Chew88\" post_id=\"1944812\" time=\"1572924979\" user_id=\"163667:
Does anyone have a sample, perhaps of mid or final year p4 gep math or english exam? Would like to gauge the level.
I've been following the GEP threads for a few years, but I don't seem to recall any parent sharing samples of GEP papers. I wonder why? Was tempted to upload samples, but am hesitant, since no one has done it before.
I'll just provide a summary and comparison between GEP and mainstream/PSLE papers I've seen. I may not provide the right comparison as my only experience is a GEP child, not mainstream.
EnglishPaper 2 is 2 hours or 10 minutes longer than PSLE papers. Key reasons are because [list]
There are 2 Comprehension OEQ passages each of 50 lines long (25 marks), not one (20 marks).[/list][list]
In Spelling and Grammar, they have to find where the mistakes are, unlike in PSLE formats where they have underlined the mistakes for you[/list]The Comprehension OEQ questions are more difficult to answer as some need deeper inferences and rephrasing (no lifting). P4 SA1 Comprehension OEQ passage was the hardest I've seen, as I was guessing that GEB probably wanted to set the 'right' expectation. So much so that I mistook that's the standard and started practicing using 'O' level comprehension passages OEQs. Subsequently, the following papers have seen 'easier' passages.
Other parts of Vocabulary and Grammar are probably pitched at 2 levels higher.
English is the hallmark of the GEP Education, in that it is accelerated much more than Maths, Science and MT. The exam papers prepare them well for PSLE, as all PSLE components are tested. However, they spend little time practising such components, with some worksheets here and there, and doing past year practise papers 2 weeks before the SAs. The majority of the time are spent on their reading, writing, performance and literature projects, that has nothing to do with PSLE.
CL/HCLGEP take the same CL/HCL papers as the mainstream in their respective schools. I don't see much difference between GEP and mainstream.
MathsI won't say Maths are accelerated. They do the same PSLE topics but involves a lot of heuristics in problem solving. I often see the 'Ancient Civilization Number Systems' being mentioned by other parents. That was gone through in the 2nd or 3rd week, and was never seen or tested again. There are lots of interesting worksheets they do (pi, golden ratio etc), but are hardly tested on those content.
What are tested are linear and quadratic patterns in the CTs. P4/P5 SA papers are very similar to PSLE standard, probably with a few more of the 'difficult' PSLE questions. There are a few Math Olympiad style questions, but those are far and few in between. Questions in the Math Olympiad books are far much harder than GEP Math papers. If you do the practice papers before the SAs diligently, it wouldn't be a problem. The question types are similar. GEP Math would not prepare you for the Math Olympiad competitions (there are quite a few they get exposed to). You either have to get external classes or practice them on your own. Some GEP centres have training sessions, but some are DIY. There are also those who get selected for Math Masterclasses organized centrally by GEB/NUSH, however very few have those opportunities.
ScienceScience is taught with a lot of worksheets and videos, within the syllabus and outside too. As a central theme of GEP, they teach the kids how to source for information, how to think and analyse. How much the kids can grasp varies widely though.
ISOs (IRS, IVP, FPS, OM) will take up some time in P5. There are also those who get selected for Science Masterclasses organized centrally by GEB/NUSH, however very few have those opportunities.
Science SA papers are similar to PSLE standard, but the requirements for the answers are more stringent in that they seek your answer, your evidence and the scientific concept/keywords that helps explain it (at the end of the day, rote learning still require here). So a 1 or 2 mark question can require a pretty lengthy answer.
