Information
The ERC is the leading developer and supplier of standardised tests in Ireland. We have over 40 years of experience in this field providing research-based, reliable information about students’ learning to schools, teachers, parents, and students themselves.
What are standardised tests?
The ERC Drumcondra tests (known as “Drumcondras”) are standardised tests. Standardised tests measure a student’s achievement compared to the population of students across all schools in Ireland. The ERC tests provide information about student learning and achievement. They are based on Ireland’s curriculum and have been tested on a representative sample of our school population.
Our tests are developed by expert teams of educational researchers, working with teachers, psychometricians, psychologists and subject experts (for example, experts in mathematics).
What are standardised tests used for?
The ERC tests are used by teachers to get information about how a student is learning in a particular area. For example, a child’s score on the ERC Drumcondra Reading test tells parents, teachers, and schools how the child is reading compared to other children at the same class level in Ireland.
While most of our standardised tests look at the achievement levels of all students, some tests focus on identifying students who may have difficulties in a particular subject. These are called screening tests. A screening test helps teachers and parents to know who may need some extra help. A diagnostic test can provide more information about exactly what a student is finding difficult. This helps teachers to plan good ways to support individual students’ learning.
What are the advantages of the Drumcondras?
The ERC Drumcondra tests are based on the Irish curriculum. When we are developing them, we involve and speak to experts and stakeholders in Ireland, making sure that the tests are suitable and relevant for use in Irish schools.
We also use a range of different topics, and question types, and we make sure that the diverse population of schools in Ireland is reflected in the test content. We aim to create tests that reflect student learning and achievement in a fair and useful way.
Paper-based and computer-based tests
The New Drumcondra Primary Tests are available on paper at all levels from First to Sixth classes. They are also available on computer for Third to Sixth classes. Children at these levels performed similarly on the paper- and computer-based test versions in 2018. However, to take account of any small differences in difficulty, the computer-based tests were normed separately from the paper-based ones. So, for example, if your child took a new test on computer, their scores reflect their performance relative to other children in Ireland at the same class level who also took that test on computer in 2018.
Test scores as estimates
All test scores are only estimates of a child’s true achievement level, based on a specific set of test questions administered on a particular day. This means that a child’s ‘true score’ on any test may be a little higher or a little lower than the reported score. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment [NCCA] has developed online resources on interpreting standard scores and STen scores, which you may find helpful. These resources are available in a number of different languages.
It is particularly important to think of scores as broad estimates if you are interpreting STen scores (scores ranging from 1 to 10, where the average score is 5.5). Each STen score corresponds to a range of standard scores. Therefore, it is possible for two children to have standard scores just one or two points apart (unlikely to indicate a notable difference in their achievement), yet to have different STen scores.
When reflecting on your child’s progress, it is important to consider other sources of evidence as well as standardised test scores. For example, you might think about feedback from your child and their class teacher, and performance on other tests during the year. If you need more specific information about your child’s performance in reading and/or mathematics, you may wish to contact your child’s teacher.