There are samples available for Drumcondra tests, but they must be purchased by submitting an order form. There are separate sample packs for each test that cover all relevant classes.

The Level 1 Drumcondra tests are screening tests. The results tell you whether your child’s score has met the criterion or has not met the criterion. To reduce the pressure experienced by young children, STen scores are not reported at this level.

If your child’s score has met the criterion, then their score is within or above the average range for First class pupils in Ireland, indicating that their level of proficiency in reading or mathematics is likely to be within or above the average range also.

If your child’s score has not met the criterion, then their score is either in the ‘low average’ range (‘Approaching criterion’) or in the ‘below average’ range (‘Criterion not reached’). The reading / mathematics progress of children with scores in these ranges is likely to need careful monitoring. In particular, children whose scores are in the ‘below average’ range are likely to be at risk of difficulties with reading / mathematics, and follow-up diagnostic testing may be useful.

When looking at your child’s scores, it is important to remember that any result from a standardised test is only an estimate. That is, it only represents a sample of the child’s performance, on a particular day, and with a particular set of test questions. Therefore, there is a margin of error associated with each test score. More generally, the test score is just one piece in a larger jigsaw of information about your child’s progress.

If you are concerned about your child’s test result, please speak to their class teacher, who will be able to put the result into a broader context. For example, scores that fall close to a criterion threshold (on either side) may need to be interpreted with extra caution. The teacher may also be able to draw on other sources of information (e.g. class tests, homework assignments, class participation) to help you to interpret the test result.

The New Drumcondra Primary Reading and Mathematics Tests were designed to appeal to children in the target age groups and promote engagement. All of the new tests feature full colour, professionally designed illustrations, within a template that supports intuitive navigation of the booklets. In addition, the layout of the New DPMT places fewer questions on each page than its predecessor, to aid concentration.

These characteristics of the new tests result in higher production costs for the booklets. To minimise these costs being passed on to schools, the decision was made to use answer sheets for Levels 3 to 6 so that booklets could be reused at these class levels. Previous experience over a number of years with the Drumcondra Primary Reading Test–Revised and national research studies indicates that pupils can successfully complete assessments using answer sheets from Third class upwards. In the standardisation, more than 7,000 pupils from Third to Sixth class used answer sheets for the reading and maths tests with very few issues.

There are also benefits to using answer sheets in terms of scoring the new tests. Schools can return answer sheets to the ERC for automated scanning and scoring and receive reports with overall scores and breakdowns by subscale. If schools prefer to hand score the answer sheets, scoring stencils are available as overlays for the answer sheets, so correct answers can be easily identified. Information on these scoring options, including pricing, is available here.

The paper-based Mathematics and Reading tests from Levels 3 – 6 were standardised with pupils reading the booklet, doing rough work on a separate piece of rough work paper and entering their answers onto the answer sheets. Therefore, adhering to these conditions as closely as possible is preferable in order to ensure that there is a like-for-like comparison between your pupils’ performance and the performance of the national sample on which the tests were normed.

Sometimes, a principal or other qualified staff member may decide that a particular child needs to be permitted to enter responses directly into the test booklet in order for them to engage meaningfully with the test. While this represents a relatively minor accommodation, it is still considered an accommodation and, as such:

• it should be noted next to the child’s result

• you should interpret their result with some caution

• if the child is in 4th or 6th class, you should mark them as exempted when submitting aggregated scores to the Department of Education.

(See also the guidance under the first question on this page.)

You should not allow an entire class group from Third Class upwards to enter answers in the test booklets rather than the answer sheets.

Ideally, pupils should use a separate sheet of paper for roughwork rather than using the test booklet, to mirror what was advised in the standardisation. This also has the benefit of allowing you to re-use the test booklets. However, if you decide to allow pupils to complete their roughwork in the test booklet (while entering answers on the answer sheets), we do not consider this to be a sufficient deviation from standardisation conditions to constitute an accommodation.

You can score the paper-based tests by hand, referring to the instructions, answer keys and norms tables in the manual. You may wish to order Scoring Booklets (Levels 1 – 2) or Scoring Stencils (Levels 3 – 6) to help with this process.

Alternately, for Levels 3 – 6 you can send the answer sheets to the ERC’s Test Department for machine scoring (click here or more information).

There is also a Scoring System which allows you to input raw scores into a program and generate reports (see more here). However, you will need to generate raw scores (either by hand or via machine-scoring) before you can use this program.

No – answer sheets are sold in packs that contain 25 Reading and 25 Maths sheets. These two sheets are connected in a booklet format, but can easily be separated into two individual answer sheets.

Scoring booklets and scoring stencils are correction aids used to score the Drumcondra tests. While tests can be corrected using the answer keys in the administration manuals, the scoring booklets/stencils are an alternative that can make the process quicker and easier.

There is no need to pre-apply for machine scoring of tests. After administering the Reading or Maths tests with 3rd–6th class, the answer sheets filled in by pupils can be returned to the ERC Test Department, along with one of the processing forms that would have been delivered with your order. The answer sheets will then be corrected, at cost of €1.00 per pupil per subject, and a report returned to you by post and email within ten working days.

Click here for more information.

Click here to access the Class Record Forms for the new primary tests in reading and maths, for all levels.

Please see here for more information on the the scoring system.

Please see here for the class average conversion table (to convert a standard score to a percentile rank and/or STen score).

Note that the conversion of raw score to standard score is specific to each form of the test and the tables in the relevant manual should be used for this.

Yes, to comply with GDPR, our position would be that parents/guardians are entitled to view their child’s test script. This will be a booklet for Levels 1 and 2 (usually First and Second class) and an answer sheet alongside a blank booklet for Levels 3 to 6 (usually Third to Sixth class).

However, the content of the tests is confidential and it is important that it does not circulate among the general public. Other pupils and schools will use these tests in subsequent years, and in order to protect the integrity of the test norms, the content must be kept secure. For this reason, we only sell tests to schools and centres for education.

Consequently, we would stipulate that the parent/guardian views their child’s answers under the supervision of a school staff member and does not photograph or photocopy the test content. If possible we would recommend that phones are left in a secure place (e.g. in the school office) while the test is being viewed.

The new 2023 Primary Mathematics Curriculum (PMC) was introduced in all primary and special schools in the 2023/2024 school year and will be implemented from the 2024/2025 school year. For more details on the new curriculum, please visit the NCCA website here.

It is important to note that while much of the curriculum content remains consistent with the 1999 Primary School Mathematics Curriculum (PSMC), the approach to teaching mathematics in the classroom has been revised.

The current Drumcondra tests were developed and standardised while the new curriculum was also under development. A draft specification of the PMC, for the Junior classes only, was available during the piloting and standardisation of the DPMT. As a result, some elements of the new approach to the curriculum were integrated into the New DPMT.

However, this draft was still in a consultation phase at this point and was not finalised. Therefore, the overarching principle that guided the test development of the DPMT was consistency with the 1999 curriculum. As a result, you may notice some elements of the DPMT that do not align with the 2023 PMC.

You can find the details of the differences and instructions for implementation on our website here .