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March 28, 2024, 07:59:57 pm

Author Topic: Applying for JMSS Yr 11  (Read 14340 times)  Share 

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#inori

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Applying for JMSS Yr 11
« on: March 02, 2014, 01:47:05 pm »
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Hi everyone I'm new to this forum so I don't know how things work here  :-\ anyways I've applied for Jmss about a month ago and I have to idea what to study for. I've heard that the Yr 11 selective exams are different from the Yr 10 exams. Can anyone give me tips and advices for this situation?  :'(

Hannibal

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Re: Applying for JMSS Yr 11
« Reply #1 on: March 02, 2014, 02:04:48 pm »
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Hey :)
I am trying for Year 10 entry. I think learning the Year 10 curriculum for maths and science should be sufficient, and trying to cram as many practise tests as possible!

Good luck, let me know if you need anything.
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Hannibal

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Re: Applying for JMSS Yr 11
« Reply #2 on: March 02, 2014, 02:18:09 pm »
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One more thing - Sorry for double post  :-\.
I recommend buying some ICAS papers for Science & Maths. They are pretty cheap although you only get 4 practise papers of each... Which sort of sucks. Also if possible try and write scientific essays on random topics, ask your friends or people on AN for topics if you don't want to pick your own. :)
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#inori

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Re: Applying for JMSS Yr 11
« Reply #3 on: March 02, 2014, 03:00:37 pm »
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Thanks for your reply Hannibal, I wish you luck for your exams :)

#inori

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Re: Applying for JMSS Yr 11
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2014, 03:11:35 pm »
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But I would like to hear out from those who transferred from yr 10 as their original school to yr 11 at jmss :-/

Butterscotch

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Re: Applying for JMSS Yr 11
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2014, 03:43:01 pm »
+1
Hey '#inori',

Firstly, welcome to the forums! :)

From what I have heard, the Year 10 ---> 11 entry is very similar in terms of the content in Maths and Science Reasoning. Idk if it's true or not, but there are some rumors saying the Year 11 entry differs from the Year 10 formatting - Apparently, the Year 11 one only has 1 essay and 2 Science Reasoning tests.

My advice is to have a read of the other threads in this section relating to JMSS and its entry (There are quite a LOT of informative ones). Other than that, have strong foundation and passion in Maths and Science.

Good Luck! :))

achre

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Re: Applying for JMSS Yr 11
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2014, 03:55:29 pm »
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Hey, I transferred from year 10 to year 11 JMSS back in 2011. As near as I can tell, the testing requirements are identical to the year 10 entry. (I can't say for sure, I never sat the year 10 test, and of course, this was three years ago) Anecdotally, year 11 entry is actually easier than year 10 entry, because apparently less people sit it. I only say this because I felt sure I absolutely bombed the maths section of the test, but still got asked back for an interview. And because I've heard students say it a lot.

Pointless story about how I made a terrible first impression on the JMSS maths department that set me up for an even worse two years of maths hell with the school
So basically there are two math tests you have to do, tech free and tech active. The tech free one goes for about half an hour and they stress to you at the beginning of the test that you only have to do 'x' number of pages (5 or 6) and that you should not (they were very earnest about this point) do any questions beyond the particular page. So I started the first maths test, and it went pretty well, finished within the time limit, felt good about the majority of the questions (simple stuff, hardest questions were on ratios and quadratics, you know the kind). Then we started on the tech active. That went similarly well, I wasn't super confident in my use of CAS, being only in year 10, but I managed with most of it. Finished really, really quickly. Sat back, feeling kind of smug considering everyone else was still writing. I literally just sat there for ten - fifteen straight minutes before I realised my multiple choice answer sheet had bubbles that went well beyond whatever question I had stopped writing at: you were only meant to stop after so-and-so many pages for the first test. Started freaking out, tried to catch up, realised there was no chance of me catching up with the amount of time left, shaded 'B' for every other answer on the test, and sat there feeling dejected for the last minute of the test, confident I wasn't getting in.
Long story short (too late) about a month and a half later they called me up and asked me back for an interview.
Supplementary story of how badly I stuffed up my interview (for current/past JMSS students)
I had Mr. Chisolm and Ms. Abels as my interviewers. They asked me what my least favourite subject was. On reflex I answered "geography".
#stillgotin
#y o l o

