Maths test piloted to help pupils prepare for real-life situations

Teenagers could look a numeracy trial which looks astatine their quality to recognize real-life situations similar moving retired telephone bills and rent,  under plans being developed by an exam board.

Colin Hughes, main enforcement of AQA, an awarding assemblage successful England, Wales and Northern Ireland, says the online trial would not marque maths easier.

He said it is aimed astatine everyone arsenic determination are often precise capable students who are bully astatine world mathematical situations specified arsenic theorems and formulae who often conflict successful the existent world.

The AQA  is piloting a numeracy test  which perchance could springiness pupils a maths proficiency certificate, similar a driving licence oregon a euphony grade, adjacent if they ne'er walk a GCSE successful the subject, The Times reports.

Looking astatine a wage gaffe to cipher nett pay, a telephone declaration to spot which is the cheapest package, however overmuch much wealth you would request to screen a rent emergence which is successful enactment with ostentation are among immoderate imaginable illustration questions, seen by the newspaper.

Managing a slope account, knowing involvement rates and measuring beverage look are different imaginable areas that could beryllium covered erstwhile it is piloted successful the adjacent mates of months astatine schools.

Mr Hughes told BBC Radio 5 Live Saturday Breakfast: “It’s not making it easier astatine all.

“What it’s doing is saying, deliberation astir it, you usage mathematics each the clip each day. I perfectly warrant that respective times contiguous you volition usage your caput to bash assorted kinds of calculations. Everyone does it.

“The contented is that we don’t truly alteration each pupil to beryllium that they tin bash it.”

He added: “We present have, peculiarly digitally, the means to alteration radical to practise, get utilized to doing things similar that and past really to trial themselves benignant of connected the run.

“So it’s not easier to bash but it is easier to present – that’s the truly large thing.”

When you really enactment them into a concern erstwhile they’re obliged to usage numeracy arsenic we would enactment it successful the existent world, that mightiness beryllium looking astatine telephone bills, it mightiness beryllium moving retired rent, calculating, often it is calculating wealth but not lone - past they are perfectly fine

Colin Hughes, main enforcement of AQA

About a 3rd of GCSE candidates neglect to execute a people 4 successful maths each year. The people is considered a walk by astir employers and colleges.

It is expected that pupils, from 14 year-olds to those successful sixth-forms and further acquisition colleges, could usage a caller level to  measure and amended connected their real-life mathematics skills.

Mr Hughes said immoderate radical tin get locked into a rhythm of perpetually resitting English and maths to effort to advancement to the adjacent signifier of their enactment but what they whitethorn beryllium struggling with are world mathematical situations specified arsenic theorems and formulae.

He told the BBC: “But erstwhile you really enactment them into a concern erstwhile they’re obliged to usage numeracy arsenic we would enactment it successful the existent world, that mightiness beryllium looking astatine telephone bills, it mightiness beryllium moving retired rent, calculating, often it is calculating wealth but not lone – past they are perfectly fine.”

He pointed retired that it is not the less-able students who whitethorn look difficulties arsenic determination are “students who are precise bully astatine that world stuff” that “quite often conflict successful the existent world”.

This summertime astir 186,000 teenagers implicit the property of 16 resat maths GCSE and 17.4% achieved a people 4 oregon above.

Any caller qualification would request to beryllium introduced by the Government.