Colorado Measures of Academic Success

Teacher helping student with workbook

Colorado has a series of educational standards known as the Colorado Academic Standards (CAS) that outline academic objectives for students in every grade across 12 content areas, including math, English language arts, social studies and science. The standards create learning expectations for what students should understand, know and be able to do at each grade level and in each content area.

The end-of-year assessments – Colorado Measures of Academic Success, or CMAS – measure students’ mastery of the standards and the complex thinking and other critical skills students need to be successful in school and in life. The data from assessments are critical in determining if educational goals are being met and if students are on track to graduate prepared for college and careers.

Visit the CoALT page for information about alternate assessments, taken in place of CMAS by students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Administration Details

CMAS Assessment

Tested Grade

Who is required to test?

Testing Dates

Mathematics

3-8

All

4/6/26 - 4/24/26

English Language Arts (ELA)

3-8

All

4/6/26 - 4/24/26

Spanish Language Arts (CSLA)

3, 4

Identified Multilingual Learners (MLLs)

4/6/26 - 4/24/26

Science

5, 8, 11

All

4/6/26 - 4/24/26

Social Studies

4, 7

*Select Schools

4/6/26 - 4/24/26

Administration Window 2025-2026

The offical CMAS testing window is April 6-24, 2026. These dates are tentative until confirmed by CDE.

Results

New in 2025! Access your student's preliminary CMAS results as soon as they are available, in early June.  Your student's state ID number is needed to access results on the CDE Family Portal. 

See this CMAS Family Portal guidance document for instructions on finding your student's state ID number. Translated instructions are below.

Spanish > Amharic > Arabic > Dari > French > Nepali > Somali > Vietnamese

Final score reports -which include district and state score comparisons- are posted on the portal at the end of June.

CMAS Results: School/District

Overall CMAS results are embargoed from the public until August 21st. When the embargo lifts, find assessment results for your child’s school or district.

  • Students who take CSLA do not also take ELA

  • *Every year CDE will select a 1/3 sampling of schools across the state to administer the Social Studies tests

  • Please note that the statewide assessment for high school math and literacy achievement is called PSAT/SAT

Resources

The Role of State Assessments in Increasing Academic Achievement

English
Spanish
Amharic
Arabic
Dari
French
Nepali
Somali
Vietnamese

A Parent’s Guide to Opting Out in the Parent Portal, October-February - Coming Soon!

Families who wish to excuse their student from participation in one or more of the state assessments may do so by filling out the district’s opt-out application in Parent Portal from October to February. If you have more than one child, you will need to fill out the form or write a letter for each child that you want to excuse from CMAS testing.

General Assessment Resources
Assessment Purposes and District Policies
Assessment Window Calendar