Answer extracted from the Education: Joining the Dots podcast — listen to the full episode below.
How long does the New Group Math Test actually take?
The New Group Math Test takes 45 to 60 minutes for learners to complete. Once students finish within this timeframe, schools immediately gain access to comprehensive data including overall maths scores, domain-specific results, and insights across multiple curriculum areas.
This assessment window has been carefully designed to fit seamlessly into school schedules without disrupting the wider timetable. The duration is deliberately structured to allow sufficient time for students to demonstrate their mathematical understanding across different question types and difficulty levels.
As Andy Small explains in the episode, the assessment was designed with both challenge and scaffolding in mind—ensuring that students who excel have sufficient stretch while those finding maths more difficult receive appropriate support through the question design itself.
Real-time data unlocks immediate classroom action
The true value of this 45–60 minute window lies in what happens immediately after. Schools don't simply receive a final score; they unlock domain-specific breakdown across curriculum strands, enabling teachers to pinpoint precisely where individual learners need support or enrichment. This granularity of data, available almost instantly after completion, transforms the assessment from a summative endpoint into a diagnostic tool for the next teaching sequence.
Teachers can identify patterns across their cohort—whether certain topics require reteaching, which students are ready to progress, and where targeted interventions might have the highest impact. This is particularly valuable given that research shows classroom confidence in mathematics varies widely among UK teaching staff, and evidence-based data becomes a trusted foundation for instructional decisions.
"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, Renaissance (GL Assessment). With nearly 16 years' experience as a mathematics specialist in primary and independent prep schools, Small served as a maths leader managing significant challenges including limited budgeting and varying staff confidence. He joined Renaissance to bring his classroom expertise directly into assessment development, focusing on products that genuinely support individual children and teachers.
The 45–60 minute duration is neither rushed nor unnecessarily extended—it reflects practical classroom reality while ensuring comprehensive curriculum coverage across multiple domains, a critical feature given the diversity of learner needs in any typical classroom.
See also
When was the New Group Math Test first proposed as a concept?
The New Group Math Test was first proposed back in 2017 as a seed of an idea. Andy Small recalls being asked questions about the potential for a new mathematics assessment that could better serve teachers and learners.
What proportion of the UK population is estimated to experience developmental dyscalculia?
According to the British Dyslexia Association, approximately 6% of the UK population experiences developmental dyscalculia, meaning one or two pupils in every typical classroom will have this specific learning difficulty in mathematics.
What does research suggest are the key areas for developing effective mathematics practice in secondary schools?
The Education Endowment Foundation study identified four priority areas: teacher skills and expertise, targeted interventions, focused assessment practices, and structured support for struggling learners—all essential foundations for secondary mathematics improvement.