Secondary School Selection 2012

[jedamum]

LindaYong:

Oodles Mummy:

:goodpost: [quote=\"verykiasu2010\"]Paper tough or not, isn't outcome the same? Vacancies remains. Bell curve also same. Child is graded against whole cohort, his position around same whether paper easy or difficult.....cos whole cohort move together. Or my thinking ? simplified?

tough papers will \"benefit\" the high ability kids more as they can do more questions correctly and hence raw score is higher than peers, while the moderate performer will have lower raw score, and so in statistics, the standard deviation is higher, giving rise to higher t-score for the higher raw score, as the mean is lower plus higher standard deviation

when the paper is easy, both the moderate performers and high ability will have their raw scores bunched closely, as everyone could do similar easy questions; therefore the standard deviation is smaller and the t-score is lowered as the mean is higher than in a difficult pape

mean = t-score of 50, as a base, regardless what is the absolute number of the mean
IGIven
as an example, if everyone scores 100% in the paper, mean = 100, standard deviation is zero because there is zero deviation from anyone, hence the t-score for that subject is 50.

if everyone score 100% in every of the 4 subjects, then everyone will get a t-score of 200 (4x50) for a perfect result in PSLE for everyone!

but in a cohort of 40plus thousand kids, it is impossible that everyone will score the same in every subject, hence the law of normal distribution sets in. because of this it is meaningless to compare the t-score of last year against the t-score of this year. Each year's t-score is a ranking exercise in itself. last year's 275 for easy paper could be having a much higher raw score than this this year's 275 of tough papers. hence it is observed that in a year of easy paper, the top psle score is lower while in year of tough papers, top score tend toward 28xhigh to 29xsomething

PSLE t-score is for ranking purpose and nothing else

:goodpost:]

I notice for the past years, the mean marks for MT is very high, about 80% of the them get A, thus could say that the mean is an A, or a high A. Whereas for the other 3 subjects the only about 40% of the student will get an A. Thus if your child score A for his MT, he could only get just a T-score of 50, whereas if he score A for the others 3 subjects, he will get a T-score higher than 50.[/quote]Given limited resources, would you then advise a kid who is weak in MT to focus more on it, or to focus on getting A in another subject like science or math?

[PiggyLalala]

jedamum:

Given limited resources, would you then advise a kid who is weak in MT to focus more on it, or to focus on getting A in another subject like science or math?

Though the mean is high for chinese, I believe the standard deviation is low because the range of marks for chinese is not too big. So it is really very difficult to say which subject to focus more.

Luck plays an important part in any exam. The best scenario would be the subject that your child is good in is the difficult paper for that year so that while others can't solve the difficult sums, your child is able to solve; and that his weaker subject turns out to be a easy paper so that he, like the others, can solve most of the questions.

Btw, there is still time. You can still work on your ds chinese. I think reading chinese story books help. When they read more chinese, they can write better and maybe understand the comprehension passage better too.

:rahrah: :rahrah: :rahrah: all the best to our ds in their PSLE 2014.

[jedamum]

Thanks piggylalala.

Son now spends more time on chinese at the expense of other subjects. We were wondering if we should throw in the towel and focus on subjects he is good at to increase the marks gain to compensate the drop in chinese marks.

[LindaYong]

jedamum:

Thanks piggylalala.

Son now spends more time on chinese at the expense of other subjects. We were wondering if we should throw in the towel and focus on subjects he is good at to increase the marks gain to compensate the drop in chinese marks.

I have the same problem with my son too. PSLE is very near, as language is not a subject that can help to impove much over the night, thus I will think may be should spend more time on his study subjects, such as Math and Science. Even so, do hope that his Chinese grade don't drop.

[mummy so kiasu]

LindaYong:

jedamum:

Thanks piggylalala.

Son now spends more time on chinese at the expense of other subjects. We were wondering if we should throw in the towel and focus on subjects he is good at to increase the marks gain to compensate the drop in chinese marks.

I have the same problem with my son too. PSLE is very near, as language is not a subject that can help to impove much over the night, thus I will think may be should spend more time on his study subjects, such as Math and Science. Even so, do hope that his Chinese grade don't drop.

It is not possible to improve language subject over night. I would rather spend the time to practice Maths or revise Science.

[janet88]

I have never really understood this t score thing. But after reading explanation here, I get an idea. :lovesite:

An easy paper may not be a good thing bcos high achievers will definitely do very well and push up the scores. The other worry is the child tends to let down defenses thinking it is an easy paper and makes more careless mistakes.

Languages are tough to score...bcos there are many components...besides, oral & compo are marked by 2 examiners. Math is a paper which can be improved with practice...and hopefully the setter doesnt set another crazy paper which reduces the students to tears :xedfingers:

Have another prelim on Monday. Son said his Math and Chinese prelim were tough.

[Crester]

Choosing of Sec sch is a headache.

We are thinking of Nan Chiau, Xin Min. My frd is thinking of TKGS, St Nicholas Girls’…

[mummy so kiasu]

Crester:

Choosing of Sec sch is a headache.

We are thinking of Nan Chiau, Xin Min. My frd is thinking of TKGS, St Nicholas Girls'....

Nan Chiau & Xin Min are my choice too. Nan Chiau is a SAP school & Xin Min is an Autonomous school. Both are good schools. HSK says every school is a good school, but why there are no ministers' kids in neighbourhood schools? ha.. Ha.. :rotflmao:

[Crester]

mummy so kiasu:

Crester:

Choosing of Sec sch is a headache.

We are thinking of Nan Chiau, Xin Min. My frd is thinking of TKGS, St Nicholas Girls'....

Nan Chiau is one of my choice too. It is a SAP school. Xin Min is an Autonomous school. Both are good school. HSK says every school is a good school, but why there are no ministers' kids in neighbourhood schools? ha.. Ha.. :rotflmao:

Banding of schools removed.....

[mummy so kiasu]

Banding of sec school has been removed, then choosing of school become more tedious. You can’t use the COP, as more popular schools might not lead to better O level results. Banding tells us how well the school prepared the kids for the O level exam.