Preparing for Summative ELPAC: Resources Available
Email Update, January 8, 2026
Dear LEA ELPAC Coordinator:
The 2025–26 Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC test administration window opens on February 2, 2026. This email contains links to resources needed to prepare for the upcoming test administration.
Online Test Administration Manuals
The following manuals are available to LEA ELPAC coordinators, site ELPAC coordinators, and ELPAC test examiners. These manuals contain information and instructions about test preparation and test administration.
Electronic or Printed DFAs
Directions for Administration (DFAs) will be available on January 20, 2026, and can be accessed electronically or downloaded to print in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS). The DFAs include information for the day of testing and domain-specific instructions. DFAs, whether electronic or printed, must be stored securely when not in use.
Picture Cards for the Summative Alternate ELPAC
Picture cards are available for download as a PDF in TOMS for LEAs to print. A hard copy of the picture cards can also be mailed at no cost to LEAs. Note the following about using picture cards:
- The student’s individualized education program team determines whether a student uses picture cards.
- LEA coordinators should work with special education staff to determine how many grade levels or grade spans are represented at each site.
- A test examiner can reuse picture cards to administer to individual students during the testing window, if stored securely while not in use.
Printed picture cards can be requested on the Administration and Scoring Training website.
Resources and Guides
The planning and preparation content is located separately from the DFAs in the Preparing for Administration (PFA) documents. The following Summative ELPAC PFAs (kindergarten through grade two [K–2] and grades three through twelve [3–12]) and the Summative Alternate ELPAC PFA (all grade levels) should be reviewed prior to test administration:
Find detailed instructions about starting a test session in the following resources:
Additionally, quick reference guides assist LEA coordinators in preparing for test administration. These can be found on the Administer a Test Session web page on the CAASPP & ELPAC Website.
Form Assignments and Second Scoring Assignments
Use the lookup tool on the Summative ELPAC Form Assignments web page and Summative Alternate ELPAC Form Assignments web page to search for your LEA’s form assignment by entering your LEA’s name. Use these form assignments to determine which DFAs are to be used.
Visit the Summative Alternate ELPAC Second Scoring web page to find out whether your school has been selected to participate in second scoring for the 2025–26 school year.
Estimated Testing Times
Students are allowed as much time as needed to complete an assessment. The Summative ELPAC: Estimated Testing Times web page provides estimated testing times for each form by domain and grade level or grade span. The Alternate ELPAC: Estimated Testing Times web page provides estimated testing times for each form by task type.
2025–26 Summative ELPAC Test Examiner Training and Calibration
All test examiners who will administer any domains of the Summative ELPAC test are required to complete the Summative ELPAC Test Examiner Training and Calibration courses for the grade levels or grade spans they are administering. All test examiners must complete calibration prior to administering the ELPAC Speaking test. An LEA coordinator should ensure test examiners have completed the calibration prior to testing. Test examiner training can be completed by a trained coordinator in a group setting or can be completed individually on the Moodle Training Site.
Test examiners who will be administering the Summative Alternate ELPAC must complete the Alternate ELPAC Test Examiner Certification training course on the Moodle Training Site prior to the administration of the test.
Practice Tests and Training Tests
Test examiners and students can use the practice tests and training tests to become familiar with an assessment prior to test day. Watch the Practice and Training Tests Overview video and review the ELPAC Training Tests, Practice Tests, and Interim Assessments At-a-Glance quick reference guide for additional information.
For further support, visit the Contact Us web page.
Sincerely,
California Outreach Team
CAASPP & ELPAC Website