For Students – SWAT MOCK EXAM

All Students

The OC, Selective and Scholarships tests are tests of ability rather than curriculum knowledge/performance.
In preparation for these tests, you should focus on developing critical thinking, problem solving and active reading skills. The best way to do this is through regular, spaced learning and practice exams. North Shore Coaching College offers various term programs and booster progams providing just that!
You can also purchase educational resources at the North Shore Shop, including our very own Practice Papers for Exam Preparation.
If you are spending too much time on one question, mark/flag it, guess an answer and move on.
If there is less than one minute left and you have not completed all the questions, guess an answer. Never leave any questions blank. If you have answered the question, you have a chance of getting it right!
If you finish all the questions and have time remaining, go back to any questions you circled and look at them again.

DO:	DON’T:
Get a good night’s sleep, have a nutritious breakfast on the day and arrive at the test centre early	Cram, skip breakfast, or be late
Stay calm and level-headed. Take deep breaths, drink water, and go into the exam room feeling confident.	Panic. You have prepared well; the best thing to do now is to remain calm and focused.
Focus on the questions and answers, and check you are filling in the bubble for the right question.	Try to find ‘patterns’ in the multiple choice bubbles.
Try to work as quickly and as accurately as possible.	Worry about questions you have to make an educated guess about — the test is designed to be hard!

Here are some tips for time management in the Opportunity Class Placement Test:

The OC test consists of three papers in: Reading (25 questions), Mathematical Reasoning (35 questions) and Thinking Skills (30 questions).
There are 30 questions in the Thinking Skills section, 25 questions in Reading and 35 questions in Mathematical Reasoning. You have 40 minutes for each of these sections. You have 30 minutes for the Writing section.
Allow about one minute for each exam question in Thinking Skills.
Allow about 50 seconds for each question in Mathematical Reasoning.
Allow about 45 seconds for each question in Reading, not including the time it takes to read the passages. Read the questions associated with the passage. In practice, you may only have 30 seconds for each question.
Check you are on time at the 10-minute and 20-minute mark.

Here are some tips for time management in the Selective High School Placement Test:

There are 40 questions in the Thinking Skills section, 30 questions in Reading and 35 questions in Mathematical Reasoning. You have 40 minutes for each of these sections. You have 30 minutes for the Writing section.
Allow about one minute for each exam question in Thinking Skills.
Allow about 50 seconds for each question in Mathematical Reasoning.
Allow about 45 seconds for each question in Reading, not including the time it takes to read the passages. Read the questions associated with the passage. In practice, you may only have 30 seconds for each question.
Check you are on time at the 20-minute and 30-minute mark.
If you are spending too much time on one question, mark/flag it, guess an answer, and move on.