Edc Math 9 Subject Bulletin
Edc Math 9 Subject Bulletin
Subject Bulletin
Mathematics
Alberta Provincial Achievement Testing 2023–2024
This document was written primarily for
Students
Administrators ✓
Parents
General Audience
You can find provincial achievement test-related materials and additional topic of interest on Provincial Achievement Tests.
• Part A contains 20 numerical-response questions and assesses students’ foundational skills and fluency in mental math,
estimation, algebra, square roots, exponent laws, and arithmetic operations on rational numbers without the use of
calculators. Examples of these questions are provided in Appendix 3.
• Part B contains 32 multiple-choice questions and 8 numerical-response questions and assesses students’ ability to recall
concepts and principles and to apply reasoning skills to solve problems. Examples of these questions are provided in
Appendix 4.
Questions are categorized according to three levels of complexity: low, moderate, and high. (See Appendix 1 for a detailed
explanation of each complexity level.)
A dictionary, a thesaurus, or other reference materials are not permitted for students writing the test.
Question format
The following bullets briefly describe the two question formats:
• Multiple-choice questions provide students with four response options, of which only one is correct.
• Numerical-response questions require students to generate a response (in symbolic form) to a particular problem, rather
than selecting a response from a list of four options.
Test administration
Part A is designed to be completed in 30 minutes; however, each student may have up to 60 minutes to complete this part,
should they need it.
Part B is designed to be completed in 80 minutes; however, each student may have up to 160 minutes to complete this part,
should they need it.
Any Alberta Education blank paper needed for rough work must be provided to students by the supervisor, collected by the
supervisor at the end of the provincial achievement test administration, and returned with test materials to Alberta Education.
Alternatively, students can perform their rough work in the provided test booklet.
The following statements describe what is expected of Grade 9 students at the acceptable standard and the standard of
excellence based on outcomes in the Grade 9 Mathematics Program of Studies. These statements represent examples of the
standards against which student achievement is measured. It is important to remember that one test cannot measure all the
outcomes in the program of studies.
Students who meet the acceptable standard in Grade 9 Students who meet the standard of excellence in Grade 9
Mathematics are typically able to Mathematics are typically able to
• recall and apply a moderate number of mathematical • recall and apply a variety of mathematical properties to
properties to solve routine problems solve novel problems
• use familiar problem-solving strategies to solve routine • use a variety of problem-solving strategies to solve novel
problems problems
• connect and apply personal experiences and problem- • connect and apply personal experiences and strategies
solving strategies to solve routine problems to check and verify solutions to novel problems
• recall and apply mathematical concepts and operational • apply abstract-thinking skills to reframe mathematical
terms to solve routine problems concepts to solve novel problems
• apply computation skills and formal mathematics • generate linguistic and non-linguistic representations of
vocabularies to solve routine problems knowledge to solve novel problems
• recognize and describe numerical and non-numerical • demonstrate fluency in working with patterns represented
patterns concretely, pictorially, or symbolically
• use semantic knowledge to construct correct mental • use semantic knowledge to construct and reframe
representations of word problems correct mental representations of word problems
• use logical processes to analyze and solve routine • use logical processes to analyze complex problems,
problems reach conclusions, and justify or defend conclusions
• recognize and use mathematical patterns to make • recognize, extend, create, and use mathematical
predictions when solving routine problems patterns to make and justify predictions when solving
novel problems
• test generalizations from patterns to reach conclusions • make generalizations from patterns to reach conclusions
The following calculator materials, properties, and/or configurations are not permitted in the provincial achievement test writing
room:
• graphing calculator
• programmed memory content
• built-in notes, libraries, or formulae (e.g., definitions or explanations in alpha notation)
• upgraded or downloaded programs
• remote communication capabilities
• symbolic manipulation capabilities
• algebraic expression manipulation capabilities
• external (peripheral) devices and other support materials such as manuals, printed or electronic cards, printers, memory
expansion chips or cards, external keyboards
• calculator cases
For solutions to questions using , students may use the button on a scientific calculator or the approximate value 3.14.
An acceptable manipulative is any mathematical tool that can be used by a student to help convert abstract ideas into concrete
representations for the purpose of solving a problem (e.g., a ruler, tracing paper, pattern blocks, tiles and cubes, geoboards,
tangrams, counters, spinners, number lines). The manipulative cannot perform the mental conversion or provide the solution to
a problem. A multiplication table is not an acceptable manipulative for use in completing Part A (except as an accommodation)
or Part B.
8 Numerical Response
High 10–20%
Note that most of the questions on the mathematics test are placed in real-life contexts.
Teachers are encouraged to familiarize their students with the types of questions that will appear on the test. Released
materials from previously secured tests are available on the Alberta Education website.
Teachers are also encouraged to share the following information with their students to help them prepare for the Grade 9
Mathematics Provincial Achievement Test.
For the greatest benefit, special-format practice tests should be written under conditions similar to those of the corresponding
provincial achievement test. The same rules regarding the use of resources and devices should be followed.
Through the online field-test request system, teachers can create and modify field-test requests and check the status of these
requests. Information regarding the field-test process and the request system is available at Provincial Achievement Tests.
Once the completed requests are received by Provincial Assessment, classes will be selected to ensure that a representative
and sufficiently large sample of students from across the province take part in the field test. Every effort will be made to place
field tests as requested; however, because field tests are administered to a prescribed number of students, it may not be
possible to fill all requests.
