Pre-HSPT for rising 8th graders —

[Anonymous]

Sigh. More annoying questions about admissions/placement tests.

1) Bishop Ireton offers a practice test in June/July. Of course they are all booked already.

2) Does anyone else know of any other practice tests?

3) My child has not sat one of tests before (and I had my fill due to law school admissions/bar exams (still working hard to get rid of the nervous ticks) and I guess I am just looking for the experience to defray the jitters when the one-bite-at-the-apple test comes along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sigh. More annoying questions about admissions/placement tests.

1) Bishop Ireton offers a practice test in June/July. Of course they are all booked already.

2) Does anyone else know of any other practice tests?

3) My child has not sat one of tests before (and I had my fill due to law school admissions/bar exams (still working hard to get rid of the nervous ticks) and I guess I am just looking for the experience to defray the jitters when the one-bite-at-the-apple test comes along.

Check John Paul the Great in Dumfries. It’s further out so they don’t book as fast as BI and O’Connell.

[Anonymous]

Last year Bishop O’Connell offered one in May and August.

[Anonymous]

You can do your own practice test. That's what I did. Made my kid do the whole test at home and just timed them. You don't need to do a practice test at a school or anywhere else.

[Anonymous]

I held study group for 6 weeks prior to the HSPT. Small group, covered 3 tests each session and all 5 were accepted into Gonzaga. Totally worth it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can do your own practice test. That's what I did. Made my kid do the whole test at home and just timed them. You don't need to do a practice test at a school or anywhere else.

This. I don't think the testing environment is as important as practicing what it feels like to do each section in a row, with time constraints. You can simulate that at home.

[Anonymous]

Re #3. Don’t project your test anxiety on your kid. This is hard, but the fact you’re already scared it’s a “one bite at the apple test” probably means you’re already putting too much pressure on the test. It’s not a hard test. Prep helps. It’s one piece of the puzzle for admissions. Your kid will be fine!

[Anonymous]

We found the book review with practice tests sufficient. I wouldn’t sweat the official pre-test too much, there are other ways to study and get ready.

[Anonymous]

I made my child take two practice tests a day every day of the summer. She was prepared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I made my child take two practice tests a day every day of the summer. She was prepared.

Whoa! What did she score?

[Anonymous]

Check John Paul the Great in Dumfries. It’s further out so they don’t book as fast as BI and O’Connell.




Wow. I got a real response to my actual question — and yes, I was able to get into a class (in OCTOBER! Yet still . . . ).

Special sincere thanks to the party who replied. I APPRECIATE YOU!

To the others who quibbled with my request or quarreled with my perceived motivation. Well, not so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I made my child take two practice tests a day every day of the summer. She was prepared.

So your child took over 100 HSPT tests during the summer? That sounds absolutely miserable and completely unnecessary, even masochistic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Check John Paul the Great in Dumfries. It’s further out so they don’t book as fast as BI and O’Connell.




Wow. I got a real response to my actual question — and yes, I was able to get into a class (in OCTOBER! Yet still . . . ).

Special sincere thanks to the party who replied. I APPRECIATE YOU!

To the others who quibbled with my request or quarreled with my perceived motivation. Well, not so much.

If you want your child to try to take it earlier, see if they have a waitlist for that earlier date. That’s how my son got to take the practice one at JPG last fall.

[Anonymous]

I think most kids do fine with taking the practice one and going through a workbook.

Also bear in mind that the score is not the be-all end-all for Catholic school admissions in this area. It’s a much more holistic process compared to college for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I made my child take two practice tests a day every day of the summer. She was prepared.

So your child took over 100 HSPT tests during the summer? That sounds absolutely miserable and completely unnecessary, even masochistic.

It’s a 3-hour test!!! TROLL