I'm sure an expert will chime in soon enough, but from what I have gathered, it is adaptive, and it does go above grade level, but there are three test versions, K-2, 2-5, and 6+. The scores do increase each year, and the student continues at the level they left off, but comparing against grade 3 probably isn't as accurate of an assumption as it would be if he'd taken the 2-5 grade test. Same as my DS in 4th, his scores against grade 6 aren't quite the same, because of the lower number and diversity of questions available at the ceiling. Someone please correct me if I got that wrong!

I am curious, too, though, if a child scores really high on the younger test, should they move the child to the higher grade test a year early, to finesse out gaps and breadth?