LITERACY AND NUMERACY

TEST FOR INITIAL TEACHER

EDUCATION STUDENTS
Literacy
Practice Test
Score tables, report and solutions
Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students

Literacy Practice Test (PDF Print Version) Score Equivalence Table,

Report and Worked Solutions
To compare your achievement on the literacy practice test (PDF print version) against the test
standards and obtain feedback, complete the following steps.

Step 1: Record and correct your responses to the literacy practice test questions in
Table1.
Table 1: Response record
Question Your Correct Outcome Content sub-domain
response response (correct,
incorrect)
1 B Reading
2 D Reading
3 C Reading
4 A Reading
5 D Technical Skills of Writing
6 B Technical Skills of Writing
7 B Reading
8 B Reading
9 C Reading
10 B Reading
11 C Reading
12 A Reading
13 D Technical Skills of Writing
14 an Technical Skills of Writing
15 C Technical Skills of Writing
16 appreciate Technical Skills of Writing
17 B Technical Skills of Writing
18 Y;Y Reading
19 D Reading
20 A Reading
21 C Reading
22 C Reading
23 I; E; E Technical Skills of Writing
24 disappoint Technical Skills of Writing
25 A Technical Skills of Writing
26 D Technical Skills of Writing
27 D Reading
28 B Reading
29 C Reading
30 A Reading

1
31 C Reading
32 D Reading
33 B Reading
34 B Reading
35 C Reading
36 B Reading
37 B Technical Skills of Writing
38 B Technical Skills of Writing
39 N Technical Skills of Writing
40 C Technical Skills of Writing
41 D Reading
42 N;Y;N Reading
43 D Reading
44 C Reading
45 N;Y;Y Reading
46 B Technical Skills of Writing
47 There Technical Skills of Writing
48 D Technical Skills of Writing
49 A Reading
50 Y;Y;Y Reading
51 N;Y;Y Reading
52 A Reading
53 B Reading
54 D Reading
55 D Reading
56 B Reading
57 C Reading
58 B Technical Skills of Writing
59 C Technical Skills of Writing
60 sincerely Technical Skills of Writing
61 Y;Y;N Reading
62 Y;Y;N Reading
63 B Reading
64 C Reading
65 D Reading

2
Step 2: Total your correct responses overall and for each sub-domain, then complete
Table 2.
Table 2: Total scores overall and by sub-domain
Domain/Sub-domain Your score Maximum score
Literacy (overall) 65
Reading 44
Technical Skills of Writing 21

Step 3: Use your scores from Table 2 to locate your indicative achievement against the
standard in Table 3 overall and for each sub-domain
Table 3: Score equivalence table*
Your score is Your score is
Your score is indicative
Literacy Domain/ indicative of indicative of
of achievement
Sub-domain achievement below achievement above
around the standard
the standard the standard
Overall 0–36 37–49 50–65
Reading 0–24 25–33 34–44
Technical Skills of Writing 0–11 12–16 17–21

*Note: The scores in this table are indicative, not determinative, and apply only to the literacy practice test as
a guide. Decisions relating to achievement against the standard on the actual test are based on scaled scores.
The ranges of scores in Table 3, for achievement ‘around the standard’ are carefully chosen to help ensure that
advice is appropriately targeted. Scores on the practice test are reliable guides only for candidates on their first
attempt and before they view the worked solutions. For further clarification see the ‘Explanatory statement’
and ‘Information about the actual test’ below.

Step 4: Interpret the results

Candidates who receive the statement:

• ‘Your score is indicative of achievement around the standard’, for either the overall
domain or a sub-domain, are advised that some additional revision or study may be
appropriate. A good place to start is the practice test questions and the worked solutions to
the practice test in the Appendix.
• ‘Your score is indicative of achievement below the standard’ are advised that considerable
revision or study may be appropriate. These candidates are:
• advised to seek support from their higher education provider to help reach the test
standard
• directed to the practice test questions and the worked solutions to the practice test in
the Appendix.
• advised to consider delaying their sitting of the test to a future test window and
developing a study plan with their higher education provider.
• ‘Your score is indicative of achievement above the standard’ can be reasonably confident
but should not assume that they are certain to meet the standard when they complete the
actual test. These candidates may also consider completing some revision and/or study and
viewing the practice test questions and the worked solutions to the practice test in the
Appendix.

3
The sub-domain information in the related summary statements above may be helpful in
determining the focus of further study before sitting the test again. Descriptions of achievement in
each band of each sub-domain, together with illustrative sample questions, can be found in the
Described Proficiency Scale available at https://teacheredtest.acer.edu.au/results.

Explanatory statement
The practice test, including related scores and statements, has been created to support initial
teacher education students with their preparation for the test. While the practice test reflects the
actual test in content, processes, contexts, item types, difficulty, number of questions, and time
available, there are important differences between the two.

The practice test:

• is not supervised
• is not done under test conditions
• does not have questions that have been trialled in an actual test by initial teacher education
students, so their difficulty has been estimated using the judgements of literacy experts
rather than by using candidate data
• reports on raw scores (number of correct questions) only, not scaled scores (standardised
scores).

Because of these differences, the practice test, resultant scores, and the statements (set out above)
related to those scores are indicative only and are not determinative of a prospective candidate’s
ultimate performance in the actual test or ability in a particular skill area. Therefore, the practice
test can only be used as practice for the actual test and not for any other purpose (such as
appealing, qualifying, or academic results).

Information about the actual test

It should be noted that the standard for the actual literacy test may be achieved without reaching
the standard in every sub-domain. A candidate’s literacy scale score is derived from the candidate’s
performance on all questions from all sub-domains. The number of questions in each sub-domain is
not equal. As a consequence of this, a candidate’s literacy scale score is influenced by the relative
contribution of the candidate’s score on each of the sub-domains and is not a simple average of the
sub-domain scores.

4
Appendix: Suggested Worked Solutions for the Literacy Practice
Test
These worked solutions are provided to help candidates understand the underlying concepts in each
question and to suggest appropriate explanations for the correct answer. It is likely that many
candidates will have different explanations that are also correct.

Table 4: Suggested worked solutions

Qn Suggested Worked Solution
1 The correct answer is B (increase staff and student empathy towards students with vision
difficulties) as suggested by the statement allows staff and students to gain a better
understanding of some experiences of people with vision difficulties.
2 The correct answer is D (Soundfield systems can help more students than audio induction
loop systems.) because it is stated in the table that the system has benefits for all students,
including those with hearing difficulties.
3 The correct answer is C [large print keyboard (Vision)] because the three points listed are all
advantages; in contrast, both potential advantages and disadvantages are given for each of
the other options.
4 The correct answer is A (sources of further information on the topic) because each of the
listed websites appears by its name to provide general information rather than the more
specific types of information suggested by options B, C and D.
5 The correct answer is D (SC5) because that section refers to further development of skills,
expertise and teaching capacity.
6 The correct answer is B (the ability to use data to inform teaching.) because the results
referred to in this question are data.
7 The correct answer is B (Julie Mao) because the name is designated as First aid officer in the
last row of the Athletics Event Risk Management Plan table.
8 The correct answer is B (Bar hitting high jumper) because in the risk assessment matrix 1 is
the highest risk and 6 the lowest, and the risk for Bar hitting the high jumper is 3, the lowest
number for the four options.
9 The correct answer is C (Unlikely) because the risk number assigned to the hazard Sand in
eyes in the risk assessment matrix is 5: in the row for First aid needed, 5 comes under the
heading of Unlikely.
10 The correct answer is B (Boarding and disembarking coach) because the last cell in that row
of the table states only During.
11 The correct answer is C (students and teachers) because the control measures for the
hazards Missing the mat and Hitting the upright supports refer to prior experience for
both students and supervising teachers.
12 The correct answer is A (group the cells by levels of risk.) because the darkest shaded
cells refer to extreme risk (1–2, as indicated in the legend), the lighter shaded cells refer to
moderate risk (3–4), and the non-shaded cells refer to the lowest risk (5–6); the shading
emphasises this grouping.
13 The correct answer is D (As teachers and parents have previously stated, it is not acceptable
for new policies simply to be announced with no possibility for input.) because it uses a

