Tests and exams
Table of Contents
Introduction
Welcome to the Tests and exams module. This module has been divided into two pages - tests and exams and LANTITE.
The tests and exams guide will provide you with study tips, as well as advice for specific types of exams, such as open book exams and online exams.
The LANTITE guide outlines what to expect for those students who are required to sit the LANTITE. LANTITE stands for the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students, and anyone studying an Australian initial teacher education course is required to successfully complete it in order to graduate. If you are not an education student you will not have to sit the LANTITE test. If you are unsure please ask your unit coordinator.
What you will learn
- How to prepare for tests and exams.
- How to approach multiple choice tests.
- How to manage your expectations for open book exams.
- How to develop a plan for online exams.
- What education students can expect in the LANTITE.
Tests and exams
The key to doing well in your exams and tests is all in the preparation. Watch the video below for some inspiration from fellow students.
The learning process
To be successful in tests and exams you need to learn your subject. Making notes is an integral part of successful study and learning. The Cornell System of note taking and note making incorporates the 6R’s method. The 6R’s are record, review, refine, reduce, recall, and reflect. Learn more in the activity below.
Multiple choice test tips
Check the unit outline
Study the unit guide and understand the learning outcomes, because the test or exam will check you have achieved the learning outcomes.
Study for the test
It might seem obvious but don’t think just because you will be given the answers that you don’t need to study for the test. Multiple choice tests will normally test you on facts and definitions or calculation and problem solving/data processing. Go over your lecture notes and learn definitions, facts and key concepts.
Know the test format
Know what sort of questions will be asked, how many there will be and how much time you have to do them. Will some questions need multiple responses? Do practice questions if you can.
Read question carefully
Identify key words or qualifiers. Does it need deductive or inductive analysis?
- Deductive analysis: a theory or outcome is given from which you are asked to show evidence to prove its validity.
- Inductive analysis: an observation is given from which you are asked to reach a conclusion or choose an already established theory.
Also beware of expressions in the negative because often when we are reading quickly we can miss the part of the statement that makes it opposite to the assertion. Let’s consider an example question from a quiz; Choose the one that is least likely to determine a pandemic. Most often our brain is wired to look for the fact. In this case, if you haven’t read the question carefully, you may start looking for the ‘most likely’ reason, which isn’t what the question is asking.
Check out the example arguments from our Critical Thinking guide.
Answer the question mentally before looking at supplied answer choices
By doing this, you will notice the answer that matches yours more readily. Be careful of the wrong answer that is very nearly correct. In a well written multiple choice test, all the answers can be plausible, so it’s important to take this step of thinking about the answer before looking at all the provided choices.
Do questions you know first
Go through the test, answering the questions you know the answer to first; then do the questions you have some idea about; and finally do the questions you have no idea about. Check you can go back to the previous page before taking this approach. It is better to take an educated guess than leave it unanswered. If you do not do the test sequentially, be extra careful to fill in the answer for the right question. Leave yourself time to check things over.
Take note of your strengths and weaknesses
After the test, identify the gaps or errors in your knowledge from the test result and reflect on what you learnt to improve your next test-taking experience.
Exam tips
Prepare for the exam
Schedule your exam preparation and start preparing early in the semester. Read unit outline, revise notes frequently. Use mnemonics, concept maps, colours and illustrations for better memory recall. Find out what to expect of the exam: the time frame, the type of questions, how the marks are allocated, and make a plan for how you will undertake the exam. If the exam includes an essay you will need to prepare your quotes and evidence and memorise it for likely questions. Review past exams (if your lecturer has made them available through your Reading List or on Blackboard).
Look after yourself
Eat and sleep well around exams. Exercise focus techniques and take short breaks regularly while studying. Remind yourself of past successes and avoid talking with other candidates about how much work you have done. Get to the exam in good time and be sure to have what you need for it including spares and water.
Read exam carefully and answer question
Essays are still essays in exams and need the correct structure. Short answers require a clear and concise answer (not everything you know) that answers the question. Stick to the word limit. You are not normally expected to use full citations in exam essays, unless you are allowed to have notes with you or it’s an open book exam. However, if you are citing researched evidence, it would be expected to cite the author. If the exam is mathematical - show your working out clearly.
Do the most challenging questions after warming up
Start the exam doing the questions you find the easiest to warm up your brain. Then move onto the most difficult questions while your brain is at its most focused. Lastly, do the middle order difficulty questions. Be sure to complete all the questions you need to and clearly label each answer. It is a good idea to leave space after each answer in case you want to add more later. Alternatively, if you run out of time then jot down notes or bullet points. These can still gain you some marks. Plan to have time at the end for looking everything over.
Open book exams
The purpose of open book exams is to test your ability to quickly find relevant information and then for you to demonstrate your understanding of the relevance of this information to your answer.
