Numeracy: Number, Measurement, Geometry and Data
What the numeracy test covers
NAPLAN numeracy questions span number and algebra, measurement and geometry, statistics and probability. Questions may be set in real-life contexts such as shopping, timetables, maps and sport. The skills tested include fluency, problem solving and reasoning.
Concepts to master
- Number: place value, the four operations, fractions, decimals, percentages and order of operations. Remember that multiplication and division are done before addition and subtraction.
- Measurement: converting units (1 km = 1000 m, 1 kg = 1000 g, 1 L = 1000 mL), calculating perimeter and area, and reading time on analogue and digital clocks.
- Geometry: angle types (acute, right, obtuse, straight, reflex), properties of shapes, symmetry and coordinates on a grid.
- Data: reading tables, column graphs and line graphs, finding totals, differences and averages, and identifying the most common value.
- Probability: describing likelihood using words such as certain, likely and impossible.
Traps to watch for
- Mixing units, such as adding metres to centimetres without converting.
- Misreading scale markings on a graph or ruler.
- Forgetting to include the unit in the answer.
- Rushing word problems and missing a key condition such as how many are left.
- Choosing an answer because it looks familiar rather than calculating.
Rule of thumb
Use the underline, plan, check approach: underline what the question asks, write the calculation, then check that the answer is reasonable in size and carries the correct unit.
Worked example
A recipe uses 250 g of flour for 10 biscuits. How much flour for 25 biscuits? Find the amount per biscuit: 250 ÷ 10 = 25 g. Multiply by 25: 25 × 25 = 625 g. Check: 25 biscuits is 2.5 times 10, and 250 × 2.5 = 625.