GEP 2018 - Screening and Selection Test
-
Hi
If you read similar thread of past years, there is no resources or references to prepare the child for it.
Just let the child take the test as there is no pass or fail tied to it. -
Will sending my child to enrichment centres that have prep programs help?
-
PrimaryParent:
Will sending my child to enrichment centres that have prep programs help?
1. U would be paying thru your nose for a course that doesn’t guarantee entry. I can also take your bundles of money and teach your kid “tips” but no guarantee ah! (I’m seriously kidding btw)
2. If let’s say your child gets in thru coaching and not truly having the giftedness, then forever you’ll be tied to paying & paying for premium after school GEP tuition just to maintain the grades.
Is it really worth burning such a big hole in your pocket?? -
In the market there are many GEP preparation course , u can just Google !
-
You got to know your child well. They can be stretched but not too much. I do not think one year preparation with 4 hours every week is good for children (Mind Stretcher (MS) provides this kind of training). In the end, your child would feel very frustrated if he/she could not get in.
In our case, DS attended two workshops, a 4-day Jun screening workshop in Mindstretcher and a 4-day Oct selection workshop in TLL just before the selection test. Those workshops could have helped a bit. DS knew how the questions looked like. He also got to know his standard among his peers. The selection workshop boosted his confidence and he finished the maths selection test half an hour earlier. And he got in.
Children develop at their own pace. I coach DS at home. I noticed his maths suddenly improved in P3, Sem 2. He can absorb the concepts very quickly, although he may have complained that he did not understand the same concept half year ago. When I know he does not understand, I will not stretch him further but wait for him to be ready to be taught. He is much weaker in English. He does not like books from the library, We seldom borrow books from the library. But I would buy one or two books every week upon his request. He will read each book at least three times. He also likes to retell stories. In addition, I bought some mainstream test papers from Popular and I revised those questions with him.
I had also struggled and wondered if I should put DS to the prep program for the entire year. I know his school is really a mediocre school. I let him sit for the MS GEP prep course test, given 10 dollars test fee and DS result slips (the enrollment test requires the child to have band one result English and Math in Primary 2 and passes their test before the child can be enrolled in their program). DS finished the 2 hours test in 50 min. MS called me the next morning said that DS could join the prep course. However, I did not enroll him. I still feel it was too expensive, we would feel too dreadful if DS was not selected. I want him to enjoy more other things during weekends instead of 4 hours sitting in a small air-con room. The test told me that he is somehow capable, that is enough.
I hope my experience is a bit helpful. Furthermore, please take note, last year, MOE only set 16 GEP classes for 2018 P4, which means, only about 400 pupils were selected. In contrast, MOE used to select about 550 pupils each year from 2008 to 2013. -
Ruhemut,
Does either MS or TLL follow up with you to check if your child clear the screening or selection test? -
To Sean Wife:
No. They didn’t.
DS is not qualified for the MS reward because we did not attend their selection workshop. DS’ School released the first round result very late therefore MS workshop could not fit in his schedule. I then just Google and found TLL’s workshop available at the very last minute. It was somehow shorter than MS workshop , total 6 hours or 8 hours but good enough. Then I never hear from TLL again. MS gives out cash and class vouchers if you attended all year round GEP class or attended the selection workshop. I received their Ads. -
just one advice … check the new DSA requirements before you decide to push your kids on this. GEP students are not prep for PSLE until 6 months before the exam, while MS has like 3 years prep for PSLE. If your DS/DD is currently feeling bored in school because it is too easy, don’t think you need a prep course and likely GEP is beneficial for him/her. If not, don’t know whether is it useful to get into GEP in the first place. Heard for this year, a lot of parents opt out because of the change in DSA rulings.
-
sean wife:
That is a good question. And I’m very surprised at the answer. Don’t they want to boast of their percentage of “successful” entries?Ruhemut,
Does either MS or TLL follow up with you to check if your child clear the screening or selection test?
If they don’t even follow up at all, it makes me very suspicious that they are simply preying on parents’ kiasuism (and deep pockets), without even bothering about success rate. -
abhcbl:
just one advice ... check the new DSA requirements before you decide to push your kids on this. GEP students are not prep for PSLE until 6 months before the exam, while MS has like 3 years prep for PSLE. If your DS/DD is currently feeling bored in school because it is too easy, don't think you need a prep course and likely GEP is beneficial for him/her. If not, don't know whether is it useful to get into GEP in the first place. Heard for this year, a lot of parents opt out because of the change in DSA rulings.