You need to study for an open-book exam as much as for any other type of exam or test, but you don’t have to memorise lengthy text. You do, however, need to know about and understand the information within the text, before the exam.
Check with your tutor if you are unsure what you can have with you at an open book exam
Online exams
While usually convenient, online exams come with their own set of challenges. Overcome them with a little preparation!
Before the exam
Study!
As with any test or exam, make sure you are aware of the unit content. Read over the unit outline and pay attention to the learning outcomes. Find a way of studying that suits you - taking notes, making flash cards, or having revision sessions with friends. Make a note of any concepts you maybe having difficulty with early on and give yourself plenty of time to work through them, with extra time to find different resources if necessary. And don’t be afraid to reach out to your tutor or unit coordinator with questions.
Check the exam instructions
If you’re sitting the test in your own space, you’ll need to take some time to make sure you have everything and that it’s working. You don’t have to worry so much about setting it up if you’re going to a test centre, where this is done for you, however, you still need to make sure you are aware of the date and time of your exam, as well as where you need to go and what you need to do to access it. Also make note of the time you’ll have to complete it. Be sure to check with your unit coordinator or tutor if you have any questions about how the exam will work.
Know the format
With the technology sorted, find out all you can about the format of the test. For some online tests, you can go back and forth on the questions, for others, once you move onto the following question, you can’t go back. Find out whether you can or can’t, before you sit the test. It’s knowing these little things beforehand that can make you feel more comfortable about sitting the test.
Plan your space
Ensure you have a plan for where you’ll be taking the exam. Somewhere with a strong internet connection, where you know you will be left alone to complete the exam for the duration. You should also take care to limit any distractions you may have while taking the test or exam. Make sure the area you choose works for you, while also being free of unnecessary interruptions.
Practice
If you are provided with a practice test or exam, do it. If you are not given a practice test or exam, feel free to make your own. Use your textbook or the information from your lectures and tutorials to create your own questions, and practice completing them under exam conditions, including giving yourself a time limit. Online exams, while not historically common, are becoming more of an option, and the more practice you have the more confident you will feel in using a computer in an exam situation, as well as any software you may not have used before.
Check your computer
Ensure that you have checked that everything is ready to go, and make sure you do this before the day of your exam. This will give you one less thing to worry about on the day and gives you time to work through technological issues you may have. Be sure your computer is either fully charged, or can be plugged in while taking the exam, and that all available updates have been done. Also make sure you have downloaded any software you may need for the exam. Curtin’s Intelligent Remote Invigilation System (IRIS) is a computer program that you may need to utilise in your exam. For more information, visit Curtin’s preparing for and attending your exams page and select ‘Online exams using IRIS’. If you experience any issues with IRIS, or have any questions, contact Curtin Connect
During the exam
Keep an eye on the time
Set timers for yourself during the exam. This will help you to be aware of the time that has passed and ensure that you are working efficiently. It is often helpful to set timers for when you have 30 minutes and then 10 minutes of your exam remaining. Also if it’s open book, be aware of how much time it’s taking to look up information, deciding whether you’re going to use it, and paraphrasing it into your answer.
Check your work
Try and give yourself time, either as you go or at the end of your exam, to check over your work. While it can be difficult to account for this time, it may help you to feel more confident about the work you are submitting and assist in avoiding any easy-fix mistakes you may have made.
Technical difficulties
First rule of online tests: don’t leave the test page during the test. If you need to open other web pages, open a different browser. If you do experience any technical difficulties contact your unit coordinator or tutor immediately. Tell them exactly what the problem is, and if an error message appears or your screen changes try and send them a screenshot. On a Windows computer a screenshot can be taken by holding the Windows key and pushing the Print Screen key. On a Mac, a screenshot is taken by holding down the Shift, Command and 3 keys together. By taking a screenshot and sending it to your unit coordinator or tutor, you’re giving them a better view of the situation and they may be able to help you overcome the issue.
LANTITE
Anyone studying an initial teacher education (ITE) course must successfully complete the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) to graduate.
The test is split into two components – literacy and numeracy. This page features study tips, helpful resources, and practice tests to make you feel more comfortable with the types of questions you may come across in the LANTITE.
If you would like further information about the test please refer to the School of Education’s range of support resources.
ACER
The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) is in charge of making the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) a requirement for new teachers in Australia. Their website is a great place to find answers if you have questions about the test. You can also read the ACER content guide for a clear explanation of the two parts of the test and the skills and topics each part covers.
The ACER website also gives helpful advice and strategies for taking the test. This includes tips on managing your time and how to use the tools provided during the test, like the on-screen calculator used in the numeracy section. It is a good idea to read this information before you try the sample tests and before you take the real test.
You will also find practice questions and old test questions on ACER’s practice materials page. These are excellent for study, and it is strongly recommended that you work through them as part of your preparation. There are also full practice tests for both literacy and numeracy. You can do these online after you register for the test. They are also available as PDFs, but it’s best not to look at the PDF version until after you’ve tried the online version.
