QTS numeracy key skills test - help and advice

I passed today!
so happy, can't wait to start uni now, my mental side was easier I'd say, but I had revised my head off so I guess it all paid off x

Reply 21

Mrs Nas

Well done, did u get questions on pie chart, scatter graphs etc

Reply 22

Frankenstein

8

Yeah, they were very similar to the practise materials, I'm not sure what went wrong in your tests, maybe nerves got to you x

Reply 23

tonii24

I'm getting worried now reading through these comments. I have both my tests tomorrow and I've been using the online tests to help me although I don't think I'm that great at maths I thought I'd end up being okay and started feeling a bit confident. I've been using the online tests to help and been reading through stuff I wasn't sure on but I'm worried I'll fail and I think this is my only chance as I have to prove to my uni that I've passed before 9th of august to actually get onto my teacher training course :frown:

Reply 24

Mrs Nas

No it was not nerves the questions were nothing like practice tests, just my luck!!

Reply 25

juneat4

Original post by amber1618

so scared mine is on monday... i was told its slightly easier in the real thing? how true is this?

I was told this too but didn't find this true in my experience.

Reply 26

juneat4

Original post by Frankenstein

Yeah, they were very similar to the practise materials, I'm not sure what went wrong in your tests, maybe nerves got to you x

My experience revealed there were hardly any questions relating to the practice questions! No scatter diagrams, bar or pie charts but very heavy on cumulative frequency diagrams!

Reply 27

Mrs Nas

Yeah same here. It was horrible. Did you pass your test?

Reply 28

tonii24

I passed my tests last week luckily so I am definitely going to uni. They weren't too bad I read through all the revision stuff they had on the website and I just practised on stuff I was unsure on and I did good :smile:

Reply 29

Varley

Hi, I also had the problem yesterday. I revised from all the books for my Maths, and then took the 4 tests online and passed them all with a score between 82-96% first time on each practise test. I also bought four more extra Mental Arithmetic tests from GA-Numerical which were slight harder than those online so I felt confident that I shouldn't struggle too much. However today my test was nothing like anything I was expecting. It was soooo hard it actually shocked me. I had no distance, no percentage, no reading age questions, 1 conversion of a rate of 0.6= 0.25 rather than 1.6 =£1 which was different, my my question were awkward and unexpected.
On the graphs I didn't get anything that was revised. No Box and Whisker, Cum-Frequency, however they did give me two scatter graphs but nothing like what I've seen before. It felt as though they'd picked the hardest question of each possible test and stuck it into one and I'd landed that test.

Further more, I didn't realise the computer was touch screen and every time I clicked on the box in after the question had been read first time ready fort answer, I then worked it out and used my finger to follow the screen in the graphs and everything time I went to put my answer it the mouse had moved which kept delaying my answer.
a the mouse also kept jumping on my mental for some reason too and resulted in my missed 5 answers before I had to call the guy in who explained it was touch screen and quite sensitive. VERY Annoying. Also I thought the pen was supposed to be permanent so you couldn't rub out which was true so me, being left handed was rubbing my working out, out as I was writing. This didn't help when I needed the working out from the first part for my second part question.
I understand how you feel as there isn't enough material online and this test didn't represent anything online. My mate failed all her practise ones online repeatedly by a lot. Took a gamble and booked her test and passed first time!!! So there has to be easier ones!!!

Original post by Mrs Nas

Hi guys, i have read all the threads and i have taken my numeracy test three times and failed!!!! i am really disappointed and have not been able to eat or sleep since i took the test. The first time i took the test i failed by 3 marks and it was very similar to the online practice papers, the second time i failed by one mark and the test was very very hard compared to the first test, the third test was was virtually impossible to pass as it did not have any questions i revised on, there was no questions on scatter graph, cummulative frequency, box and whiskers etc, it was nothing like the ones on line. i am thinking to appeal but I dont know how to go about it, has any one else appealed on similar basis? Please help I am devistated as I have passed my GTP and my literacy, the only thing letting me down is my numeracy and i feel that it is really unfair for them to give me such hard test (maybe it was hard because it was my third time, but still they should have made us aware of how hard it would be and what we should revise on to pass. Please HELP!!

