[Insert year level] Mathematics Australian Curriculum v9.0: Using complexity and familiarity to create questions in Mathematics

This resource uses the QCAA Mathematics standards elaborations to create questions with different levels of complexity and familiarity, which are used to describe the discernible differences between performance levels.

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Step 1:	Identify the aspect/s of the achievement standard that are the focus for the assessment. This will be identified in planning documents.

Step 2:	Use QCAA Mathematics standards elaborations (Notes section — Table 1) to locate the achievement standard aspects, related content descriptions, examples of evidence and mathematical proficiencies. Record the information in the table below. This helps determine the degree of complexity.

Aspect of the achievement standard	Related content description/s	Examples of evidence	Mathematical proficiencies
[Insert the achievement standard aspect]	[Insert the related content description]	[Insert the example]	[Insert the mathematical proficiency]

Step 3:	Refer to planning documents to consider the students’ learning experiences and assumed knowledge. This helps determine the degree of familiarity.

Step 4:	Apply the following descriptions from the QCAA Mathematics standards elaborations (Notes section — Table 2) to the identified curriculum content and student learning experiences to create your questions.

Complex unfamiliar (A or equivalent)	Complex familiar (B or equivalent)	Simple familiar (C or equivalent)
In questions of this degree of difficulty, students respond to situations where: relationships and interactions have a number of elements, such that connections are made with subject matter within and/or across the strands of mathematics all the information to solve the problem is not immediately identifiable, that is the required procedure is not clear from the way the problem is posed, and in a context in which students have had limited prior experience. Students interpret, clarify and analyse problems to develop responses.	In questions of this degree of difficulty, students respond to situations where: relationships and interactions have a number of elements, such that connections are made with subject matter within and/or across the strands of mathematics all of the information to solve the problem is identifiable, that is the required procedure is clear from the way the problem is posed, or in a context that has been a focus of prior learning. Some interpretation, clarification and analysis will be required to develop responses.	In questions of this degree of difficulty, students respond to situations where: relationships and interactions are obvious and have few elements all of the information to solve the problem is identifiable, that is the required procedure is clear from the way the problem is posed, or in a context that has been a focus of prior learning. Students are not required to interpret, clarify and analyse problems to develop responses.
To create complex unfamiliar questions: consider the number of identifiable connections students must make with the subject matter ensure all the information to solve the problem is not immediately identifiable so that students draw on multiple proficiencies use a context in which students have had limited, or no, prior experience do not break the question into scaffolded parts.	To create complex familiar questions: use the related content descriptions to draw upon more proficiencies consider the number of identifiable connections students must make with the subject matter use a familiar context that has been a focus in teaching and learning programs do not break the question into scaffolded parts.	To create simple familiar questions: use the achievement standard aspect, with related proficiency/ies as the benchmark ensure the required procedure is clear from the way the problem is posed use a familiar context that has been a focus in teaching and learning programs if the question involves multiple steps, break it into scaffolded parts.

Step 5:	Record questions and annotations in the following table. Insert rows as required.

Complexity annotations	Complex unfamiliar questions (A or equivalent)	Familiarity annotations	Complexity annotations	Complex familiar questions (B or equivalent)	Familiarity annotations	Complexity annotations	Simple familiar questions (C or equivalent)	Familiarity annotations
Students make connections between [enter text]. Interpretation is required to develop a response.	[Enter text]	Students make connections between [enter text]. Some interpretation is required to develop a response.	All the information to solve the problem is identifiable. The required procedure is clear from the way the problem is posed. The context is familiar to students [enter text].	Students [enter text].	All the information to solve the problem is identifiable. The required procedure is clear from the way the problem is posed. The context is familiar to students [enter text].

Step 6:	Engage in professional conversations to ensure there is a shared understanding across the teaching team. Review the questions to enhance validity, accessibility and reliability.

Using complexity and familiarity to create questions in Mathematics template originally published by State of Queensland (QCAA) 2025 | CC BY 4.0

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