Testing FAQ - “Frequently Asked Questions”

What are Standards of Learning (SOL)?

Standards of Learning describe what students should know and be able to do after finishing a high school course in Virginia. Every course has standards of learning, but not every course has a Standards of Learning (SOL) test. You can see SOLs for K-12 courses in Virginia here.

What is an End-of-Course (EOC) test?

This is a test that comes at the end of certain high school classes in math, science, English, or social science (although at Robey we use Performance-Based Assessments for social science).

What is a Performance-Based Assessment (PBA)?

This is a performance task or project that a student completes to verify a credit, especially in social science. At W.O. Robey High School, we use PBAs almost exclusively for social science, but other schools may use traditional SOL tests for geography or history.

What is a “verified credit”?

A student passes a course AND a test (or PBA) to receive a verified credit. Students must earn a set number of verified credits to graduate, but only certain courses can give them verified credits.

How many tests will I or my student have to take?

Most students will need to earn 5 verified credits to graduate:

Two English tests, Reading and Writing; these could be SOL tests or WorkKeys tests.
One math SOL test;
One science SOL test; and
One social science PBA or test.

In addition, the Commonwealth of Virginia requires that students pass a CPR test and earn a credential in Career-Technical Education (CTE). That CTE credential may be:

the W!SE test in the Personal Finance class;
the Workplace Readiness Skills test;
an honors, Dual Enrollment, or Advanced Placement course;
completed work-based competencies in a CTE course; or
one of several other tests or courses that can fill this requirement.

The requirements can be slightly different for individual students, depending on when they arrived in Virginia, how many credits they transfer to LCPS from their previous school, etc. You can read Virginia requirements for a standard diploma here but please call or email our counselor, Email Mr. Tyler Cabatic, with specific questions about your own/your student’s requirements.

I or My student is still learning English. What tests will measure their English language?

The WIDA Screener is an English language test for students who use languages other than English at home. A student takes this test when they arrive at a public school in Virginia to determine their skills in English so that the student can immediately be put in the correct classes; we want them to receive support to learn English and earn graduation credits quickly.
The ACCESS test (sometimes just called “WIDA”) is an English language test. English Learners take the test every year to measure their progress in listening to, reading, writing, and speaking English. The test is given from January to March; we receive scores by early June. Both tests are published by WIDA, a large organization that has created standards for English language development; WIDA tests and resources are used in Virginia and many other states. For information (in multiple languages) on how to understand the ACCESS score report, click here.

What does “EL” mean?

“EL” stands for “English Learner,” a student whose English skills are still developing, identified by the WIDA Screener or ACCESS tests. In some school systems, they use "ESOL" (English for Speakers of Other Languages) or "ESL" (English as a Second Language), but it means the same thing.

What if I or my student is still learning English or has an IEP?

In high school, you/your students will take SOL tests, but they may be allowed to use accommodations to make a test more equitable; for example, an English Learner student may be allowed to use an English dictionary and a bilingual dictionary on SOL tests. The rules for accommodations are different for different tests; if you have questions, please contact Ms. Cynthia Ross, school testing coordinator at W.O. Robey High School. For elementary and middle school, the rules for testing can be very different; if you have a younger child, please contact their elementary or middle school with questions.

How do I get my/my student’s test scores?

Ms. Cynthia Ross, school testing coordinator at W.O. Robey High School, will give students test scores/reports as soon as possible. You may ask your student for the score, call Ms. Ross at 571-434-4411, email Ms. Ross at Email Cynthia Ross, or check ParentVue/StudentVue for test scores. SOL scores will be in ParentVue and StudentVue by 5pm of the next business day (it may take one more day if the test score was posted in the testing system after 3pm). However, WorkKeys or other test scores may not appear in ParentVue or StudentVue for several weeks.

[In ParentVue or StudentVue, click on “Documents.” You will see a list of documents, including SOL Student Detail By Question reports, ACCESS test report, report cards, and other testing which may not be required for graduation but gives teachers useful information to help students. Click here to download ParentVue.]

I still have questions!

Feel free to contact the Robey staff listed below with any additional or specific questions about testing or graduation requirements. We are here to help students graduate!

William Obediah Robey High School

Testing and Assesments

SOL Testing

ACT WorkKeys Testing

PSAT Testing

W!SE Testing-CTE Certification

WIDA ACCESS Testing

Frequently Asked Questions - Testing at W.O. Robey High School

Meet Ms. Ross