English Reading (2018)
The New Drumcondra Primary Reading Test (New DPRT)
The New DPRT is the leading Irish standardised reading test, developed specifically for group administration in Irish primary schools.
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Divided into six Levels with parallel Forms for pupils from 1st Class to 6th Class.
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Standardised in spring 2018 on Irish primary school students.
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The test expertly addresses the objectives of the 1999 Primary School English Curriculum, while also reflecting the anticipated learning outcomes and spirit of the new Primary Language Curriculum.
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Designed to increase engagement during testing by appealing to children at the target grade levels, reflecting the diverse population of primary schools in Ireland today.
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Features professionally designed, full-colour images.
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Total testing time is approximately 90-100 minutes for each level of the New DPRT (this includes a break of 5 minutes, which can be longer if desired).
Summary Features of the DPRT
Reporting
DPRT Level 1 – Screening Test
It is recommended that this test be administered to small groups of pupils (~ 8) where possible. Provides a standard score as well as a criterion-referenced report. STen scores and percentile ranks are not reported for this grade level. As well as an overall reading report, results are broken down by:
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Word Analysis
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Vocabulary
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Comprehension (each of which is assessed by a variety of item types).
DPRT Level 2
Designed to be administered to full class groups. Raw scores, standard scores, STen scores and percentile ranks can be computed for:
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Overall Reading
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Reading Vocabulary
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Reading Comprehension - Sentence Comprehension and Passage Comprehension.
DPRT Level 3–6
Designed to be administered to full class groups. Raw scores, standard scores, STen scores and percentile ranks can be computed for:
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Overall Reading
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Reading Vocabulary
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Reading Comprehension – Comprehension can be broken down by text type (Literary and Informational) and by process type (Retrieve/Infer and Interpret/Evaluate).
Test administration
Pupils at Levels 1 and 2 mark their answers directly into their test booklets. These are hand-scored by the teacher.
Pupils at Levels 3 to 6 use answer sheets. The test booklets are reusable at these levels. Levels 3 to 6 can be administered simultaneously to multi-grade classes. Teachers have the option of hand-scoring or using our machine-scoring service.
Spring & Autumn testing
The norms for the New DPRT are spring norms in line with government guidance. The tests may be used the following autumn if schools wish to do so e.g. for pupils at the start of 4th class, Level 3 tests can be used. Please note that this does not constitute an exact comparison of like with like, however differences between spring and autumn are likely to be minor.
Currently, the New DPRT does not have a test-wide scale.