ATAR Notes: Forum
National Education => Admissions tests => Selective Schools Admissions Tests => Topic started by: Asteriskkk on February 18, 2014, 08:41:29 pm
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Do you have any idea what is going to be on the exam and is it similar to the one that Year 8s do? And any tips for the interview afterwards?
Thank you :)))
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Oh woops, seems my title is misleading people, can a mod add the word Any before the word tips
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Personally, I was taken into Nossal at Year 9 level, and the intake was huge so I don't have personal experience, but a few of my friends entered at Year 10 level.
You're aiming at making it into approximately 10 spots at Year 10 level and 2-4 at Year 11.
The process works like this:
- You take a test with edutest, at a date organised together with the school and the company.
- You are placed on a waiting list in order of how well you averaged compared to the other 100 or so people who take the test.
- As students leave for various reasons (mostly to attend JMSS really) you'll be contacted for an interview if a spot opens up. A few people are interviewed for each spot and places are allocated at the discretion of the principal.
The test is almost identical to the Year 9 exam. They actually make the Year 11s at our school take the same type of test again to test our progress at the school around the same time of year. It is not age-specific. It is a general test and you can use the general Year 9 preparation material to study.
The interview is the tricky part if you've been highly focused on study. Nossal is having a year of 'the co-curricular' this year and they are looking especially at how you participated outside of your studies. If you can, join a sports team or a society at your current school to boost up your bragging material.
If you need any exam-specific help, I'm happy to help and I am offering tutoring for this exact purpose this year.
(shameless)
Good luck!!
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Haha I think with any selective school in general, it's Edutest that are running it so if you've ever sat for an exam from a selective school then it should be fairly similar (like Maths for example). And I definitely agree that after the main lot of enrolments (so Year 8 -> Year 9 entry) they'll be looking for people involved in co-curriculars (provided you passed the exam and got an interview that is).
^Again I have no idea how Nossal does it but for entry into Year 11 (for JMSS as well as EBSS) there are more writing tasks to be completed so working on English is something you should do I reckon (since English is compulsory in every school so yeah...)
Interview wise... (again I don't know the setup at Nossal) but a few general things I follow when it comes to interviews (whether it be for school or work) is the "three 12's". They are:
- First 12 words spoken (first impressions)
- First 12 centimetres from head to shoulder (you should look presentable)
- First 12 steps (confidence/attitude)
^They're probably something that won't be taken too seriously (and if it doesn't make sense to you then don't worry) but it's worked for me in every interview I've done so yeah... and remember to not fully rehearse answers to questions (you want to look natural when you answer during interviews)!
Good luck!
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what to study for the year 10 nossal exam.
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what to study for the year 10 nossal exam.
Quote from the use Hannibal whose suggested the main points:
Year 8:
- Simplifying (10x+2y+4x+3y)
- Standard Equations with no Surds (3x=4x+2(3+2))
- Inequalities (3x+2>5)
- Linear Equations (y=mx+c)
- Expanding ((6+x)(4+2))
- Basic Factorising (6x+3=3(2x+1))
-Surds
Year 9:
- Simultaneous Equations (2x+4=y, 2x+18=22)
- Quadratic Equations (y=ax^2+bx+c) [There's a few variations]
- Factorising Trinomials (x^2+4x+4=(x+2)^2)
- Perfect Squares ((x+2)^2)
- Difference of Perfect Squares ((x+2)(x-2))
Year 10:
- Quadratic Formula
- Completing the Square
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how many people would attend the nossal year 10 exam? Is there an interview after the exam? also when would you get your test results and when would you be notified that you got into nossal.
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how many people would attend the nossal year 10 exam? Is there an interview after the exam? also when would you get your test results and when would you be notified that you got into nossal.
