Talking about the test. Boundary work in primary school teachers' interactions around national testing of student performance

•National testing represents a concrete, mandatory practice of accountability.•The introduction of national testing creates tensions for teachers.•The tensions evolve around what is seen as internal and external to teachers.•The tests are mainly placed outside teachers' main frame of teaching.•Teachers reshape professional discourse and involve in boundary work.

There is currently a strong belief in accountability as a policy of action and standardized testing has been implemented in several countries. This article examines tensions that occur in meetings when primary school teachers in Norway discuss national testing, and how these are handled. In particular, tensions revolve around what is seen as internal (teachers' everyday work) and external (policies and practices outside the main frame of teaching). Even though national testing is mainly seen as external to teachers' work, teachers involve in boundary work and reshape professional discourse in order to create relevance and maintain legitimacy following new expectations.