PAT Adaptive Testing This Week

This week, students in Years 2 to 6 are completing their Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) in Reading and Mathematics. These adaptive online assessments provide valuable information that helps teachers track student growth and achievement over time.

PAT Maths Adaptive

The PAT Maths assessment measures students’ understanding across:

• Number and Algebra
  
  
• Measurement and Geometry
  
  
• Statistics and Probability
  
  

It focuses on the mathematical proficiencies of fluency, understanding, problem solving, and reasoning. Each student begins the test at an appropriate level for their ability, and the questions adapt in difficulty as they respond. The test takes approximately 40 minutes to complete.

PAT Reading Adaptive

The PAT Reading assessment focuses on reading comprehension, measuring how well students can:

• Retrieve information
  
  
• Interpret explicit and implied meaning
  
  
• Reflect on and evaluate texts 

Students respond to a variety of multiple-choice and complex multiple-choice questions over 45 minutes, with passages drawn from a range of text types.

How the Data Is Used

Once testing is complete, teachers use the PAT data to identify individual student strengths and areas for improvement. This information helps inform teaching practices by:

• Highlighting specific skills or concepts that may need to be consolidated or revisited.
  
  
• Guiding teachers in planning targeted lessons and providing additional support or extension where needed.
  
  
• Identifying trends across the class or year level which can reveal areas of the curriculum that may need further focus.
  
  
• Supporting ongoing monitoring of student growth throughout the year.
  
  

Both PAT Reading and PAT Maths are aligned to the Australian Curriculum and supported by hundreds of resources available in the PAT Teaching Resources Centre.

We encourage students to approach their PAT tests with confidence, take their time, and do their very best. These assessments help us celebrate each student’s progress and ensure every learner is supported to reach their full potential.