Hi @Ommahp,
Thanks for this, it really helps. I am planning on buying the Practice tests from Strive For excellence (https://striveforexcellence.com.au/product/john-monash-practice-exams/), do you think it will help? If you could, extra info for the discussion and science report would also help.
JMSS Entry Tips
Hi! I also did the test this year and I can tell you that it's not actually very hard. I personally didn't attend any tutoring and overall had about only 3 months of (hardcore) preparation. All you need is one superior (aim for two or more though to stand out) but also make sure the other results support it. I know a friend of mine got two superiors but didn't get an interview because of that. Practice exams definitely help. I'd recommend doing some ICAS science reasoning questions as they were very similar to the ones on the actual exam. You should also familiarise yourself with reading data correctly as most of the science reasoning questions were based on being able to extract information rather than having extensive background knowledge.
As for the mathematics and numerical reasoning, I'd recommend Henderson exams. The mathematics and numerical reasoning exams were definitely more stressful due to the time limit so time yourself while doing the practice exams. Covering the Year 9 and some Year 10 maths topics will be enough. The biggest thing would probably be to not leave any questions unanswered at all, even if it means you're guessing a third of the exam.
A lot of people found writing to be the most difficult and rightfully so, so make sure you know the structure of a lab report well. You should definitely write a few practice ones and get your teacher to mark it if possible. If not, you could just do what I did and ask ChatGPT for feedback. The other writing piece is much simpler and is something of an information report. You're already given all the information so it's mainly just organising and paraphrasing the ideas. The most important thing for both pieces is to read the criteria. You won't have a lot of time so spend the first five or so minutes organising your ideas. Prioritise the points included in the criteria over excess information.
That's pretty much it. Don't stress about it too much but also don't be overconfident. If you've sat SEHS or scholarship exams before, the format will be somewhat familiar to you. I'd also be happy to answer any more questions you have! Good luck!
Yes
I'm not sure about the practice tests but they do seem to have quite a lot of content and could help you. As for the science report, like I said before, you will be given the information of a science experiment (I think mine was about like a parachute of some sort, definitely an experiment that is usually done in high school science). They will give you the method, material and aim which will usually be incorrect in some way and you will have to address this in your discussion. In my essay, I wrote that the materials did not specify the size of the spoon used to measure and that the method was written in present tense instead of past tense (people often make the mistake of writing the method in present tense so look out for this in the test). These two limitations were split into two paragraphs, and in each you should discuss how the limitation affects the experiment's validity, reproducibility, repeatability, etc. and how it can be improved. I don't remember if I also wrote a paragraph on trends of the data but you should do this as well (in total 2-3 paragraphs for discussion). And the conclusion should be a regular conclusion, is the hypothesis supported, why why not, restate some of the limitations and their affects and how the experiment can overall be improved to be more valid. Hopefully this helps!
5 days later
Hi,
I am sitting the entrance exam for JMSS (John Monash Science School) in 2024 to attain entry in 2025 for year 10, and I really want to get in however I am weak at math. So any resources for math would be very useful. I have a list of things from maths and science which may be covered and I need to learn. But online I can't find any worksheets with answers for those specific topics. Also for the science writing is there any place where I can get science experiments or topics to write about in limited time? I am also trying to study by myself without tuition or any money involved, as I went to tuition for the year 9 entry and did not get accepted, so I would really like to get into JMSS. Any help would be appreciated. 
Hello! As I mentioned before, I found the Henderson exams to be really useful in terms of familiarity. This, however, doesn't mean that practice exams are the only thing you should be doing. From my experience, your textbooks are your best friend! For maths, I'd recommend covering most of the Year 9 content and some of the Year 10 content (factorising/expanding quadratics in particular). My school uses Cambridge but I also purchased an Oxford version. I'd say the Oxford one is more slow-paced but also incredibly helpful since each set of questions is based on the former with minor changes.
Numerical reasoning is slightly more difficult to prepare for since it relies heavily on skills like pattern recognition than following formulas. I'm assuming you have experience with it since you sat the Year 9 entry so I wouldn't worry much about that, just continue doing more practice exams. One thing that I'd recommend that I haven't seen anyone suggest before is Sudoku. As odd as it sounds, whenever I was feeling too burnt out to study, I just did a few sudoku puzzles and I found that it did actually help.
As for science writing prompts, I used AI to generate them and then mark my work once I had finished writing. If your school uses Pearson for science, there are experiments after every lesson. All you have to do is come up with the results. They can be made up for practice as long as they're somewhat accurate or you could ask your teacher to give them to you instead.
