Why consistency is the key to Selective Test preparation

Updated: 8 August 2024

When it comes to preparing for the Selective School Test, consistency is often the difference between a good preparation and an average preparation. The thing that many students lack in their preparation is not volume, but consistency. They will do several hours of preparation for one or two days a week and then nothing for the rest of the week.

It’s far more effective to do a smaller amount of preparation each day, even if the total amount of time spent on preparation is the same. When students learn new concepts or techniques, they need to reinforce those concepts and techniques as soon as possible. If they wait a week to reinforce them, then they will be partially re-learning instead of reinforcing. This will slow down the learning process.

By reducing their daily preparation volume (but not their total volume), a consistent preparation also avoids creating fatigue in students. However, it’s important to note that consistent preparation only works if it’s done over an extended