Tough test fails to deter maths students
Okaihau College students and teachers are remaining positive after a controversial maths exam.
The NCEA Level One MCAT (maths common assessment test) set by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority held on September 13 and 15 throughout the country left some students in tears and teachers angry after it was described by some as ‘‘extremely difficult’’.
Teacher Stuart McDonald says the exam was too wordy but feels that for most students it would be possible to get achieved.
McDonald says the MCAT exam accounted for four credits out of a possible 23.
‘‘Having a difficult question to start tends to put students off.’’
Calls for a resit of the exam by some principals would not be helpful for students, McDonald says.
‘‘The marking schedule can be adjusted, but it depends on how much students put down on paper.
‘‘I know people are upset but it’s not the end of the world. Now we just move on and focus on the next exam.’’
McDonald says traditionally the MCAT has been a prerequisite for Year 12 mathematics courses.
‘‘To not accept them based on a poor result from this exam would be totally unfair.’’
Student Dion Wharerau says the exam was ‘‘interesting’’.
‘‘I didn’t think it would be that hard, I felt that I had done enough to pass but I was hoping to get excellence.’’
Wharerau says he is not too worried, but it would be a shame if he didn’t get the higher level credits. He plans on taking maths next year.
Fellow student Jaimee Whittaker says the exam was harder than expected. But she will now refocus for the next examination in around five weeks time. ‘‘I’m not too worried, I can’t do anything about it now.’’
An NZQA spokesperson says the authority was aware of con- cerns raised after the exam and would be responding directly to those who had complained. NZQA have stated they will not consider a resit for the paper.
The spokesperson says the MCAT assessment ‘‘was devel- oped by an experienced team with expert knowledge of mathematics assessment and reviewed by several current secondary school teachers’’.
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