Our third in-depth look at the ICAS assessments is here! ICAS English is one of the most important assessments as it covers the ability to understand what we read. But what does it actually involve, and how can your child be successful in it?
What is ICAS English?
This assessment looks at a student’s ability to comprehend and evaluate a range of short texts on different genres and forms. ICAS English is a multiple choice assessment of between 35 and 55 questions and runs for 35 – 60 minutes. English is offered for NZ students from Year 3 (Introductory paper) to Year 13 (paper J), and is available at Focus Education.
Why sit this assessment?
Reading is a fundamental skill that underpins all other subjects. Children and young people must master comprehending basic explicit information and paragraph development to more sophisticated tasks such as making inferences and summarizing key information. Reading also serves as examples to follow for writing all forms, including essays and reports for high school and university. In particular, reading is the primary avenue for students to experience and understand formal use of language for communication. If your child struggles to understand the facts and nuances of what they read, they may need support to succeed in their studies.
What does the assessment cover?
Students are asked to answer multiple choice questions about a set of short texts that may include fiction, poetry, biographies, news and more. You can view the detailed assessment framework on the ICAS website here. The assessment covers six areas of language and text:
- Vocabulary
- Comprehension
- Structure
- Syntax
- Voice
From examining the marking criteria and past papers, we at Focus noticed several highlights. From the earliest paper levels, students are asked questions about sequencing, relationships between events and ideas, and interpreting language choices. Senior paper levels examine higher order thinking skills on topics such as persuasive strategies, authorial intent and text genre and structure. Finally, the multiple choice format encourages students to compare and contrast possible answers and use strategic thinking to succeed in the assessment.
How can my child prepare for this assessment?
Because reading underpins ICAS English, we suggest preparation involving a range of reading in different text types including narratives, poems, articles and reports.
- Discuss these short texts with your child, asking them to summarize information, find details in the text, and define words.
- Use a past paper or example questions from the ICAS website to get your child used to reading the multiple choice question in detail and choosing their answer with care.
- The sample tool available here allows your child to get used to the layout and mechanisms of the digital assessment.
Technical requirements for this assessment
Some schools and centres may provide a device, whereas others may require you to bring a device for your child. ICAS English, as with the other ICAS assessments, requires a device that meets minimum technical standards so it can run the digital assessment. You can view the requirements and check your device here. We suggest checking the technical setup of your device well in advance of the sitting date for the assessment.
A final note
If you choose to register your child for ICAS English at Focus Education, you can find all the registration information along with sitting dates here. Please also ask us about pre-assessment support.
Look out for our next in this series – ICAS In Depth: Science – coming soon!
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