LONGLEAF SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
207 E. Hargett St., Raleigh, NC, 27601 919.896.8164
Core Diagnostic Testing longleafschool.com
Longleaf accepts students from over 25 schools. We have found that the academic preparedness of students varies from district to district and school to school. To help students select appropriate classes, we have created a diagnostic testing program for incoming 9 th
grade students that is taken in the spring/summer prior to 9 th grade. This test is given only after student admissions are completed and is in no way used to select students for the school. The tests’ use is restricted to course placement and planning.
The following tests will be offered at freshman orientation:
Who should take it : Students wishing to place out of Integrated Math I. Students who took high school level Common Core Math I in the 8 th
grade AND passed the Math I EOC will be automatically scheduled into Math II. All other students must take the diagnostic test for placement into Math II and above. This includes:
 students who took Common Core Math I but did not take the EOC
 students who took Algebra I or Geometry instead of Common Core Math I
Length of test : untimed (students usually take about 60 minutes to finish)
Skills/Concepts tested : The first part of the test covers basic math skills (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimal conversion), as well as elementary Algebra,
Geometry, and Statistics. This is for placement into Math II.
The second part of the test is for placement into Math III, Precalculus, and AP Calculus. This section will contain more advanced mathematical concepts, including functions, introductory trigonometry, 3-D modeling, and intermediate statistical analysis.
Note: Calculator use is not permitted on this test.
Required of all incoming students
Length of test : untimed (students usually take about 120 minutes to finish)
Skills/Concepts tested : Basic grammar (parts of speech, sentence structure, punctuation, types of sentences, pronoun rules), reading comprehension (main ideas, thesis statements, vocabulary in context), rhetorical analysis (tone, mood, use of devices like metaphor and irony.)

LONGLEAF SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
207 E. Hargett St., Raleigh, NC, 27601 919.896.8164 longleafschool.com
Note: This test consists of two parts: multiple-choice questions and a writing sample. Students will be asked to write an essay on a passage supplied on the test. Essays should include an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement, body paragraphs that sufficiently develop main ideas, and a conclusion. The essays will be analyzed for sophistication of rhetoric, vocabulary choice, grammatical competence, and idea development.
Who should take it : Students wishing to take level II or above of a world language in the 9 th grade.
Length of test : untimed (students usually take about 45 minutes to finish)
Language tests offered: Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, and Latin. Other language tests will be offered upon request.
Skills/Concepts tested : The test places students in levels I (beginner) to AP (college level.) The tests will contain both basic and advanced questions to help guide this placement. All tests include questions on grammar, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and culture. Spanish,
French, German, Japanese, Chinese, and Russian also have a speaking component where the student must engage in a conversation in the language being tested.
FAQ
Are the tests mandatory?
The Humanities test is required; the other tests are not.
Does my child have to take all three tests?
No. Students should only take Math and World Language Diagnostic tests if they want to receive advanced placement in a course.
What if my student has a bad testing day?
Placement decisions are based on multiple data sources, including previous report cards, teacher narratives, and past testing data from validated testing instruments (EOG, EOC, CAT, and the
Iowa are examples of validated testing instruments.) Poor performance on one of the diagnostic tests does not automatically rule out a student from taking an Honors course.
Who grades the tests?

LONGLEAF SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
207 E. Hargett St., Raleigh, NC, 27601 919.896.8164 longleafschool.com
Teachers at Longleaf will grade Math and Humanities Diagnostics. World Languages tests are scored by qualified graders fluent in the language being assessed.
Who will see the test scores?
Only the administration and teachers at Longleaf will see the scores. Scores will not be reported or recorded in a student’s permanent record.
How do you know the tests are accurate?
All our tests are normed against age-group peers and have demonstrated construct validity in multiple research trials. Questions about the norming of the tests should be directed to Dr.
Broome, the Head of School, at broome@longleafschool.com
.