A good general knowledge of year 10 & 11 science should see you through the science component. I say year 11 because for the essay portion, if you're doing a 1/2 science subject, you will be in a very good place to absolutely smash it. I remember I sketched a cell and talked about the function of the organelles for the biology themed question, while most other kids picked the chemistry question about the periodic table and wracked their brains to come up with something to talk about for groups and periods haha. Remember this also assesses your communication skills, if you've ever sat the MHS test, it's sort of the analogue of their creative essay. I also say year 11 level because some of the questions address science topics not covered under the VELS curriculum. (I had no idea what 'work' was in physics, nor did I know anything about partial pressure, but there were still questions about them) All that being said, it's not an assessment of how many textbooks you've read - it's your ability to reason scientifically. The answer will either be somewhere in the question, or in the way you should be able to tell that the wrong answers are wrong.

If you've kept up to date with your class in maths, you should be all good. There is absolutely nothing on the test beyond year 10 math. If you're up to quadratics and you grasp them, should be all good. Maybe brush up on surds, pythagoras, ratios, simultaneous equations and financial maths (yes, I was as surprised as anyone that they expected me to remember how to calculate compound interest) if you feel rusty in any of this.

As for the interview, don't try to impress. I mean, do, bring your awesome report and achievments from school, but don't fake a passion for science. When they ask you why you want to come to JMSS or what you want to do in the future, don't say something about global warming or cancer research - unless those are things you really care about and can explain why you're interested in it and what you think going to JMSS is going to do about it. Being genuine is a really good look, as they already know you're a super genius prodigy intellectual (you got the interview from the test, remember?), now they want to know if you're going to fit in at the school.

Good luck and don't push yourself too hard, just keep doing well at school and pay heaps of attention in science and math :)

#inori

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Re: Applying for JMSS Yr 11
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2014, 04:21:27 pm »
0

Hey, I transferred from year 10 to year 11 JMSS back in 2011. As near as I can tell, the testing requirements are identical to the year 10 entry. (I can't say for sure, I never sat the year 10 test, and of course, this was three years ago) Anecdotally, year 11 entry is actually easier than year 10 entry, because apparently less people sit it. I only say this because I felt sure I absolutely bombed the maths section of the test, but still got asked back for an interview. And because I've heard students say it a lot.

Pointless story about how I made a terrible first impression on the JMSS maths department that set me up for an even worse two years of maths hell with the school
So basically there are two math tests you have to do, tech free and tech active. The tech free one goes for about half an hour and they stress to you at the beginning of the test that you only have to do 'x' number of pages (5 or 6) and that you should not (they were very earnest about this point) do any questions beyond the particular page. So I started the first maths test, and it went pretty well, finished within the time limit, felt good about the majority of the questions (simple stuff, hardest questions were on ratios and quadratics, you know the kind). Then we started on the tech active. That went similarly well, I wasn't super confident in my use of CAS, being only in year 10, but I managed with most of it. Finished really, really quickly. Sat back, feeling kind of smug considering everyone else was still writing. I literally just sat there for ten - fifteen straight minutes before I realised my multiple choice answer sheet had bubbles that went well beyond whatever question I had stopped writing at: you were only meant to stop after so-and-so many pages for the first test. Started freaking out, tried to catch up, realised there was no chance of me catching up with the amount of time left, shaded 'B' for every other answer on the test, and sat there feeling dejected for the last minute of the test, confident I wasn't getting in.
Long story short (too late) about a month and a half later they called me up and asked me back for an interview.
Supplementary story of how badly I stuffed up my interview (for current/past JMSS students)
I had Mr. Chisolm and Ms. Abels as my interviewers. They asked me what my least favourite subject was. On reflex I answered "geography".
#stillgotin
#y o l o

A good general knowledge of year 10 & 11 science should see you through the science component. I say year 11 because for the essay portion, if you're doing a 1/2 science subject, you will be in a very good place to absolutely smash it. I remember I sketched a cell and talked about the function of the organelles for the biology themed question, while most other kids picked the chemistry question about the periodic table and wracked their brains to come up with something to talk about for groups and periods haha. Remember this also assesses your communication skills, if you've ever sat the MHS test, it's sort of the analogue of their creative essay. I also say year 11 level because some of the questions address science topics not covered under the VELS curriculum. (I had no idea what 'work' was in physics, nor did I know anything about partial pressure, but there were still questions about them) All that being said, it's not an assessment of how many textbooks you've read - it's your ability to reason scientifically. The answer will either be somewhere in the question, or in the way you should be able to tell that the wrong answers are wrong.

