How to create a Topic readiness check in Mathspace

Use a Topic readiness check to check if your students are ready to begin a new topic. This short, adaptive diagnostic targets the key prerequisite skills and provides a readiness report, so you can plan your lessons with confidence.

What is a Topic readiness check?

The Topic readiness check is a short, topic-specific diagnostic task available in every Mathspace textbook topic. It’s designed to:

• Assess your students’ readiness for a specific topic

• Target only the prerequisite outcomes — no off-topic questions

• Take 15 minutes or less to complete (maximum 15 questions)

• Adapt across multiple year levels to meet students where they are

• Provide instant, actionable reporting once students finish

When should I assign a Topic readiness check?

We recommend assigning a Topic readiness check before starting a new topic. It’s especially helpful when you want to:

• Quickly check if your class is ready to move forward

• Identify gaps in prerequisite knowledge

• Plan your next steps: whether that’s revising, remediating, or diving into new content

How to assign a Topic readiness check

Follow these steps to assign a Topic readiness check to your class:

1. Open your class textbook
   Go to the Mathspace textbook for the class you’re teaching.

2. Select a topic
   Choose the topic you plan to begin. You’ll find Topic readiness checks available for most topics.

3. Click on the 'Topic readiness check:'  and ‘+ Assign’
   Use the Assign Task button from the topic page.

   

4. Adjust task settings (optional)
   You can set a due date, time limit or assign to specific student groups.

5. Click ‘Assign’
   The task will appear in your students’ dashboards right away.

Video Examples:

How to view the readiness report

Once students complete the Topic readiness check, the readiness report is generated automatically.

To view the report:

• Go to the topic where the Topic readiness check was assigned

• Click on the task to open the Topic readiness check report

The report shows:

• Overall class readiness

• Mastery of each prerequisite outcome

• Individual student results and skill gaps

• A Growth tab to track progress across follow-up tasks

You can revisit this report at any time during or after the topic.

Example Reports:

Topic readiness check Report	Topic readiness check Growth Report

Common questions

Can I reassign a Topic readiness check?
Yes, but the original results will be replaced with the new responses.

Will students see their scores?
Yes, students receive feedback on questions and their score.

Can I preview the Topic readiness check questions?
You can see all questions and student responses once the task is complete. Topic readiness check questions are drawn adaptively, so each student may see a slightly different set.

Tips for using Topic readiness check results

• Use the report to group students for revision

• Assign follow-up tasks for any prerequisite outcomes not mastered

• Track progress in the Growth tab after post-tests or practice

• Return to the report throughout the topic to guide your teaching

Need help?

If you have any questions about Topic readiness check or need support, contact our team via the in-platform Help chat or reach out to your Mathspace representative.