QTS Professional Skills Test — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What is the median of: 14, 7, 19, 3, 11, 22, 8?

10
14
11 (Correct answer)
11.5

Correct answer: 11

Ordered: 3, 7, 8, 11, 14, 19, 22. The middle value (4th of 7) is 11.

Question 2: What type of sentence is: 'Close the door, sit down, and open your textbooks'?

Interrogative
Exclamatory
Imperative (Correct answer)
Declarative

Correct answer: Imperative

This is an imperative sentence as it gives commands or instructions. Imperative sentences direct someone to do something.

Question 3: What are 'tricky words' (also called common exception words) in phonics programmes?

Words from other languages
Words pupils find emotionally difficult
Words that cannot be fully decoded using taught phonics at that stage (Correct answer)
Words with more than six letters

Correct answer: Words that cannot be fully decoded using taught phonics at that stage

Tricky words are words where the grapheme-phoneme correspondences do not follow patterns pupils have been taught yet, such as 'said' or 'the', requiring partial or whole-word memorisation.

Question 4: What does 'marking for meaning' primarily focus on?

Ticking correct answers on a printed worksheet
Providing a numerical grade for each piece of work submitted
Correcting every spelling and grammatical error in red pen
Responding to the content, ideas, and understanding demonstrated in student work (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Responding to the content, ideas, and understanding demonstrated in student work

Marking for meaning prioritises engagement with the pupil's ideas and understanding rather than surface-level corrections.

Question 5: Which body is responsible for national curriculum assessment standards and statutory testing in England?

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA)
Ofsted
The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The Standards and Testing Agency (STA)

The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) is an executive agency of the DfE that develops and delivers statutory assessments including SATs.

Question 6: Which government-commissioned review in 2006 strongly endorsed systematic synthetic phonics for early reading in England?

The Carter Review
The Rose Review (Correct answer)
The Williams Review
The Ofsted Framework

Correct answer: The Rose Review

The Independent Review of the Teaching of Early Reading (2006), known as the Rose Review, concluded that SSP is the most effective approach to teaching reading.

Question 7: How many Teachers' Standards must a teacher demonstrate to be recommended for QTS?

12
5
8 (Correct answer)
10

Correct answer: 8

There are 8 Teaching Standards in Part One of the Teachers' Standards, covering areas from setting high expectations to managing behaviour effectively.

Question 8: What is the role of 'oral blending and segmenting' in early phonics?

It builds the habit of working with phonemes before applying this to print (Correct answer)
It focuses on comprehension rather than decoding
It replaces written phonics activities
It is only suitable for children with dyslexia

Correct answer: It builds the habit of working with phonemes before applying this to print

Oral blending and segmenting develops the phonemic manipulation skills children need before applying them to graphemes and print, strengthening the foundation for reading and spelling.

Question 9: Which body is responsible for awarding Qualified Teacher Status in England?

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) (Correct answer)
Local education authorities
Ofsted
The Department for Education directly

Correct answer: The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA)

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA), an executive agency of the DfE, is responsible for the regulation of the teaching profession in England, including the award of QTS.

Question 10: What is 'dyscalculia' in the context of SEND?

A form of dyslexia affecting reading
A social communication disorder
A specific learning difficulty affecting understanding of numbers and mathematical concepts (Correct answer)
A hearing impairment

Correct answer: A specific learning difficulty affecting understanding of numbers and mathematical concepts

Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty (SpLD) characterised by persistent difficulties with understanding numbers, mathematical reasoning, and arithmetic — it falls under cognition and learning.

Question 11: What is the lowest common multiple (LCM) of 6 and 8?

18
24 (Correct answer)
48
12

Correct answer: 24

Multiples of 6: 6, 12, 18, 24. Multiples of 8: 8, 16, 24. The lowest common multiple is 24.

Question 12: What is the purpose of the Early Career Framework (ECF) for newly qualified teachers in England?

To assess whether teachers should be dismissed
To provide a structured two-year programme of support and professional development (Correct answer)
To prepare teachers for headship roles
To replace the need for QTS

Correct answer: To provide a structured two-year programme of support and professional development

The ECF provides a structured programme of support, mentoring, and professional development during the first two years of teaching, building on initial teacher training.

Question 13: Which organisation produces the validated list of systematic synthetic phonics programmes in England?

UKLA
The DfE (Department for Education) (Correct answer)
The National Literacy Trust
Ofsted

Correct answer: The DfE (Department for Education)

The DfE publishes and maintains a list of validated SSP programmes that meet its criteria for systematic phonics teaching, which schools are expected to use.

Question 14: Which word is a conjunction in the following sentence: 'The teacher prepared the lesson plan, but she had to revise it later'?

prepared
she
but (Correct answer)
later

Correct answer: but

'But' is a coordinating conjunction that joins two independent clauses, showing contrast between the two ideas.

Question 15: What is 'scaffolding' in a teaching context?

Always providing maximum support regardless of pupil ability
Providing temporary support that is gradually removed as pupils develop independence (Correct answer)
Building physical structures in the classroom
A method of classroom decoration

Correct answer: Providing temporary support that is gradually removed as pupils develop independence

Scaffolding involves providing structured support to help pupils access challenging content, then gradually withdrawing that support as they become more competent and independent.

Question 16: Under KCSIE, what must all staff do with regard to Part One?

Read the full document only if they are a designated safeguarding lead
Read and understand Part One of KCSIE at the start of each academic year (Correct answer)
Only the DSL needs to read KCSIE
Attend a two-day training course annually

Correct answer: Read and understand Part One of KCSIE at the start of each academic year

KCSIE requires all staff to read and understand Part One (and Annex A for those working directly with children) — not just the DSL — as a minimum annual requirement.

Question 17: A pupil completes 24 out of 32 homework tasks. What fraction is this in its simplest form?

3/4 (Correct answer)
24/32
12/16
6/8

Correct answer: 3/4

24/32 simplifies by dividing both by 8: 24 ÷ 8 = 3, 32 ÷ 8 = 4, giving 3/4.

Question 18: What does the DfE's Reading Framework (2023) state about the teaching of reading in primary schools?

Phonics and whole-word recognition should be given equal weight
Comprehension should precede phonics teaching
Visual memory is the most reliable decoding strategy
Phonics should be the first and primary approach to decoding (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Phonics should be the first and primary approach to decoding

The DfE Reading Framework 2023 reinforces that phonics must be the first and primary approach to teaching decoding, with SSP programmes fully implemented.

Question 19: What is the purpose of 'decodable books' in early reading instruction?

To allow pupils to practise phonemes they have been taught in context (Correct answer)
To introduce sight words only
To expose pupils to a wide vocabulary without phonics
To develop comprehension before decoding

Correct answer: To allow pupils to practise phonemes they have been taught in context

Decodable books are matched to pupils' current phonics knowledge, allowing them to practise applying taught grapheme-phoneme correspondences in connected text.

Question 20: What is the purpose of a Child Protection Conference?

To suspend the teacher involved
To prosecute the alleged abuser
To share information between agencies and decide whether a child should be placed on a Child Protection Plan (Correct answer)
To remove the child from their home

Correct answer: To share information between agencies and decide whether a child should be placed on a Child Protection Plan

A Child Protection Conference brings together professionals and family members to share information and decide whether the child is at continuing risk of significant harm and whether a CP Plan is needed.

Question 21: What does research suggest about the relationship between phonics instruction and reading comprehension in the long term?

Phonics has no lasting impact on comprehension
Phonics only helps low-ability readers
Strong decoding skills developed through phonics support reading comprehension as texts become more complex (Correct answer)
Comprehension develops independently of decoding

Correct answer: Strong decoding skills developed through phonics support reading comprehension as texts become more complex

Research consistently shows that strong foundational decoding skills enable pupils to read increasingly complex texts fluently, which in turn supports comprehension development.

