I took the GEP test when i was in Pri 3 back in 1993 and i passed both rounds and went on into the Gifted education programme in Rosyth. At that time they only accepted 200 kids or 0.5% of the cohort as compared to the 1% and 400 kids they admit nowadays.
First of all, i wish to point out that the GEP tests are actually a measure of your child's reasoning and analytical ability through such exercises like
Just to name a few. These exercises in the GEP test do not presume that you child has advanced his academic knowledge (in Maths and English) past the primary 3 or 4 level. As i had pointed out earlier, the GEP test is designed to test your child's innate reasoning and analytical ability when faced with problems or information that your child has supposedly not faced before. In other words, the GEP test is quite like what they call the "IQ" test.
I have heard of tuition/workshops being offered to help train your kids to ace the GEP test. I have also seen with my own eyes "supposed" past year GEP exam questions being passed around amongst parents. I would like to take the opportunity to highlight some pointers.
1) The theory most GEP trainers go by is that you CAN boost (however slight) your child's chance of entering the GEP by getting him to practice and drill their "GEP or IQ" style questions. They feel that by familiarizing the child with those type of questions and the concepts/methods required to solve such questions, the child would not panic when faced with similar questions in the actual GEP test and have a ready store of methods/tricks to solve them. However just how much would the "practice" would boost the scores by is debatable. The GEP department at MOE has stated before that your can't get into the GEP by drilling for their tests because they are testing for the child's innate reasoning and analytical ability. I would tend to agree with the MOE's stand that you can't really train for such a test. But that's just my opinion. You'll have to consult teachers or staff teaching in the GEP schools for further information in that area.
2) I would like to caution parents about the problems that you and your child might encounter if your child gets into the GEP with all the training and whats not and realize that he/she was just not meant for it. I should know. I was one of those who somehow found my way into the GEP (without much training i must add, though i did love doing IQ maths and puzzles when young). Once in the GEP, though i was good in maths, i was literally ripped to shreds by the punishing English syllabus that i was put through (i came from a Chinese-educated Singaporean family). It did "wonders" for my self-esteem and its not something i would like to go through again. Its quite something to go from getting high nineties to just 30's and 40's for my English tests once i made the switch from the mainstream to the GEP. How i managed to pull through was sheer hard work, lots of reading and the good old BBC world service. This again is something that you can find out more about from parents whose children are already in the GEP.
3) Though i currently tutor some GEP and "High-ability" kids, i would never "train" children for the GEP even if i am asked to do so (i have received several such requests over the years). I feel that everyone has their own abilities and strengths and its pointless to train for and get into something that the child is not cut out for. I hasten to add that this is just my opinion based on my own GEP experience and my tutoring of GEP kids over the years. I would think its better to talk to other parents and educators to get a more complete picture about the Gifted Education Programme.
I hope that was useful.
Zhou Shicai
P.S I would like to share this quote :
“Everybody is a genius. But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid.” -Albert Einstein
jjrchome 发表于 10-10-2012 09:45
Gifted Education - How to prepare
I took the GEP test when i was in Pri 3 back in 1993 and i passed ...
These exercises in the GEP test do not presume that you child has advanced his academic knowledge (in Maths and English) past the primary 3 or 4 level. As i had pointed out earlier, the GEP test is designed to test your child's innate reasoning and analytical ability when faced with problems or information that your child has supposedly not faced before. In other words, the GEP test is quite like what they call the "IQ" test.
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