5
 comma to separate two lengthy clauses for the sake of clarity; it does not use unnecessary
commas (as in A and B), or an incorrect semi-colon (as in C).
14 The correct answer is 'an' because it comes before a word beginning with a vowel.
15 The correct answer is C (Implementation) because determining who will conduct an
investigation in the complaint is an aspect of how the Complaints Policy will be carried out.
16 The correct answer is 'appreciate' because the other words are spelled correctly and
'appresciate' is spelled incorrectly.
17 The correct answer is B (fewer) because it compares the number (not amount) of two
different things (responses expected and responses received).
18 The correct answer for the first pair of ideas is ‘Yes’ because the text because the
text argues that Indigenous dialogue forms have a parallel with interactive communication
in the age of information technology, which is part of contemporary academic expression.
The correct answer for the second pair of ideas is ‘Yes’ because the text states that ancient
Western dialogical forms are similar to Indigenous forms.
19 The correct answer is D (profound personal change) because the text describes yarning as
transformation for oneself – that is, a profound change.
20 The correct answer is A (land links) because the paragraph makes references to place-based
learning, which is about relationship to the land. The further references to directions
(west and south), and a real place are additional links to the concept of land.
21 The correct answer is C (integrate) because it is the only word in the list that expresses the
necessary idea of including one thing in another.
22 The correct answer is C (teaching Aboriginal subject matter rather than an Aboriginal
approach to learning.) This is supported by the rejection of token content in favour of the
pedagogy of yarns and stories. It is also supported by the rejection of a bolted-on lesson on
hunting and gathering (Aboriginal subject matter) in favour of a local place-based approach
to learning (an Aboriginal approach to learning).
23 The correct answer for Phrase 1 is 'i.e.' because Phrase 1 further explains the sentence in
the question so ‘that is’, which is the meaning of i.e., makes sense as a conjunction.
The correct answer for Phrase 2 is 'e.g.' because Phrase 2 provides an example.
The correct answer for Phrase 3 is 'e.g.' because Phrase 3 provides an example.
24 The correct answer is ‘disappoint’ because the other words are spelled correctly and
'dissappoint' is spelled incorrectly.
25 The correct answer is A (also) because it shows that a teacher's duty of care will extend
beyond the school day without insisting that these instances are rare or that they are more
common (mostly) than during-school duty.
26 The correct answer is D (immediately) because it is the word in the sentence that relates to
speed and urgency.
27 The correct answer is D (the Deputy Principal or Welfare Coordinator) because the text lists
fighting as a serious incident and, according to the text, serious incidents should be
managed by the school rather than the teacher.
28 The correct answer is B (the student is being verbally abusive) because Verbal abuse is the
only option in this question that appears in the Serious incidents list. Serious incidents are
dealt with by the Deputy Principal or Welfare Coordinator, who according to the text, may
consult the student's record.

6
29 The correct answer is C (when it happens four times) because Rudeness is listed as a minor
incident.
30 The correct answer is A (the idea that students can improve) because it conveys the idea of
a fresh start. It suggests that educators should take an optimistic view: schools can help
students to change, and put behind them any problematic behaviour. The idea of a new
beginning is not consistent with record keeping or with calling in a welfare coordinator, as
suggested in the distractors.
31 The correct answer is C (when three interventions have been ineffective) because the
diagram states that a fourth incident, following interventions, may escalate the offence to
serious. The fourth incident would follow the initial three incidents, for which interventions
have proved ineffective (since the incident has occurred again).
32 The correct answer is D (their predictability) because in paragraph 1 he suggests that this
unchallenging aspect of soap operas (universal and repetitive) allowed him instead to
concentrate on, and learn from, the characters' colloquial use of language.
33 The correct answer is B (strategy.) because it is in keeping with the description of the
narrator approaching conversation like a game of chess, which is a game of strategy.

34 The correct answer is B (the unpredictability of others) because his otherwise successful
preparation for planned conversations could be overthrown by girls, in particular, coming
up with questions, comments or answers the narrator did not expect and had not prepared
for.
35 The correct answer is C (made sounds) because the description at that point in the
passage is all about sound, specifically bells.
36 The correct answer is B (It varies from language to language.) because the text deals with
the narrator’s experience of learning about musicality through a comparison of two
languages.
37 The correct answer is B (taken seriously): this can be inferred by the teacher’s actions in
writing the email, which depends on her having taken the principal’s suggestion seriously.
38 The correct answer is B (conducting): although conducting has several meanings in other
contexts, the sense of ‘doing’ or ‘performing’ is suggested here by the other nearby verb
developing.
39 The correct answer is ‘N’. There are no spelling errors in the sentence.
40 The correct answer is C (students') because when a possessive apostrophe is added to a
plural noun that ends in s, only an apostrophe is placed at the end of the word.
41 The correct answer is D (demand for workers) because the last sentence in the second
paragraph states that the increase is consistent with the overall labour market.
42 The correct answer for the first idea is ‘No’ because there is no information in paragraph 3
about the employability of 2017 graduates.
The correct answer for the second idea is ‘Yes’ because paragraph 3 contains references to
the Global Financial Crisis (an economic phenomenon) and states that the cohort most
affected by the poor graduate labour market is recovering.
The correct answer for the third idea is ‘No’ because paragraph 3 only gives information
about 2014 graduates and does not contain information about any other graduates.

