Veyron\" post_id=\"2002071\" time=\"1604969709\" user_id=\"30663:

Imp75\" post_id=\"2002066\" time=\"1604968189\" user_id=\"2358:

Wonder if MOE will release the t score distribution of prior year as well? I can see intense competition for the IP sch so statistics like 260 and above (ie AL6) = top 3% = xxx pupils versus vacancies of top IP school. Parents can better gadge their balloting chances?

Under T-scores COP system, vacancy vs applicants are very well balance. e.g if COP is 260, almost all applicants with 260 t-score as 1st choice will get it. As someone already explained earlier, its very difficult to accurately connect t-scores with raw scores, and what MOE has done is tp reveal that NO sec schools in 2019 has COP of AL4 or AL5. And that is already a good indicator. So for AL6 students balloting for AL6 COP school, they will most definitely have to choose a AL7 COP school as 2nd choice.

\" So for AL6 students balloting for AL6 COP school, they will most definitely have to choose a AL7 COP school as 2nd choice.\"

Most likely the AL7 school is already full and taken up by those whose put it as their first choice by the time you are balloted out from your 1st choice AL6 school. You ended up in a >AL10 school?? The safest is to avoid a ballot to avoid at all costs.

skii\" post_id=\"2001814\" time=\"1604800746\" user_id=\"82603:

Dear Entai17,

Thanks for your very informative post.

Quick question:
You have grouped the 9 gep center into 3 groups.

Is the grouping based on the schools personal relation with each other
Or
level of competitiveness
Or
what’s your matrix for the grouping?

I grouped them in order of my sense of competitiveness, their external competition achievements, Chinese standard, school culture, workload and teacher-student ratio.

Maybe I do a little reordering into these groups from my sense of tougher to easier, although the difference between neighboring groups may not be markedly different, while more evident between the top and bottom groups:

Nanyang, Nan Hua
Tao Nan, Rosyth, Catholic High, RGPS and ACS;
Henry Park and St Hilda's

Henry Park and St Hilda's are the only GEP schools with 1 class of GEP (varies 18-27 students but in mixed form classes with mainstream), therefore they have the lowest student-teacher ratio, and students therefore get more attention. With a smaller GEP cohort, it is a less competitive environment, and their mainstream cohort is also less competitive.

All the rest of the GEP schools have 40-50+ GEP students. Nanyang and Nan Hua are at the other end of the spectrum, while the rest are in between.

Indicative AL COP range for the IP schools for the actual 2021 PSLE is likely to be 1 pt lower, i.e.


Express (IP) for independent schools: 5-7
Express (IP) for autonomous/government-aided schools: 6-8

RI, RGS, HCI, NYGS 2019 COP ranges 259 - 261, which MOE is indicating to be AL 6. However, there will be a group of those >259, who actually are translated to AL 7-9. On the other hand, there is another group scoring between 257-259 who will actually score AL 5, and can now qualify for these schools. The former group will be smaller than the latter group (because we are on the right side of the bell curve moving left), and therefore the COP will likely be 1pt lower at AL5, and not AL6. Even if the COP remains at AL6, it is at best a small balloting chance, and I think the balloting will actually be at AL5 instead.

While the analysis is for the IP schools, the same thing will happen to the other schools further down, but the size of the impact will be less.

iggy\" post_id=\"2001738\" time=\"1604745025\" user_id=\"32682:

I don't know if yesterday's announcement on the indicative cut off point for various sec school programmes under the new PSLE AL scoring system will have any bearing on GEP decision. Need an average AL2 (85+) for each subject to get into IP.Given that the leverage from the strongest subject (eg Maths) to pull up weakest (eg MTL) will not be as big as before. Is it a fair assumption that our kids can cope with all 4 subjects with their giftedness?

You will still be selected for GEP even if you fail your Chinese in P3. Therefore, the standard in Chinese isn't much better than the mainstream. There will be more GEP students who will fail to make it to IP, simply because the other subjects cannot lift you up anymore.

