Author: user

Categories
University Admissions

Top Tips for the UCAT Exam

The University Clinical Aptitude Test, or UCAT is a two hour online exam which acts as an entrance exam for many UK medical schools. Depending on which universities you hope to go to, achieving a high centile score can be the difference between being offered a place and not.

 

Preparing for the UCAT can take many hours and unfortunately revising is only half the battle, you still have to go out and sit the exam. Many students put hours and hours of work into past questions without giving any thought to the exam itself so here are five top tips in how to perfect your UCAT exam technique.

Timing is Key

The time allowance for each UCAT question is incredibly small. It is of the main reasons the UCAT is such a challenging exam. Given five minutes, most of us would be able identify the pattern and difference between two groups of shapes but doing in in under 15 seconds is a different matter. The timing per questions varies hugely between sections and it is critically important to know how much time you have per question in the real thing. The rough time per question in each section is as follows:

 

  • Verbal Reasoning: 44 questions in 21 minutes (28 Seconds per Q)
  • Decision making: 29 questions in 31 minutes (~1min per Q)
  • Quantitative Reasoning: 36 questions in 24 minutes (40 seconds per Q)
  • Abstract reasoning: 55 questions in 13 minutes (14 seconds per Q)
  • Situational judgement: 69 questions in 26 minutes (22 seconds per Q)

Get Comfortable with the Calculator 

The quantitative reasoning section of the UCAT relies on being able to do quick sums in your head. The more mental maths you can do, the less you’ll need the calculator and the more time you will have for the harder questions. Unfortunately, there will always be calculations you need to check or that you cannot do in your head. For these, the UCAT exam has a built in calculator much like the one on your computer. However, using this calculator is very different to using a hand held calculator or phone and is more time consuming. When you are practicing your quantitative reasoning questions, try using your computer’s calculator so that you can get comfortable using it quickly.

Practice Under Exam Conditions

The people that score the highest in the UCAT are not necessarily those that have worked the hardest, it’s those that have worked the smartest. The top decile students know what to expect on day of the exam and are not caught by surprise. The reason the there are no surprises for these students is that they have done their practice questions under exam technique. This means restricting yourself to the exact amount of time per question that you will have in the real exam.

Reset Between Sections

Some sections of the exam will be harder than others and you will never be equally strong at all sections. Remember, you final score is an average of all four sections. Try not to let one bad section throw you off your game. If you find that one section did not go as smoothly as you hoped, take a 10 second breather and reset, leave that section behind and focus on what’s ahead.

Use The Earplugs

Many exam centres in the UK will offer ear plugs to use when you take your exam. I would strongly recommend using these if you are offered. With the earplugs you can block out all the distracting noise to leave your brain 100% focused on each question. Like with every bit of UCAT preparation, don’t leave it to the day of the exam to try them out. Get some at home and try some practice questions with them in.

Contact Think Tutors

If you would like to learn more about how a private tutor can help you with your UCAT exam or medical school application, please do get in touch. We also offer tuition and expert advice on every major entrance exam, from Cambridge Law Test to the LNAT, MAT, STEP, BMAT, GAMSAT, UCAT, CAT, ELAT, GAA, HAT, PAT, MLAT, MML, OLAT, TSA and the Oxford Philosophy Test.

Categories
GCSE

How To Help Your Child Excel in Their GCSEs or iGCSEs

The end of a child’s formative years of schooling, GCSEs and iGCSEs are taken when a student is in Year 11, and are often their first experience of major national exams.

 

At the core of a GCSE and iGCSE education is Maths, English and Science (Chemistry, Physics and Biology). The periphery is comprised of Geography, History, ICT, Religious Studies, Art, Music, Economics, Classics, Latin, Modern Languages and more. Students are expected to take between eight and ten, with the top students learning up to 12.

 

GCSEs and iGCSEs are a particular challenge because the breadth of material to be covered, and mastered, is always high. The purpose of this insight therefore is to simplify the route to success by shedding light on our top tips for helping children excel in their GCSEs.

 

With 100% success rate of grade improvement across the board at GCSE level, Think Tutors are expertly placed to deliver bespoke tuition to students of all abilities. Please contact us to find out how we could help your child.

