IDAT Test format

STRUCTURE OF THE TEST

4 sections of the test

ENGLISH CURRICULUM

GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY

20-25 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

The student does one question at a time and cannot return to the question after submitting the answer, so please check work before hitting the button for the next question.

READING

2 READINGS, UP TO 10 QUESTIONS PER READING

Students must read a passage and answer comprehension and contextualised vocabulary questions as required for the reading. There are up to 10 questions per reading and time limits are indicated at the top of the page.

The time limit is based upon the length of the reading and how many questions there are to answer.

WRITING

2 QUESTIONS

With visual stimulus, students are required to type an extended prose about what they see in the picture. Students should answer all the prompting questions and explain themselves in full sentences. Students need to self-edit their own work. The computer system will not allow for autocorrect or spellcheck. Students are given ample time to read over their prose and self-correct. Students are marked on the complexity of writing, accuracy and ideas.

INTERVIEW (LISTENING AND SPEAKING)

10 QUESTIONS

The interview is conducted by an avatar and students spoken answers are recorded.

The questions are asked by an avatar. Students can push a button to have the question repeated, asked in another way, or asked more slowly. They can only use each of these buttons once, but it will deduct 1 point each time it is used. The student can take notes on blank paper before speaking but the paper must stay in the room. Students are encouraged not to read off the paper when they speak, as it will not help the student to make eye contact and a good impression. The student presses a button when he or she is prepared to answer, and this will video record their answers. Students are expected to give lengthy answers (limited to 2 minutes per answer) which provide insight into who they are and show the school their speaking and comprehension skills for listening.

When a student has finished recording their answer, they push the button for the next question. No answer or speaking can be erased and tried again. There is one try only.

Prospective or current schools allocated by the student may view this interview with a one-time login password when results are available.

MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM

MATHEMATICS

24-48 MULTIPLE-CHOICE MATH QUESTIONS

  • 24-48 multiple-choice questions, depending on the test stage.
  • 2-3 questions per type of math topic. Please refer to the outlined stage tests for details.
  • For questions requiring a calculator, the calculator will appear on the screen for students to use.
  • Blank paper and a pencil will be provided by test centres. The pencil and paper must not be taken out of the test room.
  • The student cannot return to the question after submitting the answer, so please check work before hitting the button for the next question.

GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE CURRICULUM

GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE

18 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

  • Total of three (4) parts included in the Global Knowledge section: Logic, Critical Thinking, Science and Technology.
  • All questions are multiple choice.
  • Logic questions consist of IQ testing questions such as transformation, patterns, problem-solving and deduction. The purpose of this is to show a student's ability to think critically about a variety of questions. Critical thinking is an important part of global studies.
  • Critical Thinking is multiple choice for Stages 3-6 only (not for Stages 1-2) and looks at assumption, deduction, interpretation, inference and evaluation of sources.
  • The Science and Technology sections are based upon topics taken from a survey of global school curricula and are appropriate to age and level.
  • Please refer to ‘Prepare for the test’ page for the current list of topics. Students are encouraged to study and commit to memory facts, figures, dates and definitions that pertain to this topic. Not only will this demonstrate school learning and retention, it will also show that a student is able to study and learn in a school environment for assessment purposes.

CHARACTER

36 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

  • There are total of 36 multiple-choice questions, which demonstrate a student’s skill level and appetite for risk-taking, collaboration, self-awareness, communication and creative thinking.
  • There are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers, and the student’s character is assessed in terms of skills and tendencies. There is no judgement element in this assessment; it is simply a way for schools to get to know the executive skills of students.
SELF-AWARENESS

Self-awareness helps kids learn that how they see themselves may be different from how others see them, and allows them to recognise their strengths as well as their weaknesses. Self-awareness is the thinking skill that focuses on a child’s ability to accurately judge their own performance and behaviour and respond appropriately to different social situations.  Self-awareness helps an individual to tune into their feelings, as well as the feelings of others.

RISK-TAKING, ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCY

This will look at how students view opportunities for challenge, testing limits, exploring boundaries and learning about injury or risk.  It will look at how the student engages in things where there is the possibility that something bad or unpleasant will happen and how they face challenges and uncertainties within the environment. The test will ascertain how students learn, how they manage their own learning and what they do when they encounter risk.

