You may have clicked onto this article because you or someone you know wants to get into a Selective School.
Well then, you've come to the right place. When I started preparing for the exam in early 2021, I was utterly lost. You see, I had:
- parents who refused to pay for tutoring
- never passionately studied or been the smartest in the class
- a school that I had to dedicate my time to as well as study for Selective Entry
- a 3-year-old brother who was very noisy and too cute for me to focus on my studies
- mental and physical health problems
- oh, and absolutely no clue on what I needed to do to prepare for the test.
So if you are in a similar situation, this guide is likely to get you through. After all, I received my offer for Mac. Robertson Girls' High School five days ago! A friend of mine didn't get into the Selective Entry school she wanted, even with years of tutoring, and she was crushed-that's why I want to help others.
Anyway, I'll get on with the advice-giving. But first and foremost, ask yourself these questions:
Am I passionate about my education and my future?
Am I doing this for my benefit?
Am I a dedicated learner?
Am I at least learning at my year level? (e.g. if you are in year 8 are you at least capable of passing year 8 mathematics and English?)
For me, my answer would have been a yes to all these questions and that determination was essentially what kept me going through the whole year to succeed.
The Selective Entry test consists of 5
tests-Verbal and Numerical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, and either Persuasive or Creative writing. You can find more about the tests and how long they take on the link provided-I recommend you try the practice tests to see how well you do, but the actual exam isn't quite like the sample tests provided (more on that later).
Some general advice that really, really helped me was to:
- move on when you're stuck on a question. Trust me, you only have 30 minutes for each test, and for the multiple-choice tests that means you only have 30 seconds for each question. Time is precious, and when you skip the question (remember to come back to it later though, or at least guess randomly before time runs out) you may even find another question that will help you solve the one you had trouble with previously.
- PRACTICE TESTS PRACTICE TESTS. These test all the skills-time management, your own mathematics/English skills, problem-solving under pressure. Plus they simulate a real testing environment. I typically had to do these while my brother watched Cocomelon and the vacuum was in the background-I like to think that it's helped me mentally ward off distractions. You're working at around GCSE level so this resource was wonderful and even came with explanations for different topics. Use all practice tests you can, not just those reserved for selective entry(unless you are lucky enough to have a tutor who spoon-feeds you practice tests). The end of this article contains all the other practice test resources I used. For the writing section, I just looked for writing prompts for both persuasive and creative essays, and I slowly improved my time management and writing ability by just writing lots. Additionally, it's a great feeling to see your scores improve the more practice tests you do.
- Bring a jacket on testing day(the testing hall is cold), and don't sweat it. It's really not the end of the world if you don't get in and whatever result you get doesn't reflect your true ability. I had to learn this the sort-of-hard way-I drank my first cup of coffee to give myself an 'energy boost' and got caffeine shock before the exam (fever, vomiting, all that stuff). I still got in anyway, but I would have done better if I hadn't worried so much. This means no last-minute revision too-stresses you out even more.
- Use active recall methods consistently (so that you don't forget the content). I never went a day without studying, even in the hospital (because I was insane) but I reckon you just have to study regularly and often-and mix up topics so you're improving in every area. Figure out how you learn (e.g. are you a visual learner?) and utilise that information. And research the best learning techniques. Focus on your weaknesses-bonus points if you have the guts to ask your teachers for help or for resources. After all, they're there to help you learn. I made notes for questions I got wrong on practice tests and tried to figure out the correct answer. Don't over study, by the way, because burnout is real and it is much worse than not studying at all.
- READ THE QUESTION FIRST! This applies to every test. For reading comprehension, this helps you know what details to look for so that you don't have to immerse yourself in the text and waste time. The same goes for the other multiple-choice tests-question first, then explanation if needed. You'll be able to identify if you also need to read the explanation just in case it's important but sometimes you can just answer questions with no prior information (e.g. some reading comp. tests ask for the meaning of a word that is included in an article-if you know your vocabulary you can answer straight away).
Verbal Reasoning tests measure your ability to comprehend how language works and figure out word puzzles (test your vocab abilities-I used
Vocabulary.com - Learn Words - English Dictionary and read a lot, of course.) You can buy a word puzzle book, it helps with your analytical skills.
Venn diagrams, or diagrams in general, are ideal for figuring out questions and you could even write down the alphabet while they hand out papers because there are alphabet-related problems.
Numerical Reasoning tests are not like the Mathematics tests. They're more like Verbal Reasoning, in the way they test your reasoning skills and problem-solving more than they do with your Mathematical ability. Here is one example of a commonly used problem and a useful method to solve it:
You need quick thinking-and as for any other test, watch out for trick questions and unnecessary wording in tests that slow you down. You should also draw diagrams to make sense of wordy or complex questions.
