By Year 7,the proportion of Score 4 performances increased for all three groups of questions.This increase was not offset by an equivalent fall in the proportion of Score 0 performances which fell only slightly from Year 5&6 to Year 7.The increase in Score 4 performances in the Year 7 cohort was matched by reductions in the proportion of Scores 2 and 3.Although the Japanese mathematics curriculum seems to favour the development of relational approaches among many students,many other students still seem unable to or prefer not to use them.