Understand how they learn

Each child learns differently, so the first step to GCSE or iGCSE success is for them to work out how best they learn. While a visual learner might respond best to making mind maps, graphics and highlighting their notes in different colours, kinaesthetic learners may need case studies to demonstrate theories, and tangible examples to improve retention.

 

Understanding a learning style is based on not only a child’s cognitive approach, but also the environment they typically learn in. We are commonly asked questions such as: Can they work outside? Are typed notes better than written? How long should they spend revising? Our answer is always the same – it depends on the child’s learning style.

 

We recommend spending some time trying out different methods of learning, and enlisting the help of a mentor or tutor who has experience with a variety of learners. Think Tutors’ tutors and mentors all have at least 5000 hours experience, having tutored for over five years full-time.

Set Goals and Plan

Establishing sensible goals, planning how to achieve them and sticking to the plan is the next step to GCSE success. Whilst all top students know what they want to achieve, working out how to do it is often a challenge.

 

When it comes to goal setting, every student is different. What is important to remember is that an appropriate goal should be realistic, time-bound, achievable and measurable. Success is there to be celebrated and failure to be learnt from, so it’s vital to have an idea of where a student is.

 

With so many subjects to balance, planning is important both in the days, weeks and years leading up to coursework deadlines and final exams. When considering the entire year, our education consultants recommend using online calendars to your advantage, so you are aware of your child’s deadlines. In the months leading up to the exam or deadlines, create timetables which include regular testing, scheduled rest days and time to go back over learned material;  the more detailed the better.

 

It should go without saying that mental and physical health are to be prioritised – this can be achieved also with planning. We recommend that daily routines should encompass a healthy balance of physical, mental and academic stimulation. These are not only skills important for conquering GCSEs and iGCSEs, but also for any challenges which a student might face in the future.

Contact Think Tutors

Wherever a student’s starting place is, Think Tutors are willing and able to help. We are motived by the fact that every student can improve with the right support, and routinely demonstrate how elite professional tutors and expert mentors can offer bespoke solutions to suit each learner. Please get in touch if you would like you find out more.

 

Categories
School Admissions

5 Top Tips for Online Independent School Interview Preparation

Pursuing independent school entrance requires a considerable level of organisation. With most families applying to three or more schools, the ISEB Pre-Test to consider, and entry points from 7 or 8 plus, to 11 plus, to 13 plus, parents are often challenged by the competing deadlines and overall intensity of the assessment process.

 

If your child is fortunate enough to reach the interview stage, a coveted place is within their grasp, but far from guaranteed. This insight will therefore consider Think Tutors’ 5 Top Tips for Independent School Interview Preparation.

What do the interviews consist of?

It is important to begin with a caveat: no two interviews are the same, even at the one school. Whilst the objectives are the same, to work out whether a student is the right ‘fit’ for a certain school, the methods are entirely different.

 

Some schools have the student prepare answers to set topics or questions, whereas others have a list of themes which they loosely stick to. Some focus on hobbies, and less on academia, whereas others are intensely focused on academic pursuits. For advice on specific schools, please contact us.

 

At the time of writing, however, interviews are mostly online, and conducted by either a housemaster, admissions staff, or teachers. With this in mind, there are a number of ways to prepare for the big day.

1. Enlist the help of a tutor

Think Tutors’ professional tutors are both experts at building confidence, and au fait with the requirements of independent schools across the UK. From Eton and Harrow to Latymer Upper, our tutors have not only been through the system themselves, but have remarkable success rates when given enough time with a student.

 

We also provide advisory services for school entrance as a whole, in a relocation context if you are based outside the UK, or if you know which schools you would like to apply for, we can create a tuition schedule to suit your family. Please enquire if you would like to find out more.

2. Consider their surroundings

It is vital for a child to be in an environment where they will be content to sit still for between half hour and an hour. Fast internet, a clear desk with comfortable chair in a well-lit room are just a few ways to help the interview go as smoothly as possible.

3. Practice conversation

Converse, rather than rehearse. Good interviewers will pick up on rehearsed answers, and try to put the interviewee off their rhythm. Students who have practiced conversing, and can easily address a topic in multiple ways, come across far better than students with precisely prepared answers.

