SPERS-Sec - IP schools?

[Song22]

mystuff_corner:

Hi Kingfisher,

We are planning for SPERS-Sec 1 next year. I am worried high percentage of PSLE syllabus questions will be tested in these papers? Can you share with us your experience on these papers? May I know how did you prepare your son for the placement test? Did you specially prepare him on PSLE EL and Math syllabus?

Hi! My ds will likely be doing spers next year too

[Kingfisher]

mystuff_corner:

Hi Kingfisher,

We are planning for SPERS-Sec 1 next year. I am worried high percentage of PSLE syllabus questions will be tested in these papers? Can you share with us your experience on these papers? May I know how did you prepare your son for the placement test? Did you specially prepare him on PSLE EL and Math syllabus?

Hi mystuff_corner

Before the SPERS-Sec tests, I have absolutely no idea what will be tested, only hear-say that it will be all MCQs and IQ questions so you can't really study for it.. so I wrote to MOE and was told this :...\"applicants will be expected to know and be familiar with the Singapore syllabus of the subject at the level preceding the level of the School Placement Exercise for Returning Singaporeans - Secondary (SPERS-Sec) tests (e.g. applicants who are seeking admission into Secondary 2 will be assessed on topics covered in Secondary 1)\".

For English, again I have no idea what is the Singapore syllabus..so I just get him to revise according to the format of the test http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/admissions/spers-sec/supplementary-exercise/info-on-tests/. For composition, he just read the compositions he had written in school and take note of the teacher's comments on how he can improve. For the MCQ questions, I bought a 4-in-1 English assessment book while I was in Singapore during the summer vacation but he only focus on doing the grammar and vocabulary MCQs due to time constraints. He only started revision 1 month before the SPERS tests as he had a lot of homework from school since he started sec 1 and also he was more interested in playing computer games than studying for the SPERS test whenever he had spare time.

As for Math, I think it helps that DS is studying Singapore Math, using the same textbk as his peers therefore saving me the time to teach him from scratch. For revision, I printed out other schools' past year SA2 papers from the internet http://www.test-paper.info for him to do. He managed to do 4 papers. He said there were about 10 questions on patterns in the SPERS paper, I guess these are the so called IQ questions.

I hope the above helps and feel free to msg me if you have any questions.

[mystuff_corner]

Kingfisher,


Thanks for your information. Do you know how many EL essay writing questions? Which country do you live in now?

I have piece of information on Math text book used in both IP and Non-IP school:
NJC use Mathematics Matters Express Textbook Sec 1 and 2 published by Marshall Cavendish Education Sec year 1.

A non IP school use Mathematics 1, with consultant Dr Yeap Bon Har, Shing Lee Publishing

[Kingfisher]

mystuff_corner:

Kingfisher,


Thanks for your information. Do you know how many EL essay writing questions? Which country do you live in now?

I have piece of information on Math text book used in both IP and Non-IP school:
NJC use Mathematics Matters Express Textbook Sec 1 and 2 published by Marshall Cavendish Education Sec year 1.

A non IP school use Mathematics 1, with consultant Dr Yeap Bon Har, Shing Lee Publishing

Thanks!
EL essay writing - Choose 1 out of 2 questions. 200-300words for sec 1. We are in Hong Kong.

[mystuff_corner]

We are in USA. My 2 kids go to public school. Our school district just started on SG math this school year, due to lagging in standard of US education system, SPERS questions that related to PSLE syllabus worried me. I have been home schooled SG Math, but afraid it might not enough to prepare dd for the SPERS. How I wish I have a chance to get a sample of SPERS papers.


Yes. As for language, US and SG are different too. SG emphasize on well structure essay, grammer, vocalbury and phrases whereas US only focus on idea.

Doing past years papers seem like a more practical way to prepare for SPERS.

[Kingfisher]

mystuff_corner:

We are in USA. My 2 kids go to public school. Our school district just started on SG math this school year, due to lagging in standard of US education system, SPERS questions that related to PSLE syllabus worried me. I have been home schooled SG Math, but afraid it might not enough to prepare dd for the SPERS. How I wish I have a chance to get a sample of SPERS papers.


Yes. As for language, US and SG are different too. SG emphasize on well structure essay, grammer, vocalbury and phrases whereas US only focus on idea.

Doing past years papers seem like a more practical way to prepare for SPERS.

Hi, I was hoping there are past SPERS papers but there isn't any. For Math, according to my son, the questions were what he had studied in school which is sg math, so I supposed they followed the syllabus quite closely. Therefore, it helps to do school's past year papers to familiarise with the questions and format, I think math is all about practise. Take note that no calculators are allowed. For English, the format of the paper 2 for SPERS is quite different from PSLE. I think the paper 2 in SPERS is easier than PSLE, eg. no comprehension open-ended questions and no synthesis and transformation questions. So, you may want to just focus on what will be tested, eg, vocab and grammar..For essays, from my son's experience, I don't think MOE expects returning Singaporeans to write the same style as what PSLE students have been taught in school since they may be educated in different systems.

I am not sure if it will help but you may want to take a look at the math lessons on this website. There are demo lessons:-
http://www.superstarteacher.com.sg/classes;0G5fYxwZrPlNzP7ST3ABr47M96aNZZ6m9JBjUkL-shZe8iPpJlPc5AmdwgN8uT-6r4nPnCO

[mystuff_corner]

Hi Kingfisher,


Thanks for the recommendation. I have purchased PSLE Math for my daughter. Did your son try DSA and school admission test?

Can you update us on your son’s S1 posting result? I am just curious whether MOE will post RS to their 1st or 2nd choice school.

[Mychildren]

Never heard of SPERS papers before. What is this?

[Kingfisher]

mystuff_corner:

Hi Kingfisher,


Thanks for the recommendation. I have purchased PSLE Math for my daughter. Did your son try DSA and school admission test?

Can you update us on your son's S1 posting result? I am just curious whether MOE will post RS to their 1st or 2nd choice school.

Hi, hope you will find it useful. No, my son did not try DSA and school admission test. Ok, will update when the posting result is out Should be soon...

[sweetbaby]

Hi


Is this an alternative for psle for overseas sporeans? Instead of taking psle can 11yrs ++ take these tests and enter sec 1 the following yr? Do they test for science and Chinese?