LANTITE Literacy: Format, Question Types and What to Expect

The LANTITE Literacy component tests two distinct skill areas in a single 120-minute session. Understanding how it is structured before you sit is one of the most straightforward ways to stop the format from surprising you on the day.

The Basics

Detail	Literacy Component
Total questions	65
Time allowed	120 minutes
Question formats	Multiple-choice and short answer
Extended writing required	No
Penalty for wrong answers	No

Source: ACER: About the test

Two Areas, One Session

The 65 questions cover two skill areas:

• Reading: roughly two-thirds of the questions (approximately 44)
• Technical Skills of Writing (TSW): roughly one-third of the questions (approximately 21)

Both are in the same session. There is no hard barrier between them the way Numeracy has between its two sections.

Reading: What It Tests

Reading questions are based on written passages. ACER organises the reading section around three cognitive processes:

Process	What it requires
Access and identify	Locate explicitly stated information in the text
Integrate and interpret	Connect ideas across the passage, understand implied meaning, interpret word choice
Evaluate and reflect	Assess the purpose of a section, author intent, or stance

The passages come from three broad text type categories:

• Procedural, regulatory, and technical materials: instructions, policies, guidelines
• Descriptive, informative, and persuasive texts: articles, reports, opinion pieces
• Narrative texts: stories or accounts

Multiple questions refer to the same passage. In the online test, quoted text within a question is hyperlinked back to its location in the passage, so you can check the source quickly.

Technical Skills of Writing: What It Tests

TSW is the section most candidates underestimate. It does not ask you to write anything. Instead, you are shown text and asked to identify correct or incorrect usage across four areas:

• Syntax and grammar: sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, tense consistency
• Spelling: recognising correctly and incorrectly spelled words
• Word usage: choosing the right word for the context
• Text organisation: logical flow, paragraph structure, coherence

These questions test recognition, not production. You are not asked to write a sentence or fix a paragraph from scratch. You identify which option is correct, which word is misspelled, or which version of a sentence is grammatically sound.

The difficulty is that this kind of recognition requires specific, reliable knowledge. Knowing that something "sounds right" is not enough under timed conditions. Candidates who have not actively studied grammar since secondary school often find this section harder than Reading.

Question Formats You Will See

All 65 questions are either multiple-choice or short answer. There is no extended writing at any point. Typical formats include:

• Four-option multiple-choice (A, B, C, D): the most common format
• True/False or Yes/No grids: a set of statements about a passage, each answered True/False or Yes/No
• Short answer: type a word, number, or short phrase (not a sentence or paragraph)

Time Management Across 65 Questions

120 minutes for 65 questions gives you under 2 minutes per question on average. In practice, access-and-identify reading questions are faster. Evaluate-and-reflect questions and TSW questions take longer because they require closer reading or more precise judgment.

ACER advises against spending excessive time on individual questions. If a question is taking too long, mark it for review using the question tracker and move on. You can return to flagged questions before time expires.

There is no penalty for wrong answers. Every question should be attempted, even if you are not certain.

Where Most Candidates Lose Marks

TSW is the most common weak area. Reading comprehension is a skill most candidates use daily. Grammar rules, spelling patterns, and text organisation conventions are not. If you have not actively revised this material, targeted TSW practice is the highest-return investment you can make in your literacy preparation.

Evaluate and reflect questions catch people out. These questions ask about author intent, the purpose of a text section, or the stance behind an argument. They cannot be answered by locating a specific sentence. They require you to step back and assess the text as a whole, which takes more time and a different kind of thinking.

Technical text types can be dense. Procedural and regulatory texts such as policies, guidelines, and instructions are written to be precise rather than readable. Practising with this kind of material before your test makes it feel more familiar on the day.

All facts on this page are sourced directly from teacheredtest.acer.edu.au. For the latest test information, always refer to the ACER website.