501-1.pdf

MATHEMATICSUNIT TESTS

Caroline CookeSeries Editor: Colin McCarty

FREE SAMPLE COPY

Use the mark scheme and your own professional judgement to awardmarks. Do not award half marks (even though some questions requiremore than one answer for a mark). The mental mathematics tests can beswapped and marked by pupils – this is a good opportunity for peerassessment.

Step 2 Mark the test

Explain to the class that they will take five short end-of-unit tests eachterm. This will give them the opportunity to show what they know andcan do. The tests are designed to check understanding and results canbe used to record and monitor progress throughout the year.

There is also an end-of-year test, including separate mentalmathematics and written papers. You may choose to use this test in thesummer term to assess pupils’ learning across the whole curriculum thathas been taught during the year.

At the end of each unit (or at the end of the year), photocopy the testand give it to the class to complete.More information about using the tests is given on pages 5–7. © Rising Stars UK Ltd 2008. You may photocopy this page. 11

Total forthis page

YEAR 5End-of-Unit Autumn Non-calculatorTest: A1

1 3984 40134

17

£80

2 5

£3

Complete these number sentences.

a) 427 = 400 + + 7

6

1 mark

CN

6a

1 mark

CN

6b

1 mark

Ca

7

Joe has £3.67He earns £1.56 for doing some jobs.

How much money does he have altogether?

7

1 mark

UA

8

1 2 4 7 11 ...

Henry says, ‘The rule for this sequence is double the last number’.

Is Henry correct? YES NO

Explain your answer.

8

Name: Class: Date: ☺��

b) 13.6 = 10 + 3 +

Step 1 Introduce the tests

Quick start guide to Rising Stars Assessment

Use the mark and level threshold tables to convert the pupil’s mark to asub-level. The final row in each table gives an overall sub-level for eachterm’s end-of-unit tests. If you have the CD-ROM version ofMathematics Unit Tests you can use the interactive Level Calculator toconvert marks to levels automatically.The mark and level threshold pages also include a summary of thedistinction of marks and levels for each test.

Use a five-minute session with pupils to talk through the test and givethem the opportunity to make their own corrections. Identify strengthsand weaknesses and agree targets for learning.If you have the CD-ROM version of Mathematics Unit Tests, encourage pupils to complete thediagnostic profile and self-assessment sheets after each test. Pupils can keep these sheets and usethem to record their progress throughout the year.

Step 4 Feed back to the pupils

Autumn term end-of-unit testsThe balance of marks in each end-of-unit test is:

Mark ranges and level thresholds

NC level Unit A115 marks

Unit B115 marks

Unit C115 marks

Unit D115 marks

Unit E115 marks

3 5 5 5 5 5

4 9 9 9 9 9

5 1 1 1 1 1


Unit B215 marks

Unit C215 marks

Unit D215 marks

Unit E215 marks

3 5 5 5 4 5

4 8 8 8 9 8

5 2 2 2 2 2

Mark ranges for sub-levels for combined Tests A1 to E1

2a 3c 3b 3a 4c 4b 4a 5c 5b 5a

*20–28 29–33 34–39 40–45 46–49 50–54 55–59 60–64 65–69 70–75

Spring term end-of-unit testsThe balance of marks in each end-of-unit test is:

