Prior to obtaining a position within the UK’s Department for Education (DFE), hopeful educators and teachers must first take and pass the QTS professional skills test. The QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) test assesses your ability to perform a variety of basic professional duties.

The test is divided into 2 sections:

Numeracy skills test – Consists of 2 crucial areas: Mental Arithmetic & Written Arithmetic.
Literacy Skills test – Consists of 4 crucial areas: Spelling, Punctuation, Grammar & Comprehension.

General Information & Tips:

Prior to booking your QTS testing date, you will need to register an account through learndirect.
Once registered, you will need to book a testing date at one of the centres listed on the Department for Education website. Keep in mind that you should be able to provide evidence of your application when attending the testing centre.
QTS testing centres can be hosted at large business centres or university campuses.
Regardless of where your assessment is taking place, you should arrive at least 15-20 minutes early. This will allow you to reach your testing destination on time and compose yourself accordingly.

Note: You can take this test up to three (3) times without being charged a fee. Keep in mind that once you pass this testing threshold or cancel any of your free attempts for any reason, you will incur a fee for subsequent test attempts.

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Below you will find information on the structure of the literacy portion of the QTS skills test.

It is split into four sections and includes:

During the spelling section of the QTS literacy test, you will be presented with 10 sentences, each with a missing word. These sentences will be read aloud twice via a headset with each sentence appearing on-screen. It is your job to find the correct spelling for each missing word. You will either be asked to select the correctly spelled word from a list or to spell it out in the space provided. You will need to work quickly through this section as each sentence will only appear on-screen for a limited amount of time.

This section of the test evaluates your ability to apply punctuation properly. You are presented with a text that is 150–200 words long containing 15 punctuation errors. The punctuation tasks in the test are essential for all teachers' written communication. You are not required to rewrite any part of the passage.

The QTS grammar section assesses your ability to distinguish between text that is grammatically correct and incorrect. You will be presented with four possible sentences and asked to complete a paragraph correctly. The grammar that you are tested on is essential for communication in your professional teaching career.

This section of the test assesses your ability to read and understand official style text. You must demonstrate your ability to identify the main points expressed in the text, distinguish between fact and opinion, and draw inferences and deductions. You will demonstrate these skills by answering questions associated to the text you are reading.

QTS Literacy Q&A:

The test must be completed 45 minutes in most cases. You may be granted additional time to complete your test if you have made specific arrangements with the Department for Education beforehand.

The possible number of points you can achieve when taking the QTS Literacy Test ranges from 41-49. This is due to the varying ranges of possible points in two of the four test areas: grammar and comprehension. The total amount of points you can earn during your test from either of these sections is between 10-12, each.

It should be noted that in order to pass you will need to answer at least 60% of the questions correctly. This means that you will need to get a score of at least 29 out of the 49 questions.

The QTS literacy test can be difficult if you aren’t sure what to expect. It is best to brush up on the specific skillsets pinpointed by this test to ensure that you perform well above average come test day.

Not only will preparing for the QTS test help you to understand the material it will also help you in achieve a higher than average score.

General Guide Lines:

Ensure that your headphones are plugged in to your computer.
Click on the play icon to hear the word.
Listen to the dictated word and type it in the box.
You may correct your answer as long as the test is active.
Once you have completed this section of the test you will not be able to go back to it.

QTS skills test spelling sample :

1. We are hoping to improve our __________ , with parents.

2. We are focusing on literacy, so please continue to support your children by __________, them to read for at least 30 minutes each night.

General Guide Lines:

Below you will see the entire text with sections missing.
Each underlined section refers to a separate question.
There are four answer choices for each question and you must select the correct answer.
The correct answer is judged to be the best fit if it gives the greatest clarity.
An excerpt from the text referred to is included above the answer options.

Question 1

Fill in the correct answer

From time to time, the weather may be bad enough to prevent staff and students from travelling safely to and from the school, or to ___________ whilst on site.

compromise their safety

compromise his safety

compromise they safety

compromise safeness

View Explanation

A - This is correct because it uses the correct possessive pronoun (“their”) to convey the safety of the staff and students.

B - This is incorrect because it uses the singular possessive pronoun (“his”), which does not agree with the plural “staff and teachers”.

