Dr Peh Associates

[James Ang]

Are they doctors or associates? Or people with surname Peh only? :?

[turquoise]

kiasiparent:

IMO, the question setters are also trying very hard to make sure that questions are set such that they cater to those naturally gifted plus hardworking type. A lot of questions are heavily modified or totally new such that the student must definitely understand the question well in order to score. However, training in maths olympiad is still required to do well.


Thus
(1) Only naturally gifted plus hardworking type students get in.
(2) Those naturally gifted but not hardworking enough may not get in.


The recent NMOS exam round 1 and round 2 is an example. Probably only those who are gifted and yet decently hardworking will get gold. There is only a small % of students scoring gold and significantly higher % of students scoring silver.


EDIT: I believe that GEP screening exams will get harder and harder as we move on. Questions wont repeat or even if they do, they will be heavily modified to make sure that students actually understand. There will be no easy answers where students can guess and get correct. The test will probably be set such that most students will FAIL terribly. Not 10/30 but maybe 7/30. The cutoff point may be just 7 marks to get into round 2 or so.

Anyway, in the recent SMO Junior, the cut off to get silver award is 7/35.

I disagree that Math Olympiad training is required to do well in the GEP screening and selection tests. All my child's friends who got into GEP did not take any Math Olympiad training nor preparation classes of any sort. Conversely, one of the girls who has been taking Math Olympiad classes for years did not clear the GEP test. She also did poorly at the DSA GAT tests.

[Fairy]

Merlion:

For those parents who already know what GEP Selection Test is all about, this center might not be that useful. But there are a lot of parents out there who have no idea about the selection test, this center might be able to provide you what need to be covered in the selection test. But it is a very high price to pay. Is GEP Selection Test a fair game anymore? I am not so sure. For people who can afford the course will be able to know what kind of questions will be tested in the selection test. This is a huge advantage compare to those who don't know. It is hard to tell from 2 tests (Round 1 and Round 2) whether a kid is \"gifted\" or \"advance\"? To me, GIFTED should be a kid being able to solve a tough question without being \"taught\". ADVANCE is more like a kid being very \"advance\" - has learned / being taught 1 or 2 years material above his level in advance. I do not think all GEP selected kids are gifted. Some of them have gone through a lot of training before they took the test. I consider them as advance, not gifted. These students migth suffer during their 3 years GEP program because GEP is really a tough program.

Merlion, I do not agree with you on the Parent having to know what the GEP selection test is all about. Our children are the ones taking the test. Why do we need to know? So as to prepare them for the test? If the child is meant to be in the programme, he will be in without any help. Both my children took the screening & the selection tests few years back & until today, I have no idea what the tests are about. Though my younger child was not selected, I accepted the test as fair and have no regrets about not 'preparing' her for it. Though dissapointed, I believe if one's head is not big enough, one should not wear a big hat. We will be happier persons if we are not overwhelmed by stress. I won't be surprised that as the GEP continues, there will be more & more kids in the programme who are Advance learners instead of Gifted learners.

[Merlion]

Fairy, please read my posting carefully. I never say that a parent should know the GEP selection test. As there are parents in this forum concerning about their kids' GEP selection test, I am just saying that for parents who really like to train their kids for GEP screening test but do not know what to do, this center might be able to help. I am not saying this is right or wrong. It is not up to you or me to say who is right and who is wrong. If some parents feel more comfortable preparing their kids for GEP, then be it. It is not against the law to prepare your kids for GEP screening test. I am just answering their enquiry about the matter. Did you finish reading my whole posting? :? Most of our views are in fact the same on this matter. :celebrate:

[ChiefKiasu]

Fairy:

Merlion, I do not agree with you on the Parent having to know what the GEP selection test is all about. Our children are the ones taking the test. Why do we need to know? So as to prepare them for the test? If the child is meant to be in the programme, he will be in without any help. Both my children took the screening & the selection tests few years back & until today, I have no idea what the tests are about. Though my younger child was not selected, I accepted the test as fair and have no regrets about not 'preparing' her for it. Though dissapointed, I believe if one's head is not big enough, one should not wear a big hat. We will be happier persons if we are not overwhelmed by stress. I won't be surprised that as the GEP continues, there will be more & more kids in the programme who are Advance learners instead of Gifted learners.