Question 22: What does the term 'contextual safeguarding' refer to?

Teaching pupils about internet safety only
An approach that considers the wider environmental factors in a young person's life that may pose risks (Correct answer)
Protecting school property
Safeguarding only within the school building

Correct answer: An approach that considers the wider environmental factors in a young person's life that may pose risks

Contextual safeguarding recognises that young people can be vulnerable to risks outside the family, including in their neighbourhood, school, peer groups, and online environments.

Question 23: Which of the following sentences contains a correctly used semicolon?

The pupils were excited; they had been looking forward to the trip all term. (Correct answer)
The pupils; were excited about the school trip.
The pupils were; excited about the school trip.
The pupils were excited; about the school trip.

Correct answer: The pupils were excited; they had been looking forward to the trip all term.

A semicolon correctly separates two closely related independent clauses. Only the second option contains two complete clauses joined by a semicolon.

Question 24: What is the purpose of the 'two stars and a wish' feedback strategy?

To provide two grades and one improvement target
To offer two summative and one formative assessment per term
To identify two strengths and one area for development in student work (Correct answer)
To give two pieces of advice and one compliment

Correct answer: To identify two strengths and one area for development in student work

Two stars and a wish is a structured feedback technique where the teacher (or peer) identifies two positive aspects and one area for improvement.

Question 25: Which of the following is an example of the passive voice?

The teacher had marked the tests.
The teacher marked the tests.
The tests were marked by the teacher. (Correct answer)
The teacher was marking the tests.

Correct answer: The tests were marked by the teacher.

In passive voice, the subject receives the action. 'The tests were marked by the teacher' makes 'the tests' the subject receiving the action of marking.

Question 26: What is 2/5 + 3/4?

5/9
13/20
23/20 (Correct answer)
11/20

Correct answer: 23/20

Common denominator is 20: 2/5 = 8/20, 3/4 = 15/20. Sum = 23/20 = 1 3/20.

Question 27: Under the Teachers' Standards, which group must teachers liaise with as part of their professional responsibilities?

Only the headteacher
Only subject leads
Only parents and carers
Teaching assistants, SENCOs, and support staff (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Teaching assistants, SENCOs, and support staff

Standard 8 and the wider standards require teachers to work effectively with support staff, SENCOs, and other colleagues to meet the needs of all pupils.

Question 28: Under the Teachers' Standards, which of the following best describes a teacher's duty regarding pupil progress?

Teachers must be accountable for pupils' attainment, progress, and outcomes (Correct answer)
Teachers only need to focus on exam results
Teachers must ensure all pupils achieve the same grades
Teachers should delegate progress monitoring to teaching assistants

Correct answer: Teachers must be accountable for pupils' attainment, progress, and outcomes

Standard 2 requires teachers to be accountable for pupils' attainment, progress, and outcomes, recognising this as a broad responsibility covering all aspects of learning.

Question 29: What is the 'Pupil Premium' in the English education system?

Funding for school building maintenance
A bonus paid to high-achieving pupils
A private school scholarship programme
Additional government funding to help disadvantaged pupils achieve their potential (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Additional government funding to help disadvantaged pupils achieve their potential

The Pupil Premium is additional government funding provided to schools in England to improve the attainment and outcomes of disadvantaged pupils, including those eligible for free school meals.

Question 30: What is 'neglect' in the context of child abuse?

Any failure to attend school
A one-off failure to provide food
The persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in serious impairment of the child's health or development (Correct answer)
Leaving a child alone for one hour

Correct answer: The persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in serious impairment of the child's health or development

Neglect is a persistent pattern of failing to meet basic needs — physical, emotional, medical, or educational — and is the most common category of child abuse in England.

