Test prep for the new format Selective Schools Test

Posted: March 16, 2022

Categories: Thinking Skills

Tags: thinking skills, selective school test, mathematical reasoning, critical thinking

Author: Five Senses

Selective test preparation for the new 2021 format

Updated: 15 July 2024

In conversation this week, experienced educator and author Mohan Dhall encouraged students to make the most of the delay with the Selective Schools Test this year: "the postponement of the Selective Schools Test should be viewed as an opportunity. When things change unexpectedly, we can help children respond to change by focusing on what we can do. This is important if we value resilience. The additional time can be used to re-visit past questions, timetable some practice and also be thankful for the opportunity to actually do the test."

The Five Senses team has rounded up our top recommendations for practice questions and tests for the new format exam. We wish students and their families all the best for this final stretch before the exam.

Advanced Comprehension Skills by Tysan Allen, Janelle Ho & Helen Kelly

Students read four passages linked by theme and then answer a series of comprehension questions to test their understanding
20 units of work, each containing 10 advanced comprehension questions
Includes practical tips on how to approach the questions
Requires students to use a range of higher-order comprehension skills, including summarising, comparing and contrasting, drawing conclusions, understanding author’s purpose and craft

Students are challenged to match deleted sentences with the correct gaps in a given passage
Each book contains 30 units of works across three themes
Requires students to use a range of higher-order comprehension skills, including identifying the main idea and making connections between ideas
This book features the other new format of comprehension questions in the new Selective Test - Cloze Passages.

Critical Thinking Skills & Mathematical Reasoning by Mohan Dhall

Critical Thinking Skills

fully worked solutions to all questions
strategies to approach critical thinking skills questions
Book 1: 40 questions
Book 2: 60 questions

Mathematical Reasoning

fully worked solutions to all questions
build confidence and familiarity with question types
extend mathematical reasoning skills
Book 1: 35 questions
Book 2: 50 questions

Bundles

Critical Thinking Skills

Mathematical Reasoning

Mastering Selective and Scholarship Tests by Yvonne Kang

Mathematical Reasoning

Each book contains four tests of 35 questions each
Answers provided with workings/explanations
Improves problem solving abilities

Thinking Skills

Each book contains four tests of 40 questions each
Answers provided with workings/explanations
Enhances higher-order and critical thinking skills

Thinking Skills by Anne Joo & David Joo

Thinking Skills Book 1 has been created to aid in the development of your child’s critical thinking, problem solving and reasoning abilities. Thinking skills are crucial for the 21st century: not only a significant part of school entrance exams but future employment opportunities. Research has shown that students with high aptitude for thinking skills thrive in their area of study. By studying the diverse range of problems in this book, students will be able to develop their analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and inference skills taking their mental and cognitive ability beyond the classroom.

for students in Year 5 & 6
covers critical thinking, problem solving and reasoning
includes step by step solutions to all questions

Understanding & Essential Selective by Ray Lee & Jimmy Liu

Understanding Selective

Understanding Selective is a series of topic-by-topic practice books. Each book features 120 questions grouped into six topics, plus an assessment test paper. Every topic opens with a worked sample question. Includes answers with explanations / workings. Suitable for students in Years 5 and 6.

Mathematical Reasoning Book 1

Four Operations
Fractions and Decimals
2D and 3D Shapes
Chance
Money
Graphs

Mathematical Reasoning Book 2

Angle and Position
Time and Calendar
Perimeter and Area
Mass and Volume
Algebra
Number Patterns

Thinking Skills Book 1

Identifying Strengths
Identifying Weaknesses
Evaluating Reasoning
Arrangement
Identifying Mistakes
Matching Arguments

Thinking Skills Book 2

Deductive Reasoning
Logic Puzzles
Drawing Conclusions
Finding Procedures
Tables and Graphs
Spatial Reasoning

Essential Selective

Suitable for students in Years 5 and 6, Essential Selective mimics the format of the Selective High School Placement Test. Each book contains 5 practice tests. Includes answers with explanations / workings.