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Common Core tests get a trial run

Millions of students will take tests aligned with the new Common Core education standards.

Over the next several weeks millions of school children will be testing out new tests.

Most states have adopted new education standards known as the Common Core. Now they’re trying to figure out how to measure what kids learn.

Beginning March 24, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers—known as PARCC—plans to field test nearly 10,000 questions to look for glitches or bias.

Another group, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, originally scheduled to launch its own field testing next Tuesday, will now begin March 25*. Students won’t be scored, but that hasn’t stopped a great deal of text anxiety on the part of teachers, parents and students.

Want to know what the tests look like? Take a practice test.

Common core standards followed around the country

Raghu Manavalan/Marketplace


UPDATE: This story has been updated to reflect a change in the test date. 

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