We are providing this year's Foundational Skills Assessments (FSA) for our grades 4 and 7 students in their classes between October 1 and November 10. Prior to those dates, students will have the opportunity to view a sample assessment, so they are aware of the format and types of questions for both the written and online portions of the assessment.
The FSA assessment is one of the assessments that your child will participate in throughout their K-12 educational journey.
Why Use FSA Sample Assessments?
✅ They are aligned with BC's curriculum and assessment standards.
✅ They provide real examples of literacy and numeracy tasks.
✅ They help students build confidence and familiarity with assessment formats.
✅ They can be used flexibly—at your own pace and in a low-pressure environment.
How to Access the FSA Samples
You can find the sample assessments on the BC Ministry of Education's website at:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/administration/program-management/assessment/foundation-skills-assessment/fsa-samples
Make It Fun!
• Turn reading passages into storytelling time.
• Use math questions to spark real-life problem-solving (e.g., cooking, shopping, travel).
• Celebrate effort and progress, not just correct answers.
Thank you for being such an important part of our school community.
en-Foundation-Skills-Assessment-for-Parents-and-Caregivers.pdf
fr-fsa-Informations pour les parents et parents substituts.pdf
Board of Education: 2025 Letter to Parents
The Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) is an annual province-wide assessment of all B.C. students’ academic skills in grades 4 and 7, and provides parents, teachers, schools, school districts and the Ministry of Education with important information on how well students are progressing in the foundation skills of Reading, Writing, and Numeracy. The FSA has faced criticisms for various reasons, most
particularly being tied to the Fraser Institute’s school performance measures.
Overall participation in the FSA has declined due to messaging from the BCTF
province-wide, and COVID has also discouraged participation. The data is still utilized at both the
District and Provincial level for evidence-based decision making, and it
continues to be reported home to parents.
The Foundation Skills Assessment is only one of many indicators of how a child is doing in relation to skills, competencies and content embedded in B.C.'s curriculum (K-12), with the most important measures being those described on your child’s report card. The FSA provides a snapshot of student achievement at a specific point in time. The FSA will include written and online tests. Multiple choice questions for numeracy and reading will be online and held in the school computer lab, with the written component completed in the classroom.
School principals will notify parents of any student whose Inclusive Education Plan or English Language proficiency documents a rationale for exclusion from the FSA. Parents may request that Principals excuse their children from the FSA.
For more information on Foundation Skills Assessments, please use the following links to lead you to the B.C. Ministry of Education website.
Foundation Skills Assessments, Ministry of Education Link
Foundation Skills Assessments, BC Curriculum
FNESC Letter to Minister of Education RE: Importance of FSAs
