National Mathematics Assessment for Sixth Graders on October 3rd

A national mathematics study for sixth graders is upcoming and will take place on October 3rd. It is expected that nearly 55,000 students from this grade will take the test, the press center of the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) announced in response to BTA's questions.

The exam will last 40 minutes and will include 11 multiple-choice questions, as well as two open-ended questions that are oriented towards the practical application of mathematical knowledge. The purpose of the study is to provide an objective assessment of the key mathematical skills acquired in fifth grade, which form the basis of general education.

The study is planned to be conducted shortly after the children transition from the primary to the secondary stage. This period is characterized by new teachers and educational content, and sometimes by a change of school and the overall learning environment. The aim is to track the impact of these changes on students' mathematics results, including whether the decline in performance in the upper grades is related to the workload of the curricula, the change of environment, or other factors.

The MES emphasizes that a similar online testing of ninth graders was carried out last year. The teams working in educational institutions have the necessary experience and capacity to conduct the study.

The times for conducting the study are determined so that they are between shifts in schools working on a two-shift schedule, or after the end of classes in schools on a single-shift schedule, in order to avoid unnecessary burden on students, teachers and parents. In smaller schools, where all sixth graders can participate at the same time, the study will be conducted in one session.

Similar to the practice from last year with ninth graders, this national entry study will be entirely online. Each student will have access to the working platform through a unique QR code, generated for their device and confirmed by the supervising teacher.

The results of the study will be used as a support tool, identifying areas where additional resources or guidance are needed. They will help to detect difficulties and gaps of students in a timely manner, which will allow teachers to focus on problem areas.

In addition, the study will provide objective information at the national level, which will serve to develop measures to improve the mathematical literacy of students at the school and regional level, as well as for changes in the curricula. The MES plans to use the collected data to develop conceptual and methodological solutions aimed at increasing the effectiveness of mathematics education.

We remind that last year BTA reported on the results of the digital test in natural sciences taken by ninth graders. They showed that students did best on questions about biology and health education. This was part of the first large-scale study conducted entirely on electronic devices. At that time, the MES press center informed that a large part of the questions in the tests were evaluated online, with the multiple-choice questions being automatically assessed through the platforms, and the open-ended tasks - by teachers of the relevant subjects. The results of the ninth grade study were summarized on December 13, 2024.

A total of 48,941 students participated in the study in 2024. For each of the parts on the separate subjects, the maximum number of points was 18. The test had a diagnostic character and checked competencies, as the tasks were not routine and with a great practical orientation.