NSW Check-in Assessment study guide
NSW Check-in Assessment · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The NSW Check-in Assessment is an assessment program run by the NSW Department of Education for students in New South Wales public schools, and this page is an independent study resource for anyone preparing for it. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Department. The assessment is a school-based check-in rather than a competitive entry test: its purpose is to help teachers see where students are in their learning so that teaching can be adjusted. Our study profile organises preparation into two equally weighted domains, Literacy and Numeracy, at 50 per cent each. Topics on this exam: Literacy and Numeracy. The NSW Check-in Assessment study guide has 2 sections and about 734 words.
01Literacy: Reading Purpose, Evidence and Language
The literacy check-in rewards careful reading rather than fast reading. You need to locate information stated directly, link ideas across paragraphs, infer what is suggested but not said, and judge how language choices shape meaning. Know the difference between literal questions (the answer is on the page), inferential questions (the answer follows from clues) and evaluative questions (you weigh effect, purpose or reliability). Also revise text structures such as cause and effect, problem and solution, and compare and contrast, plus the functions of figurative language: simile, metaphor, personification and imagery.
366 words, about 2 min02Numeracy: Number, Measurement, Data and Reasoning
Numeracy questions test whether you can choose and apply mathematics in everyday contexts. You need fluency with the four operations, fractions, decimals, percentages and ratios, plus proportional reasoning, area and perimeter, unit conversion, time, and the interpretation of tables and graphs. Many items are multi-step: read the whole question first, identify what is given and what is asked, then decide on a plan. Misreading units is the most common error, especially in measurement questions mixing centimetres and metres or minutes and hours.
368 words, about 2 min