My Son Was Not Successful in the Selective Entry Exam - What Can We Learn from This?

blitzzbargain on 08/09/2023 - 23:24
Last edited 12/09/2023 - 21:18

Hi All,

Initially, I was uncertain about whether I should write this post (as it might be controversial), but this is the only place where I can seek input from this wonderful community.
This discussion is merely to gauge what lessons were learned as retrospectives and share with others.

Background:
My son participated in this year's Victoria Selective School exam (Exam for Year 9). He had been diligently preparing for the past 9-10 months leading up to the exam, attending multiple tuition sessions, both at large, well-established tuition centers and private ones. Additionally, he devoted himself to studying beyond his school curriculum for about 2 months before the exam, completing numerous practice test papers. While the cost of these tuition sessions was substantial, I didn't mind spending the money on his education as long as it benefited him.

I want to clarify that I encouraged him to take the exam, but he was willing to do so of his own accord.
He had the potential to succeed, as he is considered an A+ student in his current school.

The results:
He performed exceptionally well on his mock-up exams, so we were quite confident that he would succeed. He performed very well in Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning, categorising them as Top and Above Average, However, the actual results were very disappointing especially on the writing and verbal reasoning, well below expectations. He told me that he had the best sleep and was able to concentrate during the exam.

I am proud of what he has done, but I want to learn from this setback.
It is a very challenging experience.
How do I take this as a lesson learned? What went wrong? I doubt the department will revisit this case as it has been decided.

All suggestions are welcome.
Thank you for all the comments! Most of the comments are very supportive, encouraging, and enlightening. Please continue to do so.
I hope some of you will find this thread useful.
However, there are a small number of comments that have resorted to personal attacks on my son (e.g., not good enough, etc.). These comments do not reflect the Ozbargain community and the broader principles of humanity.

Education & Work Selective High School

Comments

            • jzdhgkd on 09/09/2023 - 14:50

              @Grazz989: https://kisacademics.com/blog/how-much-do-your-internal-rank…

              Here's a somewhat long-winded article about how it works.

              Tl:Dr from another site
              "Your HSC mark for a subject is the average of your external mark and your internal mark. Your external mark is whatever you get in the HSC exam. Your internal mark is based on how your school went in the actual HSC exams and where you are ranked in your school.”

          • congo on 09/09/2023 - 18:47

            @SydStrand: So many people don't understand the scaling aspect.
            The school cohort and the subjects you pick could make a significant difference!!!
            Don't waste your energy, they won't listen.

      • yikes914 on 09/09/2023 - 00:04
        +19

        ATAR does not matter after he gets into his course imo

        • Stopback on 09/09/2023 - 06:42
          +2

          Yep the entire system is a meritocracy

        • blitzzbargain on 09/09/2023 - 07:30

          @yikes914 You are absolutely right, but the first part is challenging: achieving the right ATAR for the course you desire.

          • yikes914 on 09/09/2023 - 09:14
            +8

            @blitzzbargain: yep and even then, there's always other ways to enter his field of study. A benefit of not going to selective schools is that some universities partner with schools to preference their graduates (i.e. RMIT's SNAP program)

          • AlanHB on 09/09/2023 - 09:41
            +13

            @blitzzbargain: @blitzzbargain It's not challenging at all. You either get the ATAR and go straight from school, or you don't, do a bridging course and go in a couple of years later.

            If you look into bridging paths at different universities you'll be astounded at how easy it is to get into certain courses that you thought were "exclusive".

          • Therealjohndoe on 09/09/2023 - 09:44
            +7

            @blitzzbargain: Curiously:

            Q1 what course / career pathway does he desire?

            Q2 Why?

            Q3 If he doesn’t get into that course after trying various entry ways what would be his backup?

            Q4 Why?

