Could you pass the test for one of Melbourne’s elite government schools?
Melbourne’s elite government schools are about to open enrolments to their Year 9 entry exams for 2020. Could you pass the test? Find out now.
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Can your Year 8 child answer these questions and win a golden ticket to free (almost) education at some of Melbourne’s elite government schools?
Melbourne’s select entry schools are about to open enrolments to their Year 9 entry exams for 2020.
There are four selective entry high schools in Victoria: Melbourne High School (boys only) in South Yarra, The Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School (girls only) in Melbourne, Nossal High School in Berwick and Suzanne Cory High School in Werribee.
At these schools, 85 per cent of students are accepted based on entrance exam results, 10 per cent of enrolments are through the equity consideration category and 5 per cent are at the principal’s discretion.
The following list of questions have been posted to the Education Department’s website for selective entry high schools.
Scroll down for the full list of practice test questions and their answers.
But first, test yourself against these questions handpicked from the website.
QUESTION 1.
In a foreign language
MISD KUMP GOTH means MERRY CHRISTMAS DAD.
GOTH WUIM FREK KUMP means DAD IS MERRY TODAY.
KOMP WUIM FREK KUMP means MUM IS MERRY TODAY.
Which word means CHRISTMAS?
A: MISD B: GOTH C: KUMP D: WUIM E: FREK
Next up.
QUESTION 2.
Jordan’s cat is bigger than Amy’s cat, but is smaller than Jenna’s cat. Fiona’s cat is the same size as Wendy’s cat, which is bigger than Amy’s cat, but smaller than Jordan’s.
If bigger cats are faster, but smaller cats are more obedient, which of the following lists the fastest and most obedient cat?
A: Fiona & Jenna B: Amy & Jordan C: Wendy & Jenna D: Jenna & Amy E: None
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Maybe, this one.
QUESTION 3.
In a hospital maternity ward there are only five babies. Baby 1 is heavier, with red hair. Baby 2 is male and thin, with the same colour hair as Baby 3, who is blonde and wears a bonnet. Baby 4 is one of the three female babies and Baby 5 wears sunglasses and is heavier.
All babies wear bonnets and at least one of the females wears sunglasses.
A thin, red-haired baby wearing a bonnet is the oldest of the group. Who can it be?
A: Baby 1 B: Baby 2 C: Baby 3 D: Baby 4 E: Baby 5
How about?
QUESTION 4.
On another planet Martians would say “enb litpa penta” when saying to their animals “good animal behaviour”.
When they got home from work they would ask “Ift enb penta?”, which means “was your behaviour good?”. The animals would reply either, “Ift penta enb!” (“I showed good behaviour!”) or, “Ift penta anb!”
If anb symbolises the opposite of enb, what does “Ift penta anb.” mean?
A: I showed bad behaviour. B: I showed difficult behaviour. C: I showed fun behaviour. D: I showed good behaviour. E: I showed happy behaviour.
And, let’s try some numerical reasoning.
How many apples are there to cook with?
QUESTION 5.
There are 72 apples on my tree at home; 38 are red, and the rest are green. I know 46 of the apples have worms in them, so I can’t use them for cooking.
What is the maximum number of green apples I could have left to cook with?
Finally.
QUESTION 6.
The Olympic record time for running the endurance event was 4 hours and 40 minutes. Amanda recently broke that record, running a time of 3 hours and 20 minutes.
What fraction of the original record time was Amanda’s time?
A: 5/9 B: 6/7 C: 5/7 D: 6/9 E: None of these
*answers below
If they did well, they might have a chance to win a spot in one of four Government schools. Melbourne High School, MacRobertson High School, Suzanne Cory High School or Nossal High School.
Enrolments open on Thursday for the three hour exam for entry for Year 9 in 2020.
Long-established Melbourne High and Mac.Rob figure in top VCE performing schools. The percentage of study scores 40 and over at Melbourne High last year was 34.2 per cent with a median study score of 37 while Mac.Rob was 32.5 per cent and 37.
Werribee-based Suzanne Cory and Berwick-based Nossal opened less than 10 years. Suzanne Cory had a median VCE study of 34 with 18.3 per cent achieving a study score 40 and over Nossal had a study score of 35 and 26.1 per cent of study scores were 40 and over.
The unzoned schools are attractive for canny parents looking for an elite education at a fraction of the cost of private schooling or parents who don’t think their gifted child is being catered for in their current school.
There are between 308 and 336 places for boys at Melbourne High, in South Yarra, and 225 for girls at MacRob, in Albert Park.
Nossal has about 200 places for girls and boys. Suzanne Cory has 200 places for girls and boys.
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Entries to sit the exam close on May 10 which costs $120 to register.
Students will sit the exam on Saturday June 15 at the Royal Exhibition Building. Families are notified on August 8 if their children have made the cut.
Students sitting the exam can chose three preferences. Offers from one selective school are not transferable and families are cautioned to not list a school they are not prepared to travel to.
The selective entry test includes numerical reasoning, persuasive or creative writing, reading comprehension and mathematics.
According to the State Government, 85 per cent of places are filled directly via the exam. There are other places filled based on equity or principal’s discretion, But to be considered applicants have to have done the test.
Selective schools cannot take more 5 per cent of the Year 8s from one school.
Answers: 1. A; 2. D; 3. D; 4. A. 5. D. 6.C.
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