It makes sense only if you spend the extra time saved from the GEP to work on your MTL. If your MTL cannot be saved, yet your English, Maths or Science is exceptionally above your peers, then GEP could horn your talents in these areas to help you on securing a DSA, thereby rescuing you from a weak MTL. But the recent trend seems to be that, unless you are truly exceptional, the GEP badge may work against you in DSA applications as schools now want diversity for DSA (i.e. mainstream students).

grace2011\" post_id=\"2001728\" time=\"1604733580\" user_id=\"133486:

I saw got parents shared that some schools are easier GEP and some are tougher GEP? So which are easier/less stress and which are tougher?

From the grapevine and my observations from GEP inter-school activities, there are 3 general groups:

Nanyang, Nan Hua, Tao Nan and Rosyth;
Catholic High, RGPS, ACS;
Henry Park and St Hilda's;

All the GEP schools have a standard syllabus, coursework and projects, tightly controlled by the GE Branch. All GEP students take the same CA and SA examination papers, except for P5 and P6 MTL and HMTL papers, which are the respective school papers. The reason being not all the schools offer HMTL until P5 for the mainstream, and therefore no HMTL papers are available for their GEP students until P5, so all P4 students take the GEP MTL paper.

The difference in the toughness probably stems from the schools' delivery of the curriculum, their/parents' expectations and the competitiveness of the students (GEP and mainstream). Some also start competition training earlier than other schools.

If you want to compete, then there is that additional stress to work harder. If you want to chill, you are alright as long as you pay attention and complete the required work. Nowadays, schools are mindful of reducing stress and do not reveal peer examination results (not even average, high or low scores), and do not reveal who gets selected for what competitions, masterclasses and other external programs that pull out the real high ability students (ya, not gifted as there really aren't many gifted students in Singapore). Parents are generally helpful if you ask, but do not talk much unnecessary (to avoid stressing you).

Unless your child is self-motivated and meticulous, you are more likely needed to keep an eye on him/her for the 1st several months as they need an adaptation period. Stories about having to work till late at night, is more likely that assignments/projects were not done progressively and left till the last moments. Some projects last through several weeks and stages.

English is the 'crown jewel' of the GEP program. MTL/HMTL are no different from mainstream. Maths are tougher but not as tough as olympiad maths, while science requires deeper thinking and detailed answers.

Googled the following info which may be useful to get a general feel of the GEP, especially for P4 and P5.

Tao Nan
https://taonan.moe.edu.sg/qql/slot/u182/pdf/parents/downloads/school_circulars/curriculum_briefings/P4/2020%20P4%20GEP%20Parents%20Briefing.pdf

Catholic High
https://catholichigh.moe.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/P3_Parent_Briefing_Booklet_2017UPDATED-ON-10NOV_vetted.pdf

St Hilda's
https://www.shps.moe.edu.sg/qql/slot/u548/2020%20P4%20GEP%20Parents%20Briefing.pdf

Henry Park
http://www.henryparkpri.moe.edu.sg/qql/slot/u601/2016%20P4%20Parent%20briefing%20files/2016%20P4%20GEP%20General%20%20Briefing.pdf

GEP English P4 & P5
https://nanhuapri.moe.edu.sg/qql/slot/u732/Others/E-Notification/P4GEP/2017/MTP%202017%20P4%20%28GEP%29%20EL.pdf

https://nanhuapri.moe.edu.sg/qql/slot/u732/Others/E-Notification/P5%20GEP/MTP%202016%20P5%20%28GEP%29%20EL.pdf

GEP P4 Mathematics
https://henryparkpri.moe.edu.sg/qql/slot/u601/2016%20P4%20Parent%20briefing%20files/2016%20P4%20GEP%20Math%20Briefing.pdf

GEP P6 Science
https://nanhuapri.moe.edu.sg/qql/slot/u732/Others/E-Notification/P6%20GEP/2017/MTP%202017%20P6%20%28GEP%29%20SCI.pdf

