JMSS Entry Tips

nuclei

Hi,
The only way to improve your time management is to do timed practice tests. This is super important because for the JMSS tests, warnings were only announced five minutes before time was up. For NR, there are 50 questions in 30 minutes and for maths there are 60 in 30 minutes. When practicing limit your time even further. For example, aim to finish the test in 25 minutes instead of 30 and think of those extra 5 as an acceptable but not desirable overtime. They don't actually expect you to answer every single question correctly, but leave no question unanswered and don't spend too long on a single question either. Personally I guessed around 20 maths questions and 15 NR questions but still got above average for both. For the science report, I don't feel like I did very well and the correct structure was never really covered by my teacher at school. Looking back on it though, @Ommahp had some very useful and relevant advice if you scroll to the top of the thread.

ak

nuclei
hi thanks for the advice, i was wondering when im doing practice tests at home with time, should i just aim to finish all the questions within the time frame as if its a real exam, or should i study the qestions and try to get them right, are the examiners more biased in looking for students who can finish within the time frame (meaning getting an quite of questions wrong) or students who can answer correctly (but dont finish within the time limit).

ッUSA MAGAッ

nuclei Thank you for your reply. Could you kindly provide me with some recommendations for strengthening written communication skills?

ッUSA MAGAッ

I would love to hear about your approach to preparing for this exam. If you don't mind, could you kindly share your study methodology with me? I'm eager to learn from others and gather different strategies that could help me excel in my own preparations.

Thanks

nuclei

ッUSA MAGAッ

For the most part, I worked out of my school textbooks. My school uses Pearson for science and Cambridge for maths (I also purchased an Oxford maths textbook) so I mainly did the questions from those books. I focused on science more since I was doing advanced work for math in class anyway and I ended up covering the entire science book in about two months. Over my three months of preparation, I basically studied at any spare moment. I started with covering content from my textbooks, then as the date of the exam neared I began doing practice exams. I didn't really practice writing since I felt pretty confident in my writing abilities but in the last two weeks or so I did ask ChatGPT for prompts and have my writing marked by it. Overall, I wouldn't recommend my study method as it was very rushed. I relied heavily on prior foundation knowledge and the fact that I was scoring well in both subjects but also had to sacrifice a lot of my social life as I studied for the exam and tried to join activities to put on my CV.

nuclei

You should definitely revise the content beforehand and treat the practice exams like proper ones. As for what the examiners are looking for, I can't say, but it shouldn't matter as long as you don't leave any questions unanswered. During the reading time, make a mental note of all the easier questions/questions you can do and try to answer them to the best of your ability. Leave the harder ones last and if you end up running out of time, it's fine to guess.

ak

nuclei 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.
hi,
im a little bit confused on this part, in the interview if u pass, are they still going to give you more test questions to do in a time frame? i thought it was just talking about science and stuff and they ask u questions

nuclei

For Year 10 entry there are two parts to the interview. First is the group interview which is a multi-stage interview in itself. There are about 5 people in each group. During the group interview, you want to be friendly and sociable as they test teamwork and leadership. It starts off pretty relaxed with some icebreakers to get to know your group. After that they give you a budget and a problem and you choose how to spend the budget. I remember my group had a budget of 5 million and we had to spend it to support the repopulation of the endangered sugar glider. This activity is supervised by some of the JMSS Year 12s. Then there's another stage where they give you materials and a challenge. For my group, we had to move a small ball from one side of the table to the other with no direct contact. This is also supervised by Year 12s. That's the last stage of the group interview and after that you are seated at a desk and given an extensive NR problem to solve in a minute. Once that minute is up, you go to your one-on-one interviews. The group activities vary with each group so it's unlikely you'll get the same as the group before or after you.

ッUSA MAGAッ

nuclei Previously, you recommended me the Henderson exams for N.R., but are there any good books for this... If anyone knows any, please let me know.

Thank you
ANYNN

ッUSA MAGAッ

Plus if anyone can share their experience (like how hard or easy exam was) it would be great.

For the most part, I worked out of my school textbooks. My school uses Pearson for science and Cambridge for maths (I also purchased an Oxford maths textbook) so I mainly did the questions from those books. I focused on science more since I was doing advanced work for math in class anyway and I ended up covering the entire science book in about two months. Over my three months of preparation, I basically studied at any spare moment. I started with covering content from my textbooks, then as the date of the exam neared I began doing practice exams. I didn't really practice writing since I felt pretty confident in my writing abilities but in the last two weeks or so I did ask ChatGPT for prompts and have my writing marked by it. Overall, I wouldn't recommend my study method as it was very rushed. I relied heavily on prior foundation knowledge and the fact that I was scoring well in both subjects but also had to sacrifice a lot of my social life as I studied for the exam and tried to join activities to put on my CV.

Thanks for this nuclei

📚️ 👍️

MR.JMSS

nuclei Does ChatGPT check W.E. properly?

ッUSA MAGAッ

nuclei That's the last stage of the group interview and after that you are seated at a desk and given an extensive NR problem to solve in a minute.

How hard was it?

nuclei Then there's another stage where they give you materials and a challenge. For my group, we had to move a small ball from one side of the table to the other with no direct contact.

Ohh!? Was it easy?

nuclei

ッUSA MAGAッ

The NR question was a 3-4 part question from memory. Personally, I didn't finish it and I don't think it matters too much.

The challenge my group got was fairly easy but while I was waiting for the 1-1 interviews I spoke to a girl in the group before me and she said her group had a robotics one and didn't end up completing it. Again, I don't think it matters too much as long as you show strong leadership because my friend was also in that group and he ended up getting a first round offer.

ッUSA MAGAッ

nuclei
Ok

nuclei

MR.JMSS

Not really. I only used it since I was already confident in my writing and even then it was only to practice a little before the exam. If you do use it, don't worry too much about the mark it gives (rare to get 80%+) and focus on the feedback unless it's telling you to go in more detail. That's useless since you'll only have 30 minutes per piece anyway. It's obviously better to get a teacher to mark your work but unfortunately mine was swarmed with work at the time so I did what I could.

MR.JMSS

nuclei If you do use it, don't worry too much about the mark it gives (rare to get 80%+) and focus on the feedback unless it's telling you to go in more detail.

Oh OK...

ッUSA MAGAッ

nuclei I'd recommend the Henderson exams as I said previously.

Did you do the workshops? Where would you get them?

nuclei

ッUSA MAGAッ

Nope I got it off a friend. It was the Year 8 one I believe but the content isn't very Year 8 friendly and it was about the same difficulty as the JMSS exam.

ッUSA MAGAッ

nuclei Thanks for inviting me to the server.

shen

nuclei
Could you somehow give any resources as i have decided to study for the test now and im not going to a tutor

ッUSA MAGAッ

Oh nice...

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