Reply 30

cheryltorne

Original post by Mrs Nas

Hi guys, i have read all the threads and i have taken my numeracy test three times and failed!!!! i am really disappointed and have not been able to eat or sleep since i took the test. The first time i took the test i failed by 3 marks and it was very similar to the online practice papers, the second time i failed by one mark and the test was very very hard compared to the first test, the third test was was virtually impossible to pass as it did not have any questions i revised on, there was no questions on scatter graph, cummulative frequency, box and whiskers etc, it was nothing like the ones on line. i am thinking to appeal but I dont know how to go about it, has any one else appealed on similar basis? Please help I am devistated as I have passed my GTP and my literacy, the only thing letting me down is my numeracy and i feel that it is really unfair for them to give me such hard test (maybe it was hard because it was my third time, but still they should have made us aware of how hard it would be and what we should revise on to pass. Please HELP!!

Hi ,did my test Num yesterday 1st attempt and failed. I have been practicing for 4 months and done all the on line papers. I did not get any questions that were in the practice , no scatter, no box and whiskers, cummulative frequency,
very disappointed. I think it is unfair, I would like to know if there is any appeal procedure. My first attempt and it was
very, very hard. If there is anyone who could suggest what practice material to use I would be so grateful. If I fail the next test my teaching career is finished. I am an outstanding teacher and this numeracy test is going to prevent me from going further.

Reply 31

Frankenstein

8

Theses test are here to 'test you', taking from what you've learnt of your first attempts, how about go away with that now and revise what came up,

What sort of things were different on the tests? And how many did you fail by?

Numeracy ready is a brilliant tool! It's £20, and you get step by step guides to everything

Also 20 more questions like the real thing and same setting to revise from,

All I can suggest is get the how to books, and all the information on the web, revise every hour god sends and dot panic, I passed third time so I know the pressure, I got a C at GCSE and never got maths at all, when I first started revising I was only getting 3/28 right lol so you can imagine the work I had to put in!

Get a tutor if all else fails and your still not confident

X

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Reply 32

zenm3000

Mrs Nas I just read your post and had to join this forum to reply...It seems as if we did the same test. I did mine last night and failed by 1 mark. That was a shock, because I thought I had failed by at least 5 marks because the questions in section 2 were nothing like the ones online or in the 'Passing the QTS' book I bought. I also bought and practice the 'Numeracy Ready' program...I am very upset at this point and think this is so unfair. There were no Box and whisker...the pie-chart question had 6 pie to compare and contrast...the data was long,confusing and difficult to answer in 2-3 minutes...no scatter graphs either. I think this was an unfair test and I had no chance of passing it. I am now thinking that I have wasted my time and money...I have only one chance left with the numeracy and 2 chances with the literacy....

Reply 33

Mrs Nas

Hi, I am sorry to hear about your test, I failed all three attempts in maths and an devastated. There are easier ones for sure because my 1st attempt was easier n similar to the ones on line but I failed my only 1 mark the third attempt was a nightmare and like I said it was nothing like practice paper and I have practiced so many different materials and have become very good at it (ITS REALLY NOT FAIR!!!!!) Good luck for your next test hopefully you will get an easy one. Xx

Reply 34

dinkylou

Hi, I have just taken my numeracy test today and failed for the second time. I came home and stated to my partner that although I felt I had done badly on the mental arithmetic, something wasn't right with the data interpretation questions. As others here have mentioned, NONE of the graphs I had revised for came up (no box n whisker, no pie chart, no cumulative frequency, no scatter graph). I find it odd that this seems to have happened to several people in the last couple of months and, as a result, have phoned Pearson to complain. They state that I should not expect to find all of the questions in the revision material provided and that it is down to the individual to use other practice materials. Having told them that I have used several books and signed up to Numeracy Ready, all of which include the same type of graphs, and still had ones in the test I had never seen before, I still think something is up! They have recommended that I email [email protected] with my complaint and I hope that if others feel strongly about this they will too. I'm not disputing my fail but do not see that it is fair to revise for questions that do not appear and receive questions you do not expect. For those of us less confident with numeracy this really does not help.