IRS projects
https://www.moe.gov.sg/docs/default-source/document/education/programmes/gifted-education-programme/individualised-study-options/files/primary-and-secondary-schools-2016.pdf

IVP
https://nanhuapri.moe.edu.sg/qql/slot/u732/Others/E-Notification/P5%20TAG/MTP%202016%20P5%20%28TAG+GEP%29%20IvP.pdf

besty\" post_id=\"2001563\" time=\"1604646132\" user_id=\"3983:

Hello daddies and mummies, does anyone know how gep school posting works, as in how a school decides whether to accept a student into their gep programme? Is it based on (gep tests scores), distance between home and school, or P3 exam results?
Thanks

Based on the following criteria:
1. Are you already in that GEP school;
2. Do you already have a sibling in that GEP school;
3. Distance from the GEP school;
4. The type of school the child was from (SAP, mission, or single-gender school) which is similar to the GEP school;

The large majority gets their first choice.

You yourself have to decide whether HCL is for your child. I think there are some schools that cannot drop HCL. Not sure whether this is still true.

All the GEP schools now practice intermingling form classes.

Only NYPS girls have an affiliation with NYGS IP, while others have an affiliation to O levels program.

There are easier GEP schools and tougher GEP schools. Choose wisely depending on your child's temperament character, and attitude towards study.

Some interesting data:


https://www.acsindep.moe.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/School-Profile-2019-20_updated-Oct19.pdf

MS_Daddy\" post_id=\"1991913\" time=\"1597829233\" user_id=\"187722:

Tookies\" post_id=\"1991894\" time=\"1597826167\" user_id=\"124548:

Hi, has anyone’s child encountered using Ruler to message the length of a triangle in math qn E.g 4.5cm and the measurement is quite far off from answer key ie 4.9cm? I have tried a couple of rulers and obtained the same measurement 4.5cm measurement.

Need to see the actual question in order to identify the problem. Answer key may be wrong too.

The paper is most likely scanned, therefore the resolution might have changed. Measurements won't be the same.

zac's mum\" post_id=\"1989147\" time=\"1596506877\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=1989147 time=1596506877 user_id=53606]
If don’t need informed choice then KSP forum will be obsolete liao.[/quote]

Like the various festivals that occur throughout the year, in the academic calendar, there is still DSA, GEP selection, PSLE preparation, and S1 postings to talk about, so KSP remains relevant. LOL.

zac's mum\" post_id=\"1989142\" time=\"1596504757\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=1989142 time=1596504757 user_id=53606]

entei17\" post_id=\"1989134\" time=\"1596499921\" user_id=\"162440:

After 2020, I think it is likely that Primary 1 registration would be made fully online in the future as in this year.

Parents would have to adapt their registration strategy to a blind bidding after this year hiccups. Everyone's best chance in any oversubscribed is the schools where you are <1km.

It saves the primary schools the manpower to man the registration booths for the entire process and save them the trouble from the incessant phone calls to get updates of the number of applicants for each phase and for each distance. No one can get an unfair advantage from being more diligent to keep calling and taking leave on the last day of registration to assess where the best chances are. Fully computerised and transparent.

It levels the playing field in the sense that no one can obtain the distance breakdown this year.

But, this non-transparency is a step backward. This year sudden move to fully online, maybe no time to upgrade the system.

Going forward, should improve the online platform to provide distance breakdown. So that parents can make an informed choice & not waste their 2C chance.

Same like how the DSA portal can be improved to show the status of the application. It’s not that difficult to do in this day & age.[/quote]

A bit out of point here. But you are advocating for an open bidding system like the COE Bidding system, where bidders can see the number of bids and the clearing price, so bids can be adjusted based on that information.

You have to understand why the COE Bidding system is set up the way it is. LTA does not want the COE price to fluctuate greatly and lose lots of tax revenue when $0 COE happens way too often than they like. In a blind COE bidding, distributors are likely to bid what they can pay and are less prone to manipulations by the oligopolistic car market. The open COE Bidding system is a win-win for the government (tax revenue) and car distributors (profits) at the expense of car owners.