7 July 2020
Private School Admission Exam: Negative Impacts of Early Preparation
Compared to other regions, admission exams in Outaouais are held late in the fall. For many years now, the private school admission exam has been scheduled for the last Saturday in November, which makes it the last admission exam Grade 6 students will do. While it’s important to be well-prepared for this type of exam, it’s best to avoid preparing too early and too much.
The drawbacks of preparing too early (in the summer, in this case)
Preparing too early for an admission exam can have as many negative effects as waiting until the last minute to do so. A preparation course in July or even August isn’t particularly useful since the exam itself doesn’t take place for another four months. As for any exam, it is important to strategically plan the timing of the preparation. Some people may be tempted by a summer admission exam preparation program. They may think a summer program is kinder or easier on children since it’s a time of the year where their schedule is lighter. However, this decision might lead to extreme anxiety come fall. Most students choose to take a preparation program in September or October to ensure everything is “fresh” in their mind for the official exam. Since having things freshly in mind is a key element of success for the admission exam, students who prepare too early could end up feeling like they are not up-to-date and have forgotten everything come exam time. Consequently, they may also feel like they are at a disadvantage compared with others, and this would certainly increase their anxiety.
Suggestions for the summer
Summer should be a well-deserved vacation for your children. Kids are likely to see preparation classes during the summer as a chore. We also don’t recommend using multiple-choice exercises sold in stores before the fall. While this learning material is very well-made, it will be more beneficial if used after the admission exam preparation weekends we offer. By then, students will be able to use what they’ve learned in the program to do these exercises, which will increase their self-confidence.
For parents who still wish to take advantage of the summer to start preparing, here are the most useful activities to do in July and August:
- Plan fun activities that work on observation, inference, memorization, and logic
- Talk to your child about the various programs and private schools that exist in the Outaouais region
- Practice active listening and encourage your child to share his or her worries and concerns
To conclude, the timing of an admission exam preparation must be strategically planned since this type of exam relies heavily on short-term memory. Fully preparing in the summer instead of the fall has many downsides:
- Losing the benefits of having things freshly in mind due to the long period of time between preparation and official exams
- Feeling discouraged in the fall when it feels like all the work needs to be done again
- Experiencing anxiety a few short weeks before the exams
- Being tempted to overprepare, which often incurs needlessly high expenses
We encourage you to use the summer to recharge your batteries. Having energy is important for ensuring a good start to the school year. Use this time for self-care, hobbies, and family activities instead!