Math Mammoth South African version placement tests

These free diagnostic tests help you discover your child or student's level in math, and to find out EXACTLY where they have gaps (if any). They are end-of-the-year (EOY) tests — in other words, meant to be taken AFTER studying the particular grade.

While the tests ARE placement tests for Math Mammoth curriculum, South African version, they work equally well as GENERIC math assessment tests.

Using the tests will allow you to tailor the instruction to help the child/student right where they need help the most. You can EASILY find out if your student has not learned specific topics, because the tests group the questions by topic. Just look at the test results per "sections" of similar problems (addition, multiplication, measuring, geometry, place value, problem solving).

You can always send me your child's test results if in doubt. (Just send me the point counts for each test item.)

To start, look over the tests and try to find the highest level one that you THINK your student or child will pass. Then you would naturally administer that test.

The video below explains the basics of HOW to use these tests:

This table shows the possible score ranges and how to interpret the result:

However, it's quite possible that just that one test will not give you a good overview of what the student has mastered. So don't be afraid of administering two or even three tests — or parts of tests. For example, let's say a student gets 70% on a test, and in particular, they get a low score in the geometry section of the test. In that case, it is beneficial to administer the GEOMETRY sections of the next lower level tests also, in order to find out how "large" a gap they have in geometry.

Sometimes, a student who is seriously behind can get a low score on even THREE subsequent tests. Basically, their skills and knowledge are "all over the place" so to speak. Such students can benefit from a tailored approach where the materials they will study will be exactly matched to the gaps they have.

One more important thing. To reduce the test-taking stress, don't put any strict time limit for the completion of the test. We don't want students to build any anxiety over this placement test or tests. Now, some children have already developed anxiety towards test-taking and/or towards math in general. In such cases, it might be best to avoid even these tests, or at least postpone the test-taking until the anxiety has subsided somewhat.

1. Math Mammoth End-of-Year Test, Grade 1 (South African version)
   Answers to Grade 1 test
2. Math Mammoth End-of-Year Test, Grade 2 (South African version)
   Answers to Grade 2 test
3. Math Mammoth End-of-Year Test, Grade 3 (South African version)
   Answers to Grade 3 test
4. Math Mammoth End-of-Year Test, Grade 4 (South African version)
   Answers Grade 4 test
5. Math Mammoth End-of-Year Test, Grade 5 (South African version)
   Answers to Grade 5 test
6. Math Mammoth End-of-Year Test, Grade 6 (South African version)
   Answers to Grade 6 test
7. Math Mammoth End-of-Year Test, Grade 7 (South African version)
   Answers to Grade 7 test

Tip: If you notice your child has problems with one or two concept areas in a particular test, but otherwise does fine, you can use Math Mammoth Blue Series books to "fill in those gaps".

You can also email me with your test results if you have trouble deciding which Blue Series book you should use for such remedial work.

An example

Here is an example of one student's test results and the placement advice I gave to the parent of this student.

Background: the student began homeschooling the same year as the tests were taken and is technically in 7th grade. She had started doing Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1. However, the parent noticed that she didn't know some basic fraction information, decided to look for a supplement, and came across Math Mammoth.

The student took three end-of-year tests: for grade 6, grade 5, and grade 4. She did not do very well in the grade 6 test, but you can see her work for grade 4 and grade 5 tests in the links below. If you decide to send me your child's test results, it is not necessary to send me the complete test like this person did, but it makes a good example. Most people send me only the point counts for the various test items.

• Grade 5 test, complete work of the student
• Grade 5 test, the student's score
• Grade 6 test, complete work of the student
• Grade 6 test, the student's score

And here is my assessment and recommendations:

Questions about placement

1. My K student wants more challenge and to do 1st grade math. How can I know if the Light Blue grade 1 is the right choice for my child?
   
   The Light Blue grade 1 starts out with the same material as these books from the Blue Series: Addition 1 and Subtraction 1. Look over those, see their samples and contents, and that will probably tell you if your children are ready for grade 1.



2. I thought my child had been doing fine in math previously (getting A's and B's), but he/she still failed the placement test for their particular grade level.
   
   This is common for a child coming from public school or from another math curriculum. It is typically due to the facts that (i) Math Mammoth uses multi-step word problems extensively from 2nd grade onward; and (ii) the child may not have covered all the topics in the other curriculum as what are covered in MM. Geometry and measuring often end up being such areas.
   
   To catch up, please see the Tip above about using the Blue Series books. Another thing you can do is accelerate through the earlier levels of Math Mammoth, for example by studying the chapter reviews, and stopping to study any concept that the child has not understood.
   
   This kind of process can typically be done in only a few months, so don't worry! It is much more important to get a solid foundation in math than to look at the grade levels and just go on. In math, it is crucial to understand the previous concepts, because if not, the student WILL eventually fail and most also start hating math.
   
   See also this thread on a homeschool discussion forum: Unexpected experience with end-of-year test for Math Mammoth.



3. A student misses (or doesn't even try) most of the word problems in the test but does okay with calculation problems.
   
   This is a COMMON situation for many students. It usually stems from the lack of good word problems in the maths program the student has studied from. Please read what I have written about the problem with word problems so you can understand its origins better.
   
   To help such a student, you could:
   
   
   • Go through certain books in the Blue Series and only do the word problems and lessons pertaining to them, skipping the calculation problems. Use this as a guideline:
     

     Student attempted 2nd grade end-of-year test:
     Add & Subtract 2-A, Add & Subtract 2-B, and half of Add & Subtract 3.
     
     Student attempted 3rd grade end-of-year test:
     (possibly Add & Subtract 2-A) Add & Subtract 2-B, Add & Subtract 3, Multiplication 1, and Division 1.
     
     Student attempted 4th grade end-of-year test:
     Add & Subtract 3, Multiplication 1, Division 1, Multiplication 2, and Division 2.

   
   
   • Or, you could perhaps use Ray's Arithmetic as a catch-up tool, since it is filled with word problems.



4. My child did OK on the test except such-and-such area or topic. Can you help me choose remedial materials?
   
   Please see the following chart.
   
   

   Area of lack	Remedial book
   Addition and subtraction facts within 0-10	Subtraction 1
   Addition and subtraction facts within 0-18	Add & Subtract 2-A
   Place value of tens and ones	Place Value 1
   Place value of 3-digit numbers	Place Value 2
   Place value of 4-digit numbers	Place Value 3
   Mental maths - addition and subtraction strategies for 2-digit numbers	Add & Subtract 2-B
   Mental maths - addition and subtraction strategies for 3-digit numbers	Add & Subtract 3
   Multiplication concept, multiplication tables, or simple multiplication word problems (grade 3)	Multiplication 1
   Multi-digit multiplication and related word problems (grades 4-5)	Multiplication 2
   Basic division concept (single-digit divisors) and related word problems (grade 3)	Division 1
   Long division and related word problems (grades 4-5)	Division 2
   Reading the clock, telling time, or elapsed time	Clock
   Counting coins, giving change, or other money concepts	South African Money
   Any measuring-related difficulty within grades 1-3	Measuring 1
   Geometric concepts within grades 1-3	Early Geometry
   Geometry (grades 4-7)	Geometry 1 and Geometry 2
   Fraction concepts within grades 2-4	Introduction to Fractions
   Fraction topics within grades 5-6	Fractions 1 and Fractions 2
   Basic concept of decimals (grades 3-4)	Decimals 1
   Decimal arithmetic (grade 5)	Decimals 2
   Ratios and proportions (grade 6)	Ratios, Proportions & Problem Solving
   Percent (grades 5-6)	Percent
   Integers (grades 5-6)	Integers
   Statistics (grades 5-6)	Statistics & Probability

   
   
5. I'm a Math-U-See user and my child has not studied some of the materials you cover earlier than MUS. How do I switch over to Math Mammoth?
   
   I'd simply recommend you first have her take a placement test to know exactly what she knows and what she doesn't about those topics that MUS does not cover as much, such as measuring, money, clock, geometry and problem solving.
   
   Then once you have had the child take the test, you can choose books from the Blue Series to address specific topic areas (see the chart above).
   
   Remember also, I'm ready to guide you with these decisions. Just let me know the child's test results by sections.