I think its around August but there is Late Offers until December 3rd, and after that if you dont get in, you have to resit it
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Quote from the use Hannibal whose suggested the main points:
Year 8:
- Simplifying (10x+2y+4x+3y)
- Standard Equations with no Surds (3x=4x+2(3+2))
- Inequalities (3x+2>5)
- Linear Equations (y=mx+c)
- Expanding ((6+x)(4+2))
- Basic Factorising (6x+3=3(2x+1))
-Surds
Year 9:
- Simultaneous Equations (2x+4=y, 2x+18=22)
- Quadratic Equations (y=ax^2+bx+c) [There's a few variations]
- Factorising Trinomials (x^2+4x+4=(x+2)^2)
- Perfect Squares ((x+2)^2)
- Difference of Perfect Squares ((x+2)(x-2))
Year 10:
- Quadratic Formula
- Completing the Square
oo, I know them all quite well. Trig, pythagoras and ratios would be good to know as well. Does everyone get an interview or is there a cutoff mark? I am worried about the verbal reasoning and reading comprehension! :-\ I think there is like 100-300 people trying, according to figures last year. :-\ 10 get in right? Good Luck everyone! Do your best!! ;D
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oo, I know them all quite well. Trig, pythagoras and ratios would be good to know as well. Does everyone get an interview or is there a cutoff mark? I am worried about the verbal reasoning and reading comprehension! :-\ I think there is like 100-300 people trying, according to figures last year. :-\ 10 get in right? Good Luck everyone! Do your best!! ;D
I'm assuming that the people who missed out on a spot by a few marks gets an interview with the principal. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do fine. For Reading Comprehension, read the questions first so you know what to find in the text. Lastly, verbal reasoning is quite difficult, but try drawing a diagram in your head and crossing off the wrong answers until you're left with the right one. ^^
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I'm assuming that the people who missed out on a spot by a few marks gets an interview with the principal. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do fine. For Reading Comprehension, read the questions first so you know what to find in the text. Lastly, verbal reasoning is quite difficult, but try drawing a diagram in your head and crossing off the wrong answers until you're left with the right one. ^^
hmm yeah! Hahaha thanks for the help :)
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about 10% of the people that enter are students who just missed out on the score so they got an interview and one
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are all the nossal high test multiple choice?
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are all the nossal high test multiple choice?
All of them except writing is multiple choice, I'm pretty sure.
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Its more populous this year as people wanting to go to Nossal for 10, and also wanting to go for MHS 10
then they ahve to sit the Nossal exam first, and carry those results into MHS
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hey guys do you know if everyone gets an interview?? Or is there a cut off mark?
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hey guys do you know if everyone gets an interview?? Or is there a cut off mark?
There is interviews for the people who do not do well in the exam
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There is interviews for the people who do not do well in the exam
So if you smash the exam, there isn't a need for an interview? I thought it was the other way around.
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There is interviews for the people who do not do well in the exam
oh wow! Thats good as!!
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There is interviews for the people who do not do well in the exam
OH WHAT that's great!! :D hahaha just join some sport team over the school holiday (Y) Too bad i'm not trying out for NHS, Just JMSS...
Hannibal, are u trying out for NHS as well??- cuz i know u are Skgun.
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OH WHAT that's great!! :D hahaha just join some sport team over the school holiday (Y) Too bad i'm not trying out for NHS, Just JMSS...
Hannibal, are u trying out for NHS as well??- cuz i know u are Skgun.
haha! Dw, it doesnt really matter that your not doing NHS or MHS cos then you have more dedicated time for JMSS. JMSS is my priority though! I dont feel ready for NHS even though it is this thursday! :(
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Hi to Asteriskk and anyone else interested,
I wrote the year 10 exam in 2012 and I remember there were around 100-120 students who did the year 10 exam and around 70-80 who did the year 11 exam. The individual tests themselves, like memely mentioned, were basically the same as the year 9 tests, but obviously being a bit more advanced. I remember having a month or so for preparation, but all I did was do 4 or 5 practice tests(which i found online) a few days before the actual test.
In terms of what to study, the only thing you can study for is the mathematics test, which basically involves calculation and word problems and stuff like that. As far as I can remember, the hardest thing on the test was like simultaneous equations. surds and a few solving questions.
The verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning and the comprehension mostly involves logic and reasoning (as the title already says). You can't necessarily study for this stuff, but more like prepare for it. The best thing you can do to prepare is do the practice reasoning and comprehension tests online.
