All About GEP

[acforfamily]

Zann:

Anyone sure this week HMT CT cover which units?

For P4 : topics 12 - 17

[Zann]

acforfamily:

Zann:

Anyone sure this week HMT CT cover which units?

For P4 : topics 12 - 17

Thanks acforfamily. Duno why there have been no information about test nor trail paper given to my child. I got to play guessing work ... sigh i suppose the format is same as CT1 ? Anyone care to recommend me any assessment book with comprehension difficulty level suitable for the GEP P4 HCL CT ? TIA.

[annamom]

Faun:

simplejan:

oh speaking of GEP, only around 3000 or 4000 students get to go for the exam each year and it will be on languages e.g. el and cl

the school usually hand out the screening test on end august or so...

being a KIASU parent, personally will prep the child for it so that it's not such a big leap when they go for the exam...some enrichment centres in SG (think UE square) actually have courses for GEP prep...but it depends on parents la...i don't think it's extra pressure but i hate to send a kid to any exam with zero idea of what's it is about! but pls lah, don't stress the kids too much!

just sharing my thoughts! :!:

SORRY, MY KEYBOARD SOMEHOW GOT STUCK WITH CAPITAL LETTERS... DON'T KNOW HOW TO UNDO YET..

JUST WONDERING WHAT GEP EXAM YOU ARE REFERRING TO. hOW COME THERE IS CL ALSO. I DON'T REMEMBER THERE'S CHINESE IN GEP TEST.

ALSO, PLEASE DON'T PREPARE YOUR CHILD. GEP COURSE VERY TOUGH IF CHILD IS NOT NATURALLY GIFTED. LET NATURE TAKES IT'S COURSE. THEY HAVE NO DRILLS IN MATH, DON'T SPEND MUCH TIME TO DEVELOP CONCEPT IN MATH. SOMEHOW THE GE KIDS CAN GRASP THE IDEAS VERY FAST. THEY SOLVE PROBLEMS BY ANALYSING RATHER THAN THROUGH PRACTICING DRILLS. FOR LANGUAGES AND SOCIAL STUDIES, NEED TO BE INSIGHTFUL, PHILOSOPHICAL, VERY GOOD COMMAND OF ENGLISH...

IT'S VERY ENJOYABLE IF CHILD IS NATURALLY GIFTED, OTHERWISE HE END UP WITH ALOT OF EXTRA CLASSES OUTSIDE TO KEEP UP.... (3 YEARS OF CHILDHOOD LEFT, LEH!)

THANKS FOR SHARING, SIMPLEJAN. ALL THE BEST!

I understand the subjects are English and Maths for the GEP P3 screening exams but not sure if there are any changes this year. I did not prepare my children, know they are far from gifted anyway, if they can survive their mainstream education....shan't ask for more.

[Lilac66]

For parents who have P3 kids who sat for the GEP screening today, how did they find the papers?

[acforfamily]

Zann:

acforfamily:

[quote=\"Zann\"]Anyone sure this week HMT CT cover which units?

For P4 : topics 12 - 17

Thanks acforfamily. Duno why there have been no information about test nor trail paper given to my child. I got to play guessing work ... sigh i suppose the format is same as CT1 ? Anyone care to recommend me any assessment book with comprehension difficulty level suitable for the GEP P4 HCL CT ? TIA.[/quote]Looking at standard so far, I don't think GEP HCL necessarily mean that it is more difficult than mainstream HCL. In fact, there was one test which the teacher said is easier than the mainstream one. So I would go for any comprehension for p4 that is similar
...but of course, I could be wrong

[Niyaji]

Burst out laughing after I read that Straits Times article yesterday.


Quite a few graduates of the GEP program are parents nowadays. Likewise some going through it now also post here intermittently.

The final round tests raw intelligence. No amount of "preparatory classes" can give a student more intelligence. You either already have it (in which case you’re wasting money on prep classes), or you don’t (which means you’re also wasting money on prep classes since you won’t get in anyway!). Intelligence can only be built up since infancy, through years of stimulation and environment - NOT in last-minute "prep classes".

The only use I foresee in prep classes is if the child is brilliant, but too lazy to build up Maths/English (and thus, might fail the first round, but pass the final round) - in which case, the prep class may help. In such a case, the only tuition centres that are honestly able to live up to their claims (the rest are just trying to make easy money from kiasu parents) would be those that screen potential candidates FIRST by an IQ test, since the IQ test cannot be trained for. Only the gifted child who passes that, but isn’t so good in Maths/English, would benefit from such "classes".

The GEP program isn’t for the faint of heart, or lacking in ability. "faking" that ability, i.e. hothousing to pass the screening tests, is like smuggling a plastic rod into a nuclear reactor. In the unlikely chance that the rod passes the screening tests, it would still melt instantly once subjected to the high temperatures in the reactor core - it doesn’t have the mettle to withstand the conditions.

[jtoh]

Niyaji:

Burst out laughing after I read that Straits Times article yesterday.


Quite a few graduates of the GEP program are parents nowadays. Likewise some going through it now also post here intermittently.

The final round tests raw intelligence. No amount of \"preparatory classes\" can give a student more intelligence. You either already have it (in which case you're wasting money on prep classes), or you don't (which means you're also wasting money on prep classes since you won't get in anyway!). Intelligence can only be built up since infancy, through years of stimulation and environment - NOT in last-minute \"prep classes\".

The only use I foresee in prep classes is if the child is brilliant, but too lazy to build up Maths/English (and thus, might fail the first round, but pass the final round) - in which case, the prep class may help. In such a case, the only tuition centres that are honestly able to live up to their claims (the rest are just trying to make easy money from kiasu parents) would be those that screen potential candidates FIRST by an IQ test, since the IQ test cannot be trained for. Only the gifted child who passes that, but isn't so good in Maths/English, would benefit from such \"classes\".

The GEP program isn't for the faint of heart, or lacking in ability. \"faking\" that ability, i.e. hothousing to pass the screening tests, is like smuggling a plastic rod into a nuclear reactor. In the unlikely chance that the rod passes the screening tests, it would still melt instantly once subjected to the high temperatures in the reactor core - it doesn't have the mettle to withstand the conditions.

I like your analogy of smuggling a plastic rod into a nuclear reactor. :lol: Very apt.

[Guthix]

TwaTau:

The trouble is they don't pack their bag, and not having it available when the school needs it, spells trouble for them. So the Kiasu mentality kicks in and everything goes into the bag, :slapshead:

not quite. my son's class sort of \"pressurize\" the teachers to tell them what are needed the previous day so their school bags are rather light (around an inch stack of paper), unless they need to bring their files.

Also find that ge students' bags are very disorganized because of so much worksheets. to make matters worse, the daily works takes up 10%.

[MrsSeah]

Lilac66:

For parents who have P3 kids who sat for the GEP screening today, how did they find the papers?

My girl said ok, not very difficult.

[Trapwithin]

Niyaji:

Intelligence can only be built up since infancy, through years of stimulation and environment - NOT in last-minute \"prep classes\".

How true. To start preparing for GEP Selection in the last minutes, even if it can be trained, will be too late.

Heard of some parents that started preparing since Kindergarten :shock: