Earlier this week the Regional Universities Network (RUN) urged new Minister for Education and Training Senator Simon Birmingham to make sure students did not have to travel hundreds of kilometres to capital cities in order to sit the tests.

Mr Birmingham said test delivery arrangements were yet to be finalised but flexible access to the tests was a priority.

"Important to us in establishing 2016 arrangements is that the test will be delivered flexibly, will allow for resits for students not initially successful, and will take into account a wide range of special considerations and circumstances, including ensuring appropriate access is in place for students who study in regional and remote locations," he said.

"It is the Australian government's expectation that from 1 July 2016 the cost of sitting the test will be the responsibility of the students, and that these costs will be confirmed in the coming months and communicated to students through their university.

"There will be no additional cost to sit the test for students in regional or remote locations, or for students who require special consideration due to disability."

The proposal for the tests followed a Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group report suggesting employers were concerned about the classroom readiness of teacher education graduates and, as a result, a national literacy and numeracy test was a key recommendation of the group's report.

The tests, to be provided by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) were expected to come into effect from July next year.

The minister said they would measure aspects of literacy and numeracy able to be assessed in an online test and "provide assurance and confidence that students graduating from initial teacher education programs will meet the requirement that they have personal literacy and numeracy skills in the top 30 per cent of the population".

Students who failed either the literacy or numeracy component would be offered "targeted support" by their university with a view to being able to re-sit the tests at a later stage.

RUN executive director Dr Caroline Perkins said the organisation was not opposed to the idea of the test if it ensured teachers graduated with acceptable literacy and numeracy standards, but it had wanted to state publicly it did not want regional students disadvantaged.

It also questioned who would pay for the implications of failure of a significant number of students.