Dr Peh Associates

[MdmKS]

Merlion:

For those parents who have no idea what GEP Selection Test is all about, this center (basically a one-man show) should be able to help. I heard that the center selects the students very carefully - if you are not among the top students in eng and maths in your school, they are not that keen to take you in for the GEP preparation course. Yes, I agree that it is expensive. :moneyflies:

It sounds like a strategy play. For those who are already top in Eng and Maths, they stand a high chance of getting into GEP as GEP basically test them eng and Math. If your child get into GEP most likely not because he attended the 10 sessions, so why waste that money. And you may come to a state to wonder whether he is truely \"gifted\". That may affect the subsequent emotion when both of you and your child feel the GEP course is too tough and yet the course does not help him prepare for PSLE. :?

[ApronMama]

Merlion:

I am not that sure how much they charge. It will be better for you to call them and check with them. I heard that it is around $2,000++ for 10 lessons. Maybe got discount during this recession period.

Parents, you might want to read http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30&start=0 think carefully before commit to such course.

[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.

[mathsparks]

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.

Hi Merlion, My sentiments exactly! The GEP selection test should be for screening those kids who have are naturally gifted not those who've gone thru advance training/drill. Fairly hot debate in another thread http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=418&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=165

[Lynn2]

[Moderator's note: Topics merged.]


Hi mummies and daddies

Have you heard of the above?

I know some parents send their kids for intensive science training...anyone has done so, care to share your comments?thanks

[Merlion]

It was discussed in this forum a few months back .....


http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3577&start=0

[kiasiparent]

mathsparks:

Hi Merlion, My sentiments exactly! The GEP selection test should be for screening those kids who have are naturally gifted not those who've gone thru advance training/drill. Fairly hot debate in another thread http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=418&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=165

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.

[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.