What is NAEP?

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the 

largest nationally representative assessment of what America’s 

students know and can do. NAEP was developed in 1969 to measure 

student achievement nationally. Teachers, principals, parents, 

policymakers, and researchers all use NAEP results to assess 

progress and develop ways to improve education in America. 

What subjects does NAEP cover?

NAEP has two types of assessments, main NAEP and long-term trend NAEP.

Main NAEP assessments are conducted in a range of subjects with fourth-, eighth-, 

and twelfth-graders across the country. Assessments are given most frequently in 

mathematics, reading, science, and writing. Other subjects, such as the arts, civics, 

economics, geography, and U.S. history, are assessed periodically. 

Long-term trend NAEP measures student performance in mathematics and reading, 

using some previously administered questions to ensure comparability across the 

years. The long-term trend assessment allows the performance of today’s students to 

be compared with those from more than 30 years ago. The assessment is administered 

to 9-, 13-, and 17-year-olds every four years.

How is NAEP content developed?

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), located within the U.S. 

Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, administers the 

assessment. NCES is also responsible for developing the test questions, assessing 

the students, scoring, conducting analyses, and reporting the results. 

Each NAEP assessment is built from a content framework that serves as a blueprint, 

specifying what should be assessed. The National Assessment Governing Board, 

which sets NAEP policy, also develops the frameworks for the assessment. The 

frameworks reflect the knowledge and experience of subject-area experts, school 

administrators, policymakers, teachers, parents, and others. The Governing Board 

also determines the schedule of assessments.

National Assessment of Educational Progress

An Overview of NAEP

U.S. Department of Education 

NCES 2009-490
How is NAEP different from other assessments?

NAEP serves a different role than state assessments. While each state has its own 

unique assessment designed to reflect its state content standards, NAEP administers 

the same assessment in every state. This allows each state and participating urban 

district to be compared to national results and to evaluate its progress over time. 

Samples of students in all states take NAEP and are measured in the same way, 

providing a common measure of achievement across states. NAEP reports 

information on student performance for the nation, states, and selected large urban 

districts in a variety of subject areas. NAEP also presents results for different 

student groups including data by gender, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity. 

There are no results for individual students, classrooms, or schools.

Why is student participation valuable?

The participation of all selected students enables NAEP to provide the most 

accurate picture of student performance. NAEP uses a carefully designed sampling 

procedure to ensure that the results of the assessment are representative of 

students in the United States. Each participating student represents hundreds of 

other similar students. These students characterize the geographic, racial, ethnic, 

and socioeconomic diversity that is America’s student body.

What happens when students take NAEP?

• NAEP is administered to students during regular school hours. 

• Students are provided with all materials at the time the assessment is taken. 

• Each student only takes a portion of the entire assessment.

• Students spend about 90 minutes taking the assessment, including answering a 

section on contextual information such as the amount of reading they do and 

what types of classes they take. 

• Test accommodations are provided for students with disabilities and/or 

English language learners.

How are the results of NAEP reported?

The results of NAEP are released as The Nation’s Report Card. The report 

cards provide national, state, and selected urban district results. Also included 

are trends for different student groups, results as scale scores and achievement 

levels, and sample questions. Full copies of all NAEP reports are available at 

http://nationsreportcard.gov.

To order copies of The Nation’s Report Card or other NAEP publications, contact 

ED Pubs at 1-877-4ED-PUBS.

What online resources are available?

• The NAEP website provides more extensive information: http://nces.ed.

gov/nationsreportcard

• The NAEP Data Explorer provides access to both performance and background 

data: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata

• The State Comparisons Tool allows for sorting and comparing state results: 

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nde/statecomp

• Answers to frequently asked questions are provided for parents of students who 

have been selected to participate in NAEP: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/

parents

• The Governing Board’s website provides information on NAEP frameworks, 

the assessment schedule, and NAEP law: http://www.nagb.org

NAEP results are used 

by policymakers, 

state and local 

educators, principals, 

teachers, and parents 

to assess progress 

and develop ways to 

improve education in 

America. 
NAEP Assessment Schedule

To download a pdf version of the assessment schedule, please visit 

http://www.nagb.org/newsroom/assessment-schedule.htm

* New framework for grade 12 only.

** Grade(s) to be determined.

NOTES:

(1) Grades tested are 4, 8, and 12 unless otherwise indicated, except that long-term trend assessments sample 

students at ages 9, 13, and 17 and are conducted in reading and mathematics.

(2) Subjects in BOLD ALL CAPS indicate the year in which a new framework is implemented or assessment year for 

which the Board will decide whether a new or updated framework is needed.

(3) In 2009, 12th grade assessments in reading and mathematics at the state level will be conducted as a pilot in 11 

volunteering states.

(4) The Governing Board intends to include 12th grade World History and Foreign Language assessments during the 

4th Grade Mathematics

There are 6 cubes of the same size in a jar.

2 cubes are yellow.

3 cubes are red.

1 cube is blue.

without ng to pick one cube Chuck is goi

o likely to pick? h color is he m st looking. Whic

 red

What is the probability of this color being 

picked?

 3 out of 6

8th Grade Science

A human CANNOT survive the loss of 

which of the following?

A The appendix

B The liver

C A lung

D A kidney

12th Grade Reading

For the following question, students read 

a guide that explained a subway system’s 

fares and passes. The response below 

shows evidence of full comprehension. 

What is the guide to Metro’s Fares and 

Passes supposed to help you do? 

The NAEP Questions Tool provides access 

to more than 2,000 questions from NAEP 

assessments in nearly all subjects: 

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itmrls 

In order for the public to be 

familiar with the types of 

questions in NAEP assessments, 

questions are made available 

to the public and not used again 

in NAEP. The following are 

examples of NAEP questions 

and the correct responses:

www.ed.gov ies.ed.gov

YEAr NATIONAL STATE

2005 Reading, MATHEMATICS,

Science, High School Transcript Study 

Reading (4, 8), MATHEMATICS (4, 8),

Science (4, 8) 

2006 U.S. History, Civics, ECONOMICS (12) 

2007 Reading (4, 8), Mathematics (4, 8),

Writing (8, 12) 

Reading (4, 8), Mathematics (4, 8),

Writing (8) 

2008 Arts (8), Long-Term Trend 

2009 rEADING, 

SCIENCE, 

Mathematics,*

High School Transcript Study 

rEADING (4, 8, 12), 

Mathematics (4, 8, 12), SCIENCE (4, 8) 

2010 U.S. History, Civics, Geography 

2011 Reading (4, 8), Mathematics (4, 8),

Science (8), WrITING (8, 12)

Reading (4, 8), Mathematics (4, 8),

Science (8) 

2012 Economics (12), Long-Term Trend 

2013 Reading, Mathematics,

Science, High School Transcript Study 

Reading (4, 8), Mathematics (4, 8),

Science (4, 8) 

2014 U.S. HISTOrY, CIVICS, Geography

TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEErING LITErACY **

2015 Reading (4, 8), Mathematics (4, 8),

Writing 

Reading (4, 8), Mathematics (4, 8), 

Writing (4, 8) 

2016 Arts (8), Long-Term Trend 

2017 Reading, Mathematics,

Science, High School Transcript Study 

Reading (4, 8), Mathematics (4, 8), 

Science (4, 8)