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March 29, 2024, 01:55:13 am

Author Topic: Selective School Test Q&A Thread  (Read 76219 times)  Share 

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Selective User

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Re: Selective School Test Q&A Thread
« Reply #60 on: October 18, 2021, 04:48:12 pm »
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I'm think somebody8442 means percentages. But then that would mean an average of 90% on all tests and a total score of 199/220 which very high on tests. On verbal 95%, reading/numeric 90%+ and 87% on math? At north shore I do worse in reading but all the others I get those on average.

somebody8442

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Re: Selective School Test Q&A Thread
« Reply #61 on: October 20, 2021, 10:02:34 am »
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I'm think somebody8442 means percentages. But then that would mean an average of 90% on all tests and a total score of 199/220 which very high on tests. On verbal 95%, reading/numeric 90%+ and 87% on math? At north shore I do worse in reading but all the others I get those on average.

I'm trying to indicate that the tests are mostly easy  :P

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Re: Selective School Test Q&A Thread
« Reply #62 on: October 20, 2021, 10:25:04 am »
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I'm trying to indicate that the tests are mostly easy  :P

Wait are you being sarcastic? I can't tell... Those scores seem a little hard to get, they're over 90% on average

somebody8442

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Re: Selective School Test Q&A Thread
« Reply #63 on: October 20, 2021, 09:12:33 pm »
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Wait are you being sarcastic? I can't tell... Those scores seem a little hard to get, they're over 90% on average

lol no I actually found the test really easy and I got in. Don't worry though, I'm sure covid has and will affect all of you guys' performance but 90%+ seems pretty good. These DET tests also aren't even close to the real test like of course it changes each year, but it will never be similar. Don't be disheartened by this- after all this is just one practice test. Keep revising till the test so that you'll be prepared to the fullest. Good luck and I hope you make it into whatever school you would like to get into.  ;)

somebody8442

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Re: Selective School Test Q&A Thread
« Reply #64 on: October 20, 2021, 09:29:04 pm »
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Also, you said something about doing poor in reading. I suggest that you read more and find online comprehension tests if you do not have enough material. It was easy, but so many people would have gotten 48-49/50 (by many, I mean the amount of people who get a superior ~11%). A good friend of mine got an average even though he was decent in reading comprehension even though he prepared for it by going to two tuitions. Verbal tbh was pretty simple for me but that's only the case if you have a strong vocabulary. Maths, for me was the hardest due to the amount of working I had to do for each questions. I probably failed but I still got a superior so... study hard for maths, but if you know all of the yr 10 concepts (ik sounds hard but that's the only way), then you will do it easily. Numerical was tied with reading and verbal. Ever since I was young, I always did so many IQ tests for adults, sudokus, played chess and did so many pattern recognition things so I believe that is the sole reason why I did well in this. I actually completed 48 questions in about 22 minutes (not flexing) but I know that so many people struggle with it. While it may be too late for you to study for this, I really recommend that you still go through numerical reasoning books if you have access to any. Also, try to memorise formulas for questions like how many sides of a 10x10x10 cube are not painted (in which the answer would be (10-2)*(10-2)*(10-2) which is 512). I hope this helps and please don't worry about the DET test. It was made to show you the format of the test and how you would work through them. P.S. When is the exam?

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Re: Selective School Test Q&A Thread
« Reply #65 on: October 21, 2021, 10:24:28 am »
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Hi,

Thanks for the tips! I do alright in reading with an average of 40/50, but when you say that the superior people got 48-49/50 it makes it seem relatively easy. Were the passages long and were there any pomes in it last year? I study hard for verbal and usually get high scores. When you say verbal was easy because of your strong vocab, about how much of the test was based on vocab? I read that about 40% is based on word definitions. I also get quite good scores in maths at JAC and usually > 95% at north shore. In numerical I don't get great scores (usually in the mid to late 30's). The date of the exam has not been confirmed yet, but it's probably sometime in mid November or in the later parts of November. I read that these were the topics that you need to know for maths:

linear relations
parabolas
surds
index laws
quadratics
arithmetic/geometric sequences
probability, trigonometry (sine, cosine, tangent)
binary
circle geometry
logarithms (optional0
set notation
polynomials
factorising
permutations
simple and compound interest

Is that all the topics or are there any more that are needed to get a superior on the test? I revised on most of those, but I still am a bit unsure on stuff like circle geo, compound interest, set notation, binary and geo sequences.

somebody8442

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Re: Selective School Test Q&A Thread
« Reply #66 on: October 22, 2021, 02:05:33 pm »
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Hi,

Thanks for the tips! I do alright in reading with an average of 40/50, but when you say that the superior people got 48-49/50 it makes it seem relatively easy. Were the passages long and were there any pomes in it last year? I study hard for verbal and usually get high scores. When you say verbal was easy because of your strong vocab, about how much of the test was based on vocab? I read that about 40% is based on word definitions. I also get quite good scores in maths at JAC and usually > 95% at north shore. In numerical I don't get great scores (usually in the mid to late 30's). The date of the exam has not been confirmed yet, but it's probably sometime in mid November or in the later parts of November. I read that these were the topics that you need to know for maths:

linear relations
parabolas
surds
index laws
quadratics
arithmetic/geometric sequences
probability, trigonometry (sine, cosine, tangent)
binary
circle geometry
logarithms (optional0
set notation
polynomials
factorising
permutations
simple and compound interest

Is that all the topics or are there any more that are needed to get a superior on the test? I revised on most of those, but I still am a bit unsure on stuff like circle geo, compound interest, set notation, binary and geo sequences.

