As a parent of a child who is preparing for the selective entry exam, you may have heard that the exam is changing in 2023. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed and worried, but you may not need to stress – it all depends on how you’ve been preparing for the exams so far. In this blog post, we’ll break down the selective entry changes and help you understand what they mean for you and your child.
The selective entry exam’s new format
Firstly, you may have noticed that the names for the different exam components have changed slightly:
- Numerical reasoning is now quantitative ability;
- Verbal reasoning is now verbal ability;
- Written expression is now writing ability;
- Reading comprehension is now reasoning in reading;
- And mathematics is now reasoning in mathematics.
This shift in names indicates that the examiners are looking for students who can move beyond rote repetition towards approaching the exam problems in novel ways, demonstrating their ability.
What to expect from the changed components
We expect that the focus of the writing ability and reading comprehension components will continue to be on cohesive storytelling and on analysis. Similarly, mathematics and quantitative ability (formerly numerical reasoning) will focus more heavily on problem solving.
Another key component that is set to change will be verbal ability. Over the last few years, we’ve seen the exam place much more emphasis on creative, out-of-the-box thinking. Last year the exam introduced rebus puzzles, and we expect that this emphasis on innovative and inventive thinking in questions such as logical reasoning will continue.
Preparing for the changed exam
Despite the selective entry changes, the best way to prepare for the selective entry exam hasn’t changed.
Remember that the selective entry exam tests for ability and achievement. If your child’s learning has been focused on concepts and being able to solve problems via structured thinking processes, then the changes will not be overwhelming.
If your child was more focused on rote learning and memorisation, they will need to rejig their focus towards critical thinking.
The best way to see how you are tracking is still to get feedback from an expert. Don’t forget that you can do a free diagnostic and get free feedback from me personally for the next two months. I’ll identify areas where you are struggling and suggest strategies for getting back on the right track.
You can also join us on Facebook to discuss the changes with like-minded parents and our community experts.
