How placement tests differ from admission tests
| Admission test | Placement test | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Decide who joins | Decide where each student starts |
| Stakes | High | Low: a starting point, easy to adjust |
| Results | Often held and released together | Usually shown straight away |
| Format | Formal, one sitting | Short papers, taken when convenient |
| Most useful output | A score and pass mark | A topic-by-topic picture of strengths and gaps |
Designing a good placement test
- Cover the range. Include questions from below and above the level you expect, so the test can tell a strong student from a very strong one.
- Tag every question with a topic. “62%” says little; “strong in number, weak in fractions” tells a teacher where to begin.
- Keep each paper short. Twenty to thirty questions per subject is usually enough to place a student, and short tests are more likely to be finished properly.
- Let students take subjects separately. A new student can do English on day one and Maths the next.
Re-use it through the year
The same test, taken again at the end of a term, shows progress in each topic, which makes a placement test one of the most useful tests a school owns.
Setting it up on ExamUncle
- Create a placement exam with a paper per subject, and set each paper untimed or with a relaxed time limit.
- Choose “module by module” so students take subjects separately, and show results straight away.
- Add topics with a line of advice each; tag questions with them as you build the papers.
- Add new students from a spreadsheet, or invite them by email as they join.
- Read each student's topic report, and open any paper exactly as the student saw it.
See it in the 4-minute demo.
Questions
How long should a placement test be?+
Short enough to be taken seriously: around 20 to 30 questions per subject is usually enough to place a student, with questions from below and above the expected level.
Should placement test results be shown to students?+
Usually yes. Placement is low-stakes, and a topic report showing what to work on is useful to students and parents as well as teachers.
Can students take the test before they start at the school?+
Yes. Students sign in on your school's site from any device, so new students can take it at home before their first day.