If you've kept up to date with your class in maths, you should be all good. There is absolutely nothing on the test beyond year 10 math. If you're up to quadratics and you grasp them, should be all good. Maybe brush up on surds, pythagoras, ratios, simultaneous equations and financial maths (yes, I was as surprised as anyone that they expected me to remember how to calculate compound interest) if you feel rusty in any of this.

As for the interview, don't try to impress. I mean, do, bring your awesome report and achievments from school, but don't fake a passion for science. When they ask you why you want to come to JMSS or what you want to do in the future, don't say something about global warming or cancer research - unless those are things you really care about and can explain why you're interested in it and what you think going to JMSS is going to do about it. Being genuine is a really good look, as they already know you're a super genius prodigy intellectual (you got the interview from the test, remember?), now they want to know if you're going to fit in at the school.

Good luck and don't push yourself too hard, just keep doing well at school and pay heaps of attention in science and math :)

Isn't it harder to get into Year 11 at jmss because of the limit??

achre

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Re: Applying for JMSS Yr 11
« Reply #8 on: March 02, 2014, 04:30:13 pm »
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Isn't it harder to get into Year 11 at jmss because of the limit??
The figure I've heard consistently, year after year, is 30 kids into year 11, but I suppose that'll depend on cohort size/kids who leave in year 10. About 100 will sit the test, and about 50 will get an interview. Your odds are as good as anyones.

Hannibal

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Re: Applying for JMSS Yr 11
« Reply #9 on: March 02, 2014, 04:30:40 pm »
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Isn't it harder to get into Year 11 at jmss because of the limit??
I would think so, they only offer 10 spots I believe...
On the flip side you will have less people the compete with, and the people will generally be not as strong as those that got in at Year 9. :)
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#inori

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Re: Applying for JMSS Yr 11
« Reply #10 on: March 02, 2014, 04:40:39 pm »
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The figure I've heard consistently, year after year, is 30 kids into year 11, but I suppose that'll depend on cohort size/kids who leave in year 10. About 100 will sit the test, and about 50 will get an interview. Your odds are as good as anyones.

Is it true that the teachers from jmss puts lots of pressure on and stress out their students?? o.o

achre

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Re: Applying for JMSS Yr 11
« Reply #11 on: March 02, 2014, 04:53:38 pm »
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They definitely don't go out of their way to stress out students. They're very nice and helpful people, and especially because JMSS is senior students only, you'll probably see student-teacher engagement that's a lot more casual than at other schools. But if you're doing a demanding subject like spesh, you can expect to have a higher and more difficult workload than the bulk of victoria. If you do GMA in year 11, your soul will be destroyed.

re. the "only accept 10 students" figure, I can name more than twenty kids who were accepted into year 11 in 2012. But I'm hardly an expert and the school doesn't make caps and available places and so on public, so who knows what they've recently changed. Oh, and also, many kids applying for year 11 entry may simply not have been aware of JMSS's existence during the year 10 intake process. I know that was the case for me.

Robert243

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Re: Applying for JMSS Yr 11
« Reply #12 on: March 02, 2014, 04:56:47 pm »
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Hey although i got into via year 9 cohort , i think i should give you my few cents . According to my friend , last year 116 applicants tried out , 60 were interviewed , and 20 were taken . The test is quite similar to the year 9 exam ,but apparently there are two science reasoning tests and only one essay . Also may i suggest that you also try out for Elizabeth Blackburn ,it should suit you well if you don't get into jmss.

Good luck with your examination , hope that helps :)
« Last Edit: March 02, 2014, 05:08:59 pm by Bullet »

winchesteraddict

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Re: Applying for JMSS Yr 11
« Reply #13 on: May 20, 2014, 10:29:44 am »
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Hello is anyone else applying for JMSS year 11 besides me and inori. :D

winchesteraddict

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Re: Applying for JMSS Yr 11
« Reply #14 on: May 26, 2014, 02:47:02 pm »
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Hello this might be pretty random but,
Does anyone know the format for the year 11 JMSS entry exam? Apparently they will be two science reasonings, an essay and two math exams. Is this true?
:)
Hey itzsunny

I'm assuming that you are applying for JMSS year 11 as well. There is only one essay, two scientific reasoning tests, numerical reasoning and a mathematics exam. PM me for more details. My the way im applying too :D