QTS Professional Skills Test — Questions and Answers

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

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

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

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

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 3: A pupil's mark improved from 48 to 60. What is the percentage increase?

15%
12%
25% (Correct answer)
20%

Correct answer: 25%

Increase = 12. Percentage increase = (12/48) × 100 = 25%.

Question 4: What is a 'Section 47 enquiry' in child protection?

A school exclusion review
A court-ordered medical examination
A voluntary referral from a parent
An investigation by children's social care when there is reasonable cause to suspect a child is suffering significant harm (Correct answer)

Correct answer: An investigation by children's social care when there is reasonable cause to suspect a child is suffering significant harm

A Section 47 enquiry is a statutory investigation under the Children Act 1989, initiated when there is reasonable cause to believe a child may be suffering significant harm.

Question 5: The National Curriculum in England is organised into how many Key Stages?

5
6
4 (Correct answer)
3

Correct answer: 4

The National Curriculum is organised into 4 Key Stages: KS1 (Years 1-2), KS2 (Years 3-6), KS3 (Years 7-9), and KS4 (Years 10-11).

Question 6: In the context of English grammar teaching in UK primary schools, what is a 'determiner'?

A word that replaces a noun
A word that connects clauses
A word that describes a noun
A word placed before a noun to clarify what the noun refers to (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A word placed before a noun to clarify what the noun refers to

A determiner is placed before a noun to clarify what the noun refers to. Examples include articles (a, an, the), demonstratives (this, that), possessives (my, your), and quantifiers (some, many).

Question 7: In Bloom's Taxonomy, which level represents the highest order of thinking?

Understanding
Remembering
Evaluating and Creating (Correct answer)
Applying

Correct answer: Evaluating and Creating

The revised Bloom's Taxonomy places Evaluating and Creating at the apex, requiring pupils to make judgements and produce original work.

Question 8: 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 9: What is a 'phonologically regular' word in the context of phonics teaching?

A word where the grapheme-phoneme correspondences follow patterns that have been taught (Correct answer)
A word that appears frequently in children's books
A long word with multiple syllables
A word that rhymes with many other words

Correct answer: A word where the grapheme-phoneme correspondences follow patterns that have been taught

A phonologically regular word is one that can be fully decoded using grapheme-phoneme correspondences the pupil has been taught, making it suitable for decodable reading materials.

Question 10: What is the purpose of the 'two stars and a wish' feedback strategy?

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

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

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

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

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

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 13: Which professional has legal responsibility for referring cases of suspected child abuse to children's social care?

Any professional who believes a child is at risk, not just the DSL (Correct answer)
Only the headteacher
Only the police liaison officer
Only the DSL

Correct answer: Any professional who believes a child is at risk, not just the DSL

While the DSL coordinates safeguarding, any professional who has reasonable cause to suspect a child is at risk of significant harm can make a referral to children's social care.

Question 14: Which aspect of the Simple View of Reading relates to phonics teaching?

Word recognition (Correct answer)
Language comprehension
Fluency
Vocabulary development

Correct answer: Word recognition

The Simple View of Reading divides reading into word recognition (decoding, including phonics) and language comprehension — phonics primarily supports the word recognition dimension.

Question 15: The Teachers' Standards apply to which group of teachers in England?

All teachers in maintained schools and academies (Correct answer)
Only teachers in outstanding schools
Only newly qualified teachers
Only trainee teachers

Correct answer: All teachers in maintained schools and academies

The Teachers' Standards apply to all teachers working in maintained schools and academies in England, from trainees to experienced teachers.

Question 16: A school trip costs £12.50 per pupil. There are 34 pupils attending. What is the total cost?

£408
£375
£450
£425 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: £425

£12.50 × 34 = £425. (£12.50 × 30 = £375; £12.50 × 4 = £50; total = £425.)

Question 17: What does 'SEMH' stand for and what types of difficulties does it cover?

Special Educational Management and Help — covering all SEND administration
Specific Educational and Motor Health
Sensory, Emotional and Motor Health — covering hearing and balance issues
Social, Emotional and Mental Health — covering anxiety, depression, ADHD, attachment disorders, and trauma responses (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Social, Emotional and Mental Health — covering anxiety, depression, ADHD, attachment disorders, and trauma responses

SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) is one of the four SEND areas and covers a broad range of difficulties including anxiety, depression, ADHD, conduct disorders, and trauma-related needs.

Question 18: What does 'Operation Encompass' involve?

A programme to improve school security
A curriculum for teaching about online safety
Police informing schools before the start of the next school day when a child has been involved in a domestic abuse incident (Correct answer)
A mentoring programme for excluded pupils

Correct answer: Police informing schools before the start of the next school day when a child has been involved in a domestic abuse incident

Operation Encompass ensures that schools are informed by the police, usually before the start of the next school day, when a child has been involved in or affected by a domestic abuse incident.

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 develop comprehension before decoding
To expose pupils to a wide vocabulary without phonics
To introduce sight words only

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: Which of the following is an example of a 'digraph'?

sh (Correct answer)
s
ing
str

Correct answer: sh

A digraph is two letters that together represent one phoneme. 'sh' is a consonant digraph representing the /ʃ/ sound.

Question 21: A primary school has 420 pupils. If 35% of them are eligible for free school meals, how many pupils is this?

167
157
147 (Correct answer)
137

Correct answer: 147

35% of 420 = 0.35 × 420 = 147 pupils. This type of percentage calculation is fundamental to interpreting school data.

Question 22: What does 'systematic synthetic phonics' (SSP) require teachers to do?

Focus on meaning before decoding
Use pictures as the primary decoding strategy
Teach letter-sound correspondences in a structured sequence and blend them to read words (Correct answer)
Teach whole words by sight only

Correct answer: Teach letter-sound correspondences in a structured sequence and blend them to read words

SSP requires teaching grapheme-phoneme correspondences in a planned sequence and teaching children to synthesise (blend) sounds to decode words.

Question 23: Which of the following is a potential indicator of child sexual abuse?

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

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

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

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 25: A data set has values: 5, 9, 9, 12, 15, 9, 7. What is the mode?

7
9 (Correct answer)
5
12

Correct answer: 9

The mode is the value that appears most frequently. 9 appears three times, more than any other value.

Question 26: Which of the following best describes 'child-on-child abuse' as referenced in KCSIE?

Only physical fighting between children
Children disagreeing during group work
Abuse that occurs between children, including bullying, sexual violence, and online abuse (Correct answer)
Academic competition between pupils

Correct answer: Abuse that occurs between children, including bullying, sexual violence, and online abuse

Child-on-child abuse encompasses a range of behaviours including bullying (including cyberbullying), physical abuse, sexual violence and harassment, sexting, and initiation/hazing.

Question 27: What is 'emotional dysregulation' and which SEND area does it relate to?

Difficulty managing emotional responses, falling under social, emotional and mental health needs (Correct answer)
A communication disorder
A physical disability
A cognition and learning difficulty

Correct answer: Difficulty managing emotional responses, falling under social, emotional and mental health needs

Emotional dysregulation — difficulty regulating emotional responses — falls under the social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) area of need, which may include conditions like ADHD or anxiety.

Question 28: Under DfE guidance, what is the minimum age for detention without parental consent?

Age 12
Age 10
Age 14
There is no minimum age, but schools must act reasonably (Correct answer)

Correct answer: There is no minimum age, but schools must act reasonably

DfE guidance allows detention without parental consent regardless of age, provided the detention is reasonable, proportionate, and parents are given reasonable notice (24 hours for non-same-day detention).

Question 29: 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
Phonics should be the first and primary approach to decoding (Correct answer)
Visual memory is the most reliable decoding strategy
Comprehension should precede phonics teaching

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 30: Convert 3/8 to a decimal.

0.3
0.375 (Correct answer)
0.4
0.38

Correct answer: 0.375

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

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

35 min

Time Limit

63%

To Pass

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