Everything you’ve ever wanted to know: WIDA ACCESS 2026-2027

By: Katie Stenz

Are you new to WIDA ACCESS? Have you administered an ACCESS test before but can’t remember where to find things like training, test prep and test materials?

Look no further than this brief reference to all things ACCESS! Pay special attention to the “A word from WIDA” sections for WIDA advice.

ACCESS member/state guidelines

Go to your member/state page (it’s in the dropdown menu at the top of the WIDA website) to find testing dates and information, instructions for setting up a WIDA Secure Portal or WIDA Assessment Management System (AMS) account, and contact information for your state education agency (SEA).

A word from WIDA: Your SEA determines which WIDA assessments you use and sets specific policies on how to use those assessments. Your member/state page is the best place to find this information.

ACCESS training

Find ACCESS training courses in the WIDA Secure Portal. Once you’re in the portal, go to Assessment Training and use Filter By to narrow your search. Then, find your training course and select Learn More & Enroll. From there, you can enroll in the course and view and download related resources. Go to My Certifications to find your recent course certifications.

A word from WIDA: We released a new ACCESS Braille training course! Read the What to know: WIDA assessments in the 2026-2027 school year news article to learn about the new course and get the latest info on using WIDA assessments this school year.

ACCESS test preparation for students

Find test preparation resources for ACCESS Online and ACCESS Paper on the ACCESS Test Practice and Sample Items webpage. You’ll find sample items for ACCESS Online, ACCESS Paper and the ACCESS Braille accommodation, as well as test demos and test practice items that help prepare students for online testing.

Find WIDA Alternate ACCESS sample items on the Alternate ACCESS Sample Items webpage.

A word from WIDA: We made accessibility and accommodations updates to ACCESS this school year. Learn what changed and how you can help students prepare for testing in the WIDA Screener and WIDA ACCESS Get Accessibility Updates for 2026-2027 news article.

ACCESS family engagement info

Find the “What Is WIDA ACCESS?” and “What Is WIDA Alternate ACCESS?” family flyers on the WIDA ACCESS webpage (in the Resources to Share With Families section). These flyers explain ACCESS testing and are translated into the 18 most common languages across the WIDA Consortium.

A word from WIDA: Looking for other family engagement resources? Check out our Engaging Families and Communities page! This page is home to helpful videos and guides for building awareness, advocacy and trust with families of multilingual students.

ACCESS Standard Setting 2026: Post event resources

The ACCESS Standard Setting 2026 analysis wrapped up last month, and we released a communications toolkit so that you can share messages about standard setting with your colleagues. Find the “Communications Toolkit for Educators” at the bottom of the Learn About ACCESS Standard Setting 2026 webpage.

A word from WIDA: New to standard setting? Read the Educators at the center of ACCESS standard setting news article to find out what standard setting is and how it affects ACCESS.

ACCESS help

Depending on your question about ACCESS, you may need to reach out to either the WIDA Client Services Center or our partners at Data Recognition Corporation (DRC). Refer to our Contact Us page for information on who to contact.

A word from WIDA: Want to tackle your question on your own? You can! There is likely a WIDA Assessment Webinar on a topic that answers your question. Go to the Webinars page in the WIDA Secure Portal for a list of upcoming and recorded webinars.

A bonus word from WIDA: Help us make our assessments the best they can be by signing up to participate in a test development event! Browse our Building a WIDA Assessment page to learn more and apply.