New Group Maths Test – an adaptive assessment for every pupil

Numeracy specialist Andy Small explains how the New Group Maths Test can support maths at your school…

30 Second Briefing

The New Group Maths Test (NGMT) is an adaptive maths assessment for Years 2–7 that is objective and rigorous, because it’s benchmarked nationally, yet also personalised and inclusive, because it adapts automatically to the level of each child, whether they excel at maths or not.

Our expert

Andy Small

Job role: Assessment specialist in numeracy and mathematics at GL Assessment

What is the New Group Maths Test?

AS: NGMT is a digital, adaptive assessment for students aged six to 12 that assesses numeracy in exactly the same way as the popular and well-regarded New Group Reading Test and New Group Spelling Test assess literacy.

It’s a standardised test designed to measure students’ mathematical knowledge and skills by benchmarking results against the national average, thereby allowing teachers to identify potential or any barriers to learning precisely and quickly.

Why is it different to other assessments?

NGMT is adaptive, which means that the difficulty of the questions adjusts in response to each individual student’s answers making it suitable for all students, regardless of ability.

Correct answers trigger progressively harder questions, wrong answers easier ones. This makes for a highly personalised test experience.

“No practice or preparation for the test is necessary, and the assessment adapts automatically to the level of each child.”

What is the student experience?

A key consideration in the development of NGMT was that it should be as positive an experience as possible for each student, especially as a recent YouGov survey of teachers found that they believed maths anxiety to be the biggest impediment to learning.

No practice or preparation for the test is necessary, and the assessment adapts automatically to the level of each child, meaning that every child will feel challenged yet supported throughout.

What does it cover and when should it be taken?

NGMT assesses children on number and algebra, fractions, decimals, percentages, proportion and ratio, measurement, geometry and statistics. It can be taken termly on a PC, laptop or tablet and usually takes children between 45–60 minutes to complete.

It can be particularly useful at transition, between schools or year groups, by providing an assessment of student attainment as well as areas of relative strength and challenge.

“NGMT has been designed to deliver the most useful information to all teachers, regardless of experience.”

Does NGMT only measure attainment?

No, it also measures curriculum effectiveness, within and across schools as well as identifying areas of relative strength and those for further development for individuals and groups.

It’s been designed to deliver the most useful information to all teachers, regardless of experience, to enable them to provide the right support for each student. Moreover, it can be used as an indicator of potential specific challenges that may be maths related, like dyscalculia – something that affects six per cent of all children.

For more information, call 0330 123 5375, email hello@gl-assessment.co.uk or visit gl-assessment.co.uk/ngmt