A calm NNAT® test-week checklist for the final days before testing.

Confirm the school details

These details rarely appear in a single notice home, and a school office can usually answer all of them in one phone call or email — worth doing early in the week rather than the night before, in case a follow-up question comes up:

• Date, arrival time, and approximate testing window — so the morning isn't rushed
• Online or paper administration — so practice matches the actual format
• Which NNAT® level the school uses — the level determines how complex the question types will feel
• Whether headphones, breaks, or accommodations apply — especially relevant for a child with an IEP or 504 plan
• Who to contact if the child is absent or sick — make-up policies vary by district and are worth knowing before test day, not during a scramble

Test-day morning

On the morning of the test itself, the goal is a routine that feels ordinary rather than eventful. A normal breakfast, a normal amount of sleep the night before, and arriving with enough time to avoid a rushed drop-off all matter more than any last-minute review. If the school allows a snack or water bottle for a longer session, pack it the night before rather than the morning of. Avoid introducing anything new that morning — a new breakfast food, a new route to school, a new piece of clothing that feels unfamiliar — since novelty itself can add a small amount of friction to a morning that's already slightly out of the ordinary for a child. If the test is administered online, it's worth confirming the device and login process the day before rather than discovering a technical hiccup during the actual testing window.

Three to five days before

Use one complete timed practice only if the child has not yet experienced a full 30-minute work period — if they've already done this during regular preparation, there's no need to repeat it here. Review a small number of mistakes afterward, grouped by the skill they point to rather than treated one at a time. Avoid stacking multiple complete tests in a single day; at this stage, doing so tests stamina more than it builds anything new, and a tired child reviewing missed questions is more likely to feel discouraged than to learn from them.

The day before

Choose a short confidence-building session or stop formal practice entirely — both are reasonable choices, and which one fits depends on the child. A confidence-building session should revisit a format the child already feels solid on, not introduce anything unfamiliar. Prepare and lay out the morning routine in advance, protect a full night of sleep, and avoid introducing a brand-new, difficult format the night before — that's a recipe for a child walking in less confident than they were a week earlier. If the child asks questions about the test itself, answer plainly and move on rather than turning the conversation into one more review session.

What to say

Simple language works well: "You will see picture puzzles. Look carefully, use what you practiced, and make your best choice." Avoid tying affection, identity, or family expectations to the result — the goal is a child who feels ready, not one who feels tested on more than the puzzles themselves. If a child asks what happens if they get some wrong, it's fair to tell them plainly that everyone does, and that the test is built to include questions meant to be hard.

After the test is over

Ask how the experience felt, not how many answers the child thinks were correct — a child's own sense of their score is rarely accurate and rarely helpful to dwell on. Questions like "was there a part that felt confusing?" or "did you have enough time?" give useful information without turning the car ride home into an interrogation about performance. When results arrive, request the score report and the district's explanation of how it contributes to identification, and hold off on sharing the number itself with the child until you understand what it actually means for your district's process. If the district's explanation still feels unclear after that conversation, it's reasonable to ask for a follow-up meeting rather than piece the meaning together alone.