Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science
The Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) measures the level of proficiency that Washington students have achieved based on the Washington State 2013 K-12 Science Learning Standards, which are the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). All students are assessed on their knowledge of the standards through the WCAS in grades 5, 8, and 11. The tests fulfill the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requirement that students be tested in science once at each level: elementary, middle, and high school.
House Bill 1599 (2019) removed the high school science assessment graduation requirement. Please visit the Graduation Requirements web page for more information.
WCAS Educator Resources
This page provides information and access for the training tests, test design and item specifications, test scores, lessons learned from scoring student work, achievement level descriptors, and various science assessment presentations.
Professional Development Opportunities
This page includes a schedule of upcoming science assessment development work groups and information on how to apply, as well as other professional learning opportunities.
WCAS Frequently Asked Questions
This document provides answers to a list of frequently asked questions about the current and future state science assessments.