AZELLA Placement Test FAQs

The AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener window begins on the district's or charter's first instructional day of the school year. However, ADE has approved a 2-calendar week jump start prior to the first day of school to begin Placement - Dynamic Screener testing. The earliest date to start testing for School Year 2026-2027 is July 20, 2026. 

Before any AZELLA testing can begin, the following must be completed:

• The AZELLA District Test Coordinator (DTC), the AZELLA School Test Coordinator (STC), and the AZELLA Test Administrators (TA) must have completed the required Annual and Placement Test trainings and certifications before any AZELLA testing can begin.

The AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener window closes on May 14, 2027.

Students who are required to be administered the AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener include:

• Students who are new to Arizona public schools, their Home Language Survey (HLS) responses include a language other than English and American Sign Language (ASL) on any of the 3 responses, and the student does not have an AZELLA testing history or EL Program Transactions as shown on the EL70 Report are required to be administered the AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener.
• Students who have a red font quick alert message on their EL70 Report indicating that a new Placement Test is needed are required to be administered the AZELLA Placement - Group 8 Test.
• Students whose most current AZELLA record is "Undetermined" are required to be administered the AZELLA Placement - Group 8 Test.
• Students who are associated with EL Group 8 on the EL73 Report are required to be administered the AZELLA Placement - Group 8 Test.

Students who are NOT eligible for any AZELLA testing include:

• Foreign Exchange students who are not receiving state funds.

• Students who are receiving funding through Empower Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) are not eligible for the administration of English Language Proficiency tests.

• Students who have a blue font quick alert message on their EL70 Report. (If AZELLA testing is requested, the Moving from Mainstream to English Reassessment - Summative Test referral form is required.)

• Students whose most current AZELLA record has an Overall Proficiency Level of Proficient.

The AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener is administered for K-12 students online.

The Spring Reassessment - Summative is administered for K-12 students online.

Both test administrations require students to have secure electronic testing devices.

Accommodated forms for eligible students are available.

All accommodated forms of the AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener must be approved annually by submitting the AZELLA Additional Accommodations Request Form by August 31, 2026. 

At this time, the accommodated versions of the AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener are:

• Special Paper Version (SPV)
• SPV Large Print
• Braille
• ASL

The Alt ELPA Screener is available for eligible students in place of the AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener.

Yes. The AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener is administered concurrently with the Spring AZELLA Reassessment - Summative for students who require the administration of the AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener.

Students who are administered an AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener after MARCH 1 of the current school year do not need to be administered the Spring AZELLA Reassessment - Summative.