Administering the Reading assessments

Modified on Fri, 30 Aug at 12:16 PM

Prior to the assessment

Prior to taking the test, learners should watch the familiarisation video. This can be completed on a separate day to taking the test. The two reading tests should also ideally be completed on separate days.

Starting the assessment

Select ‘Start test’ to begin.
A message will appear 'Are you sure you want to start the test?’
The learner should select ‘Yes’.
The test will automatically move to full screen mode.

Structure of the reading assessment

The Year 3 and 4 reading assessments are made up of two tests. Each test is comprised of two reading texts and associated questions.
At the beginning of Test 1 learners see a small number of practice questions. This section is not timed. At the end of this section a screen instructs learners to wait for their teacher to tell them to move on to the main test section.
Learners move through the tests by pressing the Next question button; the reading text remains onscreen throughout the test.
Once the learner reaches the last question, they can review their answers.
When they select End test, the test is submitted for marking.
Learners are unable to access Test 2 until they have completed Test 1.

Reading assessment

Equipment

There is no special equipment needed for this test. Dictionaries and thesauruses should not be used.

Timing

5-10 minutes	Practice questions – a separate section that is untimed and unmarked appears automatically at the beginning of Test 1.
45 minutes*	Each test has a time limit of 45 minutes.

*If the learner runs out of time, they get a notification informing them that they can finish the question that they are on. Once they have finished this question and pressed the ‘Next question’ button, the test is submitted. Pausing the test will pause the test timer.

Starting the session

Practice questions section (Test 1 only)

The purpose of the practice questions is to familiarise learners with some of the different types of questions they will come across in the test.
Learners can work through the practice questions independently, or they can work through them as a class, with teacher support, if that is felt to be beneficial.
At the end of the practice section, learners will see a screen telling them to wait for teacher instructions to move onto the main test section. When learners press the Next question button the timed main test section will begin. They will not be able to go back to the practice section.

Main test section

The first screen learners see is an instructions page. If beneficial this can be read aloud by the teacher.
The test time will automatically count down when the instructions page is displayed. You may want to give the class ‘countdowns’ at certain points during the session.
No extra time should be allowed except in the special circumstances outlined in the accessibility guidance article.
Once learners press the End Test button, they will not be able to change any of their answers and they will be returned to the learner home screen. Learners should be instructed not to start the next test until they are told to by their teacher. It is recommended that the tests are completed on different days.

Answering learners’ queries

Some learners will need further clarification about test technique. The following information may be adapted using words and phrases familiar to the learners, provided the meaning is retained:

They should think of their own answers and not discuss them with others.
They should not spend too long on one question – if it proves difficult, they should leave it and try again later.
The reading text should be referred to when answering the questions.
Most questions include page numbers to help learners locate the relevant part of the reading text.
Spelling, punctuation, and grammar are not being assessed, so learners should not worry about these aspects.
As the test should be conducted under normal testing conditions, learners should put their hand up if they need anything during the session.
If learners finish the test early, they should check their answers and go back and try any questions they have omitted.