For more details about these practice tests, check the ACER website and the “Further Tips” section on this page.
The rest of this page is split into two parts—one for literacy and one for numeracy. Each part gives you ideas on where to start studying and includes more practice tests focused on each section of the LANTITE.
Numeracy
The Numeracy part of the LANTITE test has 65 questions and is split into two sections. In the first section, there are 52 questions where you can use a calculator. In the second section, there are 13 questions where you are not allowed to use a calculator. Once you start the second section, you won’t be able to go back to the first. You will have two hours to finish the whole test.
Where to start
A good place to begin your study is with the Numeracy fundamentals module. This module explains the key ideas in the test and gives examples to help you understand them. It is organised into three main areas:
These pages also show you how to do some calculations without a calculator, which is important for the second section of the test.
After you have gone through the module, it is a good idea to try some practice questions. These are grouped by topic and will help you get used to the types of questions in the test. The goal is to do enough practice so you feel confident with the content.
Sample test
There is also a practice test that is about half the length of the real numeracy test. It includes 26 questions where you can use a calculator (some have more than one part), followed by 6 questions where you cannot use a calculator. Try to complete this practice test in one hour, which is half the time of the actual test. Just like in the real test, once you start the non-calculator section, you won’t be able to go back to the calculator section.
Try to answer as many questions as you can. The answers are provided at the end so you can check your work.
Finally, after you have registered for the test, make sure to go back to the ACER website, log into your account, and complete the official practice test before sitting the real one.
Literacy
The Literacy part of the LANTITE test has one section with 65 questions. You will have two hours to complete the test.
Where to start
If you are just beginning to prepare for the literacy test, or if you have already started but still feel unsure about some parts, we strongly recommend starting with the Structure and mechanics module. This module helps you improve your reading and writing skills, especially in areas like punctuation, sentence structure (syntax), and grammar. These skills are important for the technical writing section of the test.
As you work through the module, it can be useful to make a list of topics you still find difficult.Then, you can go back and review the Reading skills and Writing skills modules. For general advice on answering multiple choice questions, and more tips on reading comprehension and writing, check out the LANTITE Literacy Test Preparation and the Tests and Exams page.
Once you feel confident with these skills, try working through the sample questions in the Literacy Practice Test Resources [PDF, 153 kB]. These questions vary in difficulty, just like the real test. If you struggle with some of the questions, go back and review the materials or use other resources. Pay attention to the types of questions you find hard and figure out what’s causing the problem, whether it’s vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, or how the text is organised.
Sample test
The sample test below is about half the length of the real LANTITE literacy test. It has 32 questions, and you should try to finish it in one hour (which is half the time of the actual test).
Try to answer as many questions as you can. The answers are provided at the end so you can check your work.
Finally, after you have registered for the test, make sure to go back to the ACER website, log into your account, and complete the official practice test before sitting the real one.
Further tips
If you have registered for the LANTITE and have not already done so, make sure you try the ACER practice test. You can access it through your ACER account after registration. If you want more details, check out the practice test information on the ACER website.
When you do the ACER practice test, try to complete it just like you would the real test. Don’t use notes or other resources, give yourself only two hours for each part, and use good test-taking strategies, like finding a quiet place to work so you are not distracted.
If you’re finding it hard to finish the test in time, start by practising with smaller sets of questions. For example:
- Try 10 questions in 20 minutes
- Then 20 questions in 40 minutes
- 30 questions in 60 minutes
- 40 questions in 75 minutes
- 50 questions in 90 minutes
- Finally, try 65 questions in 120 minutes several times
This will help you get used to working within a time limit. After each practice test, review your answers and make a note of the areas where you still need to improve. The more you practise, the better your test-taking skills will become.
Once you finish the practice tests, you will get feedback to help you understand if you are ready for the real LANTITE. If you pass the practice test on your first go and your score is above the standard (based on the equivalence table), that is a good sign you are ready. But if you do not reach that level, don’t worry. Look at the questions you got wrong and figure out which literacy or numeracy skills you need to work on. Go back to the resources provided and find extra materials to help you. Searching online can be useful, some students find websites like Maths is Fun, NAPLAN sample questions, and selective entrance practice tests helpful. Just remember, not all questions will be at the right level or match the LANTITE exactly, but they are still good for practice.
If you are running out of time during the test, it is better to guess than to leave questions blank. You will not lose marks for wrong answers. Still, try to manage your time well so you can give each question your best effort. If you finish early, use the extra time to check your answers and make changes if needed.
After you have completed the LANTITE, you might feel proud, relieved, or even worried about how you went. It is normal to feel unsure or to think about questions you may have answered incorrectly. If that happens, try not to stress about things you can’t change. When you get your results, if you did not pass, use the feedback to figure out what to improve for next time.
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