Question 31: A bar chart shows that 15 pupils scored 60-69, 22 scored 70-79, and 8 scored 80-89. How many pupils took the test in total?

40
45 (Correct answer)
43
50

Correct answer: 45

15 + 22 + 8 = 45 pupils in total.

Question 32: Which phase of Letters and Sounds introduces consonant clusters such as 'bl', 'cr', and 'str'?

Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4 (Correct answer)
Phase 5

Correct answer: Phase 4

Phase 4 of Letters and Sounds focuses on adjacent consonants (clusters) such as blends, consolidating Phase 2 and 3 graphemes in words with more complex structures.

Question 33: What is the role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) in a school?

To teach PSHE lessons
To conduct Ofsted inspections
To manage the school budget
To take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection within the school (Correct answer)

Correct answer: To take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection within the school

The DSL takes lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection, including liaising with local authorities and other agencies, and ensuring staff are properly trained.

Question 34: What are the Early Learning Goals (ELGs) associated with in the English education system?

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) (Correct answer)
Key Stage 2 curriculum
Key Stage 1 SATs
GCSE examinations

Correct answer: The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Early Learning Goals are part of the EYFS framework and describe the knowledge, skills, and understanding that children should achieve by the end of Reception year.

Question 35: A teacher reads aloud daily to a Reception class while also teaching SSP. What is the rationale?

To develop language comprehension and vocabulary alongside decoding skills (Correct answer)
To replace SSP with a whole-language approach
To focus solely on enjoyment without learning objectives
To teach phonics through text meaning alone

Correct answer: To develop language comprehension and vocabulary alongside decoding skills

The Simple View of Reading shows that fluent reading requires both word recognition (phonics) and language comprehension — reading aloud builds the language comprehension dimension.

Question 36: Which body can prohibit a teacher from teaching in England if they are found guilty of serious misconduct?

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) (Correct answer)
The school's governing body
Ofsted
The local council

Correct answer: The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA)

The Teaching Regulation Agency can issue prohibition orders preventing individuals from teaching in England following investigations into serious misconduct, conviction of relevant offences, or capability issues.

Question 37: What is the significance of Phase 5 in the Letters and Sounds framework?

Pupils learn exclusively through whole-class reading
Pupils are introduced to phonics for the first time
Pupils only focus on spelling rules
Pupils learn alternative graphemes for phonemes already taught and begin to develop reading fluency (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Pupils learn alternative graphemes for phonemes already taught and begin to develop reading fluency

Phase 5 introduces alternative graphemes for phonemes pupils already know (e.g., 'ai', 'ay', 'a_e' all representing /eɪ/) and builds towards reading fluency and automaticity.

Question 38: In SSP, what does it mean to 'apply phonics as the first approach' to an unknown word?

Ask an adult immediately
Use pictures to guess the word first
Attempt to decode the word by its grapheme-phoneme correspondences before using other strategies (Correct answer)
Skip the word and read on

Correct answer: Attempt to decode the word by its grapheme-phoneme correspondences before using other strategies

Applying phonics first means pupils attempt to decode unknown words by sounding out graphemes before using context or other strategies, embedding the habit of systematic decoding.

Question 39: Which of the following best describes 'ipsative assessment'?

Assessment that compares a student's performance to national age-related norms
Assessment based entirely on feedback from classmates
Assessment conducted by an independent external examiner
Assessment that measures a student's progress against their own previous performance (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Assessment that measures a student's progress against their own previous performance

Ipsative assessment focuses on individual growth by comparing a pupil's current performance with their own earlier work, rather than against peers or norms.

Question 40: In the sentence 'The head teacher, who had been at the school for twenty years, announced her retirement,' what is the function of the clause between the commas?

It is an adverbial clause
It is a non-defining relative clause providing extra information (Correct answer)
It is a defining relative clause
It is the main clause

Correct answer: It is a non-defining relative clause providing extra information

The clause between commas is a non-defining (non-restrictive) relative clause. It adds extra information about the head teacher but could be removed without changing the essential meaning.

