Selective school entry into Year 11. PLEASE HELP! (1 Viewer)

[Kateguan]

Hi,
So recently I've been thinking of applying for a selective school for 2016 Year 11 entry. I want to apply for Fort Street High School because not only is it a top notch selective, but it's also much MUCH closer to home. So I was wondering what are some things I can do and how can I study for the entrance exam? I've heard it's really hard, and I have no idea what I will be tested on so any help would be much appreciated.

So I know there is a Maths test and an English test both 45 minutes in duration, as well an essay that you write a home. What content will be in the exam (year 9/10/11)and any tips on how to improve my chances?

 

[aanthnnyyy]

Hi,
So recently I've been thinking of applying for a selective school for 2016 Year 11 entry. I want to apply for Fort Street High School because not only is it a top notch selective, but it's also much MUCH closer to home. So I was wondering what are some things I can do and how can I study for the entrance exam? I've heard it's really hard, and I have no idea what I will be tested on so any help would be much appreciated.

So I know there is a Maths test and an English test both 45 minutes in duration, as well an essay that you write a home. What content will be in the exam (year 9/10/11)and any tips on how to improve my chances?

I'd do it, totally regret taking a NSBHS selective exam 2 years ago

 

[WrittenLoveLetters]

I assume essay is probably on a stimulus...oh god.

 

[falances]

Hi!! I applied for Fort St Year 11 2015 last year. Both sections were divided in 45 minutes each. From what I remember in terms of content, the English one had about 10 multiple choice, a few short answers and a long extended response. You can't really prepare for it in any way, except to read a lot, brush up on your essay techniques, literary techniques etc. It's pretty unpredictable in my opinion. There were some sections of comprehension, techniques and essay writing. For the Maths section, there was so much more. 25 multiple choice and a whole bunch of short answer maths questions, all from different topics of varying difficulty (I'd say the difficulty would be about 5.3 Maths to mid-prelim content).

Time management is a big issue for this entrance exam. Don't feel too bad if you don't finish either/both of the exams. Lots of people struggle to finish and it's totally okay. One of my friends didn't do like 3 pages and he's one of the top performing students in 5.3 Maths. I feel like this entrance exam is meant to put people off and test how well they perform under extreme time constraints.

Also, not to add extra pressure, but this entrance exam is what determines like 90% of your entrance. Out of the performers of the exam, they choose a handful of people who perform better than the others, and from there on they look at reports, co-curricular and your essay. Once you get through to that stage, I'd say you're pretty much in or on the reserve list.

The essay you prepare at home is usually based off a recent current affairs issue or something related to Australian politics (from previous experience). They want to see how well you keep up with the news and how mature you are in terms of conveying your opinions in an eloquent manner.

If you want/need any more help or tips, I'm happy to help! Just PM me ^_^ Good luck !!

 

[Kateguan]

Thanks for the replies, I'll definitely apply! However, I think it's really difficult to get in