The QTS literacy skills test is comprised of four different sections which assess your literacy ability. The four sections of this test are taken consecutively, in one sitting. Read about each test section below, and start practising with JobTestPrep's preparation package today to ensure your success. 

QTS Literacy Test

The QTS professional skills test assesses your ability to perform basic professional duties. It does not assess your capacity to teach the subject, but rather proves competency in basic skills.

The literacy section covers spelling, punctuation, grammar, and comprehension. The test consists of approximately 45 questions, depending on the setup of your particular test.

It's important to note that whilst there is no specific time limit for each section, you only have 45 minutes to complete the entire test. This is why it's best to practise before taking the real exam. Doing so ensures that you not only complete the entire test but that you do so with a high passing score. 

The QTS Spelling Test

There are 10 questions in this section of the QTS literacy test. You are presented with a set of sentences with one word missing. You will hear this word through your headphones, and your task is to successfully type the word into the space provided. The words are generally common in nature but typically have at least three syllables.

A tip for this section is to type your answers in quickly (but accurately), as this will help to save on time. Practise your typing skills with our Typing PrepPack™ to ensure your typing speed and accuracy are up to par. 

The QTS Punctuation Test

In this section of the test, you are presented with a passage containing 15 different punctuation errors. These errors range from simple capital letters and full stops to more complicated punctuation marks, such as hyphens and commas. You have to read through the text, find the errors, and point them out. The difficulty in this test is that what you may feel is convention isn’t necessarily so. You have to be sure that when you select an error, it actually is one. This means you must fully comprehend the text to complete the task properly.

The QTS Grammar Test

This section of the QTS test is comprised of a number of different texts. They are focused on school-based subjects such as open evenings, school trips, and the like. There are typically between three and five sentences missing from each text. For each missing sentence, there are a number of different options to select from. It is your task to choose the option that is grammatically correct. These sentences are often based on lists, so it is easy to muddle yourself into thinking that one option is correct when, in reality, it isn’t.

A QTS Grammar Test Example Question:

Choose the best option for the end of the sentence below:

Creative Arts Day will be held during the last week in June. This is  _________

  1. our annual day in celebration of the work done in art lessons that we hold every year.
  2. our annual day in celebration of the work done in art lessons.
  3. our day in celebration of the work done in art lessons annually.
  4. our day in celebration of the work done in annual art lessons.

The QTS Comprehension Test

This is a fairly standard comprehension exercise in which you have to read through a text and answer questions. Whereas many verbal comprehension tests are based on texts no longer than 250 words, the QTS comprehension test consists of texts often longer than 600 words. This makes the QTS test significantly more difficult, and thus it is imperative to prepare in advance. Some of the skills you need to demonstrate in this test include:

  • Identifying the main points in a text
  • Making inferences and deductions
  • Distinguishing between fact and opinion
  • Showing a grasp of the relative importance of points being made
  • Presenting parts of the information conveyed in a different way from the original
  • Retrieval of facts and specific points
  • Re-presenting information from several parts of the text
  • Gathering information from several parts of the text
  • Seeking evidence relating to statements from or about the text and making judgements

There are several ways you may be asked to respond to questions, including sequencing information, choosing the main points from a list, and matching text to summaries. However, most questions are multiple-choice and you must pick the correct response.

Why Prepare for the QTS Literacy Test?

The QTS professional skills test can be difficult as the questions do not necessarily consist of material you inherently know or that were part of your training. Furthermore, these question types may even cover material that you have not practised in a long time. Therefore, it's important to practise, and to practise frequently.

Although you can sit the exam three times, only the first time you take the test is free of charge. Failing it will cost you time and money, as you will be charged for any subsequent attempts. Prepare in advance to ensure you pass the first time.

QTS Literacy Test Practice

There are several sections on the QTS literacy test, and each one of them requires forethought and preparation in order to succeed. Moreover, if you want to become a teacher, passing the QTS skills test is essential. Use JobTestPrep's QTS–style preparation package to start familiarising yourself with the QTS test's content and question style and format. The PrepPack™ contains three full-length practice tests, additional practice drills, detailed answer explanations, score reports, and more. Start preparing today to ensure your success. 

What's Included

  • Three QTS-style practice tests 
  • 25+ extra practice drills and tests
  • Full explanations & solving tips
  • Smart score reports
  • Immediate online access, anywhere, anytime
  • Practice 24/7
  • Tests are in English
  • Immediate online access, practice 24/7