And for the writing pieces, I was really lucky I got two topics that I could actually write about and I did surprisingly well on that.
And regarding the interview, I didn't actually have to do one, because I did so well that there was no need for me to do one. But if you do have to do the interview, make sure you emphasize on extra-curricular activities because the "work-life" balance is crucial to nossal.
So yeah, that's essentially it. Make sure you don't panic, that's also important.
Hope this helped. Please feel free to PM me anytime.
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OH WHAT that's great!! :D hahaha just join some sport team over the school holiday (Y) Too bad i'm not trying out for NHS, Just JMSS...
Hannibal, are u trying out for NHS as well??- cuz i know u are Skgun.
Nah waftj, only JMSS, and perhaps MHS (Still undecided). NHS is too far away from me unfortunately, and I personally prefer the look of JMSS :).
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Does anyone know how many people can get accepted and if there's a cut off mark for the exam?
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In 2012, around a 120 people wrote the exam, and around 10-15 got it.
And also, The top 5 didn't have to do an interview as well.
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In 2012, around a 120 people wrote the exam, and around 10-15 got it.
And also, The top 5 didn't have to do an interview as well.
wait, so if you do amazing on the exam you do not require an interview. However for the remaining spots, everyone gets interviewed? Basically does everyone except the top 5ish get an interview for NHS?
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wait, so if you do amazing on the exam you do not require an interview. However for the remaining spots, everyone gets interviewed? Basically does everyone except the top 5ish get an interview for NHS?
I'm pretty sure they wouldn't interview everyone except the top 5. Based on my friends who did the interview, there were about 15-20ish people who did the interview (out of which 5-8 people got in)
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Good Luck everyone doing the Nossal year 10 and year 11 exam tomorrow! Do your best! Maybe we can discuss some stuff after the exam! ;) :) :D
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Good Luck everyone doing the Nossal year 10 and year 11 exam tomorrow! Do your best! Maybe we can discuss some stuff after the exam! ;) :) :D
Good luck to you too :)
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;D;D:)
Good Luck everyone doing the Nossal year 10 and year 11 exam tomorrow! Do your best! Maybe we can discuss some stuff after the exam! ;) :) :D
so how'd it go for you? and who were you ahaha
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How was the test for all of you ? :)
For me, the writing pieces and the maths test was hard for me. Reading Comprehension and Verbal was okay.
I guessed mostly C's for maths and numerical because I didn't have enough time.
For Reading Comprehension I was running out of time so I read the questions where you have to read the text first to last.
Verbal Reasoning was alright, I drew a diagram at the back of the sheets for those questions like 'all mifs are rifs' etc
For analytical, I don't want to even talk about it ohgod that was the most horrible piece I've ever done.
I'm not that confident, but I'm just hoping I get in ^^
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How was the test for all of you ? :)
For me, the writing pieces and the maths test was hard for me. Reading Comprehension and Verbal was okay.
I guessed mostly C's for maths and numerical because I didn't have enough time.
For Reading Comprehension I was running out of time so I read the questions where you have to read the text first to last.
Verbal Reasoning was alright, I drew a diagram at the back of the sheets for those questions like 'all mifs are rifs' etc
For analytical, I don't want to even talk about it ohgod that was the most horrible piece I've ever done.
I'm not that confident, but I'm just hoping I get in ^^
Well, I messed up the creative writing real bad. I didn't know what converse meant and I heard tonnes of people asking the examiners what it meant but they said that they were not allowed to tell. I should have knew converse came from "conversation", but meh, I guess it was the nerves. I though it meant "interact". I ended up writing about this guy that was running from the cops and walls and objects were able to move and interact (not talk) with him. Probs gonna get like below average for that! :'( :-[
The numerical, maths and verbal were quite easy, i found. Still guessed about 5 for each and maybe 10 for maths. Analytical writing was good I guess. I managed to finish with intro, 2 body, rebuttal and conclusion.
Reading comprehension, i guessed about 20. :-[ :-[
How many did you guys guess and how did you go?
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Do any of you know when we're getting our results ?
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Do any of you know when we're getting our results ?
Maybe August, and theres late offers until December 3rd