Tests and scores

Updated 29 October 2026

Progress Test in Maths (PTM)

What GL's maths test covers, which level your child sits, what the score on the report means and how to help them prepare without wasting time on the wrong things.

What PTM tests

GL says PTM measures mathematical skills and knowledge in number, shape, data handling and algebra, as well as mathematical reasoning and problem solving. Each question is also linked to one of four ways of using maths, which GL reports on:

• Fluency in facts and procedures: recalling facts, times tables and number bonds, and doing straightforward calculations.
• Fluency in conceptual understanding: using an idea in a routine problem, reading charts and tables, and choosing the right operation in a simple word problem.
• Mathematical reasoning: drawing conclusions from information and building a chain of reasoning.
• Problem solving: turning a problem into maths, connecting different areas of maths and checking the answer makes sense.

How the test works

In the mental maths section, questions come in three groups that give 5, 10 or 15 seconds per question; then the question locks and the next one appears. The main test, which GL calls Applying and Understanding Maths, has no time limit. Both parts count towards the score, and they can be taken on different days within a week. Children get rough paper and a pencil for working out.

On the digital version, which runs on a computer or tablet, all instructions are given through headphones. Each part begins with example questions that children can go back and repeat.

Which PTM level your child sits

Levels from GL's international table. Year 7 sits level 12 because the start-of-secondary test PTM 11T is not available in the UAE. "International average" is the mean score of international schools in GL's 2023 benchmark table; the UK average is always 100. PTM 15 is standardised for international schools only.

In Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Years 4 to 10 sit PTM each year, usually in May or June. See GL Progress Tests explained for each emirate's rules and testing window.

What your child's PTM score means

The main number is the Standard Age Score (SAS): your child's mark adjusted for their exact age and compared with a national sample of UK children of the same age. 100 is average and the scale has a standard deviation of 15, so about two in three children score between 85 and 115.

Stanine bands are GL's. Percentiles are worked out from the SAS scale (average 100, standard deviation 15); the National Percentile Rank on your child's report comes from GL's own tables and can differ by a point or two.

Three things to keep in mind when you read the score:

• The class average is probably above 100. GL's benchmark shows international schools averaging between about 103 and 111 in PTM, depending on the level. A score of 104 can be perfectly normal in the UK and still below the middle of a Dubai class.
• Every score has a margin of error. For PTM 10, GL says there is a 90% chance that an average child's true score lies within 6 points either side. GL treats differences of less than 3 points as not significant.
• Progress is a separate line. If your child took PTM last year, the report also shows a progress category, from "much lower than expected" to "much higher than expected".

For the full explanation of SAS, stanines and percentiles, see GL Assessment scores explained.

PTM and CAT4

CAT4 measures reasoning, PTM measures maths learned. Many UAE schools give both, and GL's combination report compares the CAT4 quantitative reasoning score with the PTM score to flag children whose maths is higher or lower than their reasoning would suggest. A PTM score well below CAT4 can point to gaps in what has been covered; GL's report asks teachers to consider things like a change of school, attendance and whether the child is still learning English. See CAT4 scores explained.

How to prepare for PTM, honestly

PTM samples the maths taught during the school year, so steady work through the year is the preparation. There are no official practice papers for parents: GL only sells the test to schools. What does help:

• Quick recall of number facts. The mental maths section gives 5 to 15 seconds a question, so times tables and number bonds that come instantly make a real difference.
• Reading the question carefully. The main test is untimed. Encourage your child to use the rough paper, write the working down and check the answer makes sense, rather than rush.
• Filling gaps the school has spotted. If last year's report showed a weak area, work on that topic little and often.
• Knowing the format. Tell your child there are example questions at the start that they can repeat, and that they can raise a hand if the computer is not working. That removes most of the nerves.

GL also publishes free "links to national curricula" documents for each PTM level, on its support site's PTM downloads page. They show which parts of the UK curriculum the questions sample.