5 Tips You Should Follow To Help Your Child Ace The OC Test

5 Tips You Should Follow To Help Your Child Ace The OC Test

As a parent, you will always want to give your children the education they deserve. Parents with academically gifted children must ensure that they receive the best education. Enrolling your child on an opportunity class program is one of the best ways to ensure a bright future for your gifted child.

Children of different types of abilities study together in a mainstream classroom. This can pose many problems for academically gifted students. Talented students who wish to develop their critical thinking ability become disengaged and irritable if they are not challenged. On the contrary, an Opportunity Class (OC) offers talented children an opportunity to study alongside students with similar abilities. These classes use specialised teaching methods and provide a different academic structure and model to help students build on their natural talents.

The opportunity class placement program is offered to students in years 5 and 6. Admission to this highly coveted opportunity class program requires a placement test. The Opportunity Class Placement Test (OC Test) is organised by the NSW Education Department, where thousands of Year 4 students appear to secure a place in the opportunity classes.

The OC test is highly competitive. With so much on the line, you need to prepare your child accordingly. Here are some essential tips to help your child ace the OC test.

1. Knowing Every Detail About the OC Test is Very Important

One of the most important things you need to do is understand what the OC test is. It is always better to understand what the OC test is and why your child is taking part in it. Opportunity classes are held in government-aided primary schools and cater for academically gifted Year 5 and Year 6 students who have achieved high levels of academic success. It is a two-year placement program, and parents usually apply when students are in Year 4.

Admission to an opportunity class placement program requires a placement test. The OC test, which is usually held every year in July, is organised NSW Education Department. Thousands of students participate in this placement test every year, but only a few (roughly about 15%) gain admission. The OC test is highly competitive, so it is always better to start preparing your child as early as possible.

Mainstream classrooms consist of children of different types of abilities studying together. This can pose a lot of problems for academically gifted students, who can easily become uninterested or bored at regular schools. High potential and gifted students who wish to build on their natural talents lose the motivation to work hard if they’re not challenged. Opportunity classes (OC) are designed to facilitate enhanced learning opportunities for academically gifted students. The main goal of opportunity classes is to provide talented students with a chance to study alongside children who have similar or even stronger academic capabilities.

Opportunity classes provide talented children with the chance to learn in an environment that suits their specific needs. The study topics covered in an opportunity class are highly innovative and engaging. It offers a different academic structure and model, carefully designed to help high potential students enrich their skills and accelerate and extend their learning.

2. Understanding the OC Test Format and the Selection Process

Opportunity classes cater to academically gifted students who wish to develop their natural talents further and extend their learning. Your child has to excel in the OC test to secure a place in the Opportunity classes. Now that you know the OC test, you have to understand the format. Understanding the format is one of the best ways to start preparing your child for the OC placement test. By knowing the format of the test in detail, you can effectively guide your child to succeed.

The main focus of the OC test is to grade your child based on his or her abilities. The OC test consists of three sections which include reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning, and critical thinking skills. Over the last few years, the Opportunity Class Placement Test format has changed several times. The official test format for the 2022 OC Test to be held on 28^th July is as follows:

• Reading (25 multiple-choice questions, 30 minutes)
• Mathematical Reasoning (35 multiple-choice questions, 40 minutes)
• Thinking Skills (30 multiple-choice questions, 30 minutes)

When it comes to selection, the students are ranked in order of academic merit based on their performance in the placement test. The minimum entry score required for each school varies from year to year. The final score is out of 120 (previously 300). The calculated placement score includes 20 scaled marks from school assessment scores and 100 scaled marks from the results of the OC test.

Test components

• Reading: 33.3
• Mathematical reasoning: 33.3
• Thinking skills: 33.3
• Subtotal: /100

School assessment scores

• English: 10
• Maths: 10
• Subtotal: /20

Total Placement Score: /120

3. Having Strong Academic Fundamentals is a Huge Advantage

Your child will have a much higher chance of acing the OC test if he or she has academic solid fundamentals. Thousands of students participate in the OC test every year, but only a few (roughly 15%) secure admission. The competition is very high, so it is always better to start preparing your child as early as possible. To secure a place in the highly coveted opportunity class placement program, you and your child must work hard on the previous school years. You have to make sure that they are consistently scoring on or above grade level in all aspects of academics. By assessing your child’s gradual progress in the previous years, you can easily figure out how much work he or she will need to put in to secure a place in the opportunity classes.

4. Completing Multiple Practice Tests Can Work Wonders

Sitting for the actual OC test means your child will have to answer all the questions within the given time limit. This is why you need to guide and support your child to complete as many practice tests as possible. The focus should be not only on how to answer the questions but also on how to solve them correctly within the given time limit. Your child can easily enhance these skills by completing multiple practice tests. This will prepare your child to complete the actual test under pressure.

Completing multiple practice tests will give your child confidence about what kind of questions can be asked, the question pattern, how much time it takes to complete the test, and the hurdle standard of the questions.

5. Encouraging Your Child to Develop Good Reading Habits

The actual OC test will have questions of varying difficulty. There may be some questions which are hard to read, while others may be a bit tricky. To excel in the OC test, your child should have the skills to tackle such questions. Reading comprehension skills play a major role when it comes to solving tricky and confusing questions. Your child will easily find out the correct answers if he or she has the skills to comprehend what he or she is being asked.

To enhance your child’s reading comprehension skills, you need to encourage him or her to develop good reading habits. This can be done by having him or her read for 1-2 hours a day. If needed, you can also sign your kid up for reading sessions with an experienced tutor.

As a parent or guardian, you must ensure that your children receive the best education. If your child is academically gifted, then he or she can benefit greatly from an Opportunity Class. That is why guiding and supporting your child to prepare for the Opportunity Class Placement Test (OC Test) is a huge responsibility. By keeping these 5 tips in mind, you can help your child ace the OC test. If you want to enroll your child into an OC test preparatory course, then contact Selectivetrial today.