Congrats yishun2009! Now just wait for notice of interview. All the best.

Based on experience gained from last year’s DSA (my own and other mommies I know), if your child is gunning only for RI under academic domain (i.e. nothing else is satisfactory), you might want to consider the following to adjust your expectations if your child is:


1) GEP with overall > or = 85%
Chances of CO are almost 100%. No GAT and even during the interview, they are not deliberately testing your child, just standard questions on presenting portfolio, why you want to join the school, what makes you special etc. So unless your child really cannot talk which is very unlikely for a GEP kid, the CO is almost certain.

2) GEP with overall 80% to 85%
Chances of CO are about 50% or less. Interview questions are slightly tougher, how you define success, etc. Quite a number end up in waitlist and are auto converted if T-score is 260 and above and rejected if below.

3) GEP with overall<80%
Chances of CO are very low, about 5% or less, regardless of the presence of medals for olympiads, outstanding CCAs etc. I know of a case of top 3 in RI’s own olympiad who was rejected.

4) MS
Chances of CO are about less than 1%. Probably one per subject domain if any.

In conclusion, if you are a MS, consistently strong in academics with no problems getting 260/meeting the cut off for RI, and only want to go to RI, then just stay focused and continue studying hard for PSLE. You don’t need to DSA to RI (or other schools for that matter, because you will get a CO from the other schools and then you will be in a dilemma whether to accept. Being KS parents, an egg in hand is always better and we always end up accepting and then regret when our sons eventually meet the cut-off.)

Half the cohort in RI got in through PSLE T-score and it is a breeze for the academically strong. At the end of the day, they are no different from those who DSAed in.

If however you just want to DSA to RI for the experience then go ahead but please manage your expectations as there are many parents who got rejected and came back to KSP to start flaming GEP kids and claiming unfair advantage.

Parents with GEP kids also need to manage their expectations as there are approx 350 GEP boys and only about 200 are successful in their DSA to RI. It is that competitive and with thousands applying, I can’t blame the school for being clinical about it. It is better to go in with eyes wide open.

Please feel free to correct me if there are examples contrary to the above and with more sharing, the process then becomes more transparent for the benefit of all.

All the best to all in your DSA!

Hi - It is the enzyme powder wash and trouble skin solution. You can read the information on the webpage as well as all the reviews from the buyers.

Hi - to all mummies who are worried about pimples for their teenagers, I bought these off Qoo10 a couple of years ago when huge pimples starting appearing on my son's face when he was 13. He has been using them since and he is going on 15 now and his face is clear with only an occasional zit here and there.


http://list.qoo10.sg/item/KOREA-SKIN-WA ... /410851596

http://list.qoo10.sg/item/CHAMOS-ACACI- ... edOptions=

Just to add some real life experience to the discussion.


I went through the first round when the GEP programme first started in 1980s, and when I sat for the selection test, the questions were like Greek to me and I just gave up. Looking back, I felt that if I had been exposed to some of the questions, I may have fared better.

I am now a ks parent with 2 children. I work long hours and have very little time to guide and stimulate my children. Left alone, the kids will also prefer games/TV to academics. I wanted to give them the exposure that I did not have and thus enrolled them in Globaleducation and TLL. So both boys were prepped for GEP but DS1 was probably merely stimulated while DS2 flourished and rose up to the challenge. DS2 got into GEP which he may/may not have been able to get in if left to his own devices. Did he struggle because he was prepped? Nope, he continued to do well, mostly top 5 in class for maths/science but borderline for English. Just finished P6 and did well enough in P6 mid years to get a CO from RI. DS1 did well enough in T score to enter RI but he already DSAed to TJC which is more suitable for him.

Should I be ashamed that I prepped my boys? No, as I believe they benefited in their own ways and I achieved the desired results. If DS2 had remained in MS, he would probably continue to be sent out of the classroom for irritating his teachers with his smart aleck answers, endless fidgeting or reading under desk. He was no longer bored in class and now have great friends who can share his passion and lame pun-y jokes.