Rant over! Fingers crossed we all pass soon xx

Reply 35

Varley

I have already done this too.
Dont exspect to hear something back straight away thought as I've spoken to them on the phone several times and they say it can take months.

Good luck

Reply 36

Mrs Nas

Original post by dinkylou

Hi, I have just taken my numeracy test today and failed for the second time. I came home and stated to my partner that although I felt I had done badly on the mental arithmetic, something wasn't right with the data interpretation questions. As others here have mentioned, NONE of the graphs I had revised for came up (no box n whisker, no pie chart, no cumulative frequency, no scatter graph). I find it odd that this seems to have happened to several people in the last couple of months and, as a result, have phoned Pearson to complain. They state that I should not expect to find all of the questions in the revision material provided and that it is down to the individual to use other practice materials. Having told them that I have used several books and signed up to Numeracy Ready, all of which include the same type of graphs, and still had ones in the test I had never seen before, I still think something is up! They have recommended that I email [email protected] with my complaint and I hope that if others feel strongly about this they will too. I'm not disputing my fail but do not see that it is fair to revise for questions that do not appear and receive questions you do not expect. For those of us less confident with numeracy this really does not help.

Rant over! Fingers crossed we all pass soon xx

OMG!!!!! I feel the same. If I was given any questions which relates to the practice paper I would have passed!!! But questions was nothing like it. Inthought I was the only one. I also don't think it is fair to be told to revise for one thing and get tested on something else that is totally unfair!!! I will also like to make a complain. Can you please tell me what I have to do? Thanks

Reply 37

Mrs Nas

Hi Dinkylou, please let me know if you hear a thing from pearsons, I'm really stressed about it. How do you make a complain, I tried to email them using the email in your thread but it didn't go through.

Reply 38

Mrs Nas

Original post by dinkylou

Hi, I have just taken my numeracy test today and failed for the second time. I came home and stated to my partner that although I felt I had done badly on the mental arithmetic, something wasn't right with the data interpretation questions. As others here have mentioned, NONE of the graphs I had revised for came up (no box n whisker, no pie chart, no cumulative frequency, no scatter graph). I find it odd that this seems to have happened to several people in the last couple of months and, as a result, have phoned Pearson to complain. They state that I should not expect to find all of the questions in the revision material provided and that it is down to the individual to use other practice materials. Having told them that I have used several books and signed up to Numeracy Ready, all of which include the same type of graphs, and still had ones in the test I had never seen before, I still think something is up! They have recommended that I email [email protected] with my complaint and I hope that if others feel strongly about this they will too. I'm not disputing my fail but do not see that it is fair to revise for questions that do not appear and receive questions you do not expect. For those of us less confident with numeracy this really does not help.

Rant over! Fingers crossed we all pass soon xx

hi Dinkylou, please let me know if you hear from pearsons, I tried emailing them and the email didn't go through. I am really stressed over this. I studied realy hard and I should have passed because I have not left area untouched.

Reply 39

kellysmall87

Hi everyone. I have my maths test on Wed, second attempt. Failed first one by three marks (it's really gutting to fail by so little, isn't it?!)
What are you all doing now then, during the two year ban? Working in free schools until you can re-take?
I have passed lit, I have gained a conditional offer at BCU providing I pass this numeracy test. If I fail by one mark, I think I'll have a breakdown!
K.x

P.S: We should complain about the 18 second time frame during the mental arithmetic. It should be extended to 25 secs at least. If you're a teacher working out :

'In a year group of 120 pupils, 75% achieved at Level 4 or Level 5 in Key Stage 2 English. Sixty five pupils achieved at Level 4.
How many pupils achieved at Level 5?'

...it should be expected that you get the answer within a minute. That's not unreasonable to expect it in a minute, or 30 secs even! That's still super quick!

(edited 10 years ago)

QTS numeracy key skills test - help and advice

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