C - This is incorrect because “they” is not a possessive pronoun.

D - This is incorrect because it lacks a possessive pronoun.

Question 2

Fill in the correct answer

In periods of severe weather, the decision to close or open the school _______________. We aim to publish information should the school close by 6.30 am on the day of a closure. In exceptional circumstances, we may make an announcement the afternoon or evening prior to a closure.

was taken early in the day

takes early in the day

is took early in the day

is taken early in the day

View Explanation

The sentence is in simple present, as it addresses an action which is taken on a regular basis if certain conditions are met. The word "is" suits the simple present tense, along with the passive voice "taken" to indicate that the decision is not acting but rather being acted upon.

Question 3

Fill in the correct answer

If the school is open but your son or daughter is unable to attend because of the weather – for example, if ________________ mean it’s unsafe to leave the house – you should call the school and report him or her absent as you would for any other absence.

localised weathers conditions

localised weather conditions

localised weather condition

localised weathers condition

View Explanation

The word "mean" after the blank indicates a plural object, as any singular third-person noun in the present tense would be followed by "means".

"Weather" remains singular because it represents the overall concept of atmospheric conditions, while "conditions" is pluralized to emphasize the various elements that make up the weather when they are right for a particular purpose or event.

More QTS Skills Literacy Test Samples >>

Below you will find more information regarding the QTS numeracy test, as well as questions, answers and test-taking tips.

The mental arithmetic section is an audio test which requires headphones. It consists of 12 questions and assesses your ability to solve arithmetic problems involving the following: the four basic operations, time, fractions, decimals, percentages, measurement and conversions.

The written arithmetic and data section is comprised of a series of problems. It assesses your ability to interpret and use written data to identify trends, make comparisons and interpret information. You will be tested on your ability to solve written arithmetic problems in various areas, including time, money, proportion and ratio, conversions, averages and ranges. In this section you are given a total of 16 questions to be answered in 36 minutes.

You will be given 48 minutes to complete the numeracy section of the QTS.

This section of the QTS can be difficult, especially if you aren’t sure what to expect. Practising your mental and written maths will help you better understand the material and cut the difficultly level in half.

Preparing for this or any test is akin to passing. Not only will practising increase your knowledge of the material, but your answer speed and accuracy as well. Begin practising as soon as possible to boost your chances for success.

None of the official passing scores for the QTS numeracy test have been released, however, you should aim to answer at least 60% or more of the questions correctly.

General Guide Lines:

Ensure that your headphones are plugged in to your computer.
Click on the play icon to hear the word.
Listen to the dictated word and type it in the box.
You may correct your answer as long as the test is active.
Once you have completed this section of the test you will not be able to go back to it.

Ensure that your headphones are plugged in to your computer.

As part of an effort to track how prepared her pupils are for the GCSE exams, a teacher compiled the following bar chart showing how many pupils achieved which marks on a recent practice test.

What proportion of the class achieved an A or a C on the practice test? Give your answer as a decimal to one decimal place.

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Tip #1:

Practise, practise, practise. By practising a variety of questions online, you will be able to strengthen the necessary skills to pass your test. Practising will also help to increase your answer speed and accuracy come testing day.

Tip #2:

Read the questions before the passage. Reading the questions first will give you a better idea of what you should be looking for in the text. This will allow you to move quickly and answer accurately.

Tip #3:

Don’t try to assume anything outside of the text. Use the text you are presented with to answer the questions associated to it. For most verbal tests you should always assume that the information provided is true, even if outside knowledge suggests otherwise. Everything you need to answer each question will be provided to you by the associated text.

Tip #5:

When practising your mental maths, try to do so without the aid of a calculator. This will help you boost your ability to answer certain maths questions quickly in your head.

Tip #6:

Oftentimes you will be able to revisit any unanswered questions within the time allotted. If this happens to be the case while you are sitting the QTS, there is no need to stress. Answer the questions that you understand first, then go back to any of the questions you may have missed before the clock runs out.

Free QTS Professional Skills Test Practice

QTS Skills Literacy Test – Questions, Answers and Tips

Spelling

Punctuation

Grammar

Comprehension

Let's practise QTS skills literacy test: