Frequently Asked Questions

This page is designed to help you understand more about NFER Online Assessments (NOA) and how NOA has been designed to suit your assessment needs for Key Stage 2. 

Is NOA replacing NFER Tests (paper-based)?

No. NOA adds to our existing portfolio of tests for Key Stage 2 to provide you with a choice of which format best suits your needs. 

What is a token?

NFER Online Assessments (NOA) can be purchased as tokens or as a subscription. Each token represents one individual assessment. For example, a Year 3, Autumn, Maths token will include access to the three test papers that comprise the overall assessment: arithmetic paper and mathematical reasoning papers 1 and 2.

Tokens can be purchased on a termly basis and there is no maximum limit to the number of tokens you can purchase.

What are passcodes?

Passcodes are the passwords given to pupils to start their assessments. Teachers assign pupils passcodes from their pool of tokens or subscription (s) via the NOA Establishment Portal. Teachers can chose to select whether passcodes appear in either word or numerical format e.g. noatest for word; 304940 for numerical.

Can we purchase both paper and online assessments?

Both NOA and NFER’s paper-based assessments for years 1-6 can be used together to best suit the needs of your organisation.

For the live launch in September we will also share some guidance for NFER Analysis Tool users on interpreting data across both NOA assessments and NFER Tests.

Is NOA available in other year groups?

NOA tokens and subscriptions will be available for years 3 and 4 Reading and Maths from September 2024 with years 5 and 6 in Reading and Maths due for launch in Autumn 2025.

What percentage of assessment is auto-marked vs teacher-marked?

The majority of the test will be auto marked to save valuable teacher time. No more than 30% of the test will be teacher-marked to allow teachers to gain a first-hand view of pupil answers. Any reports relying on the standardisation data will not be available until all the tests are fully marked. Auto-marked answers will be available to view instantly.

We also have a small selection of auto-marked verified questions, these are auto-marked initially but teachers have the option to check they are happy with marks awarded/not awarded and make amendments if they wish.

Do I need to purchase a separate teacher guide?

No. NOA comes with an on-screen teacher administration guide included in the price to help teachers navigate their way easily through the assessments and Reporting Tool. These guides will be available via our Helpdesk page when the product launches in September.

Which devices are compatible with NOA?

NOA can be used on either desktop or tablet Windows or Mac devices with the latest versions of either Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari.

We follow a particular curriculum, will we be able to use NOA?

NOA has been written for the current national curriculum and questions reflect what pupils should be familiar with by that time in the academic year. The standardisation sampling includes pupils following different curricula in individual schools. This helps produce valid standardised scores from a wide range of pupils.

Which reports are available once my pupils have completed their assessments?

In the initial suite of reports teachers will have access to six different reports including:

1. Individual Attainment
2. Attainment – summary
3. Curriculum area – summary
4. Curriculum area – all learners
5. Question level – summary
6. Question level – all learners

Additional reports will be launched throughout the academic years ahead and will include: Age-Related Expectations and Common Error Diagnostic reports.

Can we pay by invoice?

As with all NFER materials, payments can be taken via invoice or credit card. Payment will not be taken until the autumn term.

How quickly do I get access to NOA after purchasing?

Upon purchasing NOA you will receive an email with your login details and information on how to access your school/Trust’s account on the NOA Establishment Portal.

When and how was NOA standardised?

The standardisation trials for Years 3 and 4 took place in November 2022 (Autumn), March 2023 (Spring), and June 2023 (Summer). Over 30,000 completed assessments made up the standardisation sample for years 3 and 4.

The standardisation trials for Years 5 and 6 will take place from November 2024.

I am a tutor/carer, can I purchase NOA?

NOA is only available for purchase by schools and Multi Academy Trusts to ensure that results remain valid and robust.

How long will the tests take?

Can I view a demonstration of NOA?

Yes, you can sign-up for your own video sample of either or both Reading and Maths materials and can also register for one of our free product webinars.

How long are tokens valid for?

Tokens are valid for 365 days from the point of purchase.

How long are subscriptions valid for?

One-year subscriptions will be valid for 365 days from the point of purchase,

We plan to launch three-year subscriptions from Autumn 2025 and these will be valid for 1095 days from the point of purchase.

Glossary of Terms

• NOA Establishment Portal – the online platform where Admin and Establishment Teachers of NOA can administer all purchased NOA products, including adding new and amending existing users (in the case of Establishment Administrators), uploading class lists, launching assessments, and viewing assessment data and reports via the NOA Reporting Tool.

• NOA Learner Portal - the online platform where learners undertake the NOA tests.

• NOA Reporting Tool – this refers to the assessment reporting function that sits within the NOA Establishment Portal and where Establishment Administrators/Teachers Users can view data and reports based on completed NOA assessments. Note, this is not to be confused with the “NFER Tests Analysis Tool” which is a separate tool used to record results and view assessment data and reports for our paper-based assessments.

• Subscription – a product option for customers who want to subscribe to one year’s/three years’ worth of NOA assessments. Each subscription will cover the subject and the three terms within the academic year: Autumn, Spring, and Summer.

• Token – a credit equivalent to the value of per pupil.

• Test – an individual test being a component of an Assessment e.g., Maths, Mathematical Reasoning – Paper 2.

Want to find out more about NOA?

Visit our NOA home-page to get your own video sample.