            The education system creates this GOAL focused endpoint (ATAR) that regularly has people not look at the actual outcome (what is someone’s passion, strength, ability to earn a living from - Japanese term is ikigai)

          • hawkshead on 10/09/2023 - 09:04
            -5

            @blitzzbargain: google internal degree transfer. Get into any program with transferable credits, after 1 year you get perferct 100 atar and can just transfer degree into the program you want with credits so the year isnt wasted.

            • SydStrand on 11/09/2023 - 13:04
              +1

              @hawkshead: Pure ignorance. Doesn’t even know what an ATAR is, and presumes to give study advice.

              • hawkshead on 17/09/2023 - 15:14
                -1

                @SydStrand: has an 100OP kinda know what im talking about from a uni perspective but yes I have no idea how highschool works because it doesnt matter, its a place to learn to read and get babysitting. Better off dropping out in 8th grade and getting 4 yrs of work exp before uni.

                • SydStrand on 08/10/2023 - 20:22

                  @hawkshead: You can't even drop out in 8th grade in Australia. So there's that. Secondly, high school absolutely matters because the ATAR determines what course you can enter as an undergraduate. Lastly, you can't just not finish high school, and enter University, at least not without a much more laborious bridging course, which, coincidentally, is stacked against you vs school leavers. How about you shut your trap and let the adults talk, mmkay?

                  • morse on 08/10/2023 - 22:50

                    @SydStrand: When the adults talk adult do they usually say:

                    ”shut your trap”

                    mmkay?

      • Brown Sugar on 09/09/2023 - 00:05
        +25

        Trust me, this is not that important.
        No one will care which high school you graduated from once you walk into the first day of university.

        • blitzzbargain on 09/09/2023 - 00:14
          -6

          I agree, but only if you can secure the course you want with your ATAR :(

          • Benoffie on 09/09/2023 - 00:34
            +10

            @blitzzbargain: Attending the selective school doesnt impart capacity by osmosis.

            Adelaide's selective schools are some of the most over subscribed in the state. They advertise the top ATARs but what do they do with the poor performers?

            They off roll, thats what they do. Or block them to begin with. Who wants to send their child to a school that only values them if their ATAR looks good?

          • star-ggg on 09/09/2023 - 00:45
            +10

            @blitzzbargain: This is wrong. As long as you can get a good enough ATAR to get into an uni, there are other pathways to get into other courses and pursue a career path that you want. Hopefully, you do not instill in your son the media hype about ATAR being the be all and end all. I think it is very damaging idea that leads kids to pick courses on what they got in their ATAR, rather than keep considering what other career options are possible while they are in their studies.

          • kerfuffle on 09/09/2023 - 09:07
            +11

            @blitzzbargain: As someone who works for a university, ATAR isn't the be all and end all. You can get in other ways; it just takes longer.

      • wizzy on 09/09/2023 - 08:10
        +23

        I went to one of the lowest ranking schools in the state and got one of the highest ATARs in the state. My daughter went to a selective school and got a lower ATAR than me. If you have the ability then you can get a high ATAR regardless of the school you go to, and going to a selective school doesn't mean that you will outperform other kids.

        • Grazz989 on 09/09/2023 - 11:32

          … How old are you and your daughter?

          I'm pretty sure ATAR only came into being in 2010. Assuming you were in the very first cohort to have it, you'd be ~30, yeah? Unless you had a kid at 12 or 13, how could your daughter be old enough to have also gotten an ATAR already?

          • kerfuffle on 09/09/2023 - 12:17
            +11

            @Grazz989: UAIs, TERs and OPs were a thing before ATAR. It is easier to just call it ATAR instead as that is now a nationwide thing.

            • Grazz989 on 09/09/2023 - 13:52

              @kerfuffle: Yeah but you can't compare them 1:1 can you mate. Putting aside the obvious fact that the schooling itself has changed.

              • banana365 on 09/09/2023 - 17:12

                @Grazz989: If they're academic performance scales then they'll still share a similar distribution. Top 5% in one scale is likely to be top 5% in another. Whatever the scores assigned to the scales, it's a straightforward comparison.

