CALCULATING THE AGE OF A STUDENT FOR ASSESSMENT

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS

CALCULATION OF AGE

Any time you test a child, perhaps the most important piece of information you must obtain is the childs age at the time of testing (known as Chronological Age). Miscalculating a childs chronological age will result in faulty interpretations and scores.

Therefore, it is necessary to take your time and be sure of a childs chronological age when determining how old he or she is at the time of testing Chronological Age is often abbreviated as

C.A.

Why Not Just Ask Children Their Ages?

The answer is threefold:

1. Many children do not know when they were born or how old they are 2. Children think they know their Date of Birth but are incorrect.

3. Ages (when doing an evaluation) are broken down into Years, Months, and Days, something that children would not normally know.

Years-Months-Days
For example, you may calculate that a child has a chronological age of 7-9-13.

This means that the child is 7 years, 9 months, and 13 days old.

If you determine that a child is 11-5-17, this represents a child who is 11 years, 5 months, and 17 days old.

Calculation of Age

Date of Test
Date of Birth

YEAR __________ __________

MONTH __________ __________

DAYS __________ __________ __________

Chronological Age

__________ __________

To calculate Chronological Age, the first step is simply to fill in the appropriate lines for Date of Test and Date of Birth.

A child who was tested on November 25, 1999, and who was born on July 9, 1985, would have the following box:

Date of Test Date of Birth Chronological Age

Year 1999
1985 ___

Month 11
7 ___

Days 25
9 ___

In the box, Date of Test of November 25, 1999, is represented by 1999-11-25, In the box, Date of Birth of July 9, 1985, is represented by 1985-7-9.

Right to Left Subtraction Rule

Important Point: Always start the subtraction process from RIGHT to LEFT (i.e., subtract the Days, then the Months, and lastly, the Years). You must always follow this procedure!

Calculation of Age
YEAR Date of Test Date of Birth 1999 1985 MONTH 11 7 4 DAYS 25 9 16

Chronological Age 14

This child was 14-4-16 at the time of testing 14 years, 4 months, and 16 days old.

Rounding Up Ages

On many tests (or in educational reports and IEPs), the age may be rounded up/down to Years and Months. General Rule (see manual for specifics): If the number of days is greater than 15, the age is rounded up. C.A. of 10-7-24 would become 10-8

If the number of days is less than or equal to 15, it remains the same. C.A. of 8-6-2 would become 8-6

Date of Test DAYS is Less Than Date of Birth DAYS.

Now, suppose you have a child whose Date of Test DAYS is less than his or her Date of Birth DAYS.

Date of Test DAYS is Less Than Date of Birth DAYS.

Suppose you have a child who was tested on August 11, 2005. He was born on May 23, 1995.

Date of Test Date of Birth Chronological Age

YEAR 2005
1995

MONTH 8
5

DAYS 11
23
__________

___________ __________

RULE for When Date of Test DAYS is Less Than the Date of Birth DAYS

Rule: Subtract 1 from the Date of Test MONTHS and add 30 to the Date of Test DAYS You are simply replacing 1 month with 30 days.

Date of Test DAYS is Less Than Date of Birth DAYS.

You cannot subtract 23 from 11, so simply subtract 1 from the Date of Test MONTHS (8 1 = 7) and add 30 to Date of Test DAYS (11 + 30 = 41). Date of Test Date of Birth YEAR 2005 1995 MONTH 7 (8-1) 5 _______ DAYS 41 (11+ 30) 23 _______

Chronological Age ______

Date of Test DAYS is Less Than Date of Birth DAYS.

Now, simply subtract as you normally would:

Date of Test

YEAR 2005

MONTH 7

DAYS 41

Date of Birth

1995

5
2

23
18

Chronological Age 10

This child is 10-2-18. (For assessment purposes, the childs age probably would be recorded as 10-3.)

Date of Test MONTHS is Less Than the Date of Birth MONTHS.

Now, suppose the Date of Test MONTHS is less than the Date of Birth MONTHS.

Date of Test MONTHS is Less Than the Date of Birth MONTHS.

Suppose a childs Date of Birth is November 4, 2000.

His Date of Testing was on April 15, 2005. Calculate his Chronological Age at the time of testing.

Date of Test MONTHS is Less Than the Date of Birth MONTHS.

Date of Test
Date of Birth

YEAR 2005 2000

MONTH 4 11

DAYS 15 4

Chronological Age __________ __________ 11

You cannot subtract 11 MONTHS from 4 MONTHS.

RULE for When Date of Test MONTHS is Less Than the Date of Birth MONTHS.

RULE: When Date of Test MONTHS is Less Than the Date of Birth MONTHS, subtract 1 from the Date of Test YEARS and add 12 to the Date of Test MONTHS You are replacing 1 year with 12 months.

Date of Test MONTHS is Less Than the Date of Birth MONTHS.

Therefore, subtract 1 from the Date of Test YEARS (2005 1 = 2004) and add 12 to the Date of Test MONTHS (4 + 12 = 16).
Date of Test
YEAR MONTH DAYS 2004 (2005-1) 16 (4 + 12) 15

Subtract as you normally would. Now, the box looks like this:

Date of Test MONTHS is Less Than the Date of Birth MONTHS.

YEAR

MONTH (2005-1)

DAYS

Date of Test

2004

16 (4 + 12) 15

Date of Birth

2000

11
_____

4
11

Chronological Age ______

Date of Test MONTHS is Less Than the Date of Birth MONTHS.

YEAR

MONTH

DAYS

Date of Test

2004

16

15

Date of Birth

2000

11

Chronological Age

11

This child was 4-5-11 when tested.

The Ultimate Age Calculation Problem

If you can do this problem, then you should be able to do any calculation of age. Try this one:

The Ultimate Age Calculation Problem

A child is tested on March 14, 2005. He was born on December 29, 1993. What was his age at the time of testing?

The Ultimate Age Calculation Problem

YEAR

MONTH 3

DAYS 14

Date of Test

2005

Date of Birth

1993

12
_____

29
____

Chronological Age _____

The Ultimate Age Calculation Problem

YEAR

MONTH 2

DAYS 44

Date of Test

2005

Date of Birth

1993

12
_____

29
15

Chronological Age _____

The Ultimate Age Calculation Problem

YEAR

MONTH 14

DAYS 44

Date of Test

2004

Date of Birth

1993

12
2

29
15

Chronological Age _____

The Ultimate Age Calculation Problem

Date of Test
Date of Birth

YEAR 2000 1988

MONTH 3 12 2

DAYS 14 29 15

Chronological Age 11

This child was 11-2-15 when tested.

Practice ProblemCalculate Your Chronological Age

YEAR

MONTH

DAYS

Date of Test
Date of Birth Chronological Age