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Preliminary Knowledge Test

Since 1984, the Norwegian Mathematics Council has conducted its preliminary knowledge test to monitor the level of prior knowledge among first-year students in mathematics-intensive studies. The test includes tasks that measure concepts and skills from primary school curriculum. Additionally, students respond to a questionnaire that includes questions about their high school background, calculator use, and attitudes. How well-prepared are first-year students really?

Press Releases and Reports:

- Norwegian Mathematics Council's preliminary knowledge test, Autumn 2017. [Press Release]
- Norwegian Mathematics Council's preliminary knowledge test, Autumn 2015
- Norwegian Mathematics Council's preliminary knowledge test, Autumn 2013. [Press Release]
- Norwegian Mathematics Council's preliminary knowledge test, Autumn 2011. [Press Release]
- Norwegian Mathematics Council's preliminary knowledge test, Autumn 2009. [Press Release]
- Norwegian Mathematics Council's preliminary knowledge test, Autumn 2007
- Norwegian Mathematics Council's preliminary knowledge test, Autumn 2005
- Norwegian Mathematics Council's preliminary knowledge test, Autumn 2003 (full text, summary)
- Norwegian Mathematics Council's preliminary knowledge test, Autumn 2001
- NMR's follow-up test (preliminary knowledge test) for teacher students, Spring 2001, here in Word version
- Norwegian Mathematics Council's preliminary knowledge test, Autumn 2000

**Comments**
(N.B. Older links may be outdated)

(2012-09-18)
- Middle school math is like Greek for teacher students (VG)
- Teacher and economics students fail in math (Aftenposten)
- Students struggle with middle school math (Adresseavisen)

(2007-12-21)
- Math is almost disappearing (Aftenposten's coverage of the 2007 test)
- Math trouble at NHH (bt.no: "New economics students at the Norwegian School of Economics have never been worse at math")
- Math trouble for NHH students, Never been this bad at math (dn.no)
- Only NTNU students can do math (TU.no: "Students in math-heavy studies are worse than ever in math. Only civil engineering students at NTNU are improving")
- Some have to start from scratch (NRK). Many other newspapers have articles based on the same NTB report.

(2006-03-04)
- Commentary in TU.no (Kari Hag: Sad if math), similar editorials in Lindesnes, Tønsbergs Blad, and Varden; reports in Trønder-avisa ("what was fractions and equations again?"), Aftenposten/forbruker.no ("wants to remove the calculator"), Nettavisen ("The calculator has become a crutch for those who don't understand math"), Nationen ("throw the calculator out of the classroom"), and surely more that we haven't discovered.

(2006-03-02) Read reviews of the test results in newspapers (most via NTB):
- in Aftenposten, Bergens Tidende, Adresseavisen, Dagsavisen, siste.no, Hegnar online, Ukeavisen Ledelse, P4, bygg.no, VG, dn.no, Nettavisen, Gudbrandsdølen, Moss Avis (many of these links thanks to a search on mylder.no).

(2003-03-01) Never been worse at math, Aftenposten.
(2003-03-02) Dismal fractions, Aftenposten (editorial).

(2001-09-04) Still not good enough, Aftenposten. Report on NMR's test, Spring 2001.

VG on the Norwegian Mathematics Council's test, Autumn 2000.

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Norsk matematikkråd har siden 1984 gjennomført sin forkunnskapstest for å kunne overvåke nivået på forkunnskapene til begynnerstudenter på matematikktunge studier. Testen inneholder oppgaver som måler begreper og ferdigheter fra grunnskolens lærestoff. I tillegg svarer studentene på et spørreskjema som inneholder spørsmål om bakgrunn fra videregående skole, kalkulatorbruk og holdninger. Hvor godt forberedt er egentlig begynnerstudentene?

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