So to all parents out there who believe that their children could be gifted and can benefit from the GEP environment, do as you deem fit and no one can say that you are wrong.

Hi anyone just finished Sec 3 IP? Can I find out what textbooks were used for Maths/A Maths/Bio/Chem/Physics/Lit books. Thanks very much.

For those parents who are still confused over the definition of ‘prep’ and in dilemma over whether you should send your child to TLL, Mindstretcher, Dr Peh etc. please go with your heart and don’t worry about what is being advised here. If you do not mind spending the money, just to be able to say that at least you have tried, no one can say that you are wrong. You are only accountable to yourself and your child.


In my personal opinion, the GEP selection test is pretty accurate and it is highly unlikely that a child who is HA and prepped can get in.

You know your child the best. Their passion in learning, their curiosity aka kaypohness, their creativity, their continuous non-nonsensical antics, their fast pick-up of concepts, their boredom with repetition, their never say die attitude are all indicators.

If your child is enrolled in the classes and has no problems doing all the IQ worksheets and even enjoy it, the exposure will help with the confidence, rather than seeing the questions first time during the selection test and taking some time to figure out how it works which may result in a missed opportunity in comparison with other gifted kids who have been exposed by parents or otherwise.

If your child attends the class and is clueless and dislikes it, then the child will probably not get through the selection test, and again no harm done.

There are parents who proudly declare that their children have zero tuition and are doing fine in school, and tsk tsk other parents who send their children for enrichment/tuition etc. But what they have omitted is that they are full time homemakers, with a degree or PHD and fully equipped to be a 24/7 tutor, plus master time-tabler/manager plus master nutritionist.

Everyone’s family condition and conditioning is different and you will just have to do what you believe is right.

Release of PSLE Results\tBetween 25 and 27 November 2015

Students to report to secondary schools for registration\t23 December 2015 at 8.30am (tentative)

- from a secondary school teacher.

So you should all go and plan your excursions/holidays and stop comparing answers here…

Maybe we should not attach a negative connotation to the word 'prep'. I personally feel there is nothing wrong with sending the child to classes to expose them to some of the questions.


I agree with Pen88n in that some parents are so good at creating a stimulating environment at home since young that the child is naturally prepped. E.g. if the Dad/Mom is a maths professor, loves to solve IQ maths patterns and ropes the child in, the child is prepped, or if the Dad/Mom loves to read and develops that interest in the child, the child is being prepped too. Others like myself, am totally clueless/swamped at work and so leave it to the professionals to give them some exposure. hee hee :moneyflies: :siam:

There are various scenarios and outcomes in this exercise:
1) Child is not gifted - prepped - cannot get in (my DS1)
2) Child is not gifted - not prepped - cannot get in (most common)
3) Child is not gifted - prepped - get in (may possibly suffer unless parents continue to assist)
4) Child is not gifted - not prepped - get in (unlikely)
5) Child is gifted - prepped - cannot get in (unfortunate)
6) Child is gifted - not prepped - cannot get in (this is what most parents are afraid of :gloomy: )
7) Child is gifted - prepped - get in (my DS2)
Child is gifted - not prepped - get in (best case scenario but most likely have super parents who prep since day zero)

So...because we are all KS parents, it would be hard to accept that zero prep is needed.

I am just thinking - maybe voters in HLBT should give CSJ a chance. I mean, I also personally feel that there is a possibility that all he has done up to date could be a huge wayang, him being a prof in psychology, I am sure he is very savvy on the ways to pull at the heartstrings of people.


However, maybe I am being naive, but really what is the worst thing that can happen if he gets in, probably not much as they are only 4 against the rest. He will just be an irritation to PAP, and PAP has to explain more, get more buy-in before things can move. If anything, I would say that he can help by keeping PAP on its toes.

At this point in time, objectively, he seems to be the only one in the opposition, well maybe besides Leon Pereira, who is intelligent enough to challenge the government on its policies. The rest of the opps are just busy shielding themselves from the bullets from PAP.

The people are not dumb, if we do not like what we see him doing in the next 5 years, he will be out at the next elections, no matter how charismatic he is.