GEP or Gifted Education Programme Selection Test is the second round of the 2-stage identification exercise by Singapore’s Ministry of Education.
Firstly, Congratulations and Well Done!
Your child is in the Top 10%. Only about 1 in 10 students proceed to the second round GEP Selection Test.
The GEP Selection Test will be held on 18 and 19 October 2022.
There are 3 papers – English Language, Mathematics and General Ability, and we’ll cover more about the specifics of each paper in the next section.
Eventually, roughly 400 to 500 students are selected for the GEP, which is available in 9 primary schools. So your child has another 1 in 10 chance of getting past Round 2.
In December, if your child has been selected for the GEP, you will receive a big, brown, or dark yellow envelope with an official GEP invitation letter and other documents.
You will also be invited to a GEP briefing session. After which, you and your child will decide if he/she would like to join the GEP! If your choice is a big yes, you will also need to select your top 4 GEP school choices.
The school posting results will be shared in December. Thereafter, you need to visit your child’s current school to collect his or her report card. Your child’s GEP school will also share instructions to prepare for the Primary 4 school year via postal mail.
The two-day schedule looks something like this:
| Day 1 | English Language Paper (1 to 1.5 hours) General Ability (English) Paper (~ 1 hour) About 2.5 hours in total (varies by year), with a short break in between the 2 papers – pack a snack! |
| Day 2 | Math Paper (1 to 1.5 hours) General Ability (Math) Paper (~1 hour) About 2.5 hours in total (varies by year), with a short break in between the 2 papers – pack a snack! |
Has your child taken a 2.5-hour exam before? Perhaps attended a 2.5-hour Math or English lesson?
Exam Stamina, Strong Focus and Good Time Management Skills are important skills to hone.
Here is an overview:
To do well in vocabulary, students need a wide vocabulary built through a hearty appetite for reading and exposure to various genres and forms of text over time.
Parents have shared that the English level is pitched at the Secondary School level!
Most of the comprehension questions revolve around inference from a short piece of text.
Comprehension passages from past-year Selection Round English papers have ranged from History (Temple of Artemis) to Science (US-Russia Space Race) to Poems (Ballad of Rum).
Your child also needs to know how to read between the lines and make inferences.
Here are some question types that appear in the English General Ability paper:
Check out the examples below!
The paper structure varies from year to year, especially so in recent years! It is known to range from 50 up to even 80 questions, so be prepared – stamina and focus will be key!
The Math paper requires strong Higher Order Thinking skills and will include Multi-Step Problems.
Your child needs to exercise Critical Thinking Skills to understand the questions deeply and solve them.
There might be questions on Number Patterns that require Counting and Creativity. Or Practical Application of Combinatorics such as the Pigeonhole Principle. Or Logic Problems that require Strong Logical Reasoning Abilities!
Give this sample GEP Selection Round Math question a shot!
Can you solve it without listing? What method did you use to solve it?
Typically, 30 to 40 questions are included. They could include questions on:
Your child needs good ‘Math Sense’ for the General Ability Math paper.
Try out this General Ability Math question that involves Pattern recognition! What is your answer, and why?
These kinds of questions are beyond the MOE school syllabus. However, giving your child exposure to such question types and learning their problem solving methods is possible! (We provide MORE such questions at the end of this article.)
With only a few weeks left to the GEP Selection Test,
We’ve divided our tips into 3 categories:
Normally, we’d recommend doing Comprehension first, because it requires more brainpower. BUT, if time is an issue, work on Vocabulary questions first! The marks per minute spent is higher.
Eat a nutritious meal on the morning of the exam. Do not stay up late studying for it!
Being overly worried can have a negative impact on your exam condition. Focus on the process, not the result!
Admittedly, luck plays a part in GEP admissions! Bring your lucky pen or eraser with you.
Generally, based on parent feedback and our experience, the difficulty of preparing for each subject varies.
Based on your child’s ability, decide how the last few weeks should be spent.
If your child is constantly looking for a math challenge, then the Elite Programme might just be for you. The Elite Programme aims to nurture the top 20 math talents and math olympiad medalists in Singapore through this interesting and stimulating programme. This programme is highly selective and requires students to pass a written and interview round.
Get a chance to be sponsored with a full scholarship at Think Academy through the Elite Selection Test
20 Aug 2024 (K2-P2) and 22 Aug 2024 (P3-P5), 6pm
Sign up for our Elite Programme Selection Test: https://biz.thethinkacademy.com/link/l/EkjE
While working towards the goal of preparing well for GEP gives a clear direction for actions, ultimately, it is the learning journey that matters most.
The best takeaway is the accumulated new ways of thinking, understanding of the world, and sense of curiosity and wonder that learning brings.
We wish all Primary 3 students taking the GEP Selection Test…
Think Academy Singapore
