bill 91 into law, thereby creating a new code section, O.C.G.A. § 20-2-281.1. This law provides that students shall no longer be required to earn a passing score on any graduation tests to earn a high school diploma. For Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about House Bill 91, please click here. ​

Georgia Kindergarten Assessment Program (GKAP) (1990 - 2008) 

In 1990, the Georgia Kindergarten Assessment Program (GKAP) was adopted by the State Board of Education as the designated kindergarten assessment to comply with Georgia law (O.C.G.A. Section §20-2-281 and §20-2-151) requiring all children enrolled in Georgia kindergarten programs be assessed for first-grade readiness. GKAP was significantly modified and improved and implemented as the Georgia Kindergarten Assessment Program – Revised (GKAP-R) in the fall of 1998. The GKAP-R program was retired at the end of 2007-2008, and the operational launch of the Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Development Skills (GKIDS) occurred in 2008-2009. ​

Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS) (2008 - 2019) 

The Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS) was developed as a performance-based assessment and was administered for the first time in 2008-2009. The primary purpose of GKIDS was to provide ongoing diagnostic information about kindergarten students’ mastery of the Georgia Performance Standards and to provide teachers with information about the level of instructional support needed by individual students entering kindergarten and first grade. GKIDS was designed to serve both a formative and summative role in assessing kindergarten students.  

In 2016, GKIDS was revised based on a big idea and learning progression approach. This revision began in January 2017 and ultimately lead to the GKIDS 2.0 assessment as a flexible, formative assessment process integrated into classroom work. The former GKIDS program was retired at the end of 2018-2019, and the operational launch of GKIDS 2.0 occurred in 2019-2020. For more information please, click here. ​





 Contact Information

General Inquiries

Phone: (470) 579-3244
Email: ga.assessment@doe.k12.ga.us​