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Nerd01939

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JMSS 2022 Entry
« on: October 06, 2020, 09:07:02 pm »
+11
So I had a look and saw that there wasn’t a thread for this already so I decided that I’d start one for those of you applying for JMSS next year. I applied this year and (to my shock) got a place so I thought I’d help out some other people.


Test structure:
I’m not going to focus much on the multiple choice because there are plenty of resources for them and to be honest they are a lot easier than everyone says they are - know yr 8&9 basics and you’ll be fine.

Science reasoning: 30 questions in 30 mins
- you don’t actually need to have in depth science knowledge for this, it’s just the application of basic knowledge.
- For example, there was a question where it was a compartment split into 2 parts with a removable barrier and the pressure on either side of the barrier was 120psi so it asked what the overall pressure would be without the barrier.
- Some of these questions were also more like what you would expect in numerical reasoning.
- I’d recommend doing practice ICAS tests to prepare for this as that’s probably the closest thing there is.
- If you do want to study just to be safe this is the basic stuff you should know:
- Physics - light & sound, force
- Chemistry - a basic knowledge of the periodic table, Reactions
- biology - in this case it’s mostly environmental stuff - they seem to like including that.

Mathematics: 60 questions in 30 mins
- This is probably the only test you actually need knowledge for.
- Try to know the yr 7 and 8 curriculum really well and the year 9 basics (trig and quadratics are really important so be confident)
Stuff to know:
- Financial Math - Simple/compound interest, which is the best deal, fractions and decimals.
- Algebra - factorising, expanding, simplifying.
- Surds and indices - index laws, scientific notation, negative powers.
- Simultaneous Equations and inequalities - substitution, elimination, number lines.
- Linear relations - distance, midpoint
- Quadratics - null factor law, expanding and simplifying rules (really just the basics).
- Trigonometry - pythagoras, exact values, SOH-CAH-TOA.
- Geometry - basic angles of shapes, parallel and perpendicular lines.
- Statistics - averages, median, mean, mode.
- Probability - Venn diagrams, tree diagrams, chances of dice/cards.

- It’s also more quick calculations rather than finding the rule for a graph etc.


Numerical reasoning: 40 or 50 questions in 30 mins (can’t really remember)
- These are just number patterns but they use relatively large numbers so they’re harder to work with.
- have a good knowledge of basic factors, multiples and all four main operations with large numbers.
- All in all this one was really easy so don’t stress.
- Do ICAS tests to practice these.

Science writing 1: 30 mins (I think it’s supposed to be 5 reading and 25 writing but because of COVID-19 I think they structured it differently. Still 30 mins total)
-The first one is just a ‘science essay’.
- A lot of people ask about the structure and format of this but it’s just the normal essay structure (intro, 3 main body paragraphs and a conclusion)
- In the intro, briefly introduce the issue, explain why it is an issue and outline your points.
- in the main body paragraphs, use as much as the info possible to support your points and add in some additional stuff (I talked about how we end up eating the micro beads through food chains and webs)
- In the conclusion, summarise everything and make a final statement on how the issue could be solved.
- you get a page of information, diagrams, statistics etc. to help you write about the topic. Try to include as much of this information as you can.
- The topic I got this year was about micro bead pollution in marine environments.
- Along with the topic and info page, they give you dot points about what to write - try to use these as the subtopics for your individual paragraphs. E.g. what are some ways this issue could be solved by both individual people and larger companies/government? In what ways is the issue leaving lasting effects on the environment? etc.
- To practice just be fluent at writing and make sure you mentally prepare before starting - it’s better if you write well but don’t finish than finish but write a bad essay.


Science writing 2: Same as science writing 1.
- This one is part of a prac report. This year we had to write a discussion and aim. This might not seem like a lot but if you write it properly it should take the full time.
- An important thing to remember that I know a lot of the people I talked to didn’t do is to structure you’re discussion properly - it has different points so make new paragraphs for discussing different parts of the prac.
- In case you haven’t learned to form your own discussion these are the basics:
         - point out the difference in the results when the independent variable was changed and explain the scientific reasoning behind it. This can be done in two small paragraphs or one big one.
         - Explain errors, how they may have occurred and how to prevent them in the future ( they will usually purposely put an error in the results so make sure to check)
         - There are also dot points to include for this one. E.g. how can the results apply in real life? What does this tell us about heat conductivity? For this, try to provide examples to support your answer.
         - The final thing that is important but not too important is the variables. Discuss them in a paragraph and say why the controlled variables had to be controlled. Leave this for last because it’s probably the least important part (I forgot it and was still fine).
- They give you the results to an experiment - the topic I got was about the effects different temperatures have on hyacinth bulbs. I knew absolutely nothing about this but it gives you some background info and the results so it was still good.
- Is recommend briefly revising the prac structure so that you are confident and have one less thing to worry about.
- Have a look at pracs that come with discussion questions to see how they relate to the experiment and then practice coming up with your own before looking - this isn’t really something you can get wrong but a lot of people freeze up on it. If your school uses the oxford textbooks there are some in the back otherwise you should be able to find some online.

