Answer extracted from the Education: Joining the Dots podcast — listen to the full episode below.
What design principles shaped the New Group Math Test?
The NGMT was designed around two fundamental pillars: creating a personalised, stress-free test experience for every learner, and equipping teachers with the actionable insights they need to drive real progress, regardless of their confidence level or experience. The test achieves this through an adaptive algorithm that dynamically adjusts question difficulty based on each student's responses in real time.
These guiding principles emerged from a clear recognition that assessment must serve two distinct audiences simultaneously. On one side, learners need an experience that acknowledges their individual differences—presenting appropriate challenge without overwhelming those who find mathematics difficult. On the other, teachers require reliable data that supports informed decision-making, especially in contexts where staff confidence in mathematics varies widely across schools.
The adaptive approach is central to achieving this balance. Rather than presenting a fixed sequence of questions to all test-takers, the test dynamically adjusts difficulty in response to learner performance, ensuring that struggling students receive scaffolding while those excelling encounter genuine challenge. This personalisation occurs within a structured assessment window of 45–60 minutes per learner, making it practical for classroom use.
"We tried to ensure that a test experience is one that ensures challenge for those kids that demand it, as well as scaffolding for those that might find maths more difficult."
Andy Small — Assessment Specialist for Numeracy and Mathematics at Renaissance (GL Assessment). Small spent nearly 16 years as a mathematics specialist teaching in both primary and independent prep schools, where he served as a maths leader for the vast majority of his career. He brings firsthand classroom experience to product design, having worked directly with the challenges schools face around staff confidence and resource constraints.
Beyond the learner experience, the NGMT was engineered to generate insights that matter for teaching. Teachers receive clear, interpretable data that helps them identify gaps and tailor their instruction accordingly. This is particularly important given that approximately 3 in 10 UK teachers report anxiety about solving maths problems in front of their classes—a context where assessment tools must reduce rather than amplify pressure, while offering concrete guidance.
The design philosophy also reflects a deep understanding of real classroom constraints. As Small explains in the full episode, the team worked to ensure that assessment becomes a tool for inclusion rather than a barrier, particularly for the estimated 1–2 pupils in every UK classroom who experience developmental dyscalculia. The adaptive algorithm helps identify these learners earlier, enabling schools to provide appropriate support.
Bridging the gap between learner needs and teacher capability
Small's own background as a maths leader in primary schools meant the design team understood firsthand the real obstacles teachers face: budgeting limitations, mixed levels of subject expertise, and the need for assessment data that is both accurate and immediately actionable. The NGMT was built to address these gaps directly.
The result is an assessment tool that doesn't simply measure performance—it actively reduces test anxiety while generating the specific insights teachers need to differentiate their teaching. Whether a school has confident, experienced mathematicians on staff or is working with less experienced practitioners, the assessment provides a level playing field for interpreting student progress and making informed pedagogical decisions.
Key takeaways
- Personalised, stress-free test experience is fundamental to the NGMT design—balancing challenge with scaffolding for every learner.
- Adaptive algorithms adjust question difficulty in real time based on individual student responses, ensuring appropriate pacing and challenge.
- The assessment is designed to support teachers of all confidence levels by delivering clear, actionable insights rather than raw scores alone.
- The 45–60 minute test window makes the assessment practical for classroom use without sacrificing the depth of information teachers need.
See also
How does persistent student absence impact GCSE mathematics attainment rates?
According to statistics Andy Small cited, approximately 84% of students who were rarely absent in years 10 and 11 secured a GCSE pass at grade four or above. In contrast, fewer than 50% of students achieved GCSE maths grade 4+ when absence reached 10% of sessions in years 10–11.
What are the primary challenges mathematics teachers and leaders face in UK schools today?
Andy Small identified multiple challenges: budgeting limitations, significant disparities in staff confidence and experience among teaching staff, with approximately 3 in 10 teachers in the UK reporting anxiety about solving maths problems in front of their classes. Attracting mathematics specialists to the teaching profession remains difficult as well.
What is the distinction between proximal and distal assessments and when should schools use each?
A proximal assessment is designed to measure specific criteria and is close to teaching content, such as testing vocabulary at the beginning and end of a unit. A distal assessment measures broader, longer-term outcomes and application of knowledge over time.