Can you do the math? This test paper made school students cry in New Zealand

Students said a school-level mathematics examination in New Zealand was so tough that it made some of them cry.

New Zealand has launched an investigation after a secondary school examination reportedly left Class 11 students in tears over questions too complex for their syllabus.

The NZQA mathematics test was a “disaster for the second year in a row”, a teacher said. (iStockphoto)

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority has been criticised by students, parents and teachers for the “far too difficult” algebra examination that was held on Monday, a Stuff.co.nz report said.

Another report said the NZQA mathematics test was a “disaster for the second year in a row”, prompting the country’s education minister to ask for a “full report on the matter”.

“NCEA seems to be experimenting with a new format for their Tables, Equations, and Graphs paper. But 2017’s Year 11 students, do not want to be guinea pigs for a National Certificate that their future schooling and careers will be based off of,” New Zealand Herald quoted a teacher, Talia Thomas, as saying.

Several teachers said the test included questions not covered in the syllabus and longwinded instructions.

“In total, out of about probably over 15 questions, I answered probably two or three like a lot of other people I talked to after. I also know a lot of people just left the paper completely blank,” a student who took the test told New Zealand Herald.

Here is a section of the test paper released by the NZQA and uploaded on Scribd by stuffnewsroom.

91031-exm-2017 by stuffnewsroom on Scribd