QTS Numeracy Skills Test

[skawarrior]

My wife is having trouble passing her numeracy skills test in order to achieve QTS status. She sailed through the ICT and english but maths has never been her strong point (in fact that a MASSIVE understatment). She's a brilliant teacher but can't progress any further in her career without QTS status. She has tried coaching from teachers in the maths department using brain training on the DS regulary. She's gone from failing abysmally to always being with 6 marks of the pass grade but she can't seem to find a way to get those few extra marks to pass.

 

Anyone got any tips or relevent links that might help her out?

[firefox_2006]

Hi there,

 

There is a book which you can buy from Amazon I think which details the types of questions included within the test. I did my PGCE in 2006 and constantly failed the maths one, and have never passed it. It was always the mental arithmetic bit at the start that I lost marks on. Other than that all I can suggest is to keep trying.

 

As far as I am aware it will necessarily stop her from progressing as I still managed to secure a post at a college without full QTS, but I was paid under "instructor" or something like that.

 

Hope she gets it

 

firefox_2006

[mark80]

When i took mine its important for her to note that the questions are 'loaded' with unecessary information, ie "A school trip has been organised on Wednesday 20th April blah blah blah....." You need to filter out the rubbish and pick out the numbers

 

I think its the nature of my job that i have a logical brain. There is also a huge generalisation that males are better at Maths than females.

 

You can only get better by practing in exam conditions (the exams are free so book yourself in as many times as you can)

 

I struggled with the English ones (3rd attempt), but sailed through the ICT & Maths.

 

Mark

[skawarrior]

I've looked on Amazon and there are a few books there I'll probably get her one of those. Although I think its more the mental arithmatic that she's struggling on so I'm looking for some (freeware) alternatives to the Brain Training games. Can't seem to find anything but demos or masses of Sudoku games

 

She's just been offered a new post at a different school where they would like her to become head of the department next september. The fact that she's not yet QTS means she won't be on anywhere near the amount of money she should for the work she'll be doing. For this reason I really want her to get the numeracy out of the way so she can get on with doing what she does best, teaching music.

[SteveBentley]

There's a brain training widget you can add to iGoogle if that helps.

[mark80]

I know this might sound daft but i used to play darts, its good for the old mental arithmatic

[skawarrior]

I've been after a dartboard since we moved into our house but she won't let me. I might use this as a good excuse to shoehorn one into the spare room.

 

I've looked into the iGoogle widgets some of them look great if I just keep hammering her with maths some of of it has got to stick.

[Dalfree]

Hi all,

I have been studying to be a teacher for the last 4 years, I am so close to finishing (in May) but I am struggling with the QTS tests. I have passed the ICT but am struggling with numeracy and literacy massively!! I am dyslexic and have been given the 25% extra time but as soon as I'm in a test situation I simply crumble!! I have been offered a job to start in June and I feel I am about to let everyone down!!!

In all my observations I have got outstanding and have been offered a job by 4 different schools without even applying, I know I will make a good teacher, I can't imagine doing anything else but these silly tests are holding me back.

Does anyone have any suggestions to help me, I'm feeling quite desperate?

Thanks.

[dhicks]

I have passed the ICT but am struggling with numeracy and literacy massively!!

 

From when I did the skills tests a few years ago, I seem to remember the maths test questions being mostly about percentages. As pointed out above the actual question was generally quite simple, just hidden in a little story. You maybe need to practice extracting the question from the story. It's pretty much the same as I remember being taught maths at school (and probably pretty much the same as now) - we used SMP Maths' textbooks, maybe those would be good to revise from.

[TechSupp]

If they are still the same as when I did them there should be practice ones to use. I admit to having difficulty with the speed of the questions so I'm afraid its just a case of practice, practice , practice and learn to quickly pick out the key info and work on that. The Literacy I found very subjective but managed to pass it.