Social Studies Assessments

Senate Bill 636 requires the administration of a cumulative American history and civics test prior to high school graduation. In addition, all Grade 8 students must now take the Golden Horseshoe online exam.

Students must take the American history exam at the end of their final U.S. history course (AP U.S. History, U.S. Comprehensive, or Contemporary Studies). They must also take the civics exam, which counts towards the citizenship test requirement, at the end of their Civics or AP Government and Politics course before graduating. Each county must establish a system of record keeping to ensure documentation of each graduate’s examination of the two required high school tests. The Golden Horseshoe online test will be administered to Grade 8 students using the current Golden Horseshoe exam schedule.

The WVDE will provide a list of students who took the American history and civics exam with their scores at the end of each semester. The Golden Horseshoe results will be sent after the award ceremony in June. The scores will be emailed directly to the county superintendent.

Please make sure all students Grades 8-12 have access to Webtop using their Office 365 credentials. Depending on how scores are utilized, counties should consider testing all students on the same day.

While the Golden Horseshoe, American history, and civics (citizenship) exams are not formal summative assessments, these exams address specific topics as outlined in W.Va. Code 18-2-9. However, like the Golden Horseshoe exam, only the classroom accommodations, as prescribed on an Individualized Education Program (IEP), such as read aloud by an adult and extended time, should be provided on these exams.

Assessment Dates

The American history and civics exams will be available the following dates:

• Fall/Winter Semester 2025-2026 - November 17, 2025-January 30, 2026 (semester block schedule)
• Spring 2026 Semester - April 13, 2026-June 12, 2026 (traditional year long schedule)

Test Administrators

The American History and Civics Exams Confidentiality Agreement [PDF] must be signed and submitted via email to the WVDE Secondary Social Studies coordinator, Matt Kelly (mmkelly@k12.wv.us), prior to administering the Social Studies Assessment. 

Additional Information

• Frequently Asked Questions for Social Studies Assessments [PDF]
• Senate Bill 636 Testing Requirements [PDF]