NCEA NUMERACY TUITION

NCEA Numeracy Exam Requirements

To succeed in the online NCEA Numeracy Exam, students need to demonstrate proficiency in solving complex word problems, aligning with upper Level 4 and lower Level 5 of the NZ Curriculum's mathematics and statistics learning area.

Challenging Curriculum Alignment

These mathematical concepts, typically taught in Years 8-10, pose a challenge for many New Zealand secondary schools. Schools struggle to balance the Numeracy Exam requirements for Year 10 and 11 students with the demands of NCEA Achievement Standards. This challenge is understandable, given the complexity of aligning these curriculum requirements and the apparent lack of clarity from NCEA / MOE. 

This Causes Problems

The above 'system' is causing major problems for many students in a significant number of NZ schools. 

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) recently published the final results for the NCEA literacy and numeracy online tests. The results show that out of over 100,000 students who attempted the tests, barely half passed (55%). This figure is subject to regional variance, with schools in lower socio-economic areas performing significantly worse. 

Disparities in NCEA Numeracy Outcomes

A recent analysis of NCEA Numeracy results has uncovered troubling disparities in achievement, with schools serving disadvantaged communities facing significant challenges. The data paints a stark picture, with far too many students in these schools struggling to meet the benchmark. The pass rate for 'disadvantaged schools' was reported as 28%. 

Particular Issues Raised

The report identifies key challenges faced by students who struggled with the numeracy standard. These include:

• Difficulty applying mathematical concepts to real-life situations
• Trouble evaluating the reasonableness of calculated answers and measurements
• Struggles with interpreting graphs and numeric scales
• Basic measurement skills, such as working with scale drawings and maps
• Challenges with rates and ratios

What is the best preparation? 

Weekly intensive tuition, as described below.

How long does it take to prepare?

A total of 30 / 40 hours is required to prepare properly. 

• For students intending to take the May examination - tuition should start in February, approximately 4 hours per week.
• For students intending to take the November examination - tuition should start in May, aprroximately 2 hours per week.

Should / Can my child practice with past papers?

Unfortunately, very few resources are available from NZQA, with an extremely limited number of previous assessment papers. These are no use to students who do not fully understand the mathematical concepts contained within the 30 topics. Also the few resources that are in circulation are lacking in authenticity, as they are paper based. All our students passed the 2024 online NCEA Numeracy Exam without using these during tuition sessions.