Question 41: Which approach is most effective according to research for building intrinsic motivation in pupils?

Using competition between pupils
Focusing exclusively on exam performance
Fostering a sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness (self-determination theory) (Correct answer)
Providing constant external rewards

Correct answer: Fostering a sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness (self-determination theory)

Self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan) suggests that intrinsic motivation is built through supporting autonomy, competence, and relatedness — external rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation over time.

Question 42: A teacher notices that a pupil's challenging behaviour always occurs during independent writing tasks. What should the teacher investigate?

Whether the pupil dislikes the teacher
Whether the pupil may have a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or writing difficulty that makes independent writing threatening (Correct answer)
Whether the pupil is deliberately disrupting
Whether the seating plan needs to change

Correct answer: Whether the pupil may have a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or writing difficulty that makes independent writing threatening

Behaviour that is consistently triggered by a specific academic task may indicate an unmet learning need — investigating potential SpLDs or writing difficulties is the appropriate response.

Question 43: Convert 0.045 to a percentage.

4.5% (Correct answer)
0.045%
0.45%
45%

Correct answer: 4.5%

To convert a decimal to a percentage, multiply by 100: 0.045 × 100 = 4.5%.

Question 44: What is the range of these scores: 45, 62, 38, 71, 55?

26
36
33 (Correct answer)
17

Correct answer: 33

Range = highest − lowest = 71 − 38 = 33.

Question 45: What is 'verbal proximity' as a low-level behaviour management technique?

Moving closer to a pupil while continuing to teach, without drawing public attention to their behaviour (Correct answer)
Shouting across the room
Sending a verbal message via another pupil
Whispering in the pupil's ear in front of the class

Correct answer: Moving closer to a pupil while continuing to teach, without drawing public attention to their behaviour

Verbal proximity means moving closer to an off-task pupil while continuing to teach — the teacher's physical presence often redirects behaviour without requiring explicit intervention.

Question 46: What does 'serious case review' (now called 'Child Safeguarding Practice Review') examine?

Cases where a child has died or been seriously harmed and abuse or neglect is known or suspected, to learn lessons (Correct answer)
Routine safeguarding audits
Cases involving exclusions
Teacher disciplinary procedures

Correct answer: Cases where a child has died or been seriously harmed and abuse or neglect is known or suspected, to learn lessons

Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (formerly Serious Case Reviews) are conducted when a child dies or is seriously harmed and abuse is suspected, to identify learning and improve practice.

Question 47: A Year 1 teacher notices a pupil consistently confuses 'b' and 'd'. What is the most effective SSP-based approach?

Use mnemonics and multi-sensory activities to distinguish the graphemes (Correct answer)
Refer immediately to the SENCO
Ask the pupil to copy words containing b and d repeatedly
Focus on comprehension to compensate

Correct answer: Use mnemonics and multi-sensory activities to distinguish the graphemes

Multi-sensory approaches and mnemonics (e.g., 'bed' as a visual shape) are evidence-based strategies to address b/d reversal, embedded within SSP practice.

Question 48: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?

The pupils, who had completed their homework were allowed out to play.
The pupils, who had completed, their homework were allowed out to play.
The pupils who had completed their homework, were allowed out to play.
The pupils who had completed their homework were allowed out to play. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The pupils who had completed their homework were allowed out to play.

This is a defining relative clause (it specifies which pupils), so no commas are needed. Only the pupils who had completed their homework — not all pupils — were allowed out.

Question 49: Under KCSIE, which part specifically covers the online safety responsibilities of schools?

Annex A exclusively
There is no online safety section
Part Three only
Part One and Annex D (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Part One and Annex D

KCSIE covers online safety responsibilities throughout, with Part One giving all staff key safeguarding principles and Annex D providing detailed guidance on filtering, monitoring, and online harms.

