PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics

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PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics is our refreshed PAT maths assessment, available for all schools to use through NZCER Assist and for purchase in paper format. It is now available in paper format and digital format, replacing the previous PAT: Mathematics assessments. 

If your school is currently using the previous PAT: Mathematics paper tests:  

• You can use the previous PAT: Mathematics assessments during Term 4, 2023 
• You will not be able to purchase these older assessments in paper format after November 1 
• You will need to purchase PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics paper tests from November 1 onwards for use in 2024 
• Alternatively, PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics is available online via NZCER Assist with our full reporting capabilities.  

Order form for paper tests

Teacher Guide for paper tests

Key links for PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics

• Aratohu kaiako (Teacher guide) for PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics

• Understanding PATs (for parents, whānau and community)

• Addressing issues of equity in PAT mathematics (Set article)

About PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics  

PAT pāngarau | mathematics helps teachers determine ākonga levels of achievement in the knowledge, skills and understanding of mathematics in the New Zealand curriculum and targets the important content ākonga need to understand in order to make progress.  

Assessments are appropriate for ākonga from Year 3 up to Year 11.  

PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics assesses:  

• Number  
• Algebra  
• Measurement  
• Geometry   
• Statistics  
• Probability  

Since Term 1 2023, NZCER has been offering PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics online in the place of the previous assessments, with a transition to new paper assessments on November 1, 2023.  

These new assessments have been redesigned and content reviewed with an explicit equity focus, ensuring that the languages, cultures and identities of ākonga are better represented in the assessment material.  They still have the same robust design and reporting that schools are used to with the previous assessments.  

The refreshed content continues to target the big ideas ākonga need to know and understand in order to make progress through the curriculum and has all the same features and benefits as our previous assessments.   

It has been piloted and trialled with schools around Aotearoa, and rigorously assessed in the same manner as previous PAT: Mathematics assessments.   

Reporting remains the same as with previous assessments, and results between the two are directly comparable.   

Features of PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics 

• Redesigned content and illustrations with an equity focus 
• Improved accessibility with audio support 
• New test for Year 3 
• Incorporates all Supplementary Assessments (2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 7A and 8A) 
• Diagnostic reports allow for formative as well as summative reporting.  
• Scale scores enable ākonga achievement levels to be tracked from year to year.  
• Diagnostic reports are provided in the teacher manual.  
• The assessments can be used at any time between February and November each year.  
• Assessments can be used at two or more year levels.  
• The assessments can be administered online or as reusable booklets with separate answer sheets.  
• Updated norms 

Benefits of PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics 

• Refreshed content and design allows more diverse ākonga to see themselves reflected in the assessments.  
• Multiple assessments allow progress to be tracked over time. Teachers can choose the assessment that best suits ākonga needs.  
•  Ākonga results end up on the same scale no matter which assessment they sit. This allows for accurate school-wide and/or kāhui ako-wide reporting for strategic goal setting and planning.  
• Kāhui ako/multi-school analysis reporting for trends, patterns and shifts using ethnicity, gender and year level filters for targeted improvement in teaching and learning. 
• Incorporation of Supplementary Tests (more detail below) provides further options about how, who, when and why you assess.  

If you would like to know more about PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics, please contact our Assessment Services team.  

PAT: Mathematics Supplementary Assessments 

Please note: Supplementary assessments are incorporated within our PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics assessments. If you are accessing our previous assessments in Term 4 and wish to have more flexibility, Supplementary assessments are an excellent addition.  

In 2015 we added six more assessments to the PAT: Mathematics range. Assessments 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 7A and 8A offer you more options about who, when and why you assess. 

The supplementary assessments allow teachers to use PAT: Mathematics at different times of the year or at different difficulty levels without having to repeat a previously administered assessment.  

These supplementary assessments fit in between the existing PAT: Mathematics Standard assessments. They are each targeted at a particular difficulty range and complement an existing assessment. Purchasing the supplementary assessments gives your school more choice and flexibility in their assessments. 

PAT: Mathematics Adaptive

PAT: Mathematics Adaptive assessment is available for PAT pāngarau | mathematics. It is the first truly computer adaptive assessment for schools in New Zealand.   

This continuously adapts the assessment to give ākonga questions that best fit their overall level of achievement. They are given an initial question and if they get it right they’re given a harder one, or if they get it wrong they’re given an easier one.   

It is not helpful from a learning point of view to always get everything right in a assessment. But getting everything wrong is equally unhelpful. Adaptive technology means everyone gets the assessment that is right for them.  

Our PAT: Mathematics Adaptive assessment also benefits from the refreshed content. From term 1, 2023 the Adaptive assessment will include the new refreshed items (Tests 1-8), existing online only items (interactive), and many items from our supplementary tests.

You can read more about this in our online knowledge base article.

How to access PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics

Online assessments 

Schools must sign up and log in to our NZCER Assist platform to access online PAT assessments.  

Schools subscribe on NZCER Assist then choose their subjects, then can purchase individual assessments for each ākonga.   

NZCER Assist also gives schools our comprehensive diagnostic reporting and ongoing support from our Assessment Services team.   

Paper assessments  

Assessments can only be purchased by schools, registered teachers, or parents/caregivers of homeschooled children with a current exemption certificate.    

If you can't shop for assessments online, you can download the order forms below and email to sales@nzcer.org.nz.  

Find out more information on pricing and assessment online.  

Order forms:  

See order form downloads at the bottom of this page.  

Support for PAT Pāngarau | PAT Mathematics

Schools can get the most out of this assessment by registering for one of our workshops or contacting our Education Advisors for bespoke support on PAT implementation and reporting.  

For full information you can download the PAT: Mathematics brochure page, or see our PAT explainer for whānau and community.