Literacy and Numeracy preparation guide
This guide provides free online resources to help you prepare for your literacy and numeracy assessments. Whether you're taking your assessment through LNAAT or Canvas, these tools will help you build your skills and confidence.
If you're resitting an assessment, use the time between attempts as an opportunity to practise and strengthen areas where you need more support.
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Literacy preparation and resources
Numeracy preparation and resources
Literacy preparation
What The Literacy Assessment Covers
The literacy assessment checks how well you can read, understand, and use information in English from everyday texts such as:
- Notices and articles
- Instructions and reports
- Everyday written materials
The assessment typically covers:
- Vocabulary – understanding words in context
- Language and text features – recognising how texts are structured
- Comprehension – understanding what you read
- Reading critically – analysing and evaluating information
Literacy Resources:
Pathways Awarua (NZ-based)
An interactive teaching and practice tool developed especially for adult learners in Aotearoa. It includes short lessons, quizzes, and real-life reading activities that guide you step by step.
Sign up here and follow the literacy pathway
ReadTheory
An online reading practice tool with short passages and questions that adjust to your level. You get instant feedback after each passage to track your progress.
BBC Skillswise (UK-based)
A literacy site for adult learners with short videos, reading activities, and printable worksheets. Helps you practise finding meaning and main ideas in different types of texts.
ESL News New Zealand (NZ-based)
Local news stories written in clear, easy English. Each article includes key vocabulary and comprehension questions.
Numeracy preparation
What the numeracy test covers
The numeracy assessment checks how well you can understand and use numbers in everyday situations such as:
- Shopping and comparing prices
- Measuring and calculating quantities
- Understanding discounts and percentages
- Reading bills, schedules, and tables
These assessments typically cover:
- Fractions – understanding, comparing, and calculating with fractions
- Decimals – place value, ordering, and operations with decimals
- Percentages – understanding and calculating percentages
- Problem solving – applying maths skills to real-world situations
Numeracy resources:
Pathways Awarua (NZ-based)
A wonderful interactive resource developed in Aotearoa for adult learners. It includes teaching materials, self-marking activities, and word problems to practise.
Sign up here and follow the numeracy pathway.
Khan Academy (USA-based)
Animated video explanations and practice activities. Note: Some examples (like tax rates) are different in the USA, but the maths principles are the same.
Selected topics to practise:
- Percent, decimals and fraction conversions
- Place value with decimals
- Ordering fractions
- Multiplying and dividing decimals by 10
- Strategies for subtracting decimals
- The meaning of percent
- Comparing decimals
- Comparing fractions word problems
- Understanding fractions
BBC Bitesize (UK-based)
Developed in the UK, so some contexts are different, but the maths principles are the same.
Selected topics to practise:
Numeracy assessment for teaching applicants WHO HAVE an NSN
About the test
This online test was developed by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) as a comprehensive diagnostic tool to assess a person’s current working numeracy competency. It is only available to people who have an NSN number, regardless of which programme you have applied to.
The Teaching Council allows for a maximum of two hours to complete the test, but the assessment itself usually only takes about an hour to complete. This additional time is to enable applicants to prioritise accuracy over speed.
The test is adaptive. This means that there are between 30-35 questions, and each test is different for each applicant. The test adapts as you progress. If you get things right, the questions get harder. If you get things wrong, the questions get easier.
The questions are short answer and multichoice. There may also be questions that will ask you to interact with images on the screen or to click and drag items on the screen.
A non-scientific calculator is permitted for use during the test, however there are certain questions that prohibit the use of a calculator. These questions will be clearly marked by an alert at the top of the screen.
We will process your test result and update your checklists with the outcome of your test. If you pass, your checklist will change to ‘Completed’. This means you have met the required score for your programme. If you do not pass, we will add a checklist showing ‘Resit’ and contact you to rebook.
Please note that from 2025 onwards, all applicants to either the Bachelor of Education (Teaching) or Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Primary) will need to meet a higher score threshold to pass for those programmes.
If you have applied to multiple programmes
If you have applied to either the Bachelor of Education (Teaching) or the Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Primary) and you have also applied to the Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary) and/or (Early Childhood), you still sit just one Numeracy test.
If your score is high enough, we will complete your Numeracy checklist for all applications. If your score meets the lower threshold but not the higher score required for the Primary specialisation, you will notice that your Numeracy checklist will only be completed for the Secondary and/or Early Childhood application. We will add a Resit checklist to your Primary-specialisation application. This means you will need to re-sit the test and achieve a higher score to continue your Primary application.
If you cannot achieve the higher pass mark necessary on your second attempt, you will not be able to continue with your Primary-specialisation application. This will not impact your other applications to Secondary and/or Early Childhood-specialisation programmes.
There are very strict rules around this. Please refer to our Info for teaching applicants website for in-depth information around the rules for resitting the test, including stand-down periods, how many attempts you are allowed, and the differing scores needed to pass.
Explore the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool here.
Learn more about the new Numeracy assessment here.
Numeracy assessment teaching applicants WITHOUT an NSN
This online test is for any applicant who does not yet have an NSN number. It is hosted on the University of Auckland’s online learning environment, Canvas.
About the test
The test is 20 questions long and you will have 45 minutes to complete it. Some questions are calculations and some are word problems. You are not allowed to use a calculator to help you with the Numeracy test on Canvas, but you may use pen and paper.
The questions are about decimals, fractions and percentages.
There are no questions about geometry, measurement, statistics, probability or algebra involving letters.
The pass mark for this test is 80% and is out of a total of 40. This means that you must achieve at least 32 points to pass. Your score will be displayed to you as soon as you complete the assessment. Please do not contact us to ask for your score. You have access to this information by logging in to Canvas at any time following the test.
Top tips for success
For Literacy:
- Read and practise a little each day – even 15–20 minutes makes a big difference
- Mix short articles with interactive activities to build both confidence and understanding
For Numeracy:
- Focus on fractions, decimals, and percentages
- Work through examples step by step
- Use the videos and practice questions together – watching alone isn't enough!
For Resit Attempts:
- Reflect on which areas felt challenging in your first attempt
- Spend extra time on those specific topics
- Give yourself time to practise before your next attempt