National Education > Selective Schools Admissions Tests
JMSS 2022 Entry
happy121:
--- Quote from: Nerd01939 on December 30, 2020, 03:27:03 pm ---- For books I just used the Oxford science 8/9 and the Cambridge maths 9 (just my schools textbooks). As for resources, I didn’t really use anything else but I did spend some time looking through the previous threads on AN to see what previous tests had on them/how hard etc.
- For the scientific writing, there isn’t much you can do to prepare specifically for it - there is a lot of info on the info sheet and just make sure you use as much of it as possible. If you do want to do something else just read through a few science news articles to see what’s relevant as that will probably be similar to the topics.
- for math, I just did all the questions I could do first and then went back through after for the harder ones. Most of them I just estimated and then picked what was closest to my estimation. NR isn’t nearly as hard for time pressure though.
- tests to prepare - I literally just did my school tests and studied really hard for them but I know some other people did old ICAS tests and said they helped. If you do tutoring or have friends who do it you can ask them for their practice tests and use them too.
- science reasoning - you don’t need to know any super complex or detailed stuff, the yr 8/9 curriculum stuff will cover it all. Most of the questions, they gave you some info then asked a question based on the info. it’s a mix of physics, chemistry and bio stuff. If you do the morrisby careers thing next yr, the questions are actually really similar to the ones in the ‘mechanical thinking’ part.
- the test is usually around the end of June - last years was supposed to be 26th ish of June so the results come out around the middle/end of term 3.
- covering the yr 9/10 math and 8/9 science will be enough for you to be successful - I only did that and with no tutoring so you should be fine.
- I didn’t do the selective schools exam but everyone who did both said that the JMSS one was easier by far so if you even did moderately well in the selective schools one you should be able to do well.
A lot of people have been asking about how to structure the science writings - for the essay, it’s the basic essay form you should have learnt in year 7 or 8:
Intro - just say what the issue is and the 3 major things you will discuss
Main body - use the info sheet and put in all the relevant info (3-ish times)
Conclusion - sum everything up and propose your solution to the problem (if it asks for you to do that, otherwise just a sentence or two about the issue)
The ‘paragraphs’ will be small so don’t try write ridiculous amounts.
The prac report - use the basic order of things (aim, hypothesis, discussion then conclusion). There will be dot points to guide you - leave a small gap between your answers to each dot point, despite what many ppl think the discussion doesn’t have to be one large chunk. The conclusion should also only be 1 or 2 sentences.
There are 2 good ways you could do these:
1. Briefly answer all the dot points you have to, leaving spaces to go back and add in the details after.
(If you’re not very good at writing this was helpful to some people)
Or
2. Go through and answer everything in as much detail as you possibly can.
(If you are good at writing in lots of detail and lengthening responses/making it flow nicely, this is good)
- these 2 strategies mean that you will have either answered all the points or written an impressive answer but to only a few points or, best case scenario, both.
- just make sure you don’t rush through and write a really bad, messy, unorganised piece.
Hopefully I answered everything :)
(Yes I do have a problem with writing really long responses to everything so just let me know if it’s annoying to have to read and I’ll try fix it)
--- End quote ---
THANK YOU SMMMM <3 and I rlly like your long responses they seem to help me and others a lot!!
;D ;D
4eva_gone:
--- Quote from: Nerd01939 on December 30, 2020, 03:27:03 pm ---- For books I just used the Oxford science 8/9 and the Cambridge maths 9 (just my schools textbooks). As for resources, I didn’t really use anything else but I did spend some time looking through the previous threads on AN to see what previous tests had on them/how hard etc.
- For the scientific writing, there isn’t much you can do to prepare specifically for it - there is a lot of info on the info sheet and just make sure you use as much of it as possible. If you do want to do something else just read through a few science news articles to see what’s relevant as that will probably be similar to the topics.
- for math, I just did all the questions I could do first and then went back through after for the harder ones. Most of them I just estimated and then picked what was closest to my estimation. NR isn’t nearly as hard for time pressure though.
- tests to prepare - I literally just did my school tests and studied really hard for them but I know some other people did old ICAS tests and said they helped. If you do tutoring or have friends who do it you can ask them for their practice tests and use them too.
- science reasoning - you don’t need to know any super complex or detailed stuff, the yr 8/9 curriculum stuff will cover it all. Most of the questions, they gave you some info then asked a question based on the info. it’s a mix of physics, chemistry and bio stuff. If you do the morrisby careers thing next yr, the questions are actually really similar to the ones in the ‘mechanical thinking’ part.
- the test is usually around the end of June - last years was supposed to be 26th ish of June so the results come out around the middle/end of term 3.
- covering the yr 9/10 math and 8/9 science will be enough for you to be successful - I only did that and with no tutoring so you should be fine.
- I didn’t do the selective schools exam but everyone who did both said that the JMSS one was easier by far so if you even did moderately well in the selective schools one you should be able to do well.
A lot of people have been asking about how to structure the science writings - for the essay, it’s the basic essay form you should have learnt in year 7 or 8:
Intro - just say what the issue is and the 3 major things you will discuss
Main body - use the info sheet and put in all the relevant info (3-ish times)
Conclusion - sum everything up and propose your solution to the problem (if it asks for you to do that, otherwise just a sentence or two about the issue)
The ‘paragraphs’ will be small so don’t try write ridiculous amounts.
The prac report - use the basic order of things (aim, hypothesis, discussion then conclusion). There will be dot points to guide you - leave a small gap between your answers to each dot point, despite what many ppl think the discussion doesn’t have to be one large chunk. The conclusion should also only be 1 or 2 sentences.
There are 2 good ways you could do these:
1. Briefly answer all the dot points you have to, leaving spaces to go back and add in the details after.
(If you’re not very good at writing this was helpful to some people)
Or
2. Go through and answer everything in as much detail as you possibly can.
(If you are good at writing in lots of detail and lengthening responses/making it flow nicely, this is good)
- these 2 strategies mean that you will have either answered all the points or written an impressive answer but to only a few points or, best case scenario, both.
- just make sure you don’t rush through and write a really bad, messy, unorganised piece.
Hopefully I answered everything :)
(Yes I do have a problem with writing really long responses to everything so just let me know if it’s annoying to have to read and I’ll try fix it)
--- End quote ---
TYSM
THIS RLLY HELPED A LOT
Nerd01939:
Another person who was accepted into JMSS for yr 10 2021 created a bunch of useful info - this is VERY specific (you don’t need to worry about being a genius in all the areas listed, just make sure you know the general yr level curriculum stuff relating to the topics):
So…
You are preparing for year 10 JMSS entry exams, this document has some advice that I've gathered from a lot of places, most notably ATAR notes, JMSS discord server, Instagram group chats and youtube. All this information is just meant to be a guide, and I cannot promise everything on here will be on the current exam, I've just taken what I've learnt about previous years, this is just meant to be a study guide, not the study law. I personally did not study as much as I thought I was going to when I decided to apply. I did not attend tutoring, but I bought one set of tests from the company that runs the tests - https://www.edutest.com.au/pa-online.htm - and they helped me personally. I also watched a lot of this Youtuber who covers selective schools and this vid in particular:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q-KK8tkhJU&t=164
And below are some other useful links!
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/parents/learning/Pages/selective-entry-practice.aspx
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16057Eo33bGxiBwGyeXI040d5D_8mpkEA?usp=sharing
Mathematics
Tests your knowledge of mathematics concepts. Any of these topics can be tested so make sure to try to learn as much of these before you can. Here are just some basic things you should know, not all of them will be covered. Honestly its better you get quicker at simple mathematics and basic algebra in written equations than learn one particular subject at a year 10 level that will only be in 3 questions
Financial Mathematics – simple interest, compound interest, depreciation
Algebra – factorising, expanding, simplifying
Surds & Indices - Index laws, rationalising the denominator, negative fractional powers
Simultaneous Equations & Inequations - substitution, elimination, number lines
Linear Relationships - gradient formula, distance, midpoint
Rates and Proportion - direct proportion, indirect proportion, conversion from percentage to ratio, unit conversion
Trigonometry - Pythagoras
Mensuration - all 2d & 3d area, surface area and volume equations (only 1-2 questions but it matters)
Geometry - angles of shapes, parallel lines, perpendicular lines
Statistics - interquartile range, average, median, mean, mode etc
Probability – venn diagrams, conditional prob, tree diagrams, dice, and card prob.
Quadratics
Numerical Reasoning
To sum it up it is more of an IQ test around numbers. A lot of patterns and worded problems will be presented, so it is up to you to turn them into formulas or mathematical methods of calculation. Sometimes it is best to take a formulaic approach, but just being able to look at the differences in a sequence is really important.
Number patterns – a good 10 questions in 2020 were something like
2 4 8 16 ? 64 find the missing number
An understanding of sequences and series can help
Financial Questions
Interest
Depreciation
More profitable company - etc
Time Questions
Starting late and finding the new end time.
Visual problems
Graphs
Tables
Factors
Multiples
Prime
Quick Math
Science Reasoning
For the most part, the science reasoning exam is about interpreting information. On the 2020 exam, there was a question involving pH, but the test explained how to read a pH indicator. But it is good to know a few of the basics within the core fields of science. This exam checklists just outlines the potential topics that could be covered.
1. BIOLOGY
Cells - Organelles
Photosynthesis
Ecosystems – food chains and food webs
Nervous system
The body
Brief knowledge of DNA/RNA
2. CHEMISTRY
First 20 elements
Periodic Table Groups
Organic molecules
Reactions between elements - finding precipitation
3. PHYSICS
Laws of motion distance/time = speed
Heat
Weight
Light (relationship to convex shapes ect.)
4. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN INTERPRETATION –
Variable Identification
Independent
Dependent
Control
Precision
Accuracy
5. EXTRA TOPICS
Geology – Rocks
Science Analysis & Reporting (One of 2 essays)
A science practical report is provided, and certain questions need to be answered. Normally, it is a basic report and will rely more on your ability to interpret information rather than your science knowledge. For 2020 you were given a lab report and had to write and expand on that, ie how to improve it and what it meant/real-life applications. This part of the exam is answered with an essay. I couldn’t think of anything to write about to other essay in particular, but message me if you have any questions!
The big day
- make 100% sure you have everything they ask you to bring!
- you probably shouldn’t study the day of the exam, you won't learn anything new, and will probably make yourself more nervous
- get a good nights sleep, go to bed early, the extra sleep is more important than staying up late studying
- Sometimes the building gets a bit cold, so bring a jacket if you are allowed!
- for the sake of everyone in the hall, bring tissues!
- Stay away from nervous people, they'll make you nervous, it's like a contagious disease and no-one wants a disease *insert cardi b saying coronavirus*
- Bring some water with you to the exam but leave it on the ground, you do not want to drop it all over your work by accident (it does happen, and everybody hears the clang)
- When you get into the exam hall and if your table is wonky or you can't see the clock or something, LET THE SUPERVISORS KNOW before the start as they can help you get a new seat or fix up the table or something. Sort out all the problems beforehand, don’t leave it until when your time counts
- Fill in your answer sheet, NOT the question booklet (unless the instructions say otherwise, ALWAYS go with the exam instructions!)
- Answer every question, even if you don’t know the answer, you have a 25% chance of getting it right
- Keep an eye on the clock at all times and make sure you attempt the whole paper to the best of your ability, work out how long you have on average to complete each question on average and don’t feel afraid to skip a question to come back to later
- make sure your question and answer sheet match up so you don't fill in the next answer where that one should have been and then screw up your whole sheet, it takes ages to fix up.
- If rubbing a bubble out, rub it out completely!
- If you finish a paper early, go back and check over your answers!
Final Note:
Keep calm, the fact that you're that interested in getting into these schools by asking for help is impressive, you're MILES ahead of everyone else (I didn’t even know about the schools' existence in January!), take some confidence in that and always remember this if your nerves start taking over on the day
If it doesn't go well for you, don't lose faith in your academic prowess, maybe it wasn't your day. It's definitely possible to do well elsewhere with the right attitude and appropriate study, and there are so many ways to get into what you want to do later in life!
Good luck!
Once again, you don’t need to be a complete genius in all these areas - I.e. for ‘trigonometry’, just know the basic ratios etc. as you don’t have a calculator and they won’t expect you to actually calculate the things.
Closer to the date, read through all the exam tips again - these are all pretty useful.
Thanks to ‘lawlesseggboi’ for putting this list together!
4eva_gone:
--- Quote from: Nerd01939 on December 31, 2020, 10:14:11 pm ---Another person who was accepted into JMSS for yr 10 2021 created a bunch of useful info - this is VERY specific (you don’t need to worry about being a genius in all the areas listed, just make sure you know the general yr level curriculum stuff relating to the topics):
So…
You are preparing for year 10 JMSS entry exams, this document has some advice that I've gathered from a lot of places, most notably ATAR notes, JMSS discord server, Instagram group chats and youtube. All this information is just meant to be a guide, and I cannot promise everything on here will be on the current exam, I've just taken what I've learnt about previous years, this is just meant to be a study guide, not the study law. I personally did not study as much as I thought I was going to when I decided to apply. I did not attend tutoring, but I bought one set of tests from the company that runs the tests - https://www.edutest.com.au/pa-online.htm - and they helped me personally. I also watched a lot of this Youtuber who covers selective schools and this vid in particular:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q-KK8tkhJU&t=164
And below are some other useful links!
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/parents/learning/Pages/selective-entry-practice.aspx
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16057Eo33bGxiBwGyeXI040d5D_8mpkEA?usp=sharing
Mathematics
Tests your knowledge of mathematics concepts. Any of these topics can be tested so make sure to try to learn as much of these before you can. Here are just some basic things you should know, not all of them will be covered. Honestly its better you get quicker at simple mathematics and basic algebra in written equations than learn one particular subject at a year 10 level that will only be in 3 questions
Financial Mathematics – simple interest, compound interest, depreciation
Algebra – factorising, expanding, simplifying
Surds & Indices - Index laws, rationalising the denominator, negative fractional powers
Simultaneous Equations & Inequations - substitution, elimination, number lines
Linear Relationships - gradient formula, distance, midpoint
Rates and Proportion - direct proportion, indirect proportion, conversion from percentage to ratio, unit conversion
Trigonometry - Pythagoras
Mensuration - all 2d & 3d area, surface area and volume equations (only 1-2 questions but it matters)
Geometry - angles of shapes, parallel lines, perpendicular lines
Statistics - interquartile range, average, median, mean, mode etc
Probability – venn diagrams, conditional prob, tree diagrams, dice, and card prob.
Quadratics
Numerical Reasoning
To sum it up it is more of an IQ test around numbers. A lot of patterns and worded problems will be presented, so it is up to you to turn them into formulas or mathematical methods of calculation. Sometimes it is best to take a formulaic approach, but just being able to look at the differences in a sequence is really important.
Number patterns – a good 10 questions in 2020 were something like
2 4 8 16 ? 64 find the missing number
An understanding of sequences and series can help
Financial Questions
Interest
Depreciation
More profitable company - etc
Time Questions
Starting late and finding the new end time.
Visual problems
Graphs
Tables
Factors
Multiples
Prime
Quick Math
Science Reasoning
For the most part, the science reasoning exam is about interpreting information. On the 2020 exam, there was a question involving pH, but the test explained how to read a pH indicator. But it is good to know a few of the basics within the core fields of science. This exam checklists just outlines the potential topics that could be covered.
1. BIOLOGY
Cells - Organelles
Photosynthesis
Ecosystems – food chains and food webs
Nervous system
The body
Brief knowledge of DNA/RNA
2. CHEMISTRY
First 20 elements
Periodic Table Groups
Organic molecules
Reactions between elements - finding precipitation
3. PHYSICS
Laws of motion distance/time = speed
Heat
Weight
Light (relationship to convex shapes ect.)
4. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN INTERPRETATION –
Variable Identification
Independent
Dependent
Control
Precision
Accuracy
5. EXTRA TOPICS
Geology – Rocks
Science Analysis & Reporting (One of 2 essays)
A science practical report is provided, and certain questions need to be answered. Normally, it is a basic report and will rely more on your ability to interpret information rather than your science knowledge. For 2020 you were given a lab report and had to write and expand on that, ie how to improve it and what it meant/real-life applications. This part of the exam is answered with an essay. I couldn’t think of anything to write about to other essay in particular, but message me if you have any questions!
The big day
- make 100% sure you have everything they ask you to bring!
- you probably shouldn’t study the day of the exam, you won't learn anything new, and will probably make yourself more nervous
- get a good nights sleep, go to bed early, the extra sleep is more important than staying up late studying
- Sometimes the building gets a bit cold, so bring a jacket if you are allowed!
- for the sake of everyone in the hall, bring tissues!
- Stay away from nervous people, they'll make you nervous, it's like a contagious disease and no-one wants a disease *insert cardi b saying coronavirus*
- Bring some water with you to the exam but leave it on the ground, you do not want to drop it all over your work by accident (it does happen, and everybody hears the clang)
- When you get into the exam hall and if your table is wonky or you can't see the clock or something, LET THE SUPERVISORS KNOW before the start as they can help you get a new seat or fix up the table or something. Sort out all the problems beforehand, don’t leave it until when your time counts
- Fill in your answer sheet, NOT the question booklet (unless the instructions say otherwise, ALWAYS go with the exam instructions!)
- Answer every question, even if you don’t know the answer, you have a 25% chance of getting it right
- Keep an eye on the clock at all times and make sure you attempt the whole paper to the best of your ability, work out how long you have on average to complete each question on average and don’t feel afraid to skip a question to come back to later
- make sure your question and answer sheet match up so you don't fill in the next answer where that one should have been and then screw up your whole sheet, it takes ages to fix up.
- If rubbing a bubble out, rub it out completely!
- If you finish a paper early, go back and check over your answers!
Final Note:
Keep calm, the fact that you're that interested in getting into these schools by asking for help is impressive, you're MILES ahead of everyone else (I didn’t even know about the schools' existence in January!), take some confidence in that and always remember this if your nerves start taking over on the day
If it doesn't go well for you, don't lose faith in your academic prowess, maybe it wasn't your day. It's definitely possible to do well elsewhere with the right attitude and appropriate study, and there are so many ways to get into what you want to do later in life!
Good luck!
Once again, you don’t need to be a complete genius in all these areas - I.e. for ‘trigonometry’, just know the basic ratios etc. as you don’t have a calculator and they won’t expect you to actually calculate the things.
Closer to the date, read through all the exam tips again - these are all pretty useful.
Thanks to ‘lawlesseggboi’ for putting this list together!
--- End quote ---
OMG THANKYOU THIS HELPED A LOT, especially since u went into so much detail
is it enough time if i start studing today? because idk when the exam is and i havent even registered for admission cuz the websites acting up for me
anyways, thanks for the advice and tips!
have a happy new year :))
1729:
--- Quote from: 4eva_gone on January 01, 2021, 07:56:27 pm ---is it enough time if i start studing today? because idk when the exam is and i havent even registered for admission cuz the websites acting up for me
--- End quote ---
Applications don't open until february - march. And the test is usually taken place in June.
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