Howard County also administers the test to all students in Grade 9, so that parents and teachers have norm-referenced scores for individual students at intervals throughout their school career. The test provides parents and teachers with a benchmark of how students' achievement compares to a national sample, as well as with information about students' strengths and weaknesses.
Results are usually available by the end of the school year.
According to state guidelines, a very small number of students can be exempted from testing. In some cases, parents waive the modifications to allow the student to participate in testing, or students participate in the subtests that do not require the modifications in question. For example, a student needing to have tests read may still take the mathematics computation subtest. This category accounts for the majority of the exemptions. Limited English proficient students enrolled in the ESOL program.