Middle School Magnet Test

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am looking for practice tests for the HGC test. Someone gave me practice tests for the middle school magnets (I have kids who are in 2nd and 4th so both will be applying next year). Any idea of where to get prep tests? Or places where my child can take a prep class? I did a search online and haven't come up with anything useful.

I hear this happens in Virginia - there are test prep centers that prep kids for the TJ test. But to my knowledge, there isn't a big culture of doing this in MoCo. Yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am looking for practice tests for the HGC test. Someone gave me practice tests for the middle school magnets (I have kids who are in 2nd and 4th so both will be applying next year). Any idea of where to get prep tests? Or places where my child can take a prep class? I did a search online and haven't come up with anything useful.

What practice tests did you get for the MS magnet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am looking for practice tests for the HGC test. Someone gave me practice tests for the middle school magnets (I have kids who are in 2nd and 4th so both will be applying next year). Any idea of where to get prep tests? Or places where my child can take a prep class? I did a search online and haven't come up with anything useful.

What practice tests did you get for the MS magnet?

Friend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am looking for practice tests for the HGC test. Someone gave me practice tests for the middle school magnets (I have kids who are in 2nd and 4th so both will be applying next year). Any idea of where to get prep tests? Or places where my child can take a prep class? I did a search online and haven't come up with anything useful.

What practice tests did you get for the MS magnet?

Friend.

Sorry that was incomplete. A friend who's child took the test and a class gave us some prep tests. But she doesn't think they offer HGC prep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

DD got in Clemente computer science program. There are preparation that you CAN do.
1. Raven test, do more raven questions exercise will slightly increase the point but not too much. It is rather a long term training of their spatial conception which start playing music instrument at an early age (4 or 5 yo) will greatly increase the ability.
2. Reading comprehension, read read and read, min. 2 or 3 grade above grade level.
3. Math test, again, min. of 2 grade above grade level. Answers have to be fast and correct. No time to re-check.
4. Writing, be creative with contents. This year's question was What can community do (something like that) I believe many many students answered picking up trash, recycling... These kind of answers do not stand out to the selection committee. Of course, the essay has to be well constructed, and grammatically correct.

Hope it helps.

Good lord. This is cheating and immoral. I'm shocked you are allowed to parent children. Don't you know prep is not allowed and we don't prep our children. I wish the schools would screen out all the cheaters.

Wow, that was over the top. I didn't prep my CHILD for the HGC, but I might for MS. I want the best odds I can get.

Ha - Ha! I think the pp was trying to be ironic and kidding. (Mainly because many posters here slam parents who are focused on academics, enrich at home, get prep and tutors for their kids.)

Thank you for sharing your methods for prepping your kid. I will be doing the same!

[Anonymous]

There are so many cheating athletes and musicians by the poster's standards of cheating!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If your child has to study to get into the program, (s)he doesn't belong in the program. I say this as an MCPS teacher, parent, and former magnet student myself.

Enough said. It is crystal clear why your academic trajectory and reach landed you a teaching job in public schools. Well put.

Ok - a bit mean, but so funny!

[Anonymous]

The kids in my family are not naturally bright.

They have had to study and work hard. Many times they had tutors as well. And they did prep a lot!

However, with prep and hard work, they went to good schools and colleges. Got advanced degrees in high demand areas. Now they have wonderfully high HHI and job security and high SES.

I want to apologize to all the naturally brilliant kids who did not prep and who lost out to the kids in my family.

Sorry.

and

Thank you for your wonderful sacrifice!

[Anonymous]

The reality is lots of kids in this area prep for the tests and will prep for future tests. It might be in the form of prep classes, private tutors, doing worksheets at home, ixl... the list goes on. Yes, there might be some kids out there who got in cold, but far less than you would imagine. A lot of parents will claim that they didn't do anything to prepare their kids, but the kids tell a different story. As someone who grew up in a family of high achievers and has been around the "brightest" and "cream of the crop" my whole life, I see nothing wrong with preparation, whether it is to brush up on skills, become more comfortable in a testing situation, increase speed in test taking or any of a number of other reasons. Some people naturally pick up on concepts quickly while others need to study more, but all capable of producing the same quality work and excelling in these programs. It is naive to say that these programs are designed only for those who got in from "doing a few practice problems the night before, a good night's rest, and a hearty breakfast".

[Anonymous]

Does the eastern test have a math component?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does the eastern test have a math component?

Read the entire thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The kids in my family are not naturally bright.

They have had to study and work hard. Many times they had tutors as well. And they did prep a lot!

However, with prep and hard work, they went to good schools and colleges. Got advanced degrees in high demand areas. Now they have wonderfully high HHI and job security and high SES.

I want to apologize to all the naturally brilliant kids who did not prep and who lost out to the kids in my family.

Sorry.

and

Thank you for your wonderful sacrifice!

Good for you! Nobody wins Nobel prize simply because they are smart. In the end, achievement is what counts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The reality is lots of kids in this area prep for the tests and will prep for future tests. It might be in the form of prep classes, private tutors, doing worksheets at home, ixl... the list goes on. Yes, there might be some kids out there who got in cold, but far less than you would imagine. A lot of parents will claim that they didn't do anything to prepare their kids, but the kids tell a different story. As someone who grew up in a family of high achievers and has been around the "brightest" and "cream of the crop" my whole life, I see nothing wrong with preparation, whether it is to brush up on skills, become more comfortable in a testing situation, increase speed in test taking or any of a number of other reasons. Some people naturally pick up on concepts quickly while others need to study more, but all capable of producing the same quality work and excelling in these programs. It is naive to say that these programs are designed only for those who got in from "doing a few practice problems the night before, a good night's rest, and a hearty breakfast".

+100

[Anonymous]

For those who want their kids to prep -

1) MCPS booklet -
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/curriculum/specialprograms/middle/MSMagnets-TestPrepBooklet.pdf

2) Test Prep Centers or coaching -
a) Kumon
b) A Plus center
c) Dr. Li - MathEnglish.com


3) Online Resources -
a) ALECS
b) IXL
c) Khan Academy
d) Beestar.org
e) Free Raven Tests online.

4) DIY
a) SSAT workbooks
b) English and Math workbooks - bought from Costco, Amazon.com
c) Math textbooks.

[Anonymous]

I just looked at the MCPS site. Why is MCPS so much more forthcoming about the nature of the MS Magnet test than they are about the HGC test?