3. How to prepare for the OC placement Exam

(4) Advice for parents

Every child has his or her own talents. These talents need to be discovered and nurtured. Some children can be high achievers or have special talents, which are not reflected in the results of these tests. The OC Exam tests a narrow range of scholastic abilities.

Children need to be interested in and keen to undertake the test. Parents should avoid placing their children under undue pressure. This exam is a significant and memorable event for them and they need support, as it is very competitive.

Parents should ensure that their children have a balanced lifestyle. It is advisable for them to plan a timetable allocating time for studies, leisure, sports and so on with their children.
- encourage children to practice
- encourage children to ask questions
- give children time to think
- be positive
- make studying fun

(5) Advice for students

The best way to prepare for the exam is not to study individual topic areas but to complete a variety of practice questions. By doing practice questions, you can familiarise yourself with the types of questions that may appear in the test. The more you practice, the more confident you will be when you sit for the exam.

(6) Skills and strategies for each subject

Students need to acquire important skills when preparing for the Opportunity Class Exam. Some of these skills include:
- goal setting (including understanding specific and realistic goals)
- special abilities
- obstacles
- timetabling study and other commitments
- dictionary and thesaurus skills

a. English

In the exam:

- read the text carefully but quickly, making sure you take a mental note of the general idea of the text and the type of text it is. Then have a quick look at the questions.

- attempt the questions one at a time. Read through all the possible options before choosing the answer you think is best. Usually, there are one or two answers which are obviously wrong (it may help to cross these out as soon as you know which ones they are).

- always make sure you refer back to the text when answering questions. Do not answer any questions from memory alone.

- double-check what the question was asking before you mark an answer on your answer sheet, to make sure you did not misread what the question was asking

- when you have to determine the meaning of a word or phrase, avoid choosing answers involving words you do not recognise or know.

- don't waste too much time on one question. Sometimes you will realise the correct answer after answering other questions

- answer every question, don't leave any question blank. It is always better to guess an answer, no marks will be lost if your guess is incorrect.

b. Mathematics

Generally you can apply all the skills mentioned to all the subjects that you are studying for the test. However, some skills and strategies are better employed for particular subjects so that studying becomes more effective.

There are five strands in the primary mathematics syllabus, which students need to study. They are:
 - number
- patterns and algebra
- data, measurement and space
 - geometry.

Studying mathematics is a formative process whereby students need to develop mathematical thinking, understanding, skills, competence and confidence. With this, they can apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired and practise as many different types of questions as they can.

In mathematics, problem solving skills are important. Students need to follow a logical and systematic approach when they solve mathematical problems. The following 4 steps will enable students to handle problems in a structured and meaningful way.
Step 1: understand the problem
Step 2: decide on a strategy or plan
Step 3: solving the problem
Step 4: reflect

c. General Ability

General ability or general aptitude testing is conducted to determine and examine the extent of a student's ability to think and reason. As a result, different sets of skills may have to be utilised when preparing for general ability questions. A higher than average level of intelligence is a necessary attribute to possess in order to do well in this section.

Intelligence is the capacity a person has to learn and understand. The ability of one's mind varies from person to person but intelligence remains the same throughout each individual's lifetime. Testing intelligence means testing the child's ability to respond and adapt to new situations, to think abstractly and to comprehend complex ideas. IQ tests and general ability questions help to measure human intelligence, separate from attainments.

Since 2005, a greater importance has been placed on the General Ability component of the Opportunity Class Placement exam. Generally, students who do well in this section of the test usually have a higher than average Intelligence Quotient (IQ). General ability questions are used to determine the level of your child's IQ. These questions also help to ascertain the extent of the student's vocabulary, general knowledge and his/her skills in calculation and logical reasoning.

It is possible to improve on your performance in general ability tests by practicing the types of questions that will appear in the actual exam. Many of these questions are not culturally based and as a result, they can measure one's ability to think and reason more accurately. To maximise your outcome in this section of the paper, students can try practising using questions found in IQ tests. Students are then able to familiarise themselves with the type of thinking required.

General ability questions are set out similarly to those in IQ tests. The range of questions can be categorised into 4 major topic areas:
- verbal ability
- non-verbal ability
- numerical ability
- spatial ability