Mark ranges for sub-levels for Tests A1, B1, C1, D1 and E1

2a 3c 3b 3a 4c 4b 4a 5c 5b 5a

*4–5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14–15


Mark ranges for sub-levels for for combined Tests A2 to E2

2a 3c 3b 3a 4c 4b 4a 5c 5b 5a

*23–27 28–32 33–38 39–43 44–48 49–54 55–59 60–64 65–70 71–75

Mark ranges for sub-levels for Tests A2, B2, C2 and E2

2a 3c 3b 3a 4c 4b 4a 5c 5b 5a

*4–5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14–15

Mark ranges for sub-levels for Test D2

2a 3c 3b 3a 4c 4b 4a 5c 5b 5a

*4 5 6 7–8 9 10 11 12 13 14–15

The marks and level thresholds for Year 5

73

* Award a level 2b for marks between 2 and 3




58

Answers and mark schemes for written tests

accept .6

YEAR 5 End-of-Unit AutumnNon-calculator Test: A1

Level Extra information

6ab

33

Strandand

objectivenumber

CN2CN2

Mark

11

unit required7 3 Ca2 1

9 4 NF3 21, 2, 3, 6

21, –3, –7

7200236

10 4 CN1 2

11 45

Ca3Ca3

11

1 mark for any threecorrect OR the four correctanswers plus one incorrect

any two correct 1 mark

8 4 UA5 1NO, and a suitable reason, e.g.• double 4 does not equal 7• double 7 does not equal 11• the rule of the sequence is to add onemore than you added last time

200.6

£5.23

Level Extra informationStrandand

objectivenumber

Mark

all correct 2 marksany five correct 1 mark

10 4 UA4 2

left label:• multiples of 5, or• numbers ending in 5 or 0right label:• 3-digit numbers, or• numbers >100

6 3

3

UA4

UA4

1

1

7 34

Ca2Ca2

11

677364.21

8 4 NF3 1any two multiples of 24, e.g. 24, 48, 72, 96, ...

any two correct 1 mark9 4 Sh1 22, 0, 2

YEAR 5 End-of-Unit AutumnNon-calculator Test: B1

11 5 Sh1 1

Step 3 Generate a level

IntroductionWhy use Rising Stars Assessment?Rising StarsMathematics Unit Tests has been developed to help teachers provide effective assessmentfor learning in mathematics and to deliver formative assessment of progress across Years 1 to 6. Thetests are organised by blocks, to reflect the structure of teaching from September 2008, and have been:

• designed by an assessment expert;• written by primary mathematics assessment specialists;• checked by practising classroom teachers;• reviewed by a language expert to ensure accessibility of the language;• trialled with schools;• equated and standardised by an assessment expert to ensure reliability of the levels.

The tests are easy to use and mark. The scores for each test have been converted to sub-levels. Thesub-levels can then be used to investigate, monitor and report the performance of every pupil by:

• plotting each pupil’s progress from term to term (summative assessment);• diagnosing each pupil’s strengths and weaknesses against the strands of the Primary Framework

for mathematics (diagnostic assessment);• informing your own assessment for learning strategy and supporting your lesson planning(formative assessment).

Combined, the results from the tests can be used to gather reliable evidence to assist target setting andpredict a pupil’s future performance.

A National Curriculum level is given to each question in every test. The table below summarises therange of levels covered in each year. Sub-levels are provided for Years 1 to 3 to reflect the finerdiscrimination for this part of the curriculum. Further detail is provided on the mental mathstranscripts and in the mark schemes for the written tests.

About the Mathematics Unit TestsThe tests are written to reflect the structure and content of the blocks and units in the PrimaryFramework for literacy and mathematics. There are two types of tests in this book: end-of-unit testsand end-of-year tests. The tests have been designed to reflect the progression of teachingmathematical content and skills. The use of calculators, for example, is introduced in the Year 4 testsand the mental mathematics tests include differentiation from Year 3. Information about how thelevels for the tests were calculated is provided at the end of the book (see Reliability and predictions).

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6

P7–2b 1c–3b 1b–4c 2–4 2–5 3–5

End-of-unit testsThere are five end-of-unit tests for each term, covering the five blocks. Each end-of-unit test is worth15 marks, of which 5 are for mental mathematics questions and the remaining 10 for writtenquestions.

Note that the level of demand of the end-of-unit tests is controlled by the content being taught.Some tests, therefore, will be quite hard for some pupils because the blocks themselves are difficult.

If your school’s assessment policy includes reporting each term, then the sum of the five end-of-unittests will provide reliable information. Every effort has been made to ensure that the levels and sub-levels reported are accurate and reliable, but a test is only a snapshot of a pupil’s performance andthe outcome may vary quite significantly depending on a wide variety of circumstances, interest andprior experience.