CREATIVITY AND PROBLEM SOLVING

The ability to produce original or unusual ideas, or to make something imaginative.  This will look at the mental characteristics that allow a person to think outside the box, which results in innovative or different approaches to a particular task or problem.

COMMUNICATION AND EMPATHY

This is looking at the skills needed to use language (spoken, written, signed or otherwise communicated) to interact with others and how through the ability of the student to convey their ideas and function in different environments, they have the capacity to place oneself in another’s position.  This is about a person’s standards of behaviour or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do.

STRUCTURE OF 6 STAGES

6 Stages based upon the year of study

VIEW DETAILS OF STAGES SETTING

Know which stage you should book for

Stage 1 – 120 minutes

Students applying for Aus/US/Can Year 1, 2 or beginning Year 3. UK Year 2, 3, beginning Year 4

English: Vocabulary,Grammar, Reading
and Writing
English: Listening & Speaking Mathematics Global Knowledge Character
30 mins + 20 mins 15 mins  15 mins 15 mins 25 mins
  • Reading comprehension of short stories with pictures for detail
  • Write a narrative
  • Explain a process
  • Punctuation & Capitalisation
  • Parts of speech
  • Past & present tense
  • Everyday & High-Frequency words
  • Spelling
  • Phonics
  • Interview Questions
  • Listening to & retelling stories
  • Telling stories
  • Geometry
  • Measurement – Time
  • Measurement – Length
  • Patterns & Place Value
  • Addition & Subtraction
  • Fractions & Decimals
  • Statistics
  • Logic – IQ style testing of patterns, space & problem solving.
  • Science*
  • Technology*

*(Global knowledge preparation)

  • Self-awareness
  • Risk-taking, Adaptation & Resiliency
  • Creativity & Problem Solving
  • Communication & Empathy

 

Stage 2 – 135 minutes

Students applying for Aus/US/Can Year 3, 4 or beginning Year 5. UK Year 4, 5, beginning Year 6

English: Vocabulary,Grammar, Reading and
Writing
English: Listening & Speaking Mathematics Global Knowledge Character
35 mins + 25 mins 15 mins 20 mins 15 mins 25 mins
  • Reading comprehension of short stories for detail & main idea
  • Write a narrative using compound & simple sentences
  • Apostrophes & Question Marks
  • Parts of Speech
  • Suffixes, Prefixes & High-Frequency Words
  • Phonics
  • Spelling
  • Formal Interview Questions
  • Listening to & retelling stories with detail
  • Telling stories
  • Problem Solving
  • 2D Geometry
  • Angles
  • Measurement – length
  • Measurement – time
  • Addition & Subtraction
  • Multiplication & Division
  • Fractions & Decimals
  • Logic – IQ style testing of patterns, space & problem solving.
  • Science*
  • Technology*

*(Global knowledge preparation)

  • Self-awareness
  • Risk-taking, Adaptation & Resiliency
  • Creativity & Problem Solving
  • Communication & Empathy

Stage 3 – 155 minutes

Students applying Aus/US/Can Year 5, 6 or beginning Year 7. UK Year 6, 7, beginning Year 8

English: Vocabulary,Grammar, Reading and
Writing
English: Listening & Speaking Mathematics Global Knowledge Character
35 mins + 30 mins 20 mins 25 mins 20 mins 25 mins
  • Reading comprehension for information, summary and purpose
  • Text types: procedures, narratives, explanatory and argumentative
  • Complex sentences
  • Commas
  • Direct & indirect speech
  • Modals & phrases
  • Verb tenses (present, past, future, perfect & passive)
  • Idioms, Noun phrases, & Root Words
  • Spelling
  • Formal Interview Questions
  • Show interest in detail in interview answers
  • Listen to and summarise a short story with details
  • 3D Geometry
  • 2D Geometry
  • Angles
  • Measurement – Length & Space
  • Numbers – Place Value
  • Addition & Subtraction
  • Multiplication & Division
  • Fractions & Decimals
  • Problem Solving
  • Logic – IQ style testing of patterns, space & problem solving.
  • Critical Thinking – inference, interpretation, assumption, deduction and evaluation of sources
  • Science*
  • Technology*

*(Global knowledge preparation)

  • Self-awareness
  • Risk-taking, Adaptation & Resiliency
  • Creativity & Problem Solving
  • Communication & Empathy

