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Year 8-11 Selective Result Discussion (5 Viewers)

athh

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I did the HAST last year for entry into Penrith, and I got in. Basically I started preparing by using this HAST practice on NotesEdu, it's like $150 for a test pack, but this basically only helped me for the Abstract Reasoning, the other stuff wasn't really relevant. The HAST is really similar to the new selective tests that Department does, so if you can find the tests after 2021, and get familiar with those, they really help. I also practiced my writing a lot, my question for the writing test was discursive, so if you don't know that already I'd suggest get familiar with it and strong at using it as it may come up. I think Matrix Education also has some useful information on their website so you can check that out too. Good luck!
What year did you do Hast? How to improve writing? I need it too.
 

20/50=80%

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Thanks for the detailed response. I was also wondering if you were comfortable or if you remembered the percentile that you were in so that I could have a good idea of where I need to aim towards to make it in.
Okay, so I got in the top 10% for Reading, Maths and Abstract Reasoning and top 15% for Writing. Overall I was in the top 10% for test takers so I'd aim for that. If you get lower in one of the tests, ideally you should be stronger in another.
 

20/50=80%

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What year did you do Hast? How to improve writing? I need it too.
I did the HAST in 2023. Improving my writing, I asked my English teacher at the time how to do discursive and she gave me a booklet to work on. I did some practice writing discursive on questions I asked ChatGPT to give me or searched up online and got teacher feedback.
 

jiangwsj

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Hi everyone,

I am looking to do the HAST test for entry from year 10 into year 11. How have you who have successfully done this made it in? What resources have you used or have been helpful, and how would you improve your maths and abstract reasoning skills? Any advice or resources would be helpful. Thanks.
I took HAST this yr for hornsby and I kinda just spammed ucat online practice tests a few weeks before for maths and verbal reasoning (HAST would feel much easier in comparison to the ucat tests bc those were so messed up) also HAST abstract reasoning was all just pattern recognition it was way easier than whatever ucat abstract reasoning is, nsw/vic selective past papers also helped honestly I don't think abstract reasoning gets that much harder after yr6 its still generally the same stuff. I have a doc of like every creative I've ever written so when I was preparing I just looked over them and then on the day I adapted the most suitable one to the prompt. HAST isn't as strict on time (around 30mins 30 questions I think) so time management isn't that much of an issue good luck u got this
 

MeltingGlacier

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Hi everyone,

I am looking to do the HAST test for entry from year 10 into year 11. How have you who have successfully done this made it in? What resources have you used or have been helpful, and how would you improve your maths and abstract reasoning skills? Any advice or resources would be helpful. Thanks.
Similar to everyone else said but practice ucat for abstract reasoning and its just basic pattern recognition. The maths section wasn't really maths but more so science so make sure you have good basics. In the math questions, you don't really need any formulas but just need to understand how to apply concepts and information provided. For writing, you'll probably want to practice a few discursive and creatives. The prompt doesn't usually specify which one you should write but it'll be better suited for a type of writing. You can just adapt a creative but for discursives, read some exemplars and see how they write theirs.
 

nutgodpeanut

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I took HAST this yr for hornsby and I kinda just spammed ucat online practice tests a few weeks before for maths and verbal reasoning (HAST would feel much easier in comparison to the ucat tests bc those were so messed up) also HAST abstract reasoning was all just pattern recognition it was way easier than whatever ucat abstract reasoning is, nsw/vic selective past papers also helped honestly I don't think abstract reasoning gets that much harder after yr6 its still generally the same stuff. I have a doc of like every creative I've ever written so when I was preparing I just looked over them and then on the day I adapted the most suitable one to the prompt. HAST isn't as strict on time (around 30mins 30 questions I think) so time management isn't that much of an issue good luck u got this
Thank you for the detailed response, I'll try my best.
 

nutgodpeanut

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Similar to everyone else said but practice ucat for abstract reasoning and its just basic pattern recognition. The maths section wasn't really maths but more so science so make sure you have good basics. In the math questions, you don't really need any formulas but just need to understand how to apply concepts and information provided. For writing, you'll probably want to practice a few discursive and creatives. The prompt doesn't usually specify which one you should write but it'll be better suited for a type of writing. You can just adapt a creative but for discursives, read some exemplars and see how they write theirs.
Alr thanks I'll keep that in mind.
 

Rick Mendoza

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It was rlly good because it wasn’t even an interview😭 I was so nervous but turns out they just give you the student handbook and go over your subjects and explain basic info that you get when you transfer schools. They didn’t even do the documentation checks
yo ngl
it might be better for u to go girra js based on ur current circumstances:
since u mentioned that penrith was ur third choice, that means it aint as high
"Penrith, I'm rollin' through. Get ready!"
dawg what 😭
 

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