4. Learn about the school

Interviewers will be looking for genuine enthusiasm for going to their particular school, and one of the best ways to achieve this is to learn about the school. From Wellington College’s five ‘I’s: Inspired, Intellectual, Independent, Individual and Inclusive, to Harrow’s core values: courage, honour, humility and fellowship – it is vital to be able to demonstrate a knowledge of where they are applying to.

5. Encourage students to be themselves

Finally, personality is important. Interviewees should not be afraid to talk about themselves, their hobbies, favourite subjects, and hopes and dreams when leaving school. Whilst ambition can play well, honestly in this case is always the best policy, as interviewers will want to know how your child fits into the school community.

Contact Think Tutors

If you would like to find out more about how Think Tutors can help your child gain admission to your target schools, please contact us. We also offer tuition for ISEB Pre-Test, 7 or 8 plus,  11 plus, and 13 plus.

 

Categories
GCSE

GCSEs vs iGCSEs

GCSEs and iGCSEs are studied by all students in Year 10 and 11, and are comprised of a combination of ‘core’ subjects, such as English, Maths and Science, and ‘periphery’ subjects, like Geography, History and Art. Internationally respected, they are likely the first major exams taken by students, and as a result, a cause for stress in parents and students alike.

 

As a parent, you might be confused about the difference, and ultimately, be wondering which is better for your child. The purpose of this insight therefore is to explain some of the key differences between iGCSEs and GCSEs, including location, coursework vs exams, and grading. If you would like to learn more about how to help your child succeed in their GCSEs, please contact us.

Where are they available?

Most independent schools in the UK only offer GCSEs, studied over the course of two years in Year 10 and Year 11. Whilst some UK schools also offer iGCSEs, this is primarily to international students.

 

Contrarily, private international schools outside the UK can only offer iGCSEs, sat at the same time as the GCSE exams.

 

If you have any questions about relocating to the UK, Think Tutors provide international tuition, legal guardianship, and are practiced at assisting families with their move to the UK, minimising interruptions to education.

Coursework vs Exams

Although subject choices are the same for both GCSE and iGCSE, the method of assessment is largely different. GCSEs contain large coursework components, with students being challenged to write

 

On the other hand, iGCSE subjects on the whole do not rely on coursework as a method for testing. Pupils are examined either on their performance in end-of-year exams, which are comparatively more important.

 

Depending on your child’s learning style, this could be an important distinction. If you would like to learn more about how your child can learn more effectively, please do get in touch for an assessment.

Grading

Finally, for students undertaking GCSEs since 2017, the traditional A*-G grading system was replaced by a numerical 1-9 scale, with the highest grade, 9, as the equivalent of an A**. Although there was confusion when this change was announced, it has since been accepted by students and teachers alike.

 

CIE iGCSEs, on the other hand, are graded by the traditional A*-G system, in which the best students achieve A*s. Whereas, Edexcel and Oxford AQA offer 1-9 grading in line with the UK system.

Contact Think Tutors

Think Tutors’ network of professional tutors and mentors are practiced with the requirements of both GCSE and iGCSE, and are specialists at helping your child achieve their full potential. If you are relocating, or simply curious about how tuition can help get the best out of your child, please contact us. We also offer A-Level, ISEB Pre-Test, Mentoring, and  University level tuition.

Categories
University Admissions

Top Tips for History Aptitude Test (HAT) Success

The Oxford HAT (History Aptitude Test)

The HAT is mandatory for everyone applying to read an undergraduate degree in History at Oxford. The HAT is also necessary for those applying to History (Ancient and Modern), History and Economics, History and English, History and Modern Languages, and History and Politics. If that’s you, Think Tutors is here to help.

Cambridge History Admissions Assessment

For those of you who are interested in studying History at Cambridge the process is quite different, as it depends on the college to which you are applying. While some colleges may require applicants who are shortlisted for interviews to write a history admission assessment, others may not. For more information about the process and advice on how to excel you can contact us.

What is the Oxford HAT?

The HAT is a test of your historical thinking skills. It requires you to provide thoughtful reflections about a source without knowing about its context. As such, the HAT is not testing your substantive historical knowledge – so there’s no extra subject specific studying required – but it does measure the extent to which can think and write ‘historically’ about a source.

 

You might be asking yourself, what does thinking ‘historically’ mean exactly? It means being able to read a source carefully and critically; to adopt an analytical approach; to answer a question relevantly; to selectively use concepts and evidence to support an argument; to demonstrate originality and independent thinking—all while writing with precision and clarity.