Just to add on. in P6, there are still projects galore and kids are expected to fulfil those (including at least, what I can recall, 2 Social Studies projects) in the first half year. All these while psle prep builds to fever pitch.
On the tests itself. don't worry if your child can't finish or finish on the dot. those who found it easy and finished early may not have got in. I heard of some who didn't complete the papers and got through the first round. Ds1 barely finished the maths paper on the second round and he didn't have time to check. What will be will be. -
abhcbl:
just one advice ... check the new DSA requirements before you decide to push your kids on this. GEP students are not prep for PSLE until 6 months before the exam, while MS has like 3 years prep for PSLE. If your DS/DD is currently feeling bored in school because it is too easy, don't think you need a prep course and likely GEP is beneficial for him/her. If not, don't know whether is it useful to get into GEP in the first place. Heard for this year, a lot of parents opt out because of the change in DSA rulings.
DSA aside, a friend’s daughter shared that compared to her gep classmates, she has to put in more effort to understand the lessons. She felt that their gep training helps. She is in one of the top girls school. Although she qualified for the gep program, she did not take up the offer. -
The MS June workshop was quite a bad experience. More than 40 children were in a classroom and seems they had quite a few classes. TLL’s was better- about 10-12 children in a small room. More than 10 classrooms filled with kids. I saw a very long name list.
-
The main MS trainers who taught the programme are no longer there. Heard their current GEP programme not as popular as past cos trainers are all new
-
Can understand anxiety of parents…key is moderating expectations of our own children…there are.differing views…some say if trained will suffer once in GEP cause cannot cope…then again dun we all of us build on from knowledge learnt from others …newton…einstein…keep an open mind on learning…GEP is not be and end all…but if there are avenues for children learn more …expand their knowledge…why not…
-
PrimaryParent:
For English, one would want to prepare for vocabulary, it is notoriously tough. Words like \"amicable\", \"cantankerous\" can come out, words that most adults won't even know what it means. You may also want to read the 3 canonical past-year GEP literature books - Charlotte's Web, Wrinkle in Time and Friedrich.Hi I am trying to help my child prepare for the P3 gep exams this year. Appreciate if anyone can share what are the available resources and references?
Thks!
For Math, ideally need to prepare for tough mainstream \"problem sums\", in addition to math olympiad style questions. Though technically they test within school syllabus, even simple topics like \"Whole numbers\" and \"fractions\", it is possible for them to twist it to a very tough question while keeping it technically within the school syllabus.
For Logic, ideally good to have some practice with \"Mensa\" style questions. Though technically they say it is not a IQ test, it is actually similar to those pattern recognition tests found in IQ test. Good to have some familiarity rather than be shell-shocked by seeing it for the first time.
Google \"GEP questions\", to get a sense of some of the sample questions. Some of them can be found on my website.
For resources, one may need to check beyond the traditional Popular bookstore assessment books, which are catered for mainstream rather than GEP. Those would not be useful for preparing for GEP as they are too easy. One exception is Terry Chew's Math Olympiad books, which are good for GEP. It may be necessary to source from overseas Amazon books, since local bookstores mainly sell mainstream assessment books. Google \"GEP books\" for more recommendations. -
Feedback from other friends is that children find English tougher than maths? What is the scope for English?
-
OneLastPush:
Feedback from other friends is that children find English tougher than maths? What is the scope for English?
it all depends. Kids who are stronger in English may find Maths tough (my DS); and vice versa (other pp kids). No particular scope for English, just that those who got through tend to be the type that reads a lot and very broadly. -
I think this applies in general to improve in the subject. But some other form of practice will help? I gather that the passages are longer and question types are different from what they learn in P3. My kid is looking forward to the test…just want to help him prepare…he reads a lot by the way…
-
It has been quite difficult to find suitable materials even after scouring the internet. There is a sample online English test in sgcurriculum.com site. If gep is of that standard, then will be not so easy for kids. Looks like may have to sign up for a prep course somewhere soon.