The Mathematics Test was by far the one I prepared for the most. If you're learning at the average level for your grade then even the sample test can seem a bit daunting. However, you'll often find that the different topics are interconnected. You need the right learning approach, learning tools, and basic arithmetic. Apparently, the test contains mostly year 9 content with a bit of year 10 (this applies to the test that takes place in year 8), but I'm not sure that's quite accurate (more on that later). You should study area and surface area formulas, distance rate speed word problems, index laws, basically all of the content for those years. It's also a good idea to invest time in improving your arithmetic and your speed. It's one thing to know all the formulas, but another thing to be ridiculously slow on testing day.
Reading Comprehension requires you to be a fast reader with a good memory and analytical skills. For this I did a lot of practice tests and reading. This was actually one of the hardest topics for me because it's a bit more abstract than maths where you have formulas and theorems to set you straight. I guess all you need is practice and patience for this one. Learn to skim the text yet still remember important info.
We didn't have writing for the 2021 Selective Entry Test, but it was kind of a shame because some said it would have given us a good boost when it comes to scores. For persuasive you need to have good structure (TEEL PARAGRAPHS ARE YOUR BEST FRIEND) and good arguments no matter what topic you have. An extensive vocabulary isn't a must, but it's highly beneficial if you want to sound professional and be more convincing. Get whoever you can (teachers, parents) to read your essays and give you feedback. Also-I typically took about 5 minutes per paragraph, give or take. As for creative, reading is a must. Challenge yourself by reading harder texts. Write lots. Utilise the five senses in your writing, and whatever other writing skills you can pick up on. Pay attention in your English classes at school-they're likely to give you the skills and practice you need. And one thing to note-it's better to finish your writing than have an unfinished paragraph with unnecessary detail. Have clear structure in your writing-the examiners love that.
My Experience of Testing Day:
Yes, I was sick the whole morning but I swear it cleared up almost immediately as I stepped out of the car. Perhaps it was the adrenaline. At least I didn't stress myself out with revising on the way, or the night before. Sleep is precious and you shouldn't sacrifice it if you are going to be tired on the day. I sort of regained my composure in the testing hall, that helped-oh, and even though I vomited out my snacks later, it was good to have a snack and not have a rumbling stomach during the exam. I also made sure to hydrate well and go to the bathroom. This seems like unnecessary information but you do not want a full bladder or an empty stomach during an important exam. I recommend going to the bathroom at home if you can-the toilets at the testing site were a bit manky.
We reread and reread the information booklet regarding the testing day and it definitely helped. It is imperative that you bring everything required and that you don't bring what they don't want you to. Don't worry too much about location-people guided me to where I needed to be.
As for the tests, we had ours in two chunks-Verbal and Numerical Reasoning, a break, and then Mathematics and Comprehension. Everyone I asked felt that numerical reasoning was surprisingly harder than they thought and each question was too time-consuming for such a constrained time limit, so when they say time's up for that you have a 10/5 minute's warning(as they give you warnings before the tests are over) fill in the rest of the sheet like crazy with random answers (fun fact-choose B the most, it's scientifically the most correct answer on multiple-choice tests). The math test was also surprisingly hard and although I think there was the year 9/10 material there as promised it was a bit time-consuming for only 30 seconds per question so guessing was my best friend at that point. The sample tests were a bit too easy for what they actually barrelled us with on testing day so that's why doing so many practice tests came in handy for unexpected occasions. Reading Comprehension was the easiest by far (surprise!), maybe because I had practiced a lot for that. I even had time to check and correct some answers. Verbal reasoning was so-so. I think I did well-I'll update this when I get my scores for each test, but at least I could do most of the questions with ease. Some of the word puzzles are different from what you get on the sample tests, but at least there was some familiarity. By the way, here's no working out paper! I secretly did some light working out on my booklet because it wastes time to solve problems mentally or flip to the other side of my answer sheet just to scribble down a few numbers.
UPDATE
Scores were released today (20/12/21)! I got Superiors (top 11% of the population) for every subject apart from Numerical Reasoning (top 17%, high average). I suppose I expected to do worse in Numerical Reasoning, but it was a bit surprising to get the other results.
Resources
General information and more on preparation
Read forums and blogs on others' experiences, wherever you can find them.
Verbal Reasoning practice
Maths + free Practice tests
Finally, NSW Selective Practice Tests that were quite useful
