How to study for MHS?

[WorryWart]

Hello everyone who sees this post!

I am trying out for MHS this year for the year 9 move in and I was wondering if anyone could tell me the most important things I need to learn to get a descent score, maybe 85+? My english is also really bad, and the test is really soon so are there any ways to improve that as well? There is another student from my school that I know who is also competing, so I'm gonna have to beat him to. If there is anyone who could help, please do so!

Thanks 

[Aaron]

Could you elaborate on what you mean by MHS (for clarity). As we need to redirect your thread to the appropriate section (if required) Thanks

Mod action: Moved from HSC to Selective Entry Test board [9/2]

[WorryWart]

Oh Right MHS as in Melbourne High School

[appleandbee]

Which year level entry are you trying out for?

[WorryWart]

Im currently in year 8 if that helps?

[AngelWings]

I can't say much since I haven't been in high school for a few years now, but I can point you towards this handy website,

If you need English help, it might be best to continue/ start reading for leisure to build up your vocabulary and grammar. It may also be helpful if you try searching for similar questions online or in book form as well. To help in creative writing, write your own stories for fun or when you get inspiration from seeing something. (Have you ever had a 'what if' question come to your head as your bus passed an ad across the street? It's time to write something about it.) As for persuasive, find some common arguments e.g. global warming to write about.   

Please take this advice with a grain of salt.

[WorryWart]

I can't say much since I haven't been in high school for a few years now, but I can point you towards this handy website,

If you need English help, it might be best to continue/ start reading for leisure to build up your vocabulary and grammar. It may also be helpful if you try searching for similar questions online or in book form as well. To help in creative writing, write your own stories for fun or when you get inspiration from seeing something. (Have you ever had a 'what if' question come to your head as your bus passed an ad across the street? It's time to write something about it.) As for persuasive, find some common arguments e.g. global warming to write about.   

Please take this advice with a grain of salt.

So basically just wirte essays and keep reading, but who would i give my essays to for correcting? At the moment I've been using a booklet to help me with maths, but half of the maths stuff I haven't even learnt before either.... but thanks for your help! Also - I write like I'm talking, is there a way to help me NOT do that?

[kawfee]

I agree with Angelwings - read read read!

Try reading the newspaper. Cut it out and make a Newspaper Cut out Book, highlight/underline vocab or nice phrases, answer your own comprehension questions - What? When? Where? Who? etc
I suggest you read out aloud too. Use the new vocab and phrases in everyday life or in your writing! Also when you read more and more... you realise that vocab pops up a lot ... so words that were once unfamiliar and hard to memorise become repetitive and ingrained in  yo head (hopefully).
Also write write write! Write out sentences with the new words, write diary entries or short pieces. Edit it. Correct it yo self. And also get constructive feedback from someone experienced. Feedback and corrections are really important becos you'll know where you went wrong.

I also recommend talking about writing pieces or daily news events with friends, parents, other people - so you can brainstorm and get your mind working! Soo.. watch the news everyday (and write down vocab) e.g recently Turnbull called Shorten a 'sycophant.' I didn't know what that meant but after hearing it many times on the news and googling it up I now know what it means.

Also for your essays, remember to time them. Start with an hour > 45 mins > 30 mins > 15 mins. Decrease the time incrementally then stick to 15 mins! Challenge yourself! Also have 1-3 mins planning time and 1 ish min editing time at the end! Planning is KEY!!!

With any exams or preparation you do make a 'My bad list' or 'Mistakes book' -- so you remember and won't commit the same error again!

Maths -- learn year 9 maths. Do problems out of the Yr 9 txtbook and focus on key areas.

I sat the test years ago so I don't remember much but I can not stress eenough how important practice is!!!! Sure it's rough and rocky in the start when you learn new concepts, but over time with diligent practice you'll be confident!

SOoo start NOW! TODAY! Motivation and determination is key!

[WorryWart]

I agree with Angelwings - read read read!

Try reading the newspaper. Cut it out and make a Newspaper Cut out Book, highlight/underline vocab or nice phrases, answer your own comprehension questions - What? When? Where? Who? etc
I suggest you read out aloud too. Use the new vocab and phrases in everyday life or in your writing! Also when you read more and more... you realise that vocab pops up a lot ... so words that were once unfamiliar and hard to memorise become repetitive and ingrained in  yo head (hopefully).
Also write write write! Write out sentences with the new words, write diary entries or short pieces. Edit it. Correct it yo self. And also get constructive feedback from someone experienced. Feedback and corrections are really important becos you'll know where you went wrong.

I also recommend talking about writing pieces or daily news events with friends, parents, other people - so you can brainstorm and get your mind working! Soo.. watch the news everyday (and write down vocab) e.g recently Turnbull called Shorten a 'sycophant.' I didn't know what that meant but after hearing it many times on the news and googling it up I now know what it means.

