QTS numeracy key skills test - help and advice

Scroll to see replies

i went for my 3rd and final attempt on Monday. Just like most with the previous too panicked too much and forgot the methods needed. On my third i thought i was doing ok not great but better than before. However, i failed by much worse than the previous, which has knocked my confidence for 6. During the test the fire alarm kept going off so at the end i complained and they gave me an incident number and im waiting for them to nullify my last failed attempt.

Im really struggling to imrpve with this test and its the only one i have left to pass to get onto the course.

Reply 61

10101

Hi,

Just wondering whether you lot recommend the mark patmore book or the Nasser vali one? I'm leaning towards the latter

Thanks

Reply 62

Katie993

Hey hun,
You are not allowed to bring any materials into the test with you at all. However you are provided with a white board and a white board pen to do workings out. I done my first one in April however failed it as I was so nervous! I would suggest you try to keep calm and revise fractions, decimals and percentages. They also like to test you on times tables and division etc. Taking mine again this year once I've applied for either the Teach First or the PGCE.

Revise, revise, revise!

Also check out http://www.numeracyready.co.uk/ its really helpful!!

Good luck! xx

Reply 63

Kbu

Hello, can any body that has completed the numeracy test please help.

do they supply you with conversion factors (eg, gallons ➡️ Litres ) or are we expected to memorise these?

thanks!

Reply 64

Melly123456

Original post by Mrs Nas

Hi, I have been practicing all the above test u have mentioned, I have also bought the latest books: Pass numeracy skills test with ease by Vali Nasser, Passing the numeracy skills test by Mark Patmore and I have registered with numeracy ready for three months and in addition I have been getting tution from my deputy head (maths co-ordinator) we covered everything and I was getting 25 out of 28 for most if my numeracy ready practice test on line and I have done most of the test. I was very confident but my actual test was very different like I mentioned before there was none of the graphs I practiced online. Please let me know how you get on. Wish you all the best x

Mrs Nas, I have done the same and like you I failed my first because it was so different and hard!!!

Reply 65

Brassband97

Original post by Mrs Nas

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

Hi i did my test today and i was 2 marks off passing. I felt the same, the practice tests were nothing like the real thing. I think i was just unlucky and got a difficult test.

Reply 66

Mehreeeny

Hi! Me too! I failed by one mark and want to appeal because one of the questions was about area which the practice tests, areas of numeracy document provided by the DOE and QTS book don't cover it. Also I think I'm Fallin into depression too. So any advice to see if I can appeal?

Thank you

Reply 67

toyha89

I'm trying to practice online for the numeracy skills test but the sound won't work on my iPhone iPad or a Sony phone! so I can't hear the questions!! Can you only practice on a laptop or computer device??

Reply 68

lolojohn5666

Original post by Brassband97

Hi i did my test today and i was 2 marks off passing. I felt the same, the practice tests were nothing like the real thing. I think i was just unlucky and got a difficult test.

Hi , for me it was the same :frown:

,, I practiced a lot but the real test was not the same at all , they had this odd graph that was a floating bar graph and there weren't any box and whisker graphs or even a pie chart :frown:

I have one attempt left now and I have no idea what I am going to do, since different things come up which aren't even mentioned on the DfE website :/ Why do they have to make it so hard ?

Reply 69

Melly123456

Hi everyone,

I passed my numeracy on Saturday on my second attempt:-) I am over the moon to say the least!!!

On my first attempt I failed miserably by seven marks and did not even finish the test! It was so hard and nothing like the practice tests. Although after reflecting afterwards I realised I could have worked them out if I wasnt so nervous! In the end the nerves won and I forgot the methods.

Now maths certainly isnt my strong point but I had revised non stop and thought I had a good chance of passing, especially after getting 92% on all the practice tests. After failing I had already got the mark patmore book, I bought the vali nasser book, bought numeracy ready, maths attack app, qts practice test app on apple, my university workshop and tutorials with my brother (he is a maths whizz) and the maths coordinator at my school! This left me with no spare time but that is the lengths I needed to go to in order to pass!!!

In the second test the mental part was harder but the written was on parr!

Top tip- do not panic and try to relax. I was taking herbal tablets to relax me one month prior to the test, eating blueberries everyday and on the morning 4 eggs scrambled with lots of water!!!

But more importantly just relax and you will get there! Cardiff was a very relaxed test centre.

Good luck everyone! You can do this- believe in yourself and it will happen.

Reply 70

Joulesw

Hi everyone,

I have both tests on Thursday(1st attempts), I really think I will fail the maths, and am starting the doubt whether I should do retakes. The speed of the automated voice just throws me, and I can't work out that fast. Gutted, I'm 31 and got on the a Schools Direct place straight away; this was meant to be a real career change

Reply 71

helpneeded29

Hi I've just taken my 2nd attempt at the numeracy skills test and I failed by 2 marks. I am absolutely devastated and don't really know what to do as I am so worried I will fail my 3rd attempt now which is really making me panic. Can anyone recommend any tutors or lessons that I could go to in the London area to help me pass the test? Thanks s much.

Reply 72

Brogan_sasha

Hi, I've got my 1st maths attempt on Thursday. I passed my literacy one last Thursday 1st time but I am terrible at maths and really worrying as I have been accepted into university but have to have passed the test by the 1st of July :frown:

Reply 73

AHUSS

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!!

i know this thread is old but I'm in similar position to what you were in 2 years ago. I was wondering what you did next? Did you still get into teaching somehow?

Reply 74

AHUSS

Original post by lolojohn5666

Hi , for me it was the same :frown:

,, I practiced a lot but the real test was not the same at all , they had this odd graph that was a floating bar graph and there weren't any box and whisker graphs or even a pie chart :frown:

I have one attempt left now and I have no idea what I am going to do, since different things come up which aren't even mentioned on the DfE website :/ Why do they have to make it so hard ?

I'm in the same situation and do you think you will go for it one last time? The numeracy is so hard its actually annoying!!😠

Reply 75

Skip_Snip

http://oliverwilliams.hubpages.com/hub/Miles-to-Kilometres-QTS-Skills-Tests

^ Here's a handy way to turn km into miles :smile:

Reply 76

Niyra

hi i know this is a old post, but what did you do ? and did you go into teaching ?

Reply 77

Mehreeeny

Hi guys, we get given different tests. A lot of people have had this horrible test with "floating graphs" and every single one of them failed. Hopefully you will have a easier one next time! Also if you can get good marks on the mental arithmetic then your in a good position.im on my second attempt and I'm really frightened i am going to get the horrible test that everyone's failed, the one with the floating graph. Can you give me a little more detail, about that question and others you were asked please? How odd not to get any biz whisker etc Xxx

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 78

Mel2008

Hi guys , I did my numeracy and literacy tests and passed ... Yaaay !! My advice , try using books more that the questions on line . Understand the graphs especially , cumulative frequency . I read all the threads here from 2013 , which made approach revision in a pretty different way ( UNDERSTANDING THE GRAPHS ) whereby , after that you'll be able to tackle any floating graph !!! Good luck guys !!!

Reply 79

Wordsmith3

I've got my third and final attempt at the maths QTS test on Friday, but am beginning to think it might be best to pull out, revise more and try again when I'm regularly getting 65/70%.I'll loose my PGCE offer if I pull out on Friday, but it's better than having to wait 2 years if I fail it a third time. I've passed literacy. What do you think?