I find it very interesting that people on this forum seem to have experiences that indicate that the version on the RIT/MAP test changes the question bank and therefore greatly impacts how to interpret the scores.
According to this NWEA info, there are criteria for switching test level at least for the 6+, but I recall seeing a mention of when to switch to the 2-5 test somewhere else, will see if I can find it. If I'd know it was 231, I'd have requested it this spring - how frustrating the schools don't know this.
Common Core MAP Mathematics: NWEA Recommendations for Transitioning Students from 2 – 5 to 6+ "Although the items contained within the 2 – 5 and 6+ versions of the test are all calibrated to the same RIT scale, the differences in content between the two versions of the test can mean that a new sixth grade student, particularly a high-performing one, may see items within the 6+ test that measure content areas to which s/he has never been exposed. This can result in a perceived drop in performance when transitioning between the 2 – 5 test in the spring of fifth grade to the 6+ test in the fall of sixth grade. This may partially explain why the drop in score is higher for high-achieving students than for lower-achieving ones.
Based on these observations, our recommendation is that students who score at the 90th percentile (231) or higher on the 2 – 5 mathematics test in the fall of fifth grade be transitioned into more advanced sixth grade (or higher) instruction, if their teachers and parents agree that they are ready, and if other indicators such as grades are consistent with their high MAP test scores. Going forward, they should be transitioned into the 6+ MAP test during any subsequent testing seasons, after they have begun to receive instruction in the more advanced content."
