NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Hundreds of thousands of students in Tennessee are taking their TCAP tests this week.
Most of the students got started Wednesday and will continue test-taking until Monday.
The Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP test, is an achievement test using multiple choice questions to measure application skills in various subjects for grade Kindergarten through 8th grade.
Subjects include reading, language arts, math, science, social studies and vocabulary.
Each county can use a different percentage ranging up to 25 percent of the student's grade. In Metro Nashville, scores will now count for ten percent of each student's final grade.
Metro's percentage may be a little lower than other districts, because Metro doesn't work on a semester system.
Some tips for parents to encourage their kids during the test include making sure your kids get enough sleep, eat breakfast, and give them some encouraging words to boost their confidence.
"Making sure that they allow enough time in the morning, so when they get there they are relaxed, they're calm and they are not upset. Just let them know that all we want is for them to do the very best they can possibly do," said Olivia Brown with Metro Nashville Public Schools.
More TCAP Test Tips can be found in the Metro-Nashville Public Schools Testing Center and at http://www.tn.gov/education/assessment/doc/tsteststrategies.pdf.