Question 50: In SSP, what is meant by 'segmenting'?

Blending sounds together to read a word
Dividing text into sentences
Breaking a word into its individual phonemes to spell it (Correct answer)
Grouping words by spelling pattern

Correct answer: Breaking a word into its individual phonemes to spell it

Segmenting is the process of separating a spoken word into its constituent phonemes in order to spell it — the reverse process of blending.

Question 51: What does 'positive behaviour reinforcement' involve?

Only rewarding academic achievement
Ignoring positive behaviour to avoid creating dependence on praise
Punishing all unwanted behaviours
Recognising and rewarding desired behaviours to increase their frequency (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Recognising and rewarding desired behaviours to increase their frequency

Positive reinforcement involves recognising and explicitly rewarding desired behaviours — praise, points, privileges — increasing the likelihood they are repeated.

Question 52: Which Teachers' Standard requires teachers to 'fulfil wider professional responsibilities'?

Standard 2
Standard 4
Standard 8 (Correct answer)
Standard 6

Correct answer: Standard 8

Standard 8 covers wider professional responsibilities including making a positive contribution to the wider life of the school, developing effective professional relationships, and communicating with parents.

Question 53: Which phoneme is represented by the grapheme 'igh'?

/ɪ/ as in 'bit'
/aɪ/ as in 'light' (Correct answer)
/eɪ/ as in 'late'
/iː/ as in 'feet'

Correct answer: /aɪ/ as in 'light'

The grapheme 'igh' represents the phoneme /aɪ/, as in words like 'light', 'night', and 'right'. It is a trigraph (three letters, one sound).

Question 54: What is the difference between a 'consequence' and a 'punishment' in behaviour management?

A punishment is always more severe than a consequence
A consequence is logically connected to the behaviour and teaches cause and effect; a punishment may be arbitrary and focuses on compliance through fear (Correct answer)
Consequences are only for positive behaviour
They are identical in all contexts

Correct answer: A consequence is logically connected to the behaviour and teaches cause and effect; a punishment may be arbitrary and focuses on compliance through fear

Effective behaviour management uses logical consequences that are connected to the behaviour and teach responsibility. Arbitrary punishments focus on deterrence through fear, which is less effective long-term.

Question 55: Teachers are required to uphold public trust in the profession under which part of the Teachers' Standards?

Standard 8
The preamble
Part Two (Correct answer)
Part One

Correct answer: Part Two

Part Two deals with personal and professional conduct, including the requirement to uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics.

Question 56: What is 'Contextual Safeguarding' and who developed the framework?

An Ofsted inspection framework
A DfE-only framework focused on home environments
A framework developed by Professor Carlene Firmin that extends safeguarding to peer, school, and community contexts (Correct answer)
A police framework for criminal investigations

Correct answer: A framework developed by Professor Carlene Firmin that extends safeguarding to peer, school, and community contexts

Contextual Safeguarding was developed by Professor Carlene Firmin and recognises that abuse and exploitation can occur beyond the family home, in peer groups, schools, and communities.

Question 57: Under the Teachers' Standards, teachers must demonstrate 'good subject and curriculum knowledge' under which standard?

Standard 5
Standard 1
Standard 7
Standard 3 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Standard 3

Standard 3 requires teachers to have and demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge, including the structure and key vocabulary of the subject.

Question 58: What is the 'least intrusive intervention' principle in behaviour management?

Always using the most serious sanction available
Ignoring all behaviour and waiting for it to stop
Using the smallest, least disruptive intervention necessary to redirect behaviour before escalating (Correct answer)
Removing pupils at the first sign of difficulty

Correct answer: Using the smallest, least disruptive intervention necessary to redirect behaviour before escalating

Effective behaviour management starts with the least disruptive intervention (a look, proximity, a quiet word) and escalates only as necessary, preserving the relationship and minimising disruption.

Question 59: Which legislation places a duty on schools to safeguard and promote the welfare of children?