Working groups
Teacher involvement in the development of provincial achievement tests is important because it helps to ensure the validity
and appropriateness of the assessments.
Teacher working groups are used throughout the test-development process to create raw forms of test questions and to review
and revise draft forms of provincial achievement tests. These working groups usually meet for one or two days, two or three
times per year. Occasionally, these meetings are held on weekends.
To be eligible to serve on a test-development working group, a teacher must currently be teaching the course in question or
must have taught the course within the past three years.
Teachers participating in working groups are selected from the working-group nominees approved by superintendents of
school jurisdictions. The call for nominations usually occurs in September. However, we will accept further nominations
throughout the year. In some subjects, more teachers may be nominated for working groups than are needed. When teachers
are selected, there must be a balance of first-time and experienced working-group members and regional representation by
zone, school authority, and school. Unfortunately, not everyone whose name is submitted will be selected.
Items in this category require students Items in this category involve more Items in this category make heavy
to rely heavily on recalling and flexibility of thinking and choice among demands on students by requiring
recognizing previously learned alternatives than those in the low- them to engage in more-abstract
concepts and principles. Items complexity category. Moderate- reasoning, planning, analysis,
typically specify what students are to complexity items require a response judgment, and creative thought. The
do, which is often to carry out some that goes beyond the habitual, is not following list illustrates some of the
procedure that can be performed specified, and may require more than a demands that items of high complexity
mechanically. Students would not be single step. The student is expected to may make of students.
expected to come up with original decide what to do, using informal
methods for finding a particular methods of reasoning and problem-
solution. The following list illustrates solving strategies, and to bring together
some of the demands that items of skills and knowledge from various
low complexity may make of students. domains. The following list illustrates
some of the demands that items of
moderate complexity may make of
students.
• Recall or recognize a fact, term, or • Solve a word problem requiring • Perform a procedure having multiple
property. multiple steps. steps and multiple decision points.
• Recognize an example of a • Compare figures or statements. • Analyze similarities and differences
concept. • Provide a justification for steps in a between procedures and concepts.
• Perform a specified procedure. solution process. • Formulate an original problem, given
• Evaluate an expression in an • Interpret a visual representation. a situation.
equation or a formula for a single • Retrieve information from a graph, • Solve a problem in more than one
variable. table, or figure and use it to solve a way.
• Solve a one-step word problem. problem requiring multiple steps. • Explain and justify a solution to a
• Draw or measure simple 2-D • Interpret a simple argument. problem.
shapes or 3-D objects. • Generalize a pattern. • Describe, compare, and contrast
• Retrieve information from a graph, solution methods.
table, or figure. • Formulate a mathematical model for
a complex situation.
• Analyze the assumptions made in a
mathematical model.
• Analyze or produce a deductive
argument.
• Provide a mathematical justification.
Low complexity
Moderate complexity
This appendix has been prepared by Alberta Education Provincial Assessment staff. Its purpose is to provide school staff with
examples of the descriptions of diagrams, illustrations, and visuals used in provincial achievement test audio versions, which
are available to students as an accommodation. These examples are neither exhaustive nor prescriptive. Test content is
shown in black text and descriptions in blue text.
For students who are enrolled with a school, and who typically use audio for their coursework, no application is required to
receive this accommodation when writing provincial achievement tests. Such students may have visual impairments, physical
disabilities, or learning disabilities. The audio version is used by students in conjunction with a print, digital, or Braille version of
the test.
Units
There is a table with two columns and four rows. The column headings are “Number of People, n” and “Cost, c.”
There is a grid representing the first quadrant of the Cartesian plane. The horizontal axis and vertical axis are scaled from zero
to twenty, marked and labelled in increments of one. Triangle ABC is located on the grid.
There is a line graph titled “Ethan’s Trip.” The horizontal axis is labelled “Time” in hours, scaled from zero to six, marked and
labelled in increments of one. The vertical axis is labelled “Distance travelled” in kilometres, scaled from zero to five hundred,
marked in increments of fifty and labelled in increments of one hundred. The dots have been connected in order by straight
lines.
There is a double bar graph titled “Track and Field Competition Results.” The horizontal axis is labelled “School” and from left
to right the bars are labelled “Central Elementary,” “École St. Patrice,” “Forest View,” “Summerfield Elementary,” “Walnut
Grove,” and “Wandering Creek School.” The vertical axis is labelled “Number of points,” scaled from zero to twenty-four,
marked in increments of two and labelled in increments of four.
Two bar graphs are shown. A legend shows that the blue bar graph represents 2014 and the red bar graph represents 2015.
There is a diagram of a number line that has arrows at each end with two labelled points indicated by solid, closed circles. The
number line is marked and labelled, reading from left to right, negative three, negative two, negative one; and there are seven
tick marks between each label. Point M is located two tick marks to the right of negative three. Point N is located three tick
marks to the right of negative two.
Numerical-response blanks
Order: Blank one; Rational Number: the square root of (pause) nine over twenty-five
Blank three: open bracket, zero decimal seven, closed bracket, exponent two
Blank four: zero decimal seven five with a bar over the digit five
*NEW Jessica Schultchen, Acting Director *NEW Jessica Schultchen, Acting Director
A French Assessment A Exam Administration
587-987-6237 587-987-6237
Email: Jessica.Schultchen@gov.ab.ca Email: Jessica.Schultchen@gov.ab.ca