7
43 The correct answer is D (unit completion rates.) because the last sentence of the fifth
paragraph states: ‘Unit completion rates for VSL-assisted students in 2017 were more than
17 percentage points higher than the rate achieved under the VET FEE-HELP scheme in
2016.’
44 The correct answer is C (should be treated with caution.) because the text says that the
number has changed in the past, indicating that a particular result may not be a reliable
indicator.
45 The correct answer for the first statement is ‘No’ because the most recent percentages are
smaller than the earliest percentages so there has been no increase over time.
The correct answer for the second statement is ‘Yes’ because the highest recorded
percentage is in 2012, with a very gradual increase in the years leading up to 2012 and then
lower percentages after it.
The correct answer for the third statement is ‘Yes’ because all of the bars are higher than
the horizontal line at 80%, which the key indicates is the target.
46 The correct answer is B (onerous) because it means ‘difficult or burdensome’ and is
therefore in keeping with the phrase ‘such exacting standards; everyone complained.’
47 The correct answer is 'There' to replace the incorrectly chosen word they’re which is a
contraction of ‘they are’.
48 The correct answer is D (persistence) because it is the only synonym for perseverance in the
list.
49 The correct answer is A (Provide a context for the text) because the paragraph contains
explanations of what the program is, what it does and which pedagogical framework it sits
within.
50 The correct answer for the first detail is ‘Yes’. The students' year levels are mentioned in the
second paragraph of the illustration of practice.
The correct answer for the second detail is ‘Yes’. The students' language is described as
Aboriginal English.
The correct answer for the third detail is ‘Yes’. The geographic location is described as in the
mid-west region of Western Australia on the edge of the Western Desert.
51 The correct answer for the first illustration of practice is ‘No’. Only the study of plants is
mentioned.
The correct answer for the second illustration of practice is ‘Yes’. The study of several birds
is mentioned and birds belong to the animal kingdom.
The correct answer for the third illustration of practice is ‘Yes’. The study of an insect is
mentioned and insects belong to the animal kingdom.
52 The correct answer is A (concentration) which is supported by the description of
daydreaming in paragraph one.
53 The correct answer is B (with understanding) which is supported by the description of
understanding behaviour that comes immediately before the words, ‘In this way she won
my trust ...’ in paragraph 1.
54 The correct answer is D (learning how it improved expression) which is supported by
references in the passage, to how grammar clarified and refined language and improved the
beauty of language.

8
55 The correct answer is D (wanted students to work things out for themselves.) because the
text links the rejection of drill sheets with the teacher’s emphasis on working
independently, figuring things out and learning how to learn.
56 The correct answer is B (clear meaning) because it is supported by the passage, ‘She wanted
to know what we were thinking. What counted, she said, was our ability to write with
clarity.’
57 The correct answer is C (Both can be considered difficult or dull by students.) because it is in
keeping with the use of the words ‘won me over’ and ‘even’ within the passage ... ‘thereby
won me over to her love of literature. In her class, Shakespeare came alive. Portia was a
real person. So was Shylock. Even grammar was exciting.’ The words ‘won me over’ imply
an initial reluctance on the part of the narrator and the word ‘Even’ implies that grammar is
not usually seen as exciting by students.
58 The correct answer is B (Community Service Activities) because the three activities in the list
are all activities where students contribute to their community.
59 The correct answer is C (bare) because it has been wrongly used instead of bear, which
sounds the same but has a different meaning and spelling.
60 The correct answer is 'sincerely' because the other words are spelled correctly and 'sincerly'
is spelled incorrectly.
61 The correct answer for the first advantage is ‘Yes’ because the text refers to the contrast
between the occupations and relationships of the home environment [which] are not
specially selected for the growth of the child, unlike schools.
The correct answer for the second advantage is ‘Yes’ because the text refers to the ability of
schools to do systematically and in a large, intelligent, and competent way what for various
reasons can be done in most households only in a comparatively meagre and haphazard
manner.
The correct answer for the third advantage is ‘No’ because the writer specifically states that
through participating in household activities, the child thereby gets habits of industry,
order, and regard for the rights and ideas of others, and the fundamental habit of
subordinating his activities to the general interest of the household. There is no suggestion
that schools can do this more effectively than the home environment.
62 The correct answer for the first statement is ‘Yes’ because the text refers to there being
little adjustment for varying capacities and demands.
The correct answer for the second statement is ‘Yes’ because the text refers to uniformity
of material and method, as well as little adjustment for varying capacities and demands. In
the following paragraph, there is also a description of a very rigid educational approach,
which is counter to the idea of exploration.
The correct answer for the third statement is ‘No’ because although equality of learning
opportunities may seem to be a desirable outcome of education, there is no mention of this
as a goal of uniformity in the text.
63 The correct answer is B (formulaic.) because of the description in one paragraph of a very
rigid and unresponsive curriculum that is divided according to a given formula and repeated
words and phrases in the text such as ‘uniformity’ and ‘no opportunity for adjustment to
varying capacities and demands.’

9
64 The correct answer is C (grounded in common sense.) because throughout the text, the
writer has argued for a less restrictive approach to education, and that children are
inherently active learners.
65 The correct answer is D (rejects the idea that children's natural abilities can only be realised
through the traditional education system.) because there are repeated references in the
text to the efforts in the traditional education system to make students more passive,
whereas in contrast, the final paragraph of the text argues that children are inherently
active and therefore will not benefit adequately from an education system that does not
take this into consideration.

10