Each test is developed to a test specification which sets out the requirements for the number of marks, curriculum coverage, question types and level of difficulty. This ensures the overall assessment is an accurate reflection of the Programme of Study and that there is consistency across each year group.
The Maths assessment consists of three tests – the Arithmetic test and Reasoning tests 1 and 2. The tests are taken in order. For Year 3, learners have 25 minutes for the arithmetic test and 30 minutes for each reasoning test. For Year 4, learners have 25 minutes for the arithmetic test and 35 minutes for each reasoning test.
The tables below provide a summary of the actual test specifications. See Curriculum Areas and Codes – Maths for a breakdown of the content domain assessed in the tests. The numbers in the tables show the number of marks and percentages allocated for each component.
Year 3 Specifications – by number of marks
Test Specifications | Autumn | Spring | Summer | ||||||
| A | R1 | R2 | A | R1 | R2 | A | R1 | R2 |
Question types |
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Closed e.g. multiple choice, multiple choices, matching, ordering | 8 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
Open e.g. text entry, extended text | 22 | 13 | 14 | 24 | 13 | 15 | 21 | 16 | 17 |
Number of marks |
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1 mark questions | 28 | 21 | 21 | 30 | 21 | 21 | 30 | 19 | 21 |
2 mark questions | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 4 |
Scoring |
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Autoscored | 30 | 21 | 20 | 30 | 20 | 21 | 30 | 19 | 21 |
Autoscored (verify) | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Teacher marked | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 4 |
Curriculum coverage |
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N | 10 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 3 |
C: + - | 9 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 5 |
C: x ÷ | 5 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
C: ps | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
F | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
F: dp | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
M | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
M: ps | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
G&P | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
S | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Total Marks in each Test | 30 | 25 | 25 | 30 | 25 | 25 | 30 | 25 | 25 |
Year 3 Specifications – percentage coverage (%)
Test Specifications | Autumn | Spring | Summer | ||||||
| A | R1 | R2 | A | R1 | R2 | A | R1 | R2 |
Question types |
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Closed e.g. multiple choice, multiple choices, matching, ordering | 27 | 48 | 44 | 20 | 48 | 40 | 30 | 36 | 32 |
Open e.g. text entry, extended text | 73 | 52 | 56 | 80 | 52 | 60 | 70 | 64 | 68 |
Number of marks |
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|
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1 mark questions | 93 | 84 | 84 | 100 | 84 | 84 | 100 | 76 | 84 |
2 mark questions | 7 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 24 | 16 |
Scoring |
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Autoscored | 100 | 84 | 80 | 100 | 80 | 84 | 100 | 76 | 84 |
Autoscored (verify) | 0 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Teacher marked | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 16 | 0 | 24 | 16 |
Curriculum coverage |
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N | 33 | 20 | 20 | 30 | 20 | 24 | 33 | 20 | 12 |
C: + - | 30 | 12 | 16 | 27 | 8 | 20 | 20 | 8 | 20 |
C: x ÷ | 17 | 8 | 8 | 27 | 4 | 4 | 27 | 0 | 0 |
C: ps | 0 | 16 | 12 | 0 | 20 | 8 | 0 | 20 | 24 |
F | 20 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 20 | 16 | 12 |
F: dp | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
M | 0 | 12 | 16 | 0 | 12 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 12 |
M: ps | 0 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 8 |
G&P | 0 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 4 |
S | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 8 |
Total Percentage in each Test | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Year 4 Specifications – by number of marks
Test Specifications | Autumn | Spring | Summer | ||||||
| A | R1 | R2 | A | R1 | R2 | A | R1 | R2 |
Question types |
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Closed e.g. multiple choice, multiple choices, matching, ordering | 6 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 6 | 17 | 15 |
Open e.g. text entry, extended text | 29 | 19 | 20 | 26 | 18 | 16 | 29 | 13 | 15 |
Number of marks |
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1 mark questions | 35 | 24 | 26 | 35 | 24 | 26 | 35 | 26 | 24 |
2 mark questions | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
Scoring |
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Autoscored | 34 | 23 | 26 | 35 | 24 | 25 | 34 | 25 | 24 |
Autoscored (verify) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Teacher marked | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
Curriculum coverage |
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N | 12 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 5 |
C: + - | 8 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
C: x ÷ | 7 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
C: ps | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
F | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 1 |
F: dp | 4 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
M | 0 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
M: ps | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
G&P | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
S | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Total Marks in each Test | 35 | 30 | 30 | 35 | 30 | 30 | 35 | 30 | 30 |
Year 4 Specifications – percentage coverage (%)
Test Specifications | Autumn | Spring | Summer | ||||||
| A | R1 | R2 | A | R1 | R2 | A | R1 | R2 |
Question types |
|
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|
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|
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Closed e.g. multiple choice, multiple choices, matching, ordering | 17 | 37 | 33 | 26 | 40 | 47 | 17 | 57 | 50 |
Open e.g. text entry, extended text | 83 | 63 | 67 | 74 | 60 | 53 | 83 | 43 | 50 |
Number of marks |
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|
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1 mark questions | 100 | 80 | 87 | 100 | 80 | 87 | 100 | 87 | 80 |
2 mark questions | 0 | 20 | 13 | 0 | 20 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 30 |
Scoring |
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Autoscored | 97 | 77 | 87 | 100 | 80 | 83 | 97 | 83 | 80 |
Autoscored (verify) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Teacher marked | 3 | 20 | 13 | 0 | 20 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 20 |
Curriculum coverage |
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N | 34 | 17 | 13 | 29 | 20 | 23 | 26 | 20 | 17 |
C: + - | 23 | 10 | 3 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 10 |
C: x ÷ | 20 | 17 | 10 | 26 | 10 | 7 | 23 | 7 | 7 |
C: ps | 0 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 13 | 17 | 3 | 10 | 17 |
F | 11 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 13 | 3 |
F: dp | 11 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 7 | 10 | 20 | 10 | 7 |
M | 0 | 17 | 20 | 0 | 13 | 17 | 0 | 13 | 10 |
M: ps | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
G&P | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 13 |
S | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Total Percentage in each Test | 100* | 100* | 100 | 100* | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100* |
*Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number so may not add to 100.
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