The Educational Records Bureau (ERB) is actually the name of a company that administers comprehensive assessments. What most families refer to as the ERB’s are actually the CTP5 test (created in 2018 as the successor to the CTP4), a test used to assess students in their academic environment and compare student progress. The original intent of this test is to help schools assess growth, see which classes to place your child in, compare grade levels within the school, and even gauge the differences between students across counties and states. The CTP5 test varies in difficulty and content for each grade, and testing specifics like section timing will vary. The test is designed for students to have adequate time to complete each section, but some students who work at a slower-than-average pace may have trouble finishing each section within the time limit.
Schools will determine the exact testing season for the CTP5. You should reach out to your current school to confirm their testing dates for each year.
Most private school admissions look most closely at the Independent Norm(IN) stanine (scores compared across independent schools), a score based on a student’s percentile rank when compared to students in the same grade:
Many schools have updated their admissions policies to become test-optional. This means that what was once a critical component of the admissions portfolio, standardized tests (usually the ISEE), can no longer be depended upon to demonstrate an applicant’s academic readiness. Though many schools have gotten rid of the ISEE requirement, some still require some type of standardized test score such as the ERB, which can help paint a clearer picture of your child’s academic potential.
Because the ERB CTP5 is meant to be a natural assessment, ERB does not release any official practice tests or material. As an alternative, you can take the appropriate level of the ISEE, keeping in mind that the level of difficulty is harder on the ISEE and students will have more time to complete the ERB CTP5.
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