Star Assessments are short, computer-adaptive tests designed to measure your child's current academic skills. They are not pass/fail tests.The difficulty of the questions adjusts based on your child's answers. When a student answers correctly, the next question may become more challenging. When a student answers incorrectly, the test adjusts accordingly. This adaptive process helps provide a clearer picture of your child's current strengths and areas for growth.Please explain this to your child before testing. They should expect to see some questions they do not know how to answer. This is normal! The assessment is designed to find the upper limits of what your child currently knows, so difficult questions do not mean your child is doing poorly.Which Assessments Will My Child Take?Beginning, emerging, or non-reader:Start with Star Early Literacy, which measures foundational literacy skills and includes some early numeracy/basic math skills.If your child's Early Literacy results indicate they are ready for Star Reading, they may also complete Star Reading during the same purchased testing session.Independent reader: Take Star Reading.Math:Students may also complete the separate Star Math assessment during the same purchased testing session.Your purchased Star testing session includes the applicable Reading, Math, and/or Early Literacy assessments—no separate purchase is required for each subject within that session.After testing, you'll receive valuable information showing your child's current performance, strengths, and areas where additional learning may be helpful.

For progress monitoring, we recommend testing 3 times during the school year—near the beginning, middle, and end of the year. This allows you to compare results, measure academic growth, and identify areas that may need additional attention.If you only need Star for your child's PEP Scholarship annual assessment requirement, you may purchase a Single Testing Session and choose the month that works best for your family.Families who want to monitor progress can choose a 2- or 3-Test Bundle and select their preferred testing months when ordering.

You have two ways to receive your child's Star test results!1. Fast Results Through Renaissance Home Connect (Optional)Want results right away? You can have your child's standard Star results emailed directly to you through Renaissance Home Connect, typically within minutes after testing is completed.Before your child starts testing:Log in to your child's Star testing account.Click the button to sign up for email notifications.Enter the parent/guardian email address you want to use.Follow the prompts to subscribe and verify your email address.⚠️ IMPORTANT: You must sign up for email notifications and verify your email BEFORE your child starts the test.Once the test has been started, it is too late to enroll that email address to receive the automatic results for that test.Need help? Follow our step-by-step instructions here:https://www.peptesting.com/verifyemailforstarreportYour detailed Star Diagnostic Report from PEP Testing is still included with your purchase and will be emailed separately within 5 business days.2. Detailed Star Diagnostic Reports — NOW INCLUDED FOR FREE!Great news! Your Star testing purchase now includes the applicable detailed Star Diagnostic Report(s) at no additional charge.There is no longer a $25 Premium Report upgrade required.PEP Testing will email your child's applicable detailed Diagnostic Report(s) directly to the parent/guardian within 5 business days after testing is completed.If your child completes Star Reading, Star Math and/or Star Early Literacy as part of the purchased testing session, the applicable reports may be delivered in separate emails.Please check your Spam, Junk, and Promotions folders and add info@peptesting.com to your contacts.What's the Difference Between the Reports?Renaissance Home Connect: Provides quick access to your child's Star results and important scores, typically within minutes after testing.Detailed Diagnostic Report from PEP Testing: Provides more detailed information about your child's performance, including helpful visual charts. These reports are convenient for homeschool records, portfolios, evaluations, and long-term documentation.Submitting Results for the PEP ScholarshipParents/guardians are responsible for saving their report and submitting the appropriate documentation to Step Up For Students through EMA.PEP Testing does not submit test results to Step Up For Students, school districts, evaluators, schools, or other third parties on your behalf.Purchased 24-Hour Rush Service?After your child completes testing, please text 850-400-6087 immediately with:Parent nameStudent nameOrder numberThis lets us know testing is complete so we can retrieve and send your child's detailed Diagnostic Report as quickly as possible.

Rush Service — Guaranteed 24-Hour SetupNeed your child's testing account quickly? Add our 24-Hour Rush Service for $100 to your order.Your child's testing account will be ready within 24 hours or less.Normal account setup may take up to 5 business days, especially during high-volume testing periods.IMPORTANT — Text Us After OrderingAfter placing a Rush order, please text 850-400-6087 immediately with:Parent nameStudent nameOrder numberThis notifies us that your order requires priority setup.Weekends & HolidaysRush service may be available on weekends and holidays. You do not need to contact us before placing your order.However, you must text us immediately after ordering so we are notified of your Rush request.If your order is placed on a weekend or holiday and we are unable to complete setup within 24 hours, we will let you know as soon as possible. You may then choose to continue with standard processing or cancel your order for a refund.Need Your Detailed Diagnostic Report Quickly?After your child finishes testing, text us again at 850-400-6087 with the parent name, student name, and order number.This second text lets us know testing is complete so we can retrieve and send the detailed Diagnostic Report as quickly as possible.

All Star testing options give your child access to the applicable Star Reading, Star Math, and/or Star Early Literacy assessments during each purchased testing session.The difference is how many times your child can test during the 2026–27 school year:1 Test — Single Testing SessionBest for families who need one annual assessment or only want to test once. Choose one testing month.2-Test BundleGreat for progress monitoring. Your child can complete two separate testing sessions during the school year. You choose two testing months when ordering.3-Test Bundle — Best Value!Ideal for families who want to monitor growth throughout the school year. Your child receives three separate testing sessions, making it easy to test near the beginning, middle, and end of your school year. You choose three testing months when ordering.Each testing session includes the applicable detailed Diagnostic Report(s) at no additional charge.⚠️ Important: A testing session is not the same as a subject. For example, completing Star Reading and Star Math during the same authorized testing period counts as ONE testing session—not two.Additional or repeat testing outside the number of sessions purchased is not included and must be purchased in advance.

Independent reader → Star Reading TestBeginning/Emerging/Non-Reader → Early LiteracyEarly Literacy student can move to Reading within the same session if appropriate.Math is separate and can also be taken during the session.