On Feb. 6, 2026, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) issued a broadcast announcing important updates about this year’s transition to the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments‑Adaptive (NJSLA‑A) and the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment‑Adaptive (NJGPA‑Adaptive). During the field tests administered in Fall 2025, the NJDOE identified the need to adjust both the testing windows and unit times for the upcoming test administration.
Because adaptive tests adjust to each student’s performance in real time, unit lengths have now been standardized across grade levels. Each content area follows a clearly defined structure: the ELA‑Reading assessment includes two 75‑minute sessions (150 minutes total), ELA‑Writing includes one 90‑minute session, and Mathematics mirrors ELA‑Reading with two 75‑minute sessions totaling 150 minutes. Schools should also plan for an additional 25–30 minutes per unit for logging students in, reading directions, and logging them out. The NJSLA‑Science assessment remains unchanged. For both the NJSLA‑A and NJGPA‑A, districts may administer only one unit of testing per day.
Testing sessions may be administered in any of the following ways:
- Both sessions on the same day, back‑to‑back, with a supervised 10‑minute break
- Both sessions on the same day with a longer break (e.g., lunch)
- The two sessions split across two days
The NJDOE is offering training for District Testing Coordinators and Technology Coordinators and has also released assessment blueprints outlining the structure and content of each component. This spring, the NJGPA‑Adaptive assessment will take place from March 16 through March 20, 2026, with make‑ups scheduled for March 23–27. The NJSLA‑Adaptive assessments in English Language Arts, Writing, Mathematics, and Science will follow from April 27 through May 22, 2026, with make‑ups from May 26 – 29.
As always, please reach out to the Professional Development and Instructional Issues (PDII) Division with any questions or requests for support.