 

This may sound like a lot to do on a test, but the following tips will help as a starting point, and our expert team of admissions specialists can help you excel toward the finishing line and beyond.

Get to know the HAT

The HAT is designed to challenge applications beyond their comfort zone. For that reason, you want to become familiar with the test format. This way you’re not surprised by its structure and style when you sit it. The best place to start is the HAT section of the Oxford website.

Mark schemes

As with any written test, you are writing for an audience. In this case it’s an admissions panel. Fortunately, you can know ahead of time how best to impress them by reading the mark schemes they use with examples from past papers. Become familiar with their expectations and practice accordingly.

Practice past papers

Speaking of practice, while each year’s test is unique, it follows the same format (first introduced in 2018). Practice, practice, practice. It’s essential for helping you become comfortable with unfamiliarity. But don’t just practice any old way. Access post-2018 past papers online and create test like conditions in your own home, limiting yourself to the allotted times. Review your answers according to the mark schemes and set yourself targets to help you succeed.

Review

While the HAT will likely give you a source from a period or place that you unfamiliar with, you can still look back over what you’ve learned since Year II and look for general themes and ‘big picture’ outlooks. Ask yourself what each topic was about? What changed during this period? Why did it change? How can you characterise the conflicts and movements that you studied? What caused them and how did they evolve or end? Ask yourself how you might describe the political, cultural, and religious life of the periods you studied?

Keep things clear

The HAT is not an exercise in rhetoric or eloquence. It tests your ability to write clearly, concisely, and cogently. Focus on writing precisely what you mean in a manner that is intelligible and informative. To that end, ask yourself important questions about the source, such as those relation to its creation, publication, and audience.

Take your time

It’s vital that you give yourself sufficient time in the test to read the source thoroughly, and for thinking and jotting down ideas along the way. The texts are supposed to be difficult, so don’t rush or become alarmed. Keep in mind that the different sections of the test are weighted differently. The first two questions are important, but they only account for 30% of your score, so ration your time accordingly.

Be yourself

The HAT is meant to test your analytical and writing skills. It is not an exercise in quoting from a source. Use your own words, paraphrasing where possible rather than quoting. This is important because the examiners want to be sure that you have correctly understood the material. At the same time, they are interested in learning about your own ideas, even if no teacher or book has offered something similar. Don’t be afraid to write what you think.

Partner with Think Tutors

Our team of leading tutors, mentors, specialists and education directors are not only experts in university admissions, but are also drawn from many of the best universities in the world, including Oxford. We offer bespoke assistance to match your unique needs and personal schedule and we can help you to excel in your university admissions and beyond.

Categories
School Admissions

5 Key Steps to 7 and 8+ Success

Step 1: Find the perfect school

Discovering a school which is right for your child and family is a challenge. With location, extra-curriculars, reputation, co-educational vs boys or girls only, and boarding vs day school to think about, it is not simple to choose the right school. Think Tutors have a network of the best tutors and educational consultants in the UK to assist with your decision. If you have any questions about the Independent School landscape in the UK, please do get in touch.

Step 2: Enlist the help of an expert

The 7 and 8 Plus is likely the first time your child will experience the pressure of an examination. Whilst it may seem young, it is an ideal opportunity to establish lasting techniques and an attitude to performing under pressure which will help them succeed with the challenges to come.

With this in mind, the importance of finding a professional tutor is amplified. Think Tutors professional tutors are practiced at 7 and 8 plus, and have an unparalleled success rate, with 100% of our students achieving offers at one of their target schools.

After running an assessment to measure the level your child is at, our professional tutors will be able to facilitate targeted sessions, at a time and place to suit your family, which are both engaging and productive.

Step 3: Learn about your target school

There are many schools in the UK which offer entrance at 7 and 8 plus, each with different traditions, quirks, specialities and even terminology. The most successful students demonstrate a genuine interest in their target school, knowing the difference between the houses, some notable alumni, and are able to fluently answer the question: “Why our school?”.

Step 4: What is the entrance process?

The entrance process for each school is different, and if you are applying to a variety of schools there is often an intimidating array of assessment criteria to perform highly in. The top students will have techniques to tackle verbal reasoning questions, know how to score top marks in a creative writing piece, perhaps even have a copy of past exam papers to use.

Step 5: Practice

Once the above information has been established, and you have an expert tutor on-hand, the three ‘Ps’ are the only way to ensure 7 or 8 plus success – practice, practice, practice.

Contact Think Tutors

Think Tutors are specialist providers of private tuition, having helped students excel through highly challenging admissions processes. Please contact us to find out more.

Categories
School Admissions

Set on Scholarship: Independent School Entrance

There are two types of student who sit scholarship: those who already have a conditional offer to the school having passed their pretest, and are bypassing regular Common Entrance papers, and those who have not and must win a scholarship to gain entrance.

 

In my estimation, the quality, if not the quantity, of questioning is bordering on GCSE and A-level material. It can be a daunting prospect for students and requires a significant amount of preparation. They must be curious, be willing to stretch their reading, world awareness and analytical skills. It is a real journey of discovery. They must be willing to push themselves when it comes to writing essay-length answers, for subjects such as English, History, Divinity, Geography and General Papers. General or miscellaneous papers may contain anything from testing language skills, problem-solving, science, data-handling, history, culture or current affairs.

 

A tutor can come in and be a mentor and motivator in this preparation process to support both the child and parents in what can seem an isolating position; the scholarship exams take place earlier in the summer term and other children in their class are preparing for the later Common Entrance exams in the summer. Their school teachers may know nothing or little about a particular school’s scholarship papers and the preparation process; a tutor can work alongside the student, point out resources and ideas and make suggestions on what he can improve.

 

There are all manner of children sitting these exams, those who are very bright and gifted, those who work very diligently and those who are quietly confident. Expect that they will all be working hard in different areas depending on their own strengths and weaknesses. Whatever the result of their scholarship exams, they will have learnt valuable independent study skills ahead of their peers in readiness to hit the ground running at their new schools and for public exams that follow in the future.

 

To apply for and sit the scholarship exams is not a decision to be taken lightly. Explore the options, seek the advice of your child’s school and if they are willing and able, it is a worthy endeavour for their educational development.

Categories
School Admissions

Admissions Guide: Wellington College

Registration: Stage 1

The first deadline is registration is usually the end of June when a child is in Year 5, however, students can be registered for 13+ entrance at any point beforehand. It is important to note that most children who are given a place to study at 13+ have been involved with Wellington for at least three years, so the earlier a family registers, the better.

 

A professional tutor or mentor can offer considerable advantage to the student at any point during the application process. With a network of elite tutors and mentors, including Old Wellingtonians, Think Tutors can help support students at any level with all aspects of Wellington entrance – from the ISEB Common Pre-Test to the Assessment Day.

Pre-Test: Stage 2

After registering, students are expected to take the ISEB Common Pre-Test in November or October of Year 5, a standardised form of assessment for entrance into Independent Schools across the UK, references are requested to gauge a student’s academic level.

 

The Pre-Test is designed to establish a student’s academic level before admission by testing Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics and English. Usually taken at the current school of the applicant, results can be accessed by all schools they are applying for, so it is important to perform well. Wellington also asks for references from current schools to gauge a student’s academic level.

 

After this stage, candidates may be long-listed, moving one-step closer to entrance which is determined by Assessment Day performance, and successful completion of schooling until Year 8.

Assessment Day: Stage 3

In accordance to Wellington’s ‘whole child’ approach, students are expected to take part in one of six in January or February of Year 6 so Wellington can assess their character. The format is subject to changing, particularly in light of COVID-19, however, recent years were structured around mock lessons, in which a senior teacher assesses a student’s performance in a classroom context.

 

Throughout the day, students are scheduled interviews with both teachers and house masters, in addition to being asked to undertake problem solving and group based tasks. Pupils who are applying for scholarships (sport, music, drama or art) also have the opportunity to showcase their skills throughout the day.

Offers and House Selection: Stage 4

In March or April of Year 6, conditional offers are granted to successful students and the process for selecting a house begins. Offer holders can visit houses, attend another open day and are encouraged to speak to current students and house masters to help them decide. In Michaelmas Term of Year 7, offer holders accept their place and confirm their choice of houses.

Categories
School Admissions

Mastering the ISEB Pre-Test

How do top students prepare?

