Newsela Student vs NWEA Secure Testing
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Newsela Student
This app offers engaging articles on diverse topics, each presented at five different reading levels. It includes activities and quizzes to deepen understanding, automatically adjusting difficulty to keep learners challenged and motivated. Students can track their progress and practice vocabulary.
- Leveled articles on any topic
- Adjustable reading levels
- Integrated activities and quizzes
- Offline annotation and submission
- Real-time progress tracking
- Vocabulary practice (Power Words)
- Curated and custom learning sets
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Connect what’s happening in class to what’s happening in the world around you. Newsela brings authentic, real-world content into the classroom with embedded scaffolds that build knowledge, reading comprehension, and confidence across subject areas. Explore high-interest non-fiction articles, Generation Genius videos, and interactive PhET Simulations. What students can do in this app: EXPLORE HIGH-INTEREST TOPICS Discover fresh content across current events, science, technology, animals, sports, arts, pop culture, engineering, space, and more. READ YOUR OWN WAY Customize the experience with adjustable reading supports like Language Translation and Listen mode. INTERACT WITH ARTICLES Annotate text, take Polls, complete Checks for Understanding, and use Guided Highlighting. STAY ON TRACK View assignments, check due dates, and set up reminders. TAKE ON READING CHALLENGES Pick from a library of interesting articles, build independent reading habits, and earn classroom rewards. Why educators love Newsela: PROVEN SKILL GROWTH Research shows regular Newsela use can lead to up to four (4) additional months of literacy growth. RELEVANT AND TRUSTED Developed by expert learning designers in partnership with trusted publishers to deliver standards-aligned, engaging content each week. What educators are saying: “We need tools that are ever-changing, just like the world.” - New Jersey educator “Gives [students] something they can practice independently.” - Ohio teacher “They are pushing themselves to read at more difficult levels.” - Virginia teacher “They were able to connect to the novel, thereby bringing it to life.” - Michigan educator Since 2013, Newsela has worked toward one mission: Meaningful classroom learning for every student, every day. To get started, download the app and sign in with your school account or learning management system (LMS). Terms of Service: https://newsela.com/legal/terms Privacy Policy: https://newsela.com/legal/newsela-privacy-policy Help Center: https://help.newsela.com/en/
NWEA Secure Testing
This application allows K-12 students to take standardized assessments on an iPad. It supports various NWEA tests, including MAP Growth and state summative assessments, ensuring a secure testing environment.
- K-12 assessment delivery
- iPad compatibility
- MAP Growth support
- MAP Growth K-2 support
- State summative assessments
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The NWEA™ Secure Testing app provides students the ability to complete our K–12 assessments on an iPad®. The app supports MAP® Growth™, MAP Growth K-2 and NWEA state summative assessments.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Newsela Student at 76% against NWEA Secure Testing's 18%. Newsela Student also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.5) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Newsela Student holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Newsela Student has 29K ratings behind it against 1.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Newsela Student's written reviews are positive against 18% of NWEA Secure Testing's.
Newsela Student ships an update every 2 months, NWEA Secure Testing every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Newsela Student | NWEA Secure Testing |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (29K ratings) — better | 1.5 (1.4K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 75.6% of reviews — better | 18.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 29K — better | 1.4K |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 8 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 0 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Newsela | NWEA |
Customer experience
Newsela Student
NWEA Secure Testing
User reviews
Newsela Student
From 29K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Good app for different reading levels
- 📚 Variety of informative articles
- 🎓 Useful for education and learning
- 🤓 Helps improve reading and vocabulary
- 🙌 Great resource for teachers and students
Room to improve
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🔍 Lack of specific search options
- 💤 Boring or one-sided content
- 🤔 Grading system needs improvement
- 📱 Mobile app issues (login, navigation)
NWEA Secure Testing
From 1.4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 📊 Accurate assessment of student progress
- ⏱️ Efficient testing experience
- 💻 Works well on computers
Room to improve
- 🤯 Overly difficult and stressful questions
- 🔒 Restrictive app lock feature
- 🕰️ Inconsistent test duration
- 🤢 Caused health issues for some users
Bugs and requests
Newsela Student
Reported bugs
4 issues- Login issues on iOS 12
- Binder page frequently freezes or glitches
- Inability to see all available article sets
- Replying and submitting work takes too long
Requested features
5 requests- Add word definitions or translations
- Implement auto-save for writing assignments
- Introduce a teacher-specific version of the app
- Expand content to include more global news
- Improve multitasking and split-screen support
NWEA Secure Testing
Reported bugs
3 issues- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Compatibility issues with certain devices
- Inconsistent test results
Requested features
3 requests- Allow going back to previous questions
- Provide more detailed feedback on performance
- Adjust question difficulty to grade level
In-app purchases
Newsela Student
No in-app purchases
NWEA Secure Testing
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Newsela Student free?
Is NWEA Secure Testing free?
Which has better reviews, Newsela Student or NWEA Secure Testing?
Do Newsela Student or NWEA Secure Testing have ads?
Which is updated more often, Newsela Student or NWEA Secure Testing?
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