            • wizzy on 09/09/2023 - 19:43
              +1

              @kerfuffle: You are correct. Mine was called a TER. I used the same name for simplicity.

          • jjjaar on 09/09/2023 - 12:25

            @Grazz989: I assumed they were talking about the ATAR equivalent.

          • [Deactivated] on 09/09/2023 - 13:16

            @Grazz989: Teen pregnancies are real however unsure why the maths was required here ?

            • Grazz989 on 09/09/2023 - 13:52
              -1

              @[Deactivated]: ? Obviously to demonstrate that what he was saying is virtually impossible ?

              • [Deactivated] on 09/09/2023 - 13:55

                @Grazz989:

                Teen pregnancies are real

                • Grazz989 on 09/09/2023 - 13:58
                  -1

                  @[Deactivated]: Yeah mate. That's why I said virtually. How many kids are having kids at 12 or 13? And go on to do their year 12? And have their kid to go on and do year 12? …. And that's assuming the best-case scenario of being the very first cohort to go through ATAR. Don't try to be a smartass.

                  • [Deactivated] on 09/09/2023 - 14:18
                    +1

                    @Grazz989: Kudos to them that they were able to accomplish all of their academic success whilst also raising a child that was able to get into a selective school.

                    We should be applauding them.

                    • Grazz989 on 09/09/2023 - 14:30

                      @[Deactivated]: Uhuh. And that child's name? Albert Einstein. And everyone clapped.

                      • [Deactivated] on 09/09/2023 - 14:49
                        +1

                        @Grazz989: Well, no because their child got a lower ATAR than the parent but that's OK. Not everyone can have genius progeny …sometimes, it skips a generation …. or 2.

                        • Grazz989 on 09/09/2023 - 19:17

                          @[Deactivated]: Ahh, but even Einstein failed the entrance exam to his first choice of university. Checkmate. Also his father wasn't 13 because that's a laughable concept regardless of the slim biological and social possibility.

          • wizzy on 09/09/2023 - 19:42
            +2

            @Grazz989: Correct. Mine was called a TER not an ATAR. I just used the same name so as not to confuse the situation, but apparently I caused even more confusion in doing so. I'm sorry, that was not my intention.

            As mentioned above by another user the TER was a Tertiary Entrance Ranking out of 100 that was distributed in essentially the same way as the ATAR. I know where I finished in the state in terms of percentages, and also know where my daughter finished. Yes the education system has changed somewhat, but the basics of science (which we both studied) at the High School level has not changed.

            My daughter finished Year 12 last year, and I was in my twenties when I had her. I was not a teenage mother.

            • [Deactivated] on 09/09/2023 - 20:33
              +3

              @wizzy: Where the eff were you 8 hours ago? I've been defending a concocted life story about you as if it was the truth.

              • wizzy on 09/09/2023 - 20:36

                @[Deactivated]: Sorry. I was doing other stuff. I only just saw these messages.

                I agree with you though. Teen pregnancies are real, and sometimes coming from a difficult background makes people more determined and more successful as a result.

      • Keplaffintech on 09/09/2023 - 09:27
        +4

        It's because they SELECT for this. If they only pick the top performers of course the average is going to be high. Being at that school isn't going to make your kid smarter, just more depressed.

      • ColtNoir on 11/09/2023 - 07:11

        My UAI was 58.5, I now work in Decision Science at a top bank, getting paid similar rates to data scientists. Am I a doctor, no, but what is his measure of success. I’m not looking for yours.

  • Kelsy on 08/09/2023 - 23:55

    Which school is your son current attending? Compare this to schools ranking.
    FYI: selective schools, entrance tests or scholarships usually have very high performing kids applying for very few openings.
    They are very competitive and the calibre of these selected candidates surpasses even the typical verbal and writing abilities of adults.
    Well your son can always try again on other programs and have to curb both your expectations.

      • spurf on 09/09/2023 - 09:13
        +18

        Far out. That is like saying 20 degrees is 10x hotter than 2 degrees. You seriously think the selective school is 10x better? By what metric?

