Federal government testing suggests around 10 per cent of teaching students have failed to meet required standards of literacy and numeracy.
About 5,000 students from around the country sat the pilot exam, which will officially be introduced to teaching degrees next year.
Julia Calixto reports.
There have been many advances in the teaching profession - including teaching methods, the use of technology, and an ever growing range of subjects.
But next year, students studying to be teachers will be required to brush up on the basics.
From July, a literacy and numeracy exam will be mandatory for teaching students across Australia.
Students will need to pass the test it in order to graduate.
Miriam Gillett has completed her first year of teaching at Mount Saint Benedict College in New South Wales.
She says basic skills are essential, no matter what subject you teach.
Absolutely, maintaining standards, keeping high standards. If teachers are writing resources, even writing on the whiteboard or in power-point, its showing examples and maintaining that standard and keeping it high. I think it's really important.
She says during her studies at university some of her peers appeared to struggle with basic literacy and numeracy skills.
There was an incredibly diverse range of people, mature aged students, 19, 20 year olds as well. The competency level varied immensely.
Nine out of ten participants passed the pilot exam -- a federal government initiative.
But that infers that, nationally, about 10 per cent of teaching students - failed.
The Principal of Mount Saint Benedict College, Maria Pearson, is hiring new teachers for next year.
She says the results are concerning.
I find that alarming that such as such a significant proportion of people graduating as teachers would not meet some basic literacy skills. That is a great concern and, obviously, one that does need to be addressed.
The Minister for Education and Training, Simon Birmingham, says the exam aims to raise the quality of teacher graduates.
We -- of course -- have introduced this reform because there were concerns about whether we were getting the right quality in terms of our teacher graduates. We want to make sure that every parent, every principal, has confidence in the capability of teacher graduates in the future.
It's hoped standardised national testing will encourage universities to allow only those students capable of ranking within the top 30 per cent of the population for numeracy and literacy to graduate.
Principal, Maria Pearson says universities and schools must also work in partnership to raise student performance and the standard of teaching courses being offered.
So that both schools and universities are able to have input into the qualities necessary for a successful teacher entering the profession.