That’s really all there is to the test. A piece of advice: if you don’t know how to work out a question immediately, skip it and come back at the end, leave nothing blank (guess if you need to) and estimate answers and pick the closest option rather than wasting time working them out.

You don’t necessarily have to study or go to tutoring (most people said tutoring wasn’t worth it). I didn’t study at all but still got in. I don’t know my specific results get but I’ll update when they send them out - I got superiors in NR, SR and both science writings and a HA in maths.

This year 1000 people applied and 500 got an interview.

For the interview:
I’m not sure if this is always the case but I had to write a CV (someone let me know from previous years)
There were 4 questions to answer with paragraphs:
         - What is your proudest achievement in the last 3 years?
         - Who do you most look up to and why?
         - If you could invite 4 people from any time period to a dinner, who would you invite and why?
         - What is the biggest ‘life lesson’ you have learnt and how did you learn it?
- don’t be boring with these. E.g. don’t pick Albert Einstein or Isaac Newton etc. to bring to you dinner or as your role models. I chose Beethoven, Galileo, Cleopatra and someone from 4000 CE but still linked it all in to my life ambitions and what I was interested in.
- They do ask for yr 8 semester 2 and yr 9 semester 1 reports so try to make sure they’re as good as possible.
- Try to do some sort of leadership, sport and music as they want well rounded people and it’ll be leaving a huge section out if you can’t.
- Bring in interesting certificates - first place at a sport, a language award etc.
- I didn’t have any science awards... at all so instead I wrote about how I’d rather participate in experiences rather than competitions to actually learn more (lectures, synchrotron, open days etc.)

As for the 1 on 1 interview itself, there are 2 interviewers. These were the questions I got:
         - Pick a word and explain what you think of when hearing that word between science/scientist and invention/discovery?
         - If you could be prime minister and could do one thing in science/energy/technology/environment what would you do and what would you aim to achieve in 4 years?
         - What is your proudest achievement?
         - What future studies/careers are you considering?
         - How have you dealt with remote learning? (You probably won’t get this one)
         - How do you balance study and other commitments? Strategies.
         - Any questions? ASK AS MUCH AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN ABOUT ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING.

The most useful piece of advice I could give you is be unique, think through your answers before answering and say something you think only you would be able to say. E.g. I didn’t actually pick a proudest achievement, I just talked about how I was proud of participating in so many opportunities to make the most of my life.

Be friendly - say hello and smile, it goes a long way.

The interviews are where the competition gets tough (only 200 of 500 people get in) so make sure you communicate how enthusiastic and passionate you are through your answers as they won’t directly ask.

If you read this far CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Good luck for applying! I wish you all the best!

Feel free to ask questions. 
:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
« Last Edit: January 26, 2021, 02:20:57 pm by Nerd01939 »

MAN0033

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Re: JMSS 2022 Entry
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2020, 02:32:45 pm »
+2
It was actually 30 questions for Science reasoning. The maths and NR tests are easier and if you get superior for the selective test these tests will seem like nothing.

annachan

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Re: JMSS 2022 Entry
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2020, 08:51:53 pm »
0
Hi Guys!

I know you guys are preparing for the jmss entrance exam so here are a few useful tips and words of advice! I highly recommend you guys checking out the threads from previous years (the 2019 was fairly long but worth the read - especially near the end where everyone started discussing questions from the actual test and interview).

If any of you guys wanted any extra help, I’m more than happy to! I’ve tutored several students for the jmss entrance exam over the past couple of years, with nine of my students being accepted into the 2021 cohort. Being a jmss graduate myself, and having taught several current jmss students, I can say with confidence that I know the tests better than most people. I will be taking in two streams of classes, with the extensive course starting late November and the Exam focus course starting in February. I will provide both theory lessons and several mock exams to ensure that you are well prepared for the day. Feel free to contact me for any further enquiries!

Email: [email protected]
CS Education: 0424 574 398


minali12345678

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Re: JMSS 2022 Entry
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2020, 12:56:17 pm »
0
Hi,
Just wondering if you could answer some questions:
Did u attend any tutoring services, and if yes, which tutoring services?
For the science writing 2, which is like a practical, how can u find our background knowledge so when you sit the actual exam, it is easier to write your essay? (sorry this is pretty hard to answer)
Around how many superiors do I need to get to get into JMSS?
Which test did you find the hardest?
Thank you for your guide and information, it has really helped!

Nerd01939

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Re: JMSS 2022 Entry
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2020, 08:47:27 pm »
+1
I didn’t get any tutoring for the exam but my friends who did and got in either had private tutors or went to JAC - don’t stress about the tutoring bcoz a lot of ppl said it was way harder than the test and also didn’t help except for time management and the maths.
For the background knowledge, Make sure you know basic yr 8 and 9 science (you probably do anyways if you’re applying). If you know all that stuff and read through the info sheet really carefully you’ll be fine. There are questions to guide what you should write and you have all the results etc. (I probably explained this really bad sorry) - most ppl do worst on this so the standard isn’t incredibly high. Don’t stress it.
Superiors - some ppl I know got in with 1, the hardest part is the interview - from there I know ppl who got 5 superiors and didn’t get in but some with 1 did.
Math was definitely hardest - just bcoz I’m bad at math and it’s hardest for time (the questions are all pretty basic though).

minali12345678

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Re: JMSS 2022 Entry
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2020, 08:55:05 pm »
0
Thank you so much, that really helped!!  :)

Gollum24

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Re: JMSS 2022 Entry
« Reply #6 on: December 28, 2020, 11:37:59 pm »
0
Hey, I'm a year 9 student going for the 2022 entry and just have some questions

-What Books and resources did you use to revise for the tests
-What things do I need to know for the scientific writing part of the test and do you suggest any resources to learn about. I am someone that has never written science reports and doesn't know too much on it
-How did you deal with the time pressure and manage it especially in the maths and numerical reasoning
-What sort of studies and tests did you do to prepare
-What sort of questions came in the Science reasoning test and what subjects do I need to know on it

Thank you so much in advance and taking the time to answer and read this ;D ;D ;D

happy121

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Re: JMSS 2022 Entry
« Reply #7 on: December 29, 2020, 10:40:29 am »
0
Heyyy
I'm applying for JMSS and was wondering when the test will take place? Also do I still stand a chance to get accepted if I cover year 9-10 maths books and cover year 8-9 science books, without doing any tutoring? Is the test similar to the selective school exam I took the test but unfortunately didn't get accepted :(
Thanks for taking the time to read I really appreciate everyone's help  ;D
Happy
 
« Last Edit: December 29, 2020, 12:35:18 pm by happy121 »

Nerd01939

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Re: JMSS 2022 Entry
« Reply #8 on: December 30, 2020, 03:27:03 pm »
+4
Hey, I'm a year 9 student going for the 2022 entry and just have some questions

-What Books and resources did you use to revise for the tests
-What things do I need to know for the scientific writing part of the test and do you suggest any resources to learn about. I am someone that has never written science reports and doesn't know too much on it
-How did you deal with the time pressure and manage it especially in the maths and numerical reasoning
-What sort of studies and tests did you do to prepare
-What sort of questions came in the Science reasoning test and what subjects do I need to know on it

Thank you so much in advance and taking the time to answer and read this ;D ;D ;D
- For books I just used the Oxford science 8/9 and the Cambridge maths 9 (just my schools textbooks). As for resources, I didn’t really use anything else but I did spend some time looking through the previous threads on AN to see what previous tests had on them/how hard etc.
- For the scientific writing, there isn’t much you can do to prepare specifically for it - there is a lot of info on the info sheet and just make sure you use as much of it as possible. If you do want to do something else just read through a few science news articles to see what’s relevant as that will probably be similar to the topics.
- for math, I just did all the questions I could do first and then went back through after for the harder ones. Most of them I just estimated and then picked what was closest to my estimation. NR isn’t nearly as hard for time pressure though.
- tests to prepare - I literally just did my school tests and studied really hard for them but I know some other people did old ICAS tests and said they helped. If you do tutoring or have friends who do it you can ask them for their practice tests and use them too.
- science reasoning - you don’t need to know any super complex or detailed stuff, the yr 8/9 curriculum stuff will cover it all. Most of the questions, they gave you some info then asked a question based on the info. it’s a mix of physics, chemistry and bio stuff. If you do the morrisby careers thing next yr, the questions are actually really similar to the ones in the ‘mechanical thinking’ part.

Heyyy
I'm applying for JMSS and was wondering when the test will take place? Also do I still stand a chance to get accepted if I cover year 9-10 maths books and cover year 8-9 science books, without doing any tutoring? Is the test similar to the selective school exam I took the test but unfortunately didn't get accepted :(
Thanks for taking the time to read I really appreciate everyone's help  ;D
Happy
 
- the test is usually around the end of June - last years was supposed to be 26th ish of June so the results come out around the middle/end of term 3.
- covering the yr 9/10 math and 8/9 science will be enough for you to be successful - I only did that and with no tutoring so you should be fine.
- I didn’t do the selective schools exam but everyone who did both said that the JMSS one was easier by far so if you even did moderately well in the selective schools one you should be able to do well.


A lot of people have been asking about how to structure the science writings - for the essay, it’s the basic essay form you should have learnt in year 7 or 8:
Intro - just say what the issue is and the 3 major things you will discuss
Main body - use the info sheet and put in all the relevant info (3-ish times)
Conclusion - sum everything up and propose your solution to the problem (if it asks for you to do that, otherwise just a sentence or two about the issue)
The ‘paragraphs’ will be small so don’t try write ridiculous amounts.

The prac report - use the basic order of things (aim, hypothesis, discussion then conclusion). There will be dot points to guide you - leave a small gap between your answers to each dot point, despite what many ppl think the discussion doesn’t have to be one large chunk. The conclusion should also only be 1 or 2 sentences.

There are 2 good ways you could do these:
1. Briefly answer all the dot points you have to, leaving spaces to go back and add in the details after.
(If you’re not very good at writing this was helpful to some people)
Or
2. Go through and answer everything in as much detail as you possibly can.
(If you are good at writing in lots of detail and lengthening responses/making it flow nicely, this is good)
- these 2 strategies mean that you will have either answered all the points or written an impressive answer but to only a few points or, best case scenario, both.
- just make sure you don’t rush through and write a really bad, messy, unorganised piece.

Hopefully I answered everything  :)
(Yes I do have a problem with writing really long responses to everything so just let me know if it’s annoying to have to read and I’ll try fix it)

4eva_gone

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Re: JMSS 2022 Entry
« Reply #9 on: December 30, 2020, 09:20:40 pm »
0
im trying out for jmss as well lol,

can someone who has done the test help us out ?

happy121

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Re: JMSS 2022 Entry
« Reply #10 on: December 30, 2020, 09:55:12 pm »
0
- For books I just used the Oxford science 8/9 and the Cambridge maths 9 (just my schools textbooks). As for resources, I didn’t really use anything else but I did spend some time looking through the previous threads on AN to see what previous tests had on them/how hard etc.
- For the scientific writing, there isn’t much you can do to prepare specifically for it - there is a lot of info on the info sheet and just make sure you use as much of it as possible. If you do want to do something else just read through a few science news articles to see what’s relevant as that will probably be similar to the topics.
- for math, I just did all the questions I could do first and then went back through after for the harder ones. Most of them I just estimated and then picked what was closest to my estimation. NR isn’t nearly as hard for time pressure though.
- tests to prepare - I literally just did my school tests and studied really hard for them but I know some other people did old ICAS tests and said they helped. If you do tutoring or have friends who do it you can ask them for their practice tests and use them too.
- science reasoning - you don’t need to know any super complex or detailed stuff, the yr 8/9 curriculum stuff will cover it all. Most of the questions, they gave you some info then asked a question based on the info. it’s a mix of physics, chemistry and bio stuff. If you do the morrisby careers thing next yr, the questions are actually really similar to the ones in the ‘mechanical thinking’ part.
- the test is usually around the end of June - last years was supposed to be 26th ish of June so the results come out around the middle/end of term 3.
- covering the yr 9/10 math and 8/9 science will be enough for you to be successful - I only did that and with no tutoring so you should be fine.
- I didn’t do the selective schools exam but everyone who did both said that the JMSS one was easier by far so if you even did moderately well in the selective schools one you should be able to do well.


A lot of people have been asking about how to structure the science writings - for the essay, it’s the basic essay form you should have learnt in year 7 or 8:
Intro - just say what the issue is and the 3 major things you will discuss
Main body - use the info sheet and put in all the relevant info (3-ish times)
Conclusion - sum everything up and propose your solution to the problem (if it asks for you to do that, otherwise just a sentence or two about the issue)
The ‘paragraphs’ will be small so don’t try write ridiculous amounts.

The prac report - use the basic order of things (aim, hypothesis, discussion then conclusion). There will be dot points to guide you - leave a small gap between your answers to each dot point, despite what many ppl think the discussion doesn’t have to be one large chunk. The conclusion should also only be 1 or 2 sentences.

There are 2 good ways you could do these:
1. Briefly answer all the dot points you have to, leaving spaces to go back and add in the details after.
(If you’re not very good at writing this was helpful to some people)
Or
2. Go through and answer everything in as much detail as you possibly can.
(If you are good at writing in lots of detail and lengthening responses/making it flow nicely, this is good)
- these 2 strategies mean that you will have either answered all the points or written an impressive answer but to only a few points or, best case scenario, both.
- just make sure you don’t rush through and write a really bad, messy, unorganised piece.

Hopefully I answered everything  :)
(Yes I do have a problem with writing really long responses to everything so just let me know if it’s annoying to have to read and I’ll try fix it)
THANK YOU SMMMM <3 and I rlly like your long responses they seem to help me and others a lot!!
 ;D ;D

4eva_gone

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Re: JMSS 2022 Entry
« Reply #11 on: December 31, 2020, 07:21:03 pm »
0
- For books I just used the Oxford science 8/9 and the Cambridge maths 9 (just my schools textbooks). As for resources, I didn’t really use anything else but I did spend some time looking through the previous threads on AN to see what previous tests had on them/how hard etc.
- For the scientific writing, there isn’t much you can do to prepare specifically for it - there is a lot of info on the info sheet and just make sure you use as much of it as possible. If you do want to do something else just read through a few science news articles to see what’s relevant as that will probably be similar to the topics.
- for math, I just did all the questions I could do first and then went back through after for the harder ones. Most of them I just estimated and then picked what was closest to my estimation. NR isn’t nearly as hard for time pressure though.
- tests to prepare - I literally just did my school tests and studied really hard for them but I know some other people did old ICAS tests and said they helped. If you do tutoring or have friends who do it you can ask them for their practice tests and use them too.
- science reasoning - you don’t need to know any super complex or detailed stuff, the yr 8/9 curriculum stuff will cover it all. Most of the questions, they gave you some info then asked a question based on the info. it’s a mix of physics, chemistry and bio stuff. If you do the morrisby careers thing next yr, the questions are actually really similar to the ones in the ‘mechanical thinking’ part.
- the test is usually around the end of June - last years was supposed to be 26th ish of June so the results come out around the middle/end of term 3.
- covering the yr 9/10 math and 8/9 science will be enough for you to be successful - I only did that and with no tutoring so you should be fine.
- I didn’t do the selective schools exam but everyone who did both said that the JMSS one was easier by far so if you even did moderately well in the selective schools one you should be able to do well.


A lot of people have been asking about how to structure the science writings - for the essay, it’s the basic essay form you should have learnt in year 7 or 8:
Intro - just say what the issue is and the 3 major things you will discuss
Main body - use the info sheet and put in all the relevant info (3-ish times)
Conclusion - sum everything up and propose your solution to the problem (if it asks for you to do that, otherwise just a sentence or two about the issue)
The ‘paragraphs’ will be small so don’t try write ridiculous amounts.

The prac report - use the basic order of things (aim, hypothesis, discussion then conclusion). There will be dot points to guide you - leave a small gap between your answers to each dot point, despite what many ppl think the discussion doesn’t have to be one large chunk. The conclusion should also only be 1 or 2 sentences.

There are 2 good ways you could do these:
1. Briefly answer all the dot points you have to, leaving spaces to go back and add in the details after.
(If you’re not very good at writing this was helpful to some people)
Or
2. Go through and answer everything in as much detail as you possibly can.
(If you are good at writing in lots of detail and lengthening responses/making it flow nicely, this is good)
- these 2 strategies mean that you will have either answered all the points or written an impressive answer but to only a few points or, best case scenario, both.
- just make sure you don’t rush through and write a really bad, messy, unorganised piece.

Hopefully I answered everything  :)
(Yes I do have a problem with writing really long responses to everything so just let me know if it’s annoying to have to read and I’ll try fix it)

TYSM
THIS RLLY HELPED A LOT

Nerd01939

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Re: JMSS 2022 Entry
« Reply #12 on: December 31, 2020, 10:14:11 pm »
+7
Another person who was accepted into JMSS for yr 10 2021 created a bunch of useful info - this is VERY specific (you don’t need to worry about being a genius in all the areas listed, just make sure you know the general yr level curriculum stuff relating to the topics):

 
So…
You are preparing for year 10 JMSS entry exams, this document has some advice that I've gathered from a lot of places, most notably ATAR notes, JMSS discord server, Instagram group chats and youtube. All this information is just meant to be a guide, and I cannot promise everything on here will be on the current exam, I've just taken what I've learnt about previous years, this is just meant to be a study guide, not the study law. I personally did not study as much as I thought I was going to when I decided to apply. I did not attend tutoring, but I bought one set of tests from the company that runs the tests - https://www.edutest.com.au/pa-online.htm - and they helped me personally. I also watched a lot of this Youtuber who covers selective schools and this vid in particular:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q-KK8tkhJU&t=164

And below are some other useful links!
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/parents/learning/Pages/selective-entry-practice.aspx

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16057Eo33bGxiBwGyeXI040d5D_8mpkEA?usp=sharing

Mathematics
Tests your knowledge of mathematics concepts. Any of these topics can be tested so make sure to try to learn as much of these before you can. Here are just some basic things you should know, not all of them will be covered. Honestly its better you get quicker at simple mathematics and basic algebra in written equations than learn one particular subject at a year 10 level that will only be in 3 questions
Financial Mathematics – simple interest, compound interest, depreciation
Algebra – factorising, expanding, simplifying
Surds & Indices - Index laws, rationalising the denominator, negative fractional powers
Simultaneous Equations & Inequations - substitution, elimination, number lines
Linear Relationships - gradient formula, distance, midpoint
Rates and Proportion - direct proportion, indirect proportion, conversion from percentage to ratio, unit conversion
Trigonometry - Pythagoras
Mensuration - all 2d & 3d area, surface area and volume equations (only 1-2 questions but it matters)
Geometry - angles of shapes, parallel lines, perpendicular lines
Statistics - interquartile range, average, median, mean, mode etc
Probability – venn diagrams, conditional prob, tree diagrams, dice, and card prob.
Quadratics
 
Numerical Reasoning
 
To sum it up it is more of an IQ test around numbers. A lot of patterns and worded problems will be presented, so it is up to you to turn them into formulas or mathematical methods of calculation. Sometimes it is best to take a formulaic approach, but just being able to look at the differences in a sequence is really important.
 
Number patterns – a good 10 questions in 2020 were something like
2 4 8 16 ? 64 find the missing number
An understanding of sequences and series can help
Financial Questions
Interest
Depreciation
More profitable company - etc
Time Questions
Starting late and finding the new end time.
Visual problems
Graphs
Tables
Factors
Multiples
Prime
Quick Math
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Science Reasoning
For the most part, the science reasoning exam is about interpreting information. On the 2020 exam, there was a question involving pH, but the test explained how to read a pH indicator. But it is good to know a few of the basics within the core fields of science. This exam checklists just outlines the potential topics that could be covered.
1.    BIOLOGY
Cells - Organelles
Photosynthesis
Ecosystems – food chains and food webs
Nervous system
The body
Brief knowledge of DNA/RNA
2. CHEMISTRY
First 20 elements
Periodic Table Groups
Organic molecules
Reactions between elements - finding precipitation
3. PHYSICS
Laws of motion distance/time = speed
Heat
Weight
Light (relationship to convex shapes ect.)
4. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN INTERPRETATION –
Variable Identification
Independent
Dependent
Control
Precision
Accuracy
5. EXTRA TOPICS
Geology – Rocks
 
Science Analysis & Reporting (One of 2 essays)
 
A science practical report is provided, and certain questions need to be answered. Normally, it is a basic report and will rely more on your ability to interpret information rather than your science knowledge. For 2020 you were given a lab report and had to write and expand on that, ie how to improve it and what it meant/real-life applications. This part of the exam is answered with an essay. I couldn’t think of anything to write about to other essay in particular, but message me if you have any questions!
 
 
The big day
- make 100% sure you have everything they ask you to bring!
- you probably shouldn’t study the day of the exam, you won't learn anything new, and will probably make yourself more nervous
- get a good nights sleep, go to bed early, the extra sleep is more important than staying up late studying
- Sometimes the building gets a bit cold, so bring a jacket if you are allowed!
- for the sake of everyone in the hall, bring tissues!
- Stay away from nervous people, they'll make you nervous, it's like a contagious disease and no-one wants a disease *insert cardi b saying coronavirus*
- Bring some water with you to the exam but leave it on the ground, you do not want to drop it all over your work by accident (it does happen, and everybody hears the clang)
- When you get into the exam hall and if your table is wonky or you can't see the clock or something, LET THE SUPERVISORS KNOW before the start as they can help you get a new seat or fix up the table or something. Sort out all the problems beforehand, don’t leave it until when your time counts
- Fill in your answer sheet, NOT the question booklet (unless the instructions say otherwise, ALWAYS go with the exam instructions!)
- Answer every question, even if you don’t know the answer, you have a 25% chance of getting it right
- Keep an eye on the clock at all times and make sure you attempt the whole paper to the best of your ability, work out how long you have on average to complete each question on average and don’t feel afraid to skip a question to come back to later
- make sure your question and answer sheet match up so you don't fill in the next answer where that one should have been and then screw up your whole sheet, it takes ages to fix up.
- If rubbing a bubble out, rub it out completely!
- If you finish a paper early, go back and check over your answers!
 
Final Note:
Keep calm, the fact that you're that interested in getting into these schools by asking for help is impressive, you're MILES ahead of everyone else (I didn’t even know about the schools' existence in January!), take some confidence in that and always remember this if your nerves start taking over on the day
If it doesn't go well for you, don't lose faith in your academic prowess, maybe it wasn't your day. It's definitely possible to do well elsewhere with the right attitude and appropriate study, and there are so many ways to get into what you want to do later in life!
Good luck!

Once again, you don’t need to be a complete genius in all these areas - I.e. for ‘trigonometry’, just know the basic ratios etc. as you don’t have a calculator and they won’t expect you to actually calculate the things.
Closer to the date, read through all the exam tips again - these are all pretty useful.
Thanks to ‘lawlesseggboi’ for putting this list together!

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Re: JMSS 2022 Entry
« Reply #13 on: January 01, 2021, 07:56:27 pm »
0
Another person who was accepted into JMSS for yr 10 2021 created a bunch of useful info - this is VERY specific (you don’t need to worry about being a genius in all the areas listed, just make sure you know the general yr level curriculum stuff relating to the topics):

 
So…
You are preparing for year 10 JMSS entry exams, this document has some advice that I've gathered from a lot of places, most notably ATAR notes, JMSS discord server, Instagram group chats and youtube. All this information is just meant to be a guide, and I cannot promise everything on here will be on the current exam, I've just taken what I've learnt about previous years, this is just meant to be a study guide, not the study law. I personally did not study as much as I thought I was going to when I decided to apply. I did not attend tutoring, but I bought one set of tests from the company that runs the tests - https://www.edutest.com.au/pa-online.htm - and they helped me personally. I also watched a lot of this Youtuber who covers selective schools and this vid in particular:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q-KK8tkhJU&t=164

And below are some other useful links!
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/parents/learning/Pages/selective-entry-practice.aspx

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16057Eo33bGxiBwGyeXI040d5D_8mpkEA?usp=sharing

Mathematics
Tests your knowledge of mathematics concepts. Any of these topics can be tested so make sure to try to learn as much of these before you can. Here are just some basic things you should know, not all of them will be covered. Honestly its better you get quicker at simple mathematics and basic algebra in written equations than learn one particular subject at a year 10 level that will only be in 3 questions
Financial Mathematics – simple interest, compound interest, depreciation
Algebra – factorising, expanding, simplifying
Surds & Indices - Index laws, rationalising the denominator, negative fractional powers
Simultaneous Equations & Inequations - substitution, elimination, number lines
Linear Relationships - gradient formula, distance, midpoint
Rates and Proportion - direct proportion, indirect proportion, conversion from percentage to ratio, unit conversion
Trigonometry - Pythagoras
Mensuration - all 2d & 3d area, surface area and volume equations (only 1-2 questions but it matters)
Geometry - angles of shapes, parallel lines, perpendicular lines
Statistics - interquartile range, average, median, mean, mode etc
Probability – venn diagrams, conditional prob, tree diagrams, dice, and card prob.
Quadratics
 
Numerical Reasoning
 
To sum it up it is more of an IQ test around numbers. A lot of patterns and worded problems will be presented, so it is up to you to turn them into formulas or mathematical methods of calculation. Sometimes it is best to take a formulaic approach, but just being able to look at the differences in a sequence is really important.
 
Number patterns – a good 10 questions in 2020 were something like
2 4 8 16 ? 64 find the missing number
An understanding of sequences and series can help
Financial Questions
Interest
Depreciation
More profitable company - etc
Time Questions
Starting late and finding the new end time.
Visual problems
Graphs
Tables
Factors
Multiples
Prime
Quick Math
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Science Reasoning
For the most part, the science reasoning exam is about interpreting information. On the 2020 exam, there was a question involving pH, but the test explained how to read a pH indicator. But it is good to know a few of the basics within the core fields of science. This exam checklists just outlines the potential topics that could be covered.
1.    BIOLOGY
Cells - Organelles
Photosynthesis
Ecosystems – food chains and food webs
Nervous system
The body
Brief knowledge of DNA/RNA
2. CHEMISTRY
First 20 elements
Periodic Table Groups
Organic molecules
Reactions between elements - finding precipitation
3. PHYSICS
Laws of motion distance/time = speed
Heat
Weight
Light (relationship to convex shapes ect.)
4. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN INTERPRETATION –
Variable Identification
Independent
Dependent
Control
Precision
Accuracy
5. EXTRA TOPICS
Geology – Rocks
 
Science Analysis & Reporting (One of 2 essays)
 
A science practical report is provided, and certain questions need to be answered. Normally, it is a basic report and will rely more on your ability to interpret information rather than your science knowledge. For 2020 you were given a lab report and had to write and expand on that, ie how to improve it and what it meant/real-life applications. This part of the exam is answered with an essay. I couldn’t think of anything to write about to other essay in particular, but message me if you have any questions!
 
 
The big day
- make 100% sure you have everything they ask you to bring!
- you probably shouldn’t study the day of the exam, you won't learn anything new, and will probably make yourself more nervous
- get a good nights sleep, go to bed early, the extra sleep is more important than staying up late studying
- Sometimes the building gets a bit cold, so bring a jacket if you are allowed!
- for the sake of everyone in the hall, bring tissues!
- Stay away from nervous people, they'll make you nervous, it's like a contagious disease and no-one wants a disease *insert cardi b saying coronavirus*
- Bring some water with you to the exam but leave it on the ground, you do not want to drop it all over your work by accident (it does happen, and everybody hears the clang)
- When you get into the exam hall and if your table is wonky or you can't see the clock or something, LET THE SUPERVISORS KNOW before the start as they can help you get a new seat or fix up the table or something. Sort out all the problems beforehand, don’t leave it until when your time counts
- Fill in your answer sheet, NOT the question booklet (unless the instructions say otherwise, ALWAYS go with the exam instructions!)
- Answer every question, even if you don’t know the answer, you have a 25% chance of getting it right
- Keep an eye on the clock at all times and make sure you attempt the whole paper to the best of your ability, work out how long you have on average to complete each question on average and don’t feel afraid to skip a question to come back to later
- make sure your question and answer sheet match up so you don't fill in the next answer where that one should have been and then screw up your whole sheet, it takes ages to fix up.
- If rubbing a bubble out, rub it out completely!
- If you finish a paper early, go back and check over your answers!
 
Final Note:
Keep calm, the fact that you're that interested in getting into these schools by asking for help is impressive, you're MILES ahead of everyone else (I didn’t even know about the schools' existence in January!), take some confidence in that and always remember this if your nerves start taking over on the day
If it doesn't go well for you, don't lose faith in your academic prowess, maybe it wasn't your day. It's definitely possible to do well elsewhere with the right attitude and appropriate study, and there are so many ways to get into what you want to do later in life!
Good luck!

Once again, you don’t need to be a complete genius in all these areas - I.e. for ‘trigonometry’, just know the basic ratios etc. as you don’t have a calculator and they won’t expect you to actually calculate the things.
Closer to the date, read through all the exam tips again - these are all pretty useful.
Thanks to ‘lawlesseggboi’ for putting this list together!

OMG THANKYOU THIS HELPED A LOT, especially since u went into so much detail

is it enough time if i start studing today? because idk when the exam is  and i havent even registered for admission cuz the websites acting up for me

anyways, thanks for the advice and tips!

have a happy new year :))

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Re: JMSS 2022 Entry
« Reply #14 on: January 01, 2021, 08:45:35 pm »
+2
is it enough time if i start studing today? because idk when the exam is  and i havent even registered for admission cuz the websites acting up for me
Applications don't open until february - march. And the test is usually taken place in June.