The Equality Act 2010
The Children Act 2004
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
The Education Act 2002 (Section 175) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The Education Act 2002 (Section 175)

Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 places a duty on governing bodies and local authorities to make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Question 60: According to the Teachers' Standards, what responsibility do teachers have regarding their own professional development?

None — this is the school's responsibility
They should avoid changing their teaching methods
They only need CPD in their first year
They must take responsibility for improving their teaching through appropriate professional development (Correct answer)

Correct answer: They must take responsibility for improving their teaching through appropriate professional development

Standard 8 requires teachers to take responsibility for improving their teaching through appropriate professional development, responding to advice and feedback.

Question 61: Which of the following is a potential indicator of child sexual abuse?

Age-inappropriate sexual knowledge or behaviour (Correct answer)
Below-average academic attainment
Wearing long sleeves in warm weather
Reluctance to attend school

Correct answer: Age-inappropriate sexual knowledge or behaviour

Age-inappropriate sexual knowledge or behaviour is a recognised indicator of possible sexual abuse — it suggests the child may have been exposed to sexual content or activity beyond their developmental stage.

Question 62: What does 'EHCP' stand for?

Educational Health and Curriculum Plan
Education and Health Continuing Programme
Early Help Care Plan
Education, Health and Care Plan (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Education, Health and Care Plan

An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) replaced the previous Statement of Special Educational Needs under the Children and Families Act 2014, covering children and young people aged 0-25.

Question 63: Which of the following is a key principle of metacognition as applied in UK classrooms?

Pupils should only memorise facts
Teachers should avoid explaining thinking processes
Metacognition only applies to A-level students
Pupils should be taught to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own learning (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Pupils should be taught to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own learning

Metacognition involves teaching pupils to be aware of and regulate their own learning processes through planning, monitoring, and evaluating, which the EEF identifies as highly effective.

Question 64: Which type of feedback is considered most effective for improving student learning according to educational research?

Comparative feedback ranking students against their peers
Praise-only feedback focusing on effort
Grade-only feedback with no written comments
Specific, actionable feedback focused on the task and how to improve (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Specific, actionable feedback focused on the task and how to improve

Research, including Hattie and Timperley's work, shows that specific task-focused feedback with clear guidance on improvement has the greatest impact on learning.

Question 65: What is the 'Equality Act 2010' implication for behaviour management?

Schools must not unlawfully discriminate against pupils with protected characteristics, including disability, when applying behaviour policies (Correct answer)
Exclusion is never permitted for pupils with protected characteristics
Only physical disabilities are relevant to behaviour management
Schools can apply different behaviour standards to pupils with disabilities

Correct answer: Schools must not unlawfully discriminate against pupils with protected characteristics, including disability, when applying behaviour policies

The Equality Act requires schools to ensure behaviour policies do not unlawfully discriminate — reasonable adjustments must be made for disabled pupils, and disproportionate application of sanctions may be unlawful.

Question 66: A parent asks why their child cannot use pictures to help read unknown words. What is the most accurate SSP-based response?

Pictures are the most effective strategy for all readers
Pictures can support meaning but phonics should be the first decoding strategy for unknown words (Correct answer)
Children should memorise words to avoid needing strategies
Phonics and picture cues should always be used together equally

Correct answer: Pictures can support meaning but phonics should be the first decoding strategy for unknown words

In SSP, phonics is the primary decoding strategy. Pictures can support comprehension and motivation but should not substitute for decoding unfamiliar words.

Question 67: Convert 3/8 to a decimal.

0.3
0.4
0.38
0.375 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 0.375

3 ÷ 8 = 0.375. Alternatively, 1/8 = 0.125, so 3/8 = 3 × 0.125 = 0.375.

Question 68: Which phase of Letters and Sounds is typically taught in Reception?