Hey there!
So reading was relatively easy and although there was like 1 poem, most of the passages were short and easy to complete. The poems aren't that hard, but if you struggle with them, read more of them and find videos or explanations that decipher them better. 40% is accurate for verbal and the remaining questions were the same types of questions as the government test. For numerical, you must improve. Many people struggle but to get a superior, getting above 40 should be your aim at JAC and North Shore. For maths, binary is not important, but set notation and compound interest are both musts to do well. Learn ASAP because it will not only assist you with this exam, but also for year 9 and beyond. Circle geometry is recommended because many people don't know how to do it. With that being said, learn the theorems and still try to get ahead, but don't worry too much as we only had like around two questions on the test.

OckTheOctopus

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Re: Selective School Test Q&A Thread
« Reply #67 on: October 22, 2021, 02:24:39 pm »
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Hey there!
So reading was relatively easy and although there was like 1 poem, most of the passages were short and easy to complete. The poems aren't that hard, but if you struggle with them, read more of them and find videos or explanations that decipher them better. 40% is accurate for verbal and the remaining questions were the same types of questions as the government test. For numerical, you must improve. Many people struggle but to get a superior, getting above 40 should be your aim at JAC and North Shore. For maths, binary is not important, but set notation and compound interest are both musts to do well. Learn ASAP because it will not only assist you with this exam, but also for year 9 and beyond. Circle geometry is recommended because many people don't know how to do it. With that being said, learn the theorems and still try to get ahead, but don't worry too much as we only had like around two questions on the test.
May I add, go through the entirety of the Algebra 1 (and 2 if you have time) and Geometry course on Khan Academy. They should get you through about 90% of what is on the maths test.

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Re: Selective School Test Q&A Thread
« Reply #68 on: October 22, 2021, 02:59:37 pm »
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Hey,

Thanks guys for the information. I'll try to improve on numerical and get above 40 (at north shore I already get like 48). Do you think that the reading comprehension is similar to north shore's ones. I keep getting late 30's there, like 39. The khan academy course sounds good, I'll try to do it.  Also, were the verbal questions about the same difficulty level as on the practice test and the reading ones? I read somewhere that the maths and numerical are way harder than the DET tests, but the Reading is the same and the verbal only a little bit harder.

OckTheOctopus

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Re: Selective School Test Q&A Thread
« Reply #69 on: October 22, 2021, 03:06:50 pm »
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Also, were the verbal questions about the same difficulty level as on the practice test and the reading ones? I read somewhere that the maths and numerical are way harder than the DET tests, but the Reading is the same and the verbal only a little bit harder.
Thats about right. If you are aiming for an 70% on maths get 80% on the DET test and so on. From what I hear you should be aiming for 70%+ across the board in the real exam. If you want more specific scores:
60%+ for maths
65%+ for numerical
75%+ for verbal
70%+ for comp
These can be higher or lower depending on your school.
Of course, you should be aiming to get the best score possible :)

somebody8442

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Re: Selective School Test Q&A Thread
« Reply #70 on: October 22, 2021, 06:33:05 pm »
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If you are aiming for an 70% on maths get 80% on the DET test and so on.

What do you mean if you are aiming for a 70%? I don't think you should aim for any score other than 50 or 60 (depending on the test). After all, if you want to get in, aim for the best rather than something lower. If you work harder, you will get in. This whole board is extremely useful, however I really suggest that you guys stop thinking about random scores other than the best score possible. Also, I really think that the DET test was easy and I am not being sarcastic in any way. That being said, we all have our own opinions and so just because I got 90% and above on it does not mean that is the only score that secures a seat in a selective school. Keep aiming higher and you will achieve it. Now, you would think that the DET test is an accurate depiction of the real test, right? Why would they put something on the website other than a past paper? Well they would and they did. This is what they said about the test:

Quote
These practice tests may help students prepare for the selective entry high school examination.

It may, not it will. The test is only for understanding how the test format works, not how the test is. I urge both of you to not waste time on the DET test and I hope that both of you focus on the tests set by your tuitions, from Khan Academy, and any other resources which you obtain. Please continue with the DET test and do it once a week, but look out for improvement.

Remember that the only way to improvement is to learn and practice. Good luck.

somebody8442

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Re: Selective School Test Q&A Thread
« Reply #71 on: October 22, 2021, 06:39:40 pm »
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BTW, if you guys have year 9 and 10 textbooks at home, please use them if you haven't. I understand that there is no point getting one now but Khan academy looks good.

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Re: Selective School Test Q&A Thread
« Reply #72 on: October 24, 2021, 02:08:25 pm »
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Hi,

Just did a Hendersons mock exam. I did alright in most subjects, getting 46/60 for verbal, 44/60 for maths, 43/50 for reading comp but so bad in reading comp like 50%. For the writing I’m still waiting for the results but it doesn’t matter because the writing is out of the test anyways. Do you think those are good scores? I found the maths Henderson’s exam the same level as the JAC one, which was a bit weird to me.

somebody8442

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Re: Selective School Test Q&A Thread
« Reply #73 on: October 24, 2021, 03:19:56 pm »
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43/50 for reading comp but so bad in reading comp like 50%.

I assume that by this, you mean that you did bad in reading. The other scores are all good but you have to concentrate on reading more than the other subjects. Don't stress though, because it was really easy anyway.

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Re: Selective School Test Q&A Thread
« Reply #74 on: October 26, 2021, 02:44:06 pm »
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Hi,

The exam date has now been confirmed - it is on the 13th and 14th of September at Melbourne Showgrounds. On the actual exam day, what time does the exam start (like 9 or 10 am in the morning or is it in the afternoon)? Also, is the exam marked as a percentage on average, or on superiors, or on your overall score out of 220 (60 each for 2 tests and 50 for the other two)?

Thanks,