Before tacking practice papers, diving into the wealth of online resources or even enlisting the help of a private tutor or mentor, the best way to start preparation is to develop an understanding of each component. To help with this, our Education Advisory team have produced this useful guide for parents.

 

With a solid knowledge of each element of the ISEB Pre-Test, practice should begin. Top students start up to twelve months before the exam, and begin to work with a private tutor to master the foundational techniques required to thrive.

 

Outside of tuition sessions, students are encouraged to work through past papers and exercises on Atom Learning or Pretest Plus to familiarise themselves with the often unfamiliar question styles. Whilst Maths and English are closely aligned with the National Curriculum, most students are challenged by the Non-Verbal and Verbal Reasoning problems, however, the top students are already accustomed to the questions, and have an armoury of techniques ready to solve them. Practice really does make perfect.

 

During the sessions, Think Tutors’ elite tutors and professional mentors are adept at identifying your child’s learning style and preparing a scheme of learning which is tailored to them. With over five years of tuition experience, our tutors and mentors are all practiced at laying the foundations for future success to ensure your child performs on the day. They will work with your child to set realistic goals, improve confidence, and ultimately, prioritise your child’s enjoyment of the process.

What is a good score?

Measuring success is, naturally, subjective. Whilst all our professional tutors have a 100% track record of grade improvement, all children are different, and the ISEB Pre-Test is often their first experience of a formal exam. Furthermore, schools have varied entry requirements, and commonly value ISEB Pre-Test results differently.

 

That being said, this insight is about nurturing the highest possible levels of success in the Common Entrance Pre-Test. When it comes to results, the scores are standardised, meaning that the average mark will always be 100. The very top students score 120 or more, and school entrance requirements typically range from 110 upwards.

Contact Think Tutors

If you have any further questions about how your child can master the ISEB Pre-Test, or would like some more information on entry requirements for schools you would like to send your child to, please get in touch. We also help with all aspects of Independent School Placements, including 7/8 plus tuition and 13 plus tuition.

Categories
University Admissions

How to Prepare for University Interviews

Reviewing Your Personal Statement

Just as with preparing for a job interview, one of the best places to start is reviewing your personal statement, both to become familiar with its contents and to consider areas that an interviewer might focus on to ask more probing questions.

 

If you’ve mentioned that you were in a musical group, you could likely expect the interviewer to ask about extra-curricular activities in order to find out more about it. They may be looking for insights into your ability to work as part of a team, or your experience of performing in front of audiences.

How to Excel in Your Admissions Interview

The interviews that you might face will more than likely be discussion based. Like many job interviews in later life, interviewers will involve competency-based questions and also many related to the course, institution and your own background. The benefit of this is that it gives you some scope to prepare responses to the more common questions. Competency questions are looking for examples of your knowledge, experience and possibly even subject-matter passion. Try and come up with what is known as a STAR response – Situation, Task, Action, Result. In short, what was the situation, what role did you play, what did you do and what was the outcome?

 

The types of questions could include:

 

  • Why do you want to join this university?
  • Tell me what you know about this course?
  • Tell me about a time when you worked under pressure to meet a deadline?
  • Why did you choose those A-Level subjects?

 

The interview is also your opportunity to find out more about the course and institution. Don’t forget that a university interview, like any job-interview, is a two-way process. Make sure you go prepared with some questions to ask them, to help establish if it is the place that you want to study at for the next three years.

 

For many people this could be their first experience of adult life and, therefore, there are other behaviours that interviewers will be scoring you on. First impressions count for a lot, so wearing a smile, along with a smart outfit, can convey confidence and an air of preparation.

 

Don’t forget to arrive in plenty of time – plan your journey and perhaps stay overnight if it’s a long way from home. Some universities will ask you to bring additional items with you like GCSE certificates, so remember to take them with you. Above all, be yourself and use it as a chance to gain experience that you can take with you to future interviews.

Oxbridge Interviews

If you have been invited for an interview at either Oxford or Cambridge, you’ll need to be extra-prepared. The admissions panel will explore your personal statement much more thoroughly and you can expect to be pushed on statements that you’ve made and asked questions exploring subjects that are related to what you’ve written about. At Think Tutors we can offer extensive support for your preparation, providing mock interview training from talented and expert professionals with outstanding Oxbridge credentials.