Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Calendar
2026-2027 School Year
Required TCAP Assessments
| Assessment Name |
Administration |
Administration Window |
| TCAP End-of-Course (EOC) |
Fall |
November 30–December 17,
2026 |
| TCAP Achievement (ACH) Grades 2*, 3–8 Writing |
Spring |
April 7–14, 2027 |
| TCAP ACH 2*, 3–8 & EOC |
Spring |
April 19–May 6, 2027 |
| TCAP-Alternate Science & Social Studies (Alt) Grades 3–8 and EOC |
Spring |
March 15–April 30, 2027 |
| TCAP-Alt ELA & Math |
Fall |
September 14–December 18,
2026 |
| TCAP-Alt ELA & Math |
Spring |
February 1–May 21, 2027 |
| TCAP Grade 2-Alt (Optional)* |
Spring |
March 15–April 30, 2027 |
*Participation in the Grade 2 assessment is a district option and includes both the general education and alternate assessments.
Other Assessment Dates
| Assessment Name |
Administration |
Administration Window |
| ACT |
Fall 2026 Senior Retake |
First Window: September 29–30, October 1–2 & 5–9
Second Window: October 13–16 & 19-23
Third Window: October 27–30, November 2–6 |
National Assessment of Educational Progress
(NAEP)** |
Spring |
TBD |
English Learners
Assessment |
Spring |
February 1–March 26, 2027 |
| ACT |
Spring 2027 Junior Testing |
First Window: March 9–12 & 15–19
Second Window: March 23–26 & 29–31, April 1–2
Third Window: April 6–9 & 12–16+ |
+ The ACT dates the week of April 12–16 overlap with the spring EOC writing administration window.
**Only a small subset of schools will be selected for national and international assessments administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Districts will be notified of selections in Summer 2026.
Initial File Release by Administration
Fall 2026 EOC Administration – December 30, 2026
Spring ACH & EOC Computer-based testing – May 17, 2027
Spring ACH & EOC Paper-based testing – May 20, 2027
Spring 2027 Administration Windows
The spring administration will involve two administration windows. An ACH writing window for Grades 2-8 will be the first administration window (April 7-14). Students will complete the writing portion of English/language arts for both paper-based (PBT) and computer-based testing (CBT). The second window will be all other content areas and remaining ELA and English subparts (April 19-May 6) with PBT scorable documents returned by the required date listed in the Assessment Milestones document to meet the initial reporting time listed above. All details will be released as soon as final decisions about the construction of subpart(s) for ELA and English finalized.
The ACH writing window will consist of the administration of all writing portions for Grades 2-8 including the operational item(s) and field test item. Each subpart will contain a passage or passages, a few multiple-choice/multiple-select questions, and a writing prompt. The writing portion must be completed during the Writing window for ACH Grades 2-8. The Assessment Milestones document will have the required return dates for scorables. Return dates must be met to meet the initial reporting dates listed above.
End-of-Course English assessments will mirror the fall administration with all writing portions for both PBT & CBT to be completed during the first week of the administration window (April 19-23). All EOC PBT English writing must meet the required ship date to meet initial reporting.
All make-ups for both ACH & EOC must be returned as soon as completed by students to meet initial reporting. Waiting to the end of the window will not guarantee making the initial reporting window. The embedded field test item for writing replaces the Stand-Alone Field Test previously administered.
Assessment Calendar Expectations
This calendar has been developed in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-6001(f) and 49-1-617(b), requiring the Commissioner of Education to create a testing window that maximizes instructional time and returns raw scores before the end of the instructional term. Local education agency (LEA) instructional calendars may vary and are at the discretion of local boards of education. LEAs have the flexibility to determine local testing schedules that fall within available administration windows.
No later than July 31 of each year, each LEA must post on its website information about state-mandated tests and tests mandated by the LEA that will be administered in the upcoming school year, as required by Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-6007. Publicly posted information shall include the name of each test to be given, the purpose and use of the tests, the grade or class in which the tests are to be administered, the dates on which the tests will be administered, and how and when parents and students will be informed of all test results. LEAs are also required to disseminate the testing information to parents by placing it in each school’s student handbook, or other standard or policy guidebook that contains the policies and procedures of the school and is distributed annually. Specific information on the dates associated with preparations, data validation, and results returns for each state-administered assessment in this calendar are in the Assessment Milestones document, which will be available in August. This calendar document includes dates provided by third-party assessment administration contractor(s) and is subject to change.