Prepare for the TAFE TABS Literacy and Numeracy Test

In order to meet the Course Admission Requirements (CAR) for certain courses, applicants will sometimes need to take the TAFE SA Assessment of Basic Skills test (TABS). This test includes both numeracy and literacy sections and we review these in detail below along with how you can prepare.

TABS is a paper based written assessment, which provides an alternative for TAFE SA applicants that have no other way of demonstrating they meet the CAR. Through a series of multiple-choice items the test will determine your proficiency with literacy and numeracy/maths. You will have an hour to complete the assessment: 30 minutes for each section.

On the literacy section of TABS, you will be asked to identify the correct spelling, meanings and grammatical use of commonly used words. You will also need to answer questions that relate to a short passage of text to demonstrate your understanding of it. Your answer for each of the 40 questions will need to be selected from one of four options.

There are two parts to the numeracy section of TABS, but most courses only require completion of part A, not part B. Part A consists of 25 basic numeracy questions that typically arise in normal everyday life. Therefore, they involve basic operations on whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percentages, and graphical interpretations.

Even if you do not need to complete part B, which includes questions on algebra, indices and geometry, applicants are encouraged to attempt it anyway. Although scores for part A will not be affected by your answers to part B, you may benefit from answering all the section correctly. Just like the literacy section, your answer for each of the 40 possible questions will need to be selected from one of four options.

Practice tests give you an idea about the types of questions you will encounter during TABS and provide the opportunity to answer them to the best of your ability.

On JobTestPrep’s website, there are literacy and numeracy practice tests that can help you prepare for the TABS. In addition to literacy and numeracy challenges, which will assess your adeptness with things like calculations and spellings, these practice tests also have a time limit. This will tell you whether you are able to deal with the pressure of working to a deadline or not. If you take TABS without timing how quickly you can answer literacy and numeracy questions, you may panic when the big day rolls around or in the worst-case scenario, fail to finish the test altogether. Therefore, taking practice tests with a time limit is crucial. However, they also enable you to sharpen your literacy and numeracy skills in order to answer the types of questions TABS will feature in a quick and accurate manner.

The TAFE SA Assessment of Basic Skills test might cover subjects you learnt during your formative years at school, but that doesn’t mean to say you can approach this examination with complacency or carelessness. Instead, take a comprehensive approach towards preparation to make sure you nail it first time around. Follow these guidelines, provided by JobTestPrep, and you will be all set to take on TABS.