Dear Fairy, I think Merlion's thinking is indeed the same as yours. He is basically stating the facts - that there are kids in GEP who scraped in because of the advanced training they received in preparation for the tests, as a result of the availability of such courses as those offered by this thread's namesake.

[kiasiparent]

turquoise:

I disagree that Math Olympiad training is required to do well in the GEP screening and selection tests. All my child's friends who got into GEP did not take any Math Olympiad training nor preparation classes of any sort. Conversely, one of the girls who has been taking Math Olympiad classes for years did not clear the GEP test. She also did poorly at the DSA GAT tests.

Umm, when i mean 'training in maths olympiad', it could refer to self-training. Like buying an olympiad book and self study.

Anyway, i believe for 99% of the students out there, to get a platinum in smops or equilvalent, one probably needs to undergo some sort of training (either self-study or externally trained).

When i mean 'do well in maths olympiad', i mean nothing less than aplatinum for smops, gold for nmos or SMO.

[turquoise]

kiasiparent:

Umm, when i mean 'training in maths olympiad', it could refer to self-training. Like buying an olympiad book and self study.


Anyway, i believe for 99% of the students out there, to get a platinum in smops or equilvalent, one probably needs to undergo some sort of training (either self-study or externally trained).

When i mean 'do well in maths olympiad', i mean nothing less than aplatinum for smops, gold for nmos or SMO.

I'm confused. Are you talking about GEP or Math Olympiads? The original thread was about GEP tests so I assume you were talking about GEP tests? If so, what has platinum for smops got to do with the GEP test at P3 as kids only take these math olympiads at P6 or at P5 for NMOS?

[kiasiparent]

turquoise:

I'm confused. Are you talking about GEP or Math Olympiads? The original thread was about GEP tests so I assume you were talking about GEP tests? If so, what has platinum for smops got to do with the GEP test at P3 as kids only take these math olympiads at P6 or at P5 for NMOS?

I believe that GEP Maths screening test is also like Maths olympiad. Its just that its pitched at P3 level. Maybe there will be more IQ questions but at the end of the day, its all testing on the child's aplitude in maths.

[MdmKS]

kiasiparent:

[I believe that GEP Maths screening test is also like Maths olympiad. Its just that its pitched at P3 level. Maybe there will be more IQ questions but at the end of the day, its all testing on the child's aplitude in maths.

Can't say unless you have seen the screening Maths questions and able to compare. GEP screening still has a portion on English and GAT. You need to clear these two well also. The one and only one test to decide who are \"gifted\" at P3 is not good enough. Eg, in the case of Lim Jeck, some parents question why he was not in GEP. That's why GAT in DSA process and SMOPS could supplement this to pick them up again. But not fair to them leh, they won't get EESIS when they have confirm DSA. Unlike the P3-GEP students. Well, otherwise, nobody would want to do GEP and GEP programme will not be so so so ... \"successful\" as was claimed.

[turquoise]

MdmKS:

Can't say unless you have seen the screening Maths questions and able to compare. GEP screening still has a portion on English and GAT. You need to clear these two well also. The one and only one test to decide who are \"gifted\" at P3 is not good enough. Eg, in the case of Lim Jeck, some parents question why he was not in GEP. That's why GAT in DSA process and SMOPS could supplement this to pick them up again. But not fair to them leh, they won't get EESIS when they have confirm DSA. Unlike the P3-GEP students. Well, otherwise, nobody would want to do GEP and GEP programme will not be so so so ... \"successful\" as was claimed.

Not true. EESIS is awarded to top 1/3 of all Sec One students based on their PSLE results. This is extracted from the MOE website:

Eligibility
The EESIS are awarded up to the top one-third of the total number of pupils posted to Secondary One in all Independent Schools, based on their PSLE results.
http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/admissions/secondary-one-posting/general-information/edusave-scholarships/

Therefore, so long as a child is in the top 1/3 of students based on his/her PSLE results and opts for an independent secondary school, he/she will be awarded EESIS.