Each sub-level for one end-of-unit test covers a small number of marks (15), so a change of one markcan affect a pupil’s sub-level. It is not recommended that sub-levels be shared with pupils forindividual end-of-unit tests. The 75 marks from the combined end-of-unit tests for a term are morerobust and reliable.

End-of-year testsThe end-of-year summative test includes both mental mathematics and written papers. If yourschool’s assessment policy is to test towards the end of the academic year, it is recommended that theend-of-year tests be used in order to obtain a summative level for the year.

The combination of mental and written tests will give a reliable, standardised measure of a pupil’sperformance across the curriculum, which may be used for reporting to parents. These tests aredesigned as follows.

Years 1, 2 and 3

Depending on each pupil’s ability, they can be given a combination of Low and Medium or Mediumand High written tests. Many teachers choose to use the Medium test first and then, depending onperformance, the Low or High test.

Paper Marks for each test

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Mental mathematics 10 10 10

Low 10 10 15

Medium 10 10 15

High 10 10 15

Maximum for pupil 30 30 40

Term Block ACounting,partitioning andcalculating

Block BSecuringnumber facts,understandingshape

Block CHandling dataand measures

Block DCalculating,measuring andunderstandingshape

Block ESecuringnumber facts,relationshipsand calculating

Autumn Unit A1 Unit B1 Unit C1 Unit D1 Unit E1

Spring Unit A2 Unit B2 Unit C2 Unit D2 Unit E2

Summer Unit A3 Unit B3 Unit C3 Unit D3 Unit E3

YEAR 5/INTRODUCTION

Years 4, 5 and 6

The time allocated for answering the questions in the mental mathematics paper is as follows:

The time allowed for each answer is based on the demand of the question. Straightforward recallquestions are allocated less time than those that require pupils to retain information and/or performcalculations. Where appropriate, prompts are included on the answer sheets to support pupils inanswering a question.

How to use Mathematics Unit TestsPreparation and timings1 Copy the required number of sheets to form the chosen assessment. Note that the mentalmathematics script containing the instructions for teachers is provided separately.

2 Ensure pupils are seated appropriately to prevent overlooking each other’s papers.

3 Pupils will need pens or pencils, rulers and erasers. Angle measurers should be available. Pupilsshould be encouraged to cross out answers rather than rubbing them out.

4 There are no time limits for the tests but normal practice is to allow a minute per mark for writtentests. Help with reading may be given using the same rules as when providing a reader with QCAKS2 tests (i.e. 25% extra time allowance for poor readers).

5 The mental mathematics tests should be strictly timed using a stopwatch or similar to providepractice for working under time constraints. If you are using the CD-ROM version of the tests, anaudio recording of the mental mathematics tests is provided. This includes a timed reading of thequestions, making the tests particularly straightforward to administer.

Supporting pupils during the testsBefore the test explain to the pupils that the test is an opportunity to show what they know,understand and can do. They will not be asked questions about topics they have not yet been taught.

Many pupils will be able to work independently in the tests, with minimal support from the person

YEAR 5/INTRODUCTION

Year Number of mental mathematics questions Time to answer

1 and 2 10 All questions – 10 seconds

3 10 5 questions – 5 seconds5 questions – 10 seconds

4 to 6 15 5 questions – 5 seconds5 questions – 10 seconds5 questions – 15 seconds

Paper Marks for each test

Year 4 Year 5 Year 6

Mental mathematics 15 15 15

Calculator 30 30 30

Non-calculator 30 30 30

Maximum for pupil 75 75 75

YEAR 5/INTRODUCTION

administering the tests (usually the teacher or teaching assistant). This person may encourage thepupils to ‘have a go’ at a question, or to move on to a fresh question if they appear to be stuck,ensuring that no pupil becomes distressed.

It is important that pupils receive appropriate support, but are not unfairly advantaged ordisadvantaged. Throughout the tests, therefore, the teacher may read, explain or sign to a pupil anyparts of the test that include instructions, for example by demonstrating how to circle an answer.