Stage 4 – 160 minutes

Students applying Aus/US/Can Year 7, 8 or beginning Year 9. UK Year 8, 9, beginning Year 10

English: Vocabulary,Grammar, Reading and
Writing
English: Listening & Speaking Mathematics Global Knowledge Character
40 mins + 30 mins 20 mins 25 mins 20 mins 25 mins
  • Reading and critically comparing two similar texts
  • Reading for theme, summary, purpose and point of view
  • Text types: explanatory, argumentative and informative
  • Paragraph constructions and varied sentence types
  • Nuance words and infrequent vocabulary
  • Spelling of longer words
  • Formal Interview Questions
  • Listening to information and relating to self in spoken response
  • Extended speaking about their strengths
  • Addition
  • Division
  • Algebra
  • Integers
  • Ordering
  • Decimals
  • Fractions
  • Subtraction
  • Multiplication
  • Problem Solving
  • Measurement & Geometry
  • Logic – IQ style testing of patterns, space & problem solving.
  • Critical Thinking – inference, interpretation, assumption, deduction and evaluation of sources
  • Science*
  • Technology*

*(Global knowledge preparation)

  • Self-awareness
  • Risk-taking, Adaptation & Resiliency
  • Creativity & Problem Solving
  • Communication & Empathy

Stage 5 – 185 minutes

Students applying Aus/US/Can Year 9, 10 or beginning Year 11. UK Year 10, 11, beginning Year 12

English: Vocabulary,Grammar, Reading and
Writing
English: Listening & Speaking Mathematics Global Knowledge Character
45 mins + 35 mins 25 mins 35 mins 20 mins 25 mins
  • Reading to compare and contrast
  • Reading for comprehension and point of view
  • Reading and evaluating classical writing and literary devices
  • Text types: explanatory, argumentative and informative
  • Colons & Semi-Colons
  • Paragraphs, linking words and flow in writing
  • Refined vocabulary
  • Idioms, euphemisms & slang
  • Spelling
  • Formal Interview Questions
  • Responding to and giving opinions and points of view
  • Listening to imagery and description for details
  • Spoken descriptions with imagery
  • Equations
  • Patterns & Algebra
  • Lines & Polygons
  • Transformation
  • Chance, Rate & Ratios
  • Fractions & Decimals
  • Algebraic Fractions
  • Whole Numbers
  • Area & Volume
  • Time & Scale
  • Means, Graphs & Tables
  • Logic – IQ style testing of patterns, space & problem solving.
  • Critical Thinking – inference, interpretation, assumption, deduction and evaluation of sources
  • Science*
  • Technology*

*(Global knowledge preparation)

  • Self-awareness
  • Risk-taking, Adaptation & Resiliency
  • Creativity & Problem Solving
  • Communication & Empathy

Stage 6 – 190 minutes

Students applying Aus/US/Can Year 11, 12. UK Year 12, 13

English: Vocabulary,Grammar, Reading and
Writing
English: Listening & Speaking Mathematics Global Knowledge Character
50 mins + 35 mins 25 mins 35 mins 20 mins 25 mins
  • Reading complex and challenging texts for comprehension
  • Identifying literary themes, central ideas and literary devices in classical writing
  • Text types: explanatory, informative and personal recounts
  • Writing scientific processes and procedures and personal recounts
  • Paragraphs, sentence variety, linking words and flow of longer written pieces
  • Decoding, nuances, unknown words and parts of speech
  • Spelling and self-editing
  • Formal Interview Questions
  • Speaking about a controversial topic with reasoning
  • Pythagoras & Right-Angled Triangles
  • Sine & Cosine Rules
  • Area of Triangles
  • Arithmetic Sequence
  • Geometric Sequence
  • Trigonometric Sequence
  • Binomial Theorem
  • Real & Complex Number (Imaginary)
  • Conjugate Complex Numbers
  • Operations of Complex Numbers
  • Matrices
  • Probability
  • Logic – IQ style testing of patterns, space & problem solving.
  • Critical Thinking – inference, interpretation, assumption, deduction and evaluation of sources
  • Science*
  • Technology*

*(Global knowledge preparation)

  • Self-awareness
  • Risk-taking, Adaptation & Resiliency
  • Creativity & Problem Solving
  • Communication & Empathy

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