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Upper schools should now have received a letter from QCA inviting them to express an interest in being involved in the 2005 national pilot of the test.
Schools are encouraged to take part in the 2005 pilot by QCA and the KS3 Strategy. Only a few schools have so far been involved in the original pilot. QCA would like as many schools as possible to take part in 2005. To register interest, you need to visit the pilot website www.ks3ictpilot.com and register by December 2004.
Key Stage 3 Strategy training in 2004 will help schools to prepare for the test and will support teacher assessment in ICT.
Schools will need to meet some minimum technical requirements.
A further pilot will run in 2006; the test will be fully operational from summer 2007.
This new test is being described as highly innovative. Pupils take their test in a virtual world, in SIM City style, where, depending on choices made, the scenario will change. Open ended tasks allow pupils to demonstrate processes as well as skills, knowledge and understanding. Pupils enter the test at a level determined by teacher assessment. At the beginning of the test, there are short tasks to determine whether or not this initial entry level is appropriate.
The test will be computer marked; the computer records all the decisions and choices the pupils make and their actions. The output is a national curriculum level for each pupil as well as formative statements and a profile indicating strengths and weaknesses. It will be linked to the KS3 strategy objectives.
The test will take place in a 4 week window in the first half of the summer term; it will be 100 minutes long (in two 50 minute sessions) The software includes all applications needed e.g. spreadsheet, word processor, a file manager, e-mail, and a help buddy. Practice materials will be made available to schools taking part in the pilot.
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