With younger age groups you may also consider projecting the test onto a whiteboard to support awhole class or group to take the end-of-unit tests. You may choose to refer to the words on thewhiteboard and read them aloud so that pupils can follow them on the screen and on their own testpaper and write their answers on their papers individually.

Marking the testUse the detailed mark scheme and your professional judgement to award marks. Do not award halfmarks. Note that a number of questions in each test may require pupils to do more than one thing forone mark. This reflects the style of the optional and end of Key Stage tests. Questions of this naturehave been included to familiarise pupils with the types of questions they will encounter in those tests.

Peer marking of the mental mathematics questions is encouraged. Pupils should exchange answersheets and mark them as you read out the question and answer. This approach provides anopportunity to recap on any questions that pupils found difficult to answer.

Pupils should be encouraged to make their own corrections. In this way they will become more awareof their own strengths and weaknesses.

Use a five-minute feedback session with a pupil to help them review and transfer (if you are using theCD-ROM) the information to the diagnostic profile sheets. This provides a useful opportunity todiscuss progress and to explore any areas of uncertainty.

Obtaining levels and sub-levelsThe mark and level thresholds (pages 73–74) give the mark ranges for each sub-level for each test.The final row in each table gives an overall mark range of each sub-level for each term’s end-of-unittests, which may act as the summative record of progress in each topic.

The CD-ROM version of Mathematics Unit Tests includes an interactive Level Calculator, which allowsyou to enter the raw score gained on each test by each pupil. The sub-levels are displayed including:• a sub-level for each end-of-unit test;• a level for the unit from the combined end-of-unit tests for a term;• an overall year level for the end-of-year tests (mental and written tests combined).

The CD-ROM also includes a data exporter to allow you to export data from the Level Calculator. Thisenables you to manipulate test information easily and allows for analysis of the data by pupil, bygroup and by class.

YEAR 5End-of-Unit Autumn Tests: A1 to E1Mental Mathematics Scripts

Level Strand Answer

A1 Mental Mathematics Script1 What is thirty-two divided by four? 3 NF2 82 What is half of seventeen? 3 NF1 8.5 or 83 Grandpa gives eighty pounds to each of his nine grandchildren. 4 NF2 720

How much does he give away altogether?4 Subtract three thousand, nine hundred and eighty-four from four 4 Ca1 29

thousand and thirteen.5 I think of a number. I multiply my number by seven and add five. 4 NF4 6

The answer is forty-seven. What was my number?

B1 Mental Mathematics Script1 A teacher shares forty pencils equally between five pupils. 3 NF2 8

How many do they each receive?2 How many edges does a cuboid have? 3 Sh1 123 What is ninety multiplied by forty? 4 NF2 36004 Circle all the numbers that are not factors of thirty-six. 4 NF3 55 Circle the approximate answer to twenty-four point eight multiplied 4 NF4 200

by eight point two.

C1 Mental Mathematics Script1 What number is the arrow pointing to? 3 Me2 482 The pictogram shows the number of pupils who like water or lemonade. 3 HD3 20

How many pupils like lemonade?3 Look at this table. How many left-handed pupils are there altogether? 3 UA3 44 A line measures thirteen point six centimetres. 4 Me1 136

How long is this in millimetres?5 How many millilitres are there in seven point zero five litres? 5 Me1 7050

D1 Mental Mathematics Script1 What is thirty-six multiplied by ten? 3 Ca3 3602 What number is the arrow pointing to? 3 Me2 17.5 or 173 Circle the approximate volume of a cup. 4 Me1 200m4 I go on holiday on Saturday 25th July. I stay for two weeks. 4 Me4 8th August

I return on a Saturday. What is the date of the Saturday that I return?5 How many millilitres are there in five point seven five litres? 5 Ca3 5750

E1 Mental Mathematics Script1 What is forty-five divided by five? 3 NF2 92 Multiply eight by three. 3 NF2 243 There are twelve eggs in a dozen. 4 Ca1 108

How many eggs are there in nine dozen?4 What is the difference between six thousand, nine hundred and 4 Ca1 1044

eighty-three, and eight thousand and twenty-seven?5 What is fifteen per cent of ninety pounds? 5 Ca5 13.50

12

12

Instructions – to be read to pupils

The first part of this test is mental mathematics. There are five questions. You have ten secondsto answer each. I shall read each question twice. Work out the answer and write it down.