Hope this helps! Good luck!
Hi, I am also sitting the exam for JMSS for 2025 and just read these tips and they are actually really good, so Thank You! Anyways, I was wondering about the interview part of the process and whether I could prepare for them in some way. By that I mean joining more clubs/trying to increase my achievement list (tbh I don't really have as much). I just wanted to know if there are things I should participate in that will increase my chances and some examples of achievemnts I should be having.
Thanks for your time!
Definitely! Make sure that you're passionate about at least a few of them as they do look at your CV while interviewing you. I remember I got asked to point out which of my achievements I was proudest of. I was able to relate it to my culture but relating it to a hobby or passion is probably event better. Unfortunately, for the interview itself you can either get really lucky or unlucky with the interviewer so you want a solid CV to boost your chances. Some examples of desirable achievements might be: Academic Excellence Awards (or the equivalent of student of the term/year), ICAS distinction, Australian Maths Competition distinction, NAPLAN certificate of achievement etc.
As for participation, do some volunteering if possible (could be something as simple as Clean Up Australia Day) and join some school clubs if your schedule allows. Playing a sport or instrument will also give you some leverage, especially if you've won awards for it.
I'm glad you're finding the tips useful! I'd be happy to answer any more questions if you have them!
I'm glad I could help! I'd also like to note that this was what I gained from my personal experience of a very crammed 3 months of preparation and what worked from me may not work for other people. It could also be a good idea to experiment to find what works best for you. Make sure you're well prepared but also don't neglect your wellbeing! Best of luck!
nuclei Thanks for the suggestions. But unfortunately my school does not run any sort of extra competitions and the only awards they do are Academic Excellence and Endeavors ( I did get some of those). I don't really have any awards in maths outside of school (and science) so now I'm stressing out. Anyways, thanks for letting me know about the volunteering thing, I think I'll register soon!
I'm also in the Seal class, and I did Vhap Maths (if that counts) : 
Then don't worry too much about the achievements. You can also use that to your advantages. You should read up on programs offered at JMSS and instead talk about what you want to do if you were given the opportunity to study at JMSS if that makes sense. You can find more information on the old ATAR Notes website so make sure to read those discussions too! Hope this helps!
Hello,
I had another question, I was wondering if the amount of people applying for JMSS from a school affects the number of students being accepted? I read about JMSS only taking 3% of the number of students that applied from a certain school. So if only 2 people apply from a school their main competition is each other?
- Edited
Hey, thank you for the tips above I appreciate it. I had a question for science reasoning are they testing science knowledge from years 7-9? Also, what's your study technique? You got into this school after studying only for 3 months, while I studied for 6 months to get into the selective school and didn't get in. I have also heard that we do science report and essay with a small group after our interview, is that true?
Hello Everyone,
I would like to express my gratitude for the invaluable advice you have provided here. As I am preparing to take the JMSS exam this year, I am seeking assistance in enhancing my numerical reasoning skills. I was wondering if you could kindly recommend any resources that could aid me in this endeavour. If you possess any insights or strategies pertaining to this matter, I would greatly appreciate your guidance.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
- Edited
nuclei @Ommahp
hi, i just read all the tips, and i have to say i am very very thankful of all these useful tips. i recently tried for SEHS year 9 for 2024 but didn't get in, i suppose that was because of my lack of hard work; but now i am more than ever determined to get into JMSS, but my time management in any kind of test is appalling. i am currently in henderson doing all the workshops but if im being honest, i think they are not like as stressed as we are and the questions in the blookets are all pretty manageable, but its just my time management that needs work. i was wondering if there was any way for me to say dedicated and put in the hard work so i can hopefully get one superior. i feel like because of the amount of time pressure i had in the SEHS exam last year, my nr and maths was horrible, i want to improve that ASAP. And with the science prac report, my school does prac reports but i dont usually get an A or above standard and i want to improve in that as well. tysmm
Hi! I'd just like to say that I don't actually recommend my study technique since it ended up making things so much more stressful but I basically just spent all my time studying. I would study at school during recess and lunch but also before and after school. The only reason I spent only three months studying was because I only decided to take the test then. As for the science knowledge, they test the basics of all the fields of science but more importantly, analysing graphs. The interview I did didn't consist of any essay writing but there was a multiple part NR question that had to be answered in a short amount of time.