Professional skills

[Numberonecook]

Please could anyone offer advice? I didn’t know where to post this. I feel I’m getting really down about it all and don’t know what to do. I’m due to start pgce in september at a lovely school. I have taken my literacy skills test and passed but I can’t seem to pass the numeracy exam!! I’m so anxious about it and go into total panic when I start the exam! Maths is not related to my specialism and I’m not very good at complex stuff. I can do long multiplication/division etc but anything else panics me. I’ve taken it 3 times, each time my mind goes blank :(. I get so mad with myself and feel like giving up. Does anyone have any advice (apart from keep calm obvs)

I used QA Numerical and did all their practice tests and watched all their videos.

I think you're telling yourself you won't pass. You can.

There will be a couple of impossible mental arithmetic questions. The key is to not worry about them and move on.

Thanks. I think my self confidence is getting lower and lower :( hate that a maths test is making me feel so crappy lol

I had a trainee this year who had struggled with the maths but she did pass in the end. She used the practice tests and also used sites such as bitesize to practise areas she was weak in based on the practice tests.

Are you able to sit the test again? I had it in my head that you could only have 3 attempts and then couldn't retake for two years? That's what it was when my trainee did it - she passed on her third attempt luckily. Hopefully you can redo it.

They've moved to unlimited attempt now but after 3 there's a charge.

Don't let this beat you. What sort of things are you struggling with specifically? Eg for me, I can do the more complex things but I am rubbish at mental arithmetic

This is going to sound like I am being stupid but you do know that in the second part of the test you can use the on screen calculator??

If you knew that sorry but a few people I know didn't know about it and struggled because of it.

This will make you a better teacher. You will know first hand, and recently, what it is feels like to fail.

This is almost certainly not the point of the numeracy text, but a side effect that will probably benefit every child you ever teach.

Do you really know your times tables? In and out of order and all inverses, instantly? I think that’s what passes the test.