      • Assburg on 09/09/2023 - 09:15
        +10

        10x below…. Man this is a bad metric that doesn't even make sense.

        The higher up you get, the less differential there is between quality.. that's just how normal distributions work.

        Like you said, create an environment conducive to academic performance, but don't confuse that with one necessarily conducive to school performance. All the time spent tutoring doesn't replace time spent genuinely enjoying proper literature or exploring topics that are beyond one's depth.

      • Grazz989 on 09/09/2023 - 11:33
        +12

        Well I can tell your son didn't inherit his A+ smarts from your side of the bloodline …

      • AwesomeAndrew on 09/09/2023 - 16:09
        +4

        I can tell you I went to Melbourne High School, and found that the quality of education was the same as my previous non selective school. All government schools follow the same curriculum, difference mainly lies in which subjects are offered in the various schools. The only differences studying at a selective school were that I was surrounded by nerds, and it was a more competitive and stressful school experience.

        • greatlamp on 09/09/2023 - 23:15

          The advantage of going to school like Melbourne High is when you sre placed in the selective class with other gifted kids (extension Math etc). If you are part of the regular cohort it is the same as any other school.

          Private schools also offer these kinds of classes.

          OP needs to be honest however, is their child gifted, or are they getting A+ grades after additional studies and tutoring? The smart kids get A+ without a tutor just doing the minimum homework

          • AwesomeAndrew on 10/09/2023 - 01:09

            @greatlamp: There are no selective classes in Melbourne High. Extension Math is just an extra curricular activity which you can join if you are interested. All students are placed in random classes. However the subjects you choose will influence which class you are placed in, as students who do similar subjects tend to get placed in the same class.

        • MagicTsukai on 10/09/2023 - 00:32

          Melbourne High School was about honouring the work and more than just the marks.

  • Hardlyworkin on 09/09/2023 - 00:19
    +51

    I hope he finds time to be a child.

    • TheOtherLeft on 09/09/2023 - 08:58
      +22

      He can have time to be a child when he's graduated medicine and is a specialist… according to his parents.

      • blitzzbargain on 09/09/2023 - 13:24
        +3

        Thanks for your comment @TheOtherLeft
        I don't quite grasp the logic here; could you please clarify? Are you suggesting that if you study hard, you can't have a social life?

        In the case of his preparation, he managed to play games and meet up with friends. All about time management.

        It seems you're implying that medical graduates (or related studies) can not have fun during their studies. However, I find this perspective somewhat shortsighted in my opinion…

        • banana365 on 09/09/2023 - 17:26
          +13

          No, the clear implication is not to do with medical studies but with how it really strongly appears that you're driving your kid hard because it's what you want and letting your kid have any interests or fun outside of academic progress doesn't feature in your plans.

          Short term, he'll want to work hard and excel academically because he sees that it makes you happy and that, for now, makes him happy. Give it a few years, once he's got into whatever degree course you've influenced him into and he starts to look at what really makes him happy. If you're really lucky, his desires might match yours but there's a decent chance they don't. Step back on the pressure now, help him understand that his happiness is more important than your expectations of him.

          Being an academically successful adult doesn't necessarily lead to being a happy adult.

          • hawkshead on 10/09/2023 - 13:03

            @banana365: 'academia is hell' academia is not a good career choice atm.

            • banana365 on 10/09/2023 - 18:42
              +2

              @hawkshead: Academically successful doesn't mean you're in academia. It just means getting good results in exams.

    • pharkurnell on 09/09/2023 - 10:55
      +3

      NO chance…. its not selective enough

  • Benoffie on 09/09/2023 - 00:30

    The ACER tests have no relationship to actual potential. They are merely an academic gateway tool to enable schools to filter. That's it.

    You are far better off investing in an education where they have improved access to networking, extra curriculas and a greater range of subjects and pastoral support. You want class sizes at Year 12 to be max 15-20. Look for those schools, likely Catholic for best value.

  • Look Up on 09/09/2023 - 00:33
    +38

    @blitzzbargain

    OP - no offence, reading your prior posts/comments, you sound like an intelligent white collar worker lacking a huge amount of common sense

    These 2 posts were revealing:

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/651204
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/6038040/redir

    To answer your statements and questions directly:

    It is a very painful experience.

    From your perspective, if this has been a painful experience, please HTFU
    When your son enters the workforce, he will be working alongside - if not directed by - various AI systems
    Do you think "disappointing" results now on a specific set of writing and verbal reasoning tests matter that much?
    What are you currently teaching and encouraging him to do so he grows to his full potential on things that AI cannot do?

    How do I take this as a lesson learned?

    That previous performance is not a guarantee of future results
    That your son - whilst considered "smart" - does not currently express that intelligence well in restricted and time limited situations
    That your son can pursue a million other avenues and occupations outside of the funnel that Selective Schools direct children towards

    What went wrong?

    Nothing - you have just had your eyes opened to reality and it did not meet your expectations

    I doubt the department will revisit this case as it has been decided.

    There are cases where children can request to be transferred to a Selective School after outperforming in their first year of non-Selective high school
    There are also cases where children stay in non-Selective high school, do not go to university and become some of the most influential and powerful people in the world

    Keep your mind and your options open for the benefit of your son

    Good luck

    • pharkurnell on 09/09/2023 - 10:56

      well said.

    • Charmoffensive on 11/09/2023 - 11:50

      There are also cases where children stay in non-Selective high school, do not go to university and become some of the most influential and powerful people in the world

      And there are some kids who do nothing but collect a dole cheque and then win lotto, but I wouldn't bank on that.

  • miwahni on 09/09/2023 - 00:41
    +7

    Cream usually rises to the top. If your son is that smart, he'll achieve the ATAR he needs to get into the Uni course he wants, regardless of which school he goes to.
    And if not, he can always apply as a mature age student a couple of years down the track. Or apply for something similar with a lower ATAR, then apply to switch courses.
    Missing out on the selective school will not disadvantage him if he's as bright as you say.

  • mbck on 09/09/2023 - 01:19
    +13

    That's it. No future. The end.

    /S

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/435903

    Ooof I think you're not looking at the whole situation objectively…

    • Protractor on 09/09/2023 - 17:13
      +2

      Haha So the OP is living his life through his son. Been pushing him for years. No wonder thee poor little bugger is failing.

      • blitzzbargain on 09/09/2023 - 20:00
        -7

        Another troll post with false assumptions! I encourage what he wants to do, but I'm not pushing! Sigh…

        • kaleidoscope on 09/09/2023 - 20:18
          +4

          attending multiple tuition sessions, both at large, well-established tuition centers and private ones. Additionally, he devoted himself to studying beyond his school curriculum for about 2 months before the exam, completing numerous practice test papers.

          You sure about that statement?

          • blitzzbargain on 09/09/2023 - 20:34

            @kaleidoscope: Yes. They are what he wanted to do.
            Please stop all false accusations!
            I clearly stated that I encouraged what he wanted to do.

            • Protractor on 09/09/2023 - 20:40

              @blitzzbargain: So what exactly does he want to do (other than get you off his back? ) ?

              You are the one that said this is a 'painful' learning situation. Learn.

            • kaleidoscope on 09/09/2023 - 20:51

              @blitzzbargain: Not accusing or anything but talking through first hand personal experience. As I mentioned through a later comment you may have not put pressure on him directly that you’re aware of, but you’ve set the expectations too high inadvertently.

              Correct me if I’m wrong but you hadn’t told about how your son was feeling after all this, but was talking all about what you’ve done to support him, which again paints a picture of your expectations out of this.

        • shruglord on 10/09/2023 - 17:28
          +1

          Why bother posting here about perspectives if you're just going to dismiss the ones you disagree with? I feel sorry for your son and I really hope one day he escapes your lingering presence on all he does like a twisted puppet master.

    • DONMAI on 13/09/2023 - 15:48

      gg, hope that he made backups.

  • nhoj on 09/09/2023 - 01:25
    +16

    As a teacher whose daughter did not get an offer, I will just say it does not matter. She asked to sit the exam just because she wanted a challenge. I know she will do well in whatever she chooses to do and in whatever school.
    Support your child and encourage them to not only study but enjoy all that the school has to offer.
    Several of my daughter’s friends (very different cultural background) were made to sit the exam had several tutors each week and some got a place other didn't. What I noticed is that they did not have a life and many were not happy to be made do the exam and even unhappier to move schools for year 9 after making many friends.
    In over 20 yrs of teaching I have come across many of these types of kids and they may be great at study but have poor social skills and no personality.

    • mbck on 09/09/2023 - 01:31
      +4

      Tbh, my experience is different to yours. Those who were actually sociable (to an extent) and were active in school curicular activities, did better than those that just studied. Obviously not a hard and fast rule, but looking at the atar scores and subject scores of my years, plenty who were quite balanced, did better.

      In saying that's I think it's more important that you identify the strengths of the kid and focus on those; as opposed to forcing them to be good at what's a week point for them.

      Eg, if they're poor in science and they proceed to do chem/Phys. Whereas they could be a lot more efficient and happier doing what they're better at (vis com or econ,etc).

      • nhoj on 09/09/2023 - 16:39

        I actually agree with what you have posted. You only picked up on the last point I made. I didn't say they all achieved the best results. I even put this "encourage them to not only study but enjoy all that the school has to offer." If you look at many schools top students over a longer period of time you will find exactly what you have said about cocurricular activities like p/arts, debating, clubs and sport. The private schools spend big each year on these programs because they make a difference.

    • bobbified on 09/09/2023 - 02:06

      I will just say it does not matter.

      As a teacher, you don't think environment matters?

      • nhoj on 09/09/2023 - 16:28
        +1

        Sure it helps but attitude towards education and support from parents is far more important. There are many top performing kids from all sorts of schools.

  • garetz on 09/09/2023 - 01:36

    Maybe the pressure got to him, sometimes students excel at mock exams cause there is nothing on the line, but when the pressure is on they buckle.

    Some kids get better at tests when under extreme duress others buckle, the key is to do a lot of practice tests.

  • bobbified on 09/09/2023 - 01:52
    +12

    He didn't "fail" the exam. Others just did better than he did.

  • AustriaBargain on 09/09/2023 - 01:55
    +22

    Maybe he doesn't want to go to a selective school. Maybe he wants to work in a chippie and do pingas every second night between nights of smashing tinnies.

    • mskeggs on 09/09/2023 - 09:27
      +4

      Living the true Australian dream.

    • kaleidoscope on 10/09/2023 - 10:36
      -1

      Better watch that tone around migrant parents >.<
      Opportunities don't matter, atar does!

      • Charmoffensive on 11/09/2023 - 12:00

        What opportunities lay in getting drug (profanity) while deep frying things? It's pretty clear this isn't about OP or "migrants" and everything to do with your own baggage from your parents.

  • morse on 09/09/2023 - 05:29
    +19

    It is a very painful experience.

    Probably the biggest learning is that this should not be a very painful experience. Sure, disappointing, but not painful. It’s not losing a loved one, or a house or a limb etc. We all have disappointments and set backs in life, how we understand and process these is a better measure of success. Sitting okay with not getting everything we want in life gives more fulfilment than just simply getting every outcome we want.

    In terms of your son it could be performance anxiety, it could be writing speed or language generation ability. Realistically though there are questions in these exams, especially the verbal reasoning that you can not study for. They are true measures of intelligence. Practice helps, but study is not a sure fire way to get better at these. Not all people have the same intellectual capacity, regardless of their study habits. A+ students are not always the most intelligent.

    The best thing you can do for your son in life is give him a healthy home environment, teach him how to be a good friend/colleague and nice person so that he can live a happy life. You can do this and study hard and achieve academically. It’s very possible that his greatest joy and successes will be friendships, hobbies, creativity rather than academic achievements. Many of the not so bright kids from my school are now real estate agents and making $$$ with large happy families in big homes - nothing wrong with that.

    • Thaal Sinestro on 09/09/2023 - 16:02
      +4

      Middle class people try to circumvent Buddhism's first noble truth, life is suffering. To some extend, middle class wealth and privilege (eg ability to afford private tuition fees) will insulate you from from some of this suffering, but sooner or later life will whack you on the back of the head.

      Getting used to disappointment is part of maturing as an adult. Learn to have low expectations.

      • morse on 09/09/2023 - 16:25
        +3

        Getting used to disappointment is part of maturing as an adult.

        Exactly this ^

        I had a really good run for many years and still count myself as very lucky. But as we mature we miss out on jobs even when we might be the best candidate, we break bones , we make a poor financial decisions, we say or do something we regret, relationships fail, someone we love is seriously hurt or dies or we sit with someone whilst they are dying or we lose a baby to miscarriage or still birth. This is life. We are so privileged to have good public education in Australia, OPs son can do well in selective school or otherwise. Yes it is disappointing, it is okay to feel disappointed. I reserve grief and ‘pain’ for things a little harder than this set back. We can’t prevent all the bad stuff no matter how hard we try.

      • Bunnyburger on 09/09/2023 - 20:24
        +1

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwVNuyfhF0Q

        Homer's truth is pretty noble too.

  • nxllson on 09/09/2023 - 05:35
    +4

    Hi OP,

    As someone who has undergone the selective entry exam and was admitted to one in Victoria, I can speak from experience.

    First and foremost, do not let the results of some of the subjects cloud your judgement on how bright of a kid he is, considering he is understood to be an A+ student at his school.

    What did I do to prepare?
    Tons of tutoring, studying and enrolling in Selective Entry preparation programs - even years in advance. Many students can fall into the trap of thinking these exams can be aced with less than a year of intense preparations. I hopped in with a sheer amount of confidence only to walk out feeling like I'd guessed 'C' on more than half my questions. The mockup exams are nowhere close to the difficulty of the real exam.

    It is also best to visit this link from DET themselves to understand the selection process. The most important take-home point is:

    Only a maximum of 4% of students in Year 8 from any one secondary school can be accepted into a selective entry high school

    Additionally, there are 1000 places across MacRob, MHS, SCHS and NHS. Do not let this discourage you or him to push towards the entrance exam next year; these are facilitated by the individual schools themselves. So continue studying!

    • blitzzbargain on 09/09/2023 - 06:49

      Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Congratulations, you did well in the exam and secured an entry.

      To be fair to him, he performed very well in Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning, categorizing them as Top and Above Average. I am quite confident that he has prepared sufficiently. However, the writing element was a letdown, and it remains a mystery what happened because he was confident with the essays. This is particularly painful because it resulted in him not securing a place.
      That is the reason why I wanted to share here, as I would like to get others' opinions.

      • stratbargain on 09/09/2023 - 06:56
        +6

        Keep in mind writing is the most subjective. there is no right or wrong answer. And while he may think he did well in it, the experts may disagree or may have thought others did better than him.

        EDIT: Also who cares. :) Go buy him a big gift for all the hard work he put in for the past 9 months and tell him your proud of him

  • EightImmortals on 09/09/2023 - 06:45
    +4

    "How do I take this as a lesson learned?"

    • are you living vicariously through your son?
    • are you pushing him to conform to a system that is not in his best interests?
    • what does he LOVE doing (apart from wasting time in front of screens that is)? Encourage him in that.

    • are you placing money and materialistic 'success' against his future happiness?

      "What went wrong? "

    You've probably fallen for the lie of capitalism, that money and worldly success will fulfil you, it wont, it will only teach you hard lessons about what wont fulfil you. I saw this when we were in China just before the scamdemic. Speaking to parents who pushed their little kids HARD to achieve academically in this belief this would bring them the happiness their parents never had growing up dirt power under an authoritarian regime. I didn't have the heart to tell them the truth, I guess we are all on our own paths. Maybe you came from that kind of background yourself? If not then why the need to push, instead of guide your kids?

    • blitzzbargain on 09/09/2023 - 06:56
      +1

      Just to be clear, I also mentioned in this post that he is the one who wanted to take the exam, and I supported and encouraged him in this decision. I can see his potential; otherwise, I wouldn't be concerned about it.

      I believe he has his own ambitions and goals that he wants to achieve, and I will continue to support him in pursuing them.

      • EightImmortals on 09/09/2023 - 06:58

        So what is his 'potential'?

        What goals does he want to achieve?

        • blitzzbargain on 09/09/2023 - 07:03
          +1

          The selective school would provide him with the environment to grow and, hopefully, be surrounded by like-minded peers academically, allowing them to support each other. Additionally, the school would offer him opportunities for sports and other extracurricular activities.

          • EightImmortals on 09/09/2023 - 07:50
            -1

            @blitzzbargain: But you didn't answer my question.

          • spurf on 09/09/2023 - 09:11
            +12

            @blitzzbargain: There is zero evidence to back this. Selective schools don't have the best teachers in the public system for one thing. There is no selective test to work there. Also, if your kid got in, they would likely feel like the dumbest kid at that school. Your kid is a data point among a bunch of others. It doesn't matter what the other kids scores are just there's. Do you think your ATAR is worth more if you got it at a selective school?

            You keep asking what you can do? Be his number one cheerleader. Let him know they are enough. Don't treat this like the catastrophe you seem to think it is. It's a test, one of many they will do formal or otherwise. My wife and I are both medical specialists. Neither of us went to selective schools. She applied but didn't get in. I didn't even know they existed 😆

            My youngest applied because she likes to give everything a go. No way I would have subjected her to a course to try to get in. She didn't get in and she just moved on to the next challenge. I know she will succeed at anything she puts her mind to due to her ability to roll with the punches.

            Leave your kid be and do some self-reflection.

            Love your kid for who they are not what you think they should be.

            • blitzzbargain on 09/09/2023 - 09:24
              -1

              @spurf: Thank you for your comment.
              I am just merely based on the statistics. As the saying goes, "Numbers don't lie," 😆

              • pharkurnell on 09/09/2023 - 10:59
                +3

                @blitzzbargain: How about basing it on reality instead.

                As the saying goes, "Numbers don't lie,"

                LOL….

              • spurf on 09/09/2023 - 11:17
                +6

                @blitzzbargain: The numbers in this case aren't lying but you are interpreting them incorrectly. It shouldn't be surprising that a school that excludes children who aren't academically inclined performs better than one that doesn't. There is zero evidence that any school (public / private / selective) makes any difference to the INDIVIDUAL student. Would you be surprised that a selective sports school performs better at sport? At least a sports school probably has better sporting resources. Selective academic schools are as poorly resources as any other public school

              • jjjaar on 09/09/2023 - 12:31

                @blitzzbargain: Statistics mean nothing to the individual.

                If there are diseases that only impact 0.0001% of people and you’re that person that got it, you’d hate for people to say “oh well, it’s not that bad, only 0.0001% of people get it!”

                • congo on 09/09/2023 - 18:41

                  @jjjaar: Your logic makes no sense.

                  • jjjaar on 09/09/2023 - 19:23

                    @congo: Yeah it’s been a long week and I didn’t use words good.

                    I’ll let Dr Cox do it: https://youtube.com/watch?v=pJqDOyPasCU

                    The kid is either gonna do well, or he’s not. And it sounds like the school they’re in right now is a good fit for them to excel. Don’t mess up a good thing by making life harder, or different.

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