What TRACK Measures at Every Grade
A guide for teachers and parents · Grades 1–11 · English, Maths & Science
TRACK's question banks are organised by grade (the level of the work) and strand (the topic within a subject). As the assessment adapts, every question a child sees is drawn from the band they're being tested at — and the report shows exactly which strands carried the weaknesses. Here's what each band of the scale actually looks for.
Grades 1–3Learning to read, count, reason
Grades 4–6Reading to learn, computing fluently
Grades 7–9Abstraction: algebra, essays, processes
Grades 10–11Exam readiness and synthesis
Grades 1–3 · Early foundations
Ages ~5–8 · the years everything else stands on
English
- Word groups & vocabulary: sorting words into families (places, feelings, materials, habitats), opposites, and simple word meaning.
- Early reading comprehension: short sentences and micro-passages with direct questions — who, what, where.
- Grammar seeds: naming words, action words, one/plural, simple sentence order.
Mathematics
- Number sense: counting, comparing ("which is more?"), ordering, place value with tens and ones.
- Early operations: adding and subtracting within realistic ranges, often shown with pictures and number lines rather than bare digits.
- Shape, time & money: naming shapes by their sides, reading clock faces, simple coin problems.
Science
- Living things: what animals and plants need, grouping living and non-living.
- The senses & the body: which sense does which job.
- Everyday materials & weather: sorting by property, seasons, day and night.
Watch for: a Grade 2–3 child who still confuses b/d or can't
count past 20 without losing place. TRACK reads every question aloud in this band, so weak
reading doesn't masquerade as weak maths — one of the most common mis-labelings
in early years.
Grades 4–6 · Fluency and application
Ages ~9–11 · where gaps start to compound
English
- Comprehension with inference: not just "what happened" but "why did she do that" — the step many pupils stall at.
- Grammar proper: tenses, punctuation (apostrophes, speech marks), paragraph structure, prefixes and suffixes.
- Vocabulary in context: choosing the right word for the sentence, not the flashiest one.
Mathematics
- The multiplication pivot: tables through 12, then division as its mirror — the single strongest predictor of later maths confidence.
- Fractions & decimals: equivalence, comparison, simple addition.
- Measures & geometry: perimeter and area (with visuals that label edges, not mislead), angles, co-ordinates.
- Data: reading bar charts, pictograms and simple tables.
Science
- Life processes: plant and animal reproduction, food chains, habitats.
- Matter & energy: states of matter, simple circuits, light and shadow.
- Working scientifically: fair tests, what makes a prediction.
Watch for: the "Grade 4 cliff" — pupils whose number sense never
solidified meet fractions and collapse. A TRACK report showing strong Grade 3 bars and a
fractured Grade 4 bar is exactly this pattern, and it's far cheaper to fix at 9 than at 13.
Grades 7–9 · The abstraction leap
Ages ~12–15 · junior secondary, where subjects specialise
English
- Comprehension across genres: narrative, informational and persuasive passages, with vocabulary drawn from academic prose.
- Grammar at precision level: clauses, reported speech, active/passive, consistent tense in longer writing.
- Summary & purpose: identifying main ideas, tone and author's intent.
Mathematics
- Algebra proper: expressions, linear equations, inequalities, sequences.
- Ratio, proportion & percentages: the applied-arithmetic core of BECE-style exams.
- Geometry & measurement: angle rules, Pythagoras, area/volume of compound shapes.
- Statistics & probability: averages, spread, simple probability.
Science
- Biology: cells, systems of the body, ecosystems, photosynthesis.
- Chemistry: elements/compounds/mixtures, physical vs chemical change, acids and bases.
- Physics: forces, energy transfer, electricity (current, voltage, resistance), and graph interpretation.
Watch for: a pupil who "is fine at maths" until algebra appears —
TRACK separates the number strands from the algebra strands, so the report can
say precisely "secure arithmetic, unstable algebra" rather than a vague 58%.
Grades 10–11 · Senior readiness
Ages ~16–17 · the exam years
- English: dense passages, summary writing judgements, figurative language, register and tone — the comprehension skills WASSCE rewards.
- Mathematics: simultaneous equations, functions and graphs, trigonometry, circle theorems, probability distributions.
- Science: quantitative physics (formula manipulation), mole calculations, genetics, and multi-step data questions.
Watch for: speed. At this band, TRACK's 20-question mock exam
(15 seconds per question, no feedback) is the honest rehearsal — many pupils who know the
content still bleed marks to pacing. A strong gauge level with a weak mock score is a
time-management finding, not a knowledge one.
How age maps to the scale
| Age | TRACK starts at | But adapts from there |
|---|---|---|
| 5–6 | Grade 1 | The starting point is only a doorway. A 13-year-old reading at Grade 5 walks down to where the foundations cracked; an 8-year-old who is years ahead climbs toward Grade 6+. Every estimate comes from the child's answers, never their age. |
| 7 | Grade 2 | |
| 8 | Grade 3 | |
| 9–10 | Grade 4–5 | |
| 11–13 | Grade 6–8 | |
| 14–17 | Grade 9–11 |
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Prefer the method first? Read how the level gauge works.