© Rising Stars UK Ltd 2008. You may photocopy this page.


Total forthis page

YEAR 5End-of-Unit Autumn Non-calculatorTest: A1

1 3984 40134

17

£80

2 5

£3

Complete these number sentences.

a) 427 = 400 + + 7

6

1 mark

CN

6a

1 mark

CN

6b

1 mark

Ca

7

Joe has £3.67He earns £1.56 for doing some jobs.

How much money does he have altogether?

7

1 mark

UA

8

1 2 4 7 11 ...

Henry says, ‘The rule for this sequence is double the last number’.

Is Henry correct? YES NO

Explain your answer.

8


b) 13.6 = 10 + 3 +


2 marks

CN

10

Write in the missing numbers in this sequence.10

2 marks

Ca

11

Calculate

72 × 100 =

11

Total forthis test

/15

YEAR 5 End-of-Unit Autumn Non-calculator Test: A1

17 13 9 5 1

÷ 10 = 23.6

2 marks

NF

9

Write all the numbers that are factors of both 24 and 309

2 marks

Ca

7

1 mark

NF

8

Write two numbers that are multiples of both 8 and 6

and

8

2 3 4 5 6

Calculate

936 – 259 =

7

336 + 1.7 + 26.51 =

YEAR 5End-of-Unit Autumn Non-calculatorTest: B1

401

24.8 × 8.2

3 30 100 200 300

4

90 40

2 5

3



2 marks

UA

6

Write labels for the Venn diagram.6

Total forthis page

65

95

7 46

10 115 101

216250

ShapeNumber of linesof symmetry

4


2 marks

Sh

9

Complete the table. One is done for you.9

2 marks

UA

10

Write all the numbers from 2 to 9 in the correct places on the Carrolldiagram. One is done for you.

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10

1 mark

Sh

11

Draw two more lines to complete the kite.11

Total forthis test

/15

YEAR 5 End-of-Unit Autumn Non-calculator Test: B1

multiple of 3 not a multiple of 3

factor of 24 2

not a factor of 24

YEAR 5End-of-Unit Autumn Non-calculatorTest: C1

1



1 mark

HD

6a

The bar chart shows how long Callum spent on the computer each day.6

a) On which days did he spend less time than on Friday?

Total forthis page

42 50

2 Key: = 5 pupils

pupils

pupils

Water

Lemonade

Right-handed Left-handed

Boys 12 3

Girls 14 1

3

13.6 cmmm4

7.05 litresml5

1 mark

HD

6b

b) If Thursday was 100 minutes, estimate how long he spent on thecomputer on Wednesday.

2 marks

HD

6c

c) Label the axis and divisions on the vertical axis.

Mon Tues Wed Thur Fri


YEAR 5 End-of-Unit Autumn Non-calculator Test: C1

a) Write one number that fits all three of these statements:� It is a multiple of 6� It is a multiple of 8� It ends in a 4

b) Explain why a number that ends in a 7 cannot be a multiple of 8

7

1 mark

Me

8

1 mark

UA

7a

1 mark

UA

7b

Mark buys a plank of wood that is 2.4m long.

How many 30 cm lengths can he cut it into?

8

1 mark

HD

9

Sally wrote down her friends’ ages: 9, 10, 9, 9, 10, 10, 9, 11, 9

What is the mode?

9

Total forthis test

/15

Tokens for the car park cost £5 for 7 tokens.10

Tokens

0

Poun

ds

8

4

2

6

7

10

9

3

1

5

21 4 6 8 103 5 7 9 11 121 mark

UA

10a

1 mark

UA

10ba) Use the graph to work out the approximatecost of 2 tokens.

b) What is the maximum number of tokensyou can buy with £8?

5.75 litres


Name: Class: Date:

YEAR 5End-of-Unit Autumn CalculatorTest: D1

☺��

1

2

20ml 20 g 200ml 200 g 2000ml3

4

ml5

16 18

Match the measurements to the correct units.One is done for you.

