Choose Dates for Testing

Every year and ideally every term, you should complete the Date Setup Before Testing. As you make decisions, refer to the following considerations and the Testing Schedule Samples.

In addition, complete these related tasks as part of each assessment:

  1. Set Testing Rules
  2. Prepare Proctors
  3. Oversee and Complete Testing

Date Setup Before Testing

Follow these steps as you prepare for MAP testing.

See also: Oversee and Complete Testing.

Required: set district test dates

Set your testing dates for the coming terms as soon as you know the schedule. You can also modify dates at any time as schedules change.

Required MAP Role: System Administrator

  1. In the left navigation pane, select Manage Preferences > Manage Terms.
  2. With the year selected, click View/Update Terms. If needed, click Add Academic Year.
  3. Scroll to the coming term.
  4. Optional—Clear the Active check box if you never use a term, such as summer, and you do not want it to appear in the menus for proctors and teachers. (This option has no effect on MAP report data.) 
  5. For Term Start and Term End, you can usually keep the default dates, unless they conflict with your academic terms.

  6. Set the Test Window dates to match the weeks you intend to conduct testing.
  7. Recommended—Set Weeks of Instruction so that your MAP reports show the most precise norms percentiles. Visit How do I calculate and modify the number of instructional weeks for instructions.

  8. Specify how widely to apply your changes by selecting one of the following options:

    Apply Test Window dates to every school in the district: Overrides any custom dates that have been applied to specific schools.

    Apply Test Window dates only to schools without defined custom test window dates: Protects custom dates that have been applied.

  9. Click Submit.

    If a date you entered is invalid (such as a date outside of the instructional term), an error message appears at the top the page. Correct the date and click Submit again.

Optional: set school-specific test dates

If needed, you can define test dates for each school. For example, you could set different dates for your elementary schools and high schools.

Prerequisite: The district-wide test window dates in Manage Terms must be set to encompass all of your school-specific test windows.

Required MAP Role: System Administrator

  1. In the left navigation pane, select Manage Preferences > Modify District.
  2. Select the school.
  3. Click View/Update Terms.

    The View/Update School by Term page lists the terms currently defined in the system.

  4. Select the instructional term.
  5. Click Edit School Term.
  6. Modify the start date and end date as needed.

    Note: The dates must fall within the dates of the district test window.

  7. Modify the Weeks of Instruction.
  8. Click Submit.

    If a date you entered is invalid (such as a date outside the instructional term), an error message appears at the top the page. Correct the date and click Submit again.