Also for your essays, remember to time them. Start with an hour > 45 mins > 30 mins > 15 mins. Decrease the time incrementally then stick to 15 mins! Challenge yourself! Also have 1-3 mins planning time and 1 ish min editing time at the end! Planning is KEY!!!

With any exams or preparation you do make a 'My bad list' or 'Mistakes book' -- so you remember and won't commit the same error again!

Maths -- learn year 9 maths. Do problems out of the Yr 9 txtbook and focus on key areas.

I sat the test years ago so I don't remember much but I can not stress eenough how important practice is!!!! Sure it's rough and rocky in the start when you learn new concepts, but over time with diligent practice you'll be confident!

SOoo start NOW! TODAY! Motivation and determination is key!

A lot of work but....in the end it'll be worth it, right?? Sadly I'm competing against some kids at my school so I'm gonna have to work 1231313x as hard as them hehehehehe... But thanks for the advice guys! At least I now know what to do

[AngelWings]

A lot of work but....in the end it'll be worth it, right?? Sadly I'm competing against some kids at my school so I'm gonna have to work 1231313x as hard as them hehehehehe... But thanks for the advice guys! At least I now know what to do

Remember sometimes it's not necessarily working harder as it is working smarter. This is where exam-taking strategies are crucial and can save tonnes of time! Whilst some of the English tests appear to be writing, the rest seems to be multiple choice, which can help a lot when you're under pressure.

So basically just wirte essays and keep reading, but who would i give my essays to for correcting? At the moment I've been using a booklet to help me with maths, but half of the maths stuff I haven't even learnt before either.... but thanks for your help! Also - I write like I'm talking, is there a way to help me NOT do that?

Generally, a kind teacher, a nice tutor (if you have one) or a friendly soul here on AN is available for essay correcting. The tests from first glance are difficult (thinking in perspective) and are meant to be, so you're not alone in thinking that.

As for writing, I don't tend to see an issue with writing like you talk, as long as it's appropriate to the audience and context. A way to use this to your advantage is to make your character similar to you or add small sections of dialogue when you're writing creative writing pieces. On the other hand, if you're adamant in changing your ways, write a very brief plan and change it as you write the end result (i.e. the actual essay) to make it sound better on the page. You'll find upon writing the second time around that you'll be able to refine your ideas and make them more coherent, as well as cohesive.
"But how do I make it 'sound better'?" you're probably asking. Sadly, this is a skill you're going to have to master yourself, but I'm sure that if you have ever proofread your work that you'll pick up minute details like this in a flash! Proofreading is a necessary editing skill that you'll carry for years to come, so you may as well start somewhere. It's generally not too hard a skill to pick up, even if you have a short amount of time until the test, so really it's a matter of going in head-first and giving it a good old crack! Eventually, you'll find that it'll become faster with practise.

Hopefully this advice helps a little. 

[dreamyfly]

Hey, not sure if you're still alive. I did the test in 2015 and still remember the horrors. :')

The other answers covered everything there is to say but I'll just throw in a few things that might help.

Quality > Quantity, maybe?
For the English writing components, I'm 90% sure that the examiners prefer quality over quantity. A girl in my year level only got through her intro and first paragraph for Analytical but still managed to get a superior, probably because the quality of her writing was really good.

I, on the hand, faithfully followed the advice other people gave me: think quickly, write quickly, sprinkle a bit of vocabulary and "MOST IMPORTANTLY" (emphasis!!!!) finish with one intro, three bodies, and a conclusion - even if your writing is rough. I wasn't happy with my score LOL...

So yeah, don't fret if you don't finish in 15 minutes. Like the other posts mentioned, READING frequently helps you write fluently!!

As for Creative, it MIGHT help to dig up different layers of the prompt.
i.e "Imagine if you could read thoughts."
- Ya, cool. You can read thoughts, BUT
- Is it ethical to do so? Is your character conflicted over this?

A few people wrote about reading the minds of bullies. One girl wrote about a character copying everyone else's answers in an exam LOL. Take it a step further than them.

You're not writing a novel so don't worry about big plots. It could just be a scene.

Maths
I hated maths. It was my worst subject. All of that could have been avoided if I actually bothered to do my homework and read the textbook. Don't be like me. T______T A lot of the concepts aren't hard if you practise. If you're ever in need of help, there's always AtarNotes and explanations on Youtube. The hardest topic would probably be quadratics & parabolas.

For the actual exam, make sure you colour in the correct bubble. Decide on a specific letter to shade for questions you don't know. For half of Numerical Reasoning, I coloured in 'C' and got a superior LMAO. + Chances are, if the test is hard for you then most likely other people would have found it difficult too.

If you need help/feedback on essays or any other topics, just make a post and someone will help!