6

2 marks

Me

6

Total forthis page

length of a classroom

mass of an apple

capacity of an egg cup

distance from London to York

capacity of a bucket

kg

g

km

m

l

ml

1 mark

UA

7a

and and

1 mark

UA

7b

a) Tilly has £5

What is the largest numberof pens she can buy?

7

b) Henry spends exactly £1He buys three different things.

What does he buy?

rubber 15p

pencil 35p

pen 75p

notebook 95p

ruler 50p


1 mark

Me

8

How long is this line?Write down its length in millimetres.

8

mm

YEAR 5 End-of-Unit Autumn Calculator Test: D1

1 mark

Me

9a

1 mark

Me

9b

This is a timetable for the local train.9

Place Arrival time Departure time

Lady’s Bridge 17:20 17:25Saxville 17:45 17:50Ortown 18:10 18:17Fir Vale 18:33 18:39New View 19:04 19:10

a) At which place does the train wait the longest?

b) How long is it between the departure from Saxville to the arrival atNew View?

Total forthis page


Joe had 36 marbles.He played a game and lost of the marbles.Then he lost of the rest of the marbles.

How many does he have left?

11

2 marks

Ca

11

marbles

Total forthis test

/15

YEAR 5 End-of-Unit Autumn Calculator Test: D1

34

23

1 mark

Sh

10

What are the coordinates ofpoint P on the rectangle?

10

0

(13, 6)(6, 6)

(6, 20)

SR

PQ

Answers and mark schemes for written tests

accept .6

YEAR 5 End-of-Unit AutumnNon-calculator Test: A1

Level Extra information

6ab

33

Strandand

objectivenumber

CN2CN2

Mark

11

unit required7 3 Ca2 1

9 4 NF3 21, 2, 3, 6

21, –3, –7

7200236

10 4 CN1 2

11 45

Ca3Ca3

11

1 mark for any threecorrect OR the four correctanswers plus one incorrect

any two correct 1 mark

8 4 UA5 1NO, and a suitable reason, e.g.• double 4 does not equal 7• double 7 does not equal 11• the rule of the sequence is to add onemore than you added last time

200.6

£5.23

Level Extra informationStrand

andobjectivenumber

Mark

all correct 2 marksany five correct 1 mark

10 4 UA4 2

left label:• multiples of 5, or• numbers ending in 5 or 0right label:• 3-digit numbers, or• numbers >100

6 3

3

UA4

UA4

1

1

7 34

Ca2Ca2

11

677364.21

8 4 NF3 1any two multiples of 24, e.g. 24, 48, 72, 96, ...

any two correct 1 mark9 4 Sh1 22, 0, 2

YEAR 5 End-of-Unit AutumnNon-calculator Test: B1

11 5 Sh1 1


andobjectivenumber

MarkYEAR 5 End-of-Unit AutumnCalculator Test: D1

8


andobjectivenumber

Mark

10ab

44

UA3UA3

11

accept any multiple of 24ending in 4, e.g. 144

Mon and Wed50 minutes0–100 in steps of 10axis titled in minutes

6abc

3344

HD2HD2HD2HD2

1111

7a

b

4

4

UA5

UA5

1

1

8 4 Me1 1

unit required

9 4 HD4 19

accept £1.40–£1.5011

YEAR 5 End-of-Unit AutumnNon-calculator Test: C1

10 4 Sh2 1

11 4 Ca6 2

length of a classroom mmass of an apple gcapacity of an egg cup mldistance from London to York kmcapacity of a bucket l

6 3 Me1 2

7ab

43

UA1UA1

11

8 4 Me3 167

6rubber and pencil and ruler

units required9ab

44

Me4Me4

11

Ortown1 hour 14 minutes or 74 minutes

(13, 20)

31 mark for a complete correct methodincluding an error, e.g.• of 36 = 2736 – 27 = 9of 9 = 5 (error)