Phases 2, 3, and 4 (Correct answer)
Phase 5 and 6
Phase 6 only
Phase 1 only

Correct answer: Phases 2, 3, and 4

In Reception, pupils typically work through Phase 1 (phonological awareness), Phase 2 (initial grapheme-phoneme correspondences), Phase 3 (further GPCs), and into Phase 4 (adjacent consonants).

Question 69: What is a Child Protection Plan?

A plan for excluded pupils only
A voluntary agreement between parents and school
A formal plan put in place when a child is assessed as being at continuing risk of significant harm, outlining actions to protect them (Correct answer)
A plan created by the school alone

Correct answer: A formal plan put in place when a child is assessed as being at continuing risk of significant harm, outlining actions to protect them

A CP Plan is a formal, multi-agency plan created following a Child Protection Conference when a child is assessed as being at continuing risk of significant harm.

Question 70: What does 'FGM' stand for in the context of safeguarding?

Female Genital Mutilation (Correct answer)
Family Guidance Measures
Formal Grievance Management
Focused Group Monitoring

Correct answer: Female Genital Mutilation

FGM stands for Female Genital Mutilation. Teachers have a mandatory reporting duty to the police if they discover that FGM has been carried out on a girl under 18.

Question 71: What is a 'grapheme' in the context of phonics teaching?

A spoken sound
A whole word
A written representation of a phoneme (one or more letters) (Correct answer)
A syllable

Correct answer: A written representation of a phoneme (one or more letters)

A grapheme is the written letter or group of letters that represents a phoneme (sound). For example, 'sh' is a grapheme representing one phoneme.

Question 72: A class of 28 pupils has 75% achieving the expected standard. How many pupils is that?

7
24
21 (Correct answer)
14

Correct answer: 21

75% of 28 = 0.75 × 28 = 21 pupils. Alternatively, 75% is three-quarters, and three-quarters of 28 is 21.

Question 73: Why are rhyme and alliteration activities used in early phonological awareness?

They replace phonics instruction
They teach spelling directly
They focus on meaning rather than sound
They develop sensitivity to sounds in language before formal phonics begins (Correct answer)

Correct answer: They develop sensitivity to sounds in language before formal phonics begins

Rhyme and alliteration activities build phonological awareness — the broader ability to hear and manipulate sounds — which supports readiness for formal phonics instruction.

Question 74: Which government guidance document supports schools in developing their behaviour policies?

The Teachers' Standards
Behaviour in Schools: Advice for Headteachers and School Staff (DfE) (Correct answer)
Working Together to Safeguard Children
Keeping Children Safe in Education

Correct answer: Behaviour in Schools: Advice for Headteachers and School Staff (DfE)

The DfE's Behaviour in Schools guidance provides practical advice for school leaders and teachers on developing effective behaviour policies, including sanctions, exclusions, and pastoral systems.

Question 75: What is the significance of school-wide behaviour systems (e.g., house points, whole-school values)?

They replace the need for class-based behaviour management
They remove the need for individual teacher strategies
They only work in secondary schools
They create a consistent, shared culture and language around behaviour that reinforces expectations across all settings (Correct answer)

Correct answer: They create a consistent, shared culture and language around behaviour that reinforces expectations across all settings

Whole-school systems create coherence — consistent values, language, and rewards across all spaces mean behaviour expectations are reinforced everywhere, not just in individual classrooms.

QTS Professional Skills Test

The QTS Professional Skills Test assesses the numeracy and literacy skills required for Qualified Teacher Status in England, covering mental arithmetic, written data interpretation, spelling, punctuation, grammar, comprehension, and professional teaching standards including safeguarding and assessment.

Questions

90 min

Time Limit

63%

To Pass

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Exam Rules

You can skip questions and return to them later
Flag questions for review before submitting
No feedback shown until you submit the entire exam
Unanswered questions count as wrong — answer everything
10 pretest questions are mixed in and don't affect your score
Timer auto-submits when time runs out
Your progress is auto-saved every 30 seconds