Hi all,
I was just wondering if any of you are at Mac.Rob/know of someone at Mac.Rob, who has done the Accelerated Maths Test (yr 8 - yr 9)
What is on the test? (especially on the problem solving area) What do you need to know? How many questions?
Any help would be greatly appreciated
I think this might be a bit late, but I'll still post my reply just in case someone else is interested.
Firstly, I'll do a bit of clarification about what the accelerated maths program at Mac.Rob is all about. The program is primarily for people who are exceptional in the area of maths and have the advanced background knowledge, capabilities and thinking skills to skip year 9 maths and do year 10 maths instead. So what's the purpose of this acceleration program? It's basically aimed at students who are wishing to undertake units 3/4 methods in year 11. So that means in year 10, you'll be doing units 1/2 methods. Now in terms of form groups, they don't segregate the non-accelerated maths students and the accelerated maths students. When it's maths period, the people in your class who do accelerated maths just go to their accelerated maths class.
Now approximately 90 year 8 students sit Mac.Rob's accelerated maths program exam and they are all vying for 75 places. The 90 who are selected are the mostly the top scorers in the mathematics section of the Mac.Rob/meblourne high entrance exam plus a few others who have applied to sit for the accelerated exam.
There are two exams overall and they give you exam 1 to do first and then exam 2. It takes about 3 hours to do both exams.
Exam 1 is short answer and multiple choice. I found exam one the most easiest. It covers year 8 work so stuff like simultaneous equations, linear equations, basic geometry. It's similar to what you got in the entrance exam.
Exam 2 is the more challenging paper, it contains 5 worded scenarios with a series of mini questions in each one. The questions require you to apply mathematical logic to come up with a solution that satisfies the premises. Again, questions are based off the year 8 mathematical curriculum.
Mac.Rob's accelerated maths program exam was only implemented in 2008 as before, they would just offer the places to students who were the top 75 scorers in the mathematics section of the entrance exam and have accepted a place at Mac.Rob. So I guess the exam just makes sure that the people who are in the accelerated maths class did not just fluke an exam and it gives opportunity to other students who didn't score as high.
If you don't get in the accelerated maths class, don't despair. It doesn't mean you're not good at maths. Just think of it as an opportunity to strenghthen your foundations and getting accepted into Mac.Rob in the first place is a great adjustment itself. Not all students in the accelerated maths class end up doing units 3/4 methods in year 11. Some people repeat 1/2 methods in year 11 or they just take a break on methods for a year before picking it up in year 12.
Hope that helps
EDIT: i've heard that the questions have changed since I did the test but the questions will still be based on the year 8 curriculum