9 – 5 = 4• of 36 = 9 left

of 9 = 4 (error)13

23

14

34

24

because it is not possible for a multiple of8 to be odd

Autumn term end-of-unit testsThe balance of marks in each end-of-unit test is:



Unit B115 marks

Unit C115 marks

Unit D115 marks

Unit E115 marks

3 5 5 5 5 5

4 9 9 9 9 9

5 1 1 1 1 1


Unit B215 marks

Unit C215 marks

Unit D215 marks

Unit E215 marks

3 5 5 5 4 5

4 8 8 8 9 8

5 2 2 2 2 2

Mark ranges for sub-levels for combined Tests A1 to E1

2a 3c 3b 3a 4c 4b 4a 5c 5b 5a

*20–28 29–33 34–39 40–45 46–49 50–54 55–59 60–64 65–69 70–75

Spring term end-of-unit testsThe balance of marks in each end-of-unit test is:

Mark ranges for sub-levels for Tests A1, B1, C1, D1 and E1

2a 3c 3b 3a 4c 4b 4a 5c 5b 5a

*4–5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14–15


Mark ranges for sub-levels for for combined Tests A2 to E2

2a 3c 3b 3a 4c 4b 4a 5c 5b 5a

*23–27 28–32 33–38 39–43 44–48 49–54 55–59 60–64 65–70 71–75

Mark ranges for sub-levels for Tests A2, B2, C2 and E2

2a 3c 3b 3a 4c 4b 4a 5c 5b 5a

*4–5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14–15

Mark ranges for sub-levels for Test D2

2a 3c 3b 3a 4c 4b 4a 5c 5b 5a

*4 5 6 7–8 9 10 11 12 13 14–15

The marks and level thresholds for Year 5





Reliability and predictions

The first and most critical step in producing high-quality tests is to ensure that each questionaddresses the part of the subject that has been taught. Equally importantly, a reliable level needs tobe attributed to every mark so that a balanced test may be constructed across levels, skills andknowledge which are appropriate for the target age group. In such a test it is possible to work out aset of theoretical pass mark thresholds and these are discussed below. Theory and practice must cometogether, however, and the Rising Stars tests had to be standardised and linked to the NationalCurriculum levels established by QCA. The sub-levels obtained from this research is given on pages73–74.

Standardising the testsRising Stars conducted research with a sample of schools in April, May and June 2008. Pupils sat therelevant end-of-year tests in mathematics. At the same time, an overlapping cohort of pupils sat thespring term set of five end-of-unit tests in mathematics. Each of these end-of-unit tests is for 15marks, leading to a maximum of 75 marks for the term. The scores from both these sets of tests werethen equated to results obtained from QCA tests for Mathematics. The details are as follows:

• In Year 1, teacher assessment was the benchmark;• In Year 2, pupils’ scores were standardised by equating to their KS1 results for mathematics;• In Years 3, 4 and 5, the standardisation was to the sub-levels obtained from the optional

mathematics test. This method was chosen to provide an externally validated test-basedcomparison for the levels;

• In Year 6, pupils’ scores were standardised by equating to their KS2 results for mathematics.

The tables below summarise the number of schools and pupils that originally participated in theresearch.

The research sample for the end-of-year tests

The research sample for the spring term end-of-unit tests

Some of the schools were unable to complete the research or could only provide partial data.Consequently, the final sample was approximately half of the above numbers in each year.

Teachers and pupils in the schools also commented on the language, illustrations and suitability of thequestions in the tests. A number of the questions were refined and improved thanks to this advice.

The equating data for the mathematics testsThe raw scores from the schools for the end-of-units and end-of-year tests were collated and equatedto the sub-levels reported by the schools for the relevant year. These standardising exercises wereundertaken by an independent specialist, who for many years undertook similar work for QCA.

Year 1 2 3 4 5 6

Number of pupils 244 258 331 347 364 302

Number of schools 9 10 9 8 8 7

Year 1 2 3 4 5 6

Number of pupils 206 225 275 276 302 311

Number of schools 6 7 7 7 7 7

YEAR 5/RELIABILITY AND PREDICTIONS

Standardisation of tests – technical informationA level has been ascribed to every mark so that the tests can be seen from the outset to be balanced,covering an appropriate span of levels for the year group in question.

The levels obtained from the equating exercise were used to inform an algorithm, which was used todescribe the balance of demand of the Rising Stars tests. The algorithm works on the understandingthat pupils will do better on easier questions and score less well on harder ones. We could then seehow the tests compare in terms of level of demand to the optional tests in particular. The optionaltests appear more generous than normal test practice would recommend (i.e. normally at least 50%success on the level is expected). This suggests that it may well be more easy to get a higher levelnow than some years ago. In Year 5, the algorithm reflects a quite demanding test. The algorithmRising Stars used is shown below.

• Questions at their working level – pupils get correct 50% of the marks available;• Questions at one level below their working level – pupils get correct 80% of the marks

available;• Questions at two levels below their working level – pupils get correct all of the marks available;• Questions at one level above their working level – are too hard for pupils and they get correct

none of the marks available;• Questions at two levels above their working level – are too hard for pupils and they get correct

none of the marks available.

This algorithm is based on pupils’ performance in the spring term end-of-unit tests. It was applied tothe autumn and summer term end-of-unit tests to produce a consistent set of levels for all the end-of-unit tests. (A much more generous algorithm: 0.4; 0.7; 1.0; 0.1; 0.0 links the end-of-year testdesign to levels from the equating research.)

Overall, we find that the Rising Stars tests are quite challenging, in particular the end-of-unit tests.The questions in these tests have been written by experienced QCA consultants, including one whowrites Year 3 and 4 optional test questions. The questions match the content of the units in the blocksof the Primary Framework for mathematics at the levels they are expected to be taught andunderstood. Our research shows that they are more challenging than the QCA KS2 and optionalmathematics tests for 2008. However, the equating process makes sure that the sub-levels we reportmatch to the optional test levels for the end of the year.

Feedback from our research schools and users of Rising Stars tests over the past years indicates thatchallenging tests taken throughout the year improve pupils’ performance more than challenges thatare too easy. The result of this high-quality test practice is that pupils are better prepared when theytake externally-set tests, be they optional or end of Key Stage national tests.

A word of warningLevel threshold information is provided for the individual end-of-unit tests, but it is recommendedthat all five end-of-unit tests be used to ensure there is sufficient coverage and balance for a validand reliable, summative level for the term. In the end-of-year test, levels for the separate calculatorand non-calculator papers (Years 4 to 6) are not reported. (Levels for the separate low, medium andhigh tests in Years 1 to 3 are not reported either.) An overall reliable, equated level is available for theend-of-year test.

AppendixPercentiles and standard scoresThe standard score and percentile table below shows the distribution of marks and provides relativeinformation about a pupil’s performance against his or her year group. Standard scores greater than

115 are well above average, while those less than 85 are well below average. These may be applied tothe autumn and summer units with confidence.

The end-of-year testThe end-of-year test has a very strong correlation of pupils' levels from optional tests with their testscore giving Pearson's r= 0.88. Correlation between pupils' ages and their test score is very weak,however, giving Pearson's r= 0.13.

This is a well balanced and discriminating test.

The spring end-of-unit testsFor the combined spring term end-of-unit tests there is a very strong correlation of pupils' levels fromoptional tests with their test score giving Pearson's r= 0.90. Correlation between pupils' ages and theirtest score is very weak, however, giving Pearson's r=0.15.

The end-of-unit tests contain a significant proportion of straightforward questions allowing weak andmodestly able pupils to gain a sense of achievement. There are also demanding questions to challengeable pupils and discriminate between them.

YEAR 5/RELIABILITY AND PREDICTIONS

Standard score 70 80 85 90 100 110 115 120 130

Percentile 2% 9% 16% 26% 50% 74% 84% 91% 98%

End-of-year test(score out of 75) 7 17 20 28 38 51 58 63 69

End-of-unit tests(score out of 75) 10 17 24 31 45 57 63 66 70

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QCA level equated with RS test mark

End-of-unit tests equating relationship

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