- Jul 20, 2025
- 3 min read
Top 3 Self-Study Resources for the NCEA Numeracy Assessment
Updated for Term 3, 2026
What is the Numeracy CAA?
The Numeracy CAA, also known as the NCEA Numeracy Co-requisite, is the 10-credit assessment based on Level 4 of the NZ Math curriculum. It's usually taken by Year 10 or 11 students. Only 57% of students passed it in the most recent round (September 2025).
Where can I find resources to help prepare?
If you're looking for free Numeracy & Literacy resources (including our Numeracy Self-Evaluation Checklist), and other NCEA resources, check them out on our website. At Trajectory, we've been tutoring Christchurch students in these assessments since their inception in 2022, and we know exactly what works.
Outside of that, here are our top three picks. We're not affiliated with any of the resources we're about to recommend. These are just the resources we consistently use with our students at Trajectory Christchurch, and we know they work.
Past Exam Papers
If your child is only going to use one resource, let it be this. Past exam papers are the best representation of what they’ll actually face on test day.
Pros:
Free and easily accessible.
The most accurate preview of what the test looks like.
Excellent for building exam confidence and stamina.
Cons:
Some questions have been redacted due to copyright, which can be a pain. If you're looking for unredacted copies, feel free to reach out to us by email and we can supply them.
They’re a mixed bag. Not ideal for targeting specific skills.
Can be challenging if you don’t know what you’re doing yet.
How to get the most out of them:
If you/your child are feeling a bit daunted about diving right in to past exams, check out our free Numeracy Self- Evaluation Checklist first. It breaks the assessment down into all the required skills, and includes direct links to relevant past exam questions. Students can self-evaluate, track what they know, and highlight what still needs work.
Walkermaths: Numeracy Practice Workbook
~$10–15 from major booksellers
This workbook is built specifically to help students prepare for the CAA Numeracy test. It includes plenty of practice sets and uses question styles similar to what students will see in the assessment. It’s not topic-based, but great for general exposure.
Pros:
Solid for early prep, especially Year 9's and 10's just getting started.
Great for building confidence and routine.
Cons:
Doesn’t include the more complex “explain your thinking”-style questions (which do show up in the real test).
Slightly easier than the real deal.
Can’t target specific areas. Questions are shuffled across topics.
Best for:
Students who are just getting started.
Learnwell Numeracy Matters Workbook
~$25–30 from major booksellers
This workbook is grouped by topic, so if your child knows they need to work particularly on time calculations, or on metric units (for example), they can go straight to that section and drill it.
Pros:
Perfect for targeting specific skills.
Clear topic breakdown makes it easy to focus revision.
Includes full-length practice sets at the back.
Cons:
Slightly more expensive than other workbooks.
The real test format has evolved a little since this was released, so not all questions reflect the latest style.
Best for:
Students who already know what they need to work on and want focused, targeted revision. Combine this with past papers for best results.
Where to Begin
Start with past exam papers or our free Numeracy Self-Evaluation Checklist. If you find you need something more, buy one of the workbooks listed in this blog. You can usually find them pretty easily second-hand (Facebook Marketplace or TradeMe)!
If you’d rather not go it alone, we're here to help. We've been helping Christchurch students smash these assessments since 2022. Our 1:1 tutoring is led by tutors who understand these assessments inside and out. Learn more about our Numeracy & Literacy tutoring here.