1 + 1 = Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

While researching what entry requirements are for PGCE courses in the UK, I discovered the Skills Tests. The tests consists of Literacy and Numeracy, and I'm not too concerned about the Literacy part, but math and I don't mesh well.

A visual representation of my brain trying to deal with math.

The Skills Tests must be passed in order to be accepted onto any PGCE course, and while the exams can be taken as many times as necessary to pass, it obviously looks better on your application if you have managed to pass on the first try. To help me prepare and practise for these, I bought four books from Amazon, tailored specifically for the British Teachers' Skills Tests. These were: Passing the Numeracy Skills Test (by M. Patmore), Pass Your Numeracy Skills Test (by S. Kirkwood, L. Wilding, and O. Naylor), How to Pass the QTS Numeracy and Literacy Skills Tests (by C. Tyreman), and Teachers' Skills Test For Dummies (by C. Beveridge, and A. Green). So far, I have only begun working through Patmore's book, so I wanted to write a bit about it here, give a sort of review on what I think of it so far, and how practise is going.

Patmore is one of the writers for the QTS Numeracy Skills Test, and his knowledge of the exam structure and expectations for candidates is evident through his useful explanation of the exam at the start of the book. He breaks down the types of questions candidates can expect, the length of each section of the exam, the format answers should be given in, and tips for his readers. Within the first chapter, he provides checklists for every subsequent chapter, so candidates can thoroughly check that they have reviewed and understood relevant math topics. The chapters that follow provide clear enough examples with calculations, and several practise questions are also given. All in all, my experience with the book so far has been positive, I have practised several questions on the mental arithmetic section and managed them well, but most of my mistakes are due to anxiety and rushing through the problem because of time constraints. On the actual exam, the mental arithmetic section consists of 12 questions, and the questions are individually timed (you have 18 seconds to respond to each question). That alone instantly filled me with dread. I understand the importance of mental math, but having to answer a question under test conditions in 18 seconds or less doesn't necessarily show the extent of your understanding of math, it proves you can do math quickly.

My past experience with math in school was stressful. I struggled to grasp concepts, and seeing my friends understand things quicker, and me fall behind the rest of the class meant I became extremely insecure in the subject from a very young age. Before tests, I would sit at home for hours practising with my mother, and while I would understand how to solve the problems at home, once I was sitting in the classroom staring at the test, my mind had already convinced itself that I did not know enough, did not practise enough, and was not as smart as other people in my class. Therefore, my anxiety got the better of me, and my mind went blank. I would perform poorly on math tests at school not because I didn't understand what was taught, but because I could not focus and push aside my fear of failing. What contributed greatly to this anxiety was all the moving around I did as a child. Moving from place to place meant I was transferred across school syllabi, which in turn, created gaps in my learning (most of which, I was not even aware of until directly confronted by them). By the time I had to take my IGCSE Maths exams, I thankfully had a teacher and classmates that made me feel comfortable enough to ask questions, and be more confident in my abilities. I performed well on that exam, and to this day, overcoming that hurdle is one of my proudest achievements. It proved to me that I am smart at math. I might not be the best in my class but, if I practise and push myself to understand, I can get the grade I deserve.

Having to return to that level of math again now, my goal is to practise for at least two hours every other day, if not every day. This way, I hope to boost my confidence and feel less nervous for sitting the actual exam. At the moment, I do not time myself while practising, because I am still revising a lot of the topics, and trying to remember what I learned during my IGCSE Maths course, so the timer only adds to my stress. I prefer to focus first on the topics I need revision on, and most importantly, understanding how to reach the correct answer. I have read online in various forums, that some candidates recommend studying intensely for a week prior to taking the exam, and that that should be enough. That may work for some, but my history of anxiety with the subject does not work in my favour, therefore, I got an early start on practise, so I should have at least a month's worth of revision done before sitting the final exam.

Wish me luck!