Placement guide, math

Which level of CTCMath should my child start?

How CTCMath levels line up with school grades, how its placement test works, what to do if your child lands between two levels, and the mistakes parents most often make.

The short answer. Not a buy-one-level product: one membership unlocks every course from Kindergarten to Calculus, so the choice is only where to start. Courses through 8th Grade are named by grade; after that they are named by subject with no grade attached.

Use the publisher's own placement tool to choose the level (paid, online). If you are not sure where your child really is, or the result surprises you, check the level first: it is quicker than a wrong book.

Check their level first, $9.99 →

CTCMath levels and the grades they usually suit

Level	Usually suits grade	Main topics
2nd Grade	2
3rd Grade	3
4th Grade	4
5th Grade	5
6th Grade	6
7th Grade	7
8th Grade	8
Algebra 1	Not given by the publisher	First-year algebra
Geometry	Not given by the publisher	High school geometry
Algebra II	Not given by the publisher	Second-year algebra
Pre-Calculus (including Trigonometry)	Not given by the publisher	Pre-calculus and trigonometry

Grades are the publisher's own guide. Many children sit a level above or below, especially after switching programs.

How CTCMath placement works

Inside the membership, each topic has a standard and a comprehensive diagnostic test (a reviewer also describes a short form, with comprehensive about twice the questions of standard).
The child takes them online, they are marked automatically, and the parent gets a report listing lessons that may need review.
There is no cut-off score and no automatic grade placement: the parent reads the report and picks the starting grade or lessons.

Open the publisher's placement page

If your child lands between two levels

All grades are open, so there is no wrong purchase: start at the current grade, or test the grade below first to catch gaps, then skip topics the tests show are already mastered. The publisher stresses that students can move back and forward freely.

Problems parents often run into

Little pencil-and-paper work, especially for younger children, while older students need written working for multi-step problems.
One video explanation per topic; if it does not click, there are few other ways in.
No automatic placement, so parents have to read the diagnostic reports and set the path themselves.
Some teens find the videos dry.
Families who prefer spiral review have found too little built-in review, although newer review and mastery features address part of this.

Point of Progress in 20 seconds

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See where they stand →$9.99 · test and report, one payment

Switching to CTCMath from another program

Coming from another program, use the diagnostic tests for the current grade and the grade below to find gaps before settling on a start point.
A child who passes a grade's comprehensive test can move up to the next grade's course.
The lesson pass mark and the number of attempts are parent settings (one reviewer uses 80 percent).

Not just a score. Every skill, and every answer.

The score, with its honest range

Grade 4Grade 6 typicalGrade 9

744, likely range 702 to 787. A good or bad day stops looking like real movement.

Every strand, marked

Number senseStrong
FractionsWorth work
RatiosStrong
ExpressionsWorth work

Five to nine strands per subject, on one scale, so the gaps inside one score show.

Question by question

Add 2/3 and 1/4Answered 3/7. Added numerators and denominators separately, so the common denominator step is missing.

Wrong

Every wrong answer, with the most likely thinking behind it.

What to do next, in order

Common denominators
Simplifying fractions
Ratio as a comparison

Ranked by how much each skill holds the rest back, then practised in the workbook.

Get the report, $9.99 →or add the ten-week workbook built from the gaps, $19.99See the full eight-page sample report

When you don't need a whole level

A placement test answers one question: which book. If your child is mostly on track but shaky in one area, say fractions or paragraph writing, a full lower level means months of review they do not need. Practising just the gaps is faster, and keeps them in the book that fits the rest of their skills.

Questions parents ask

How long is a CTCMath lesson?

4-9 (video tutorial; practice questions are extra)

Is it bad if my child places below their grade?

No. Programs pace topics differently, so a lower level often reflects the order things were taught, not how able a child is. What matters is starting where the work makes sense.

Do I need a placement test at all?

If you are switching programs or your child has had a hard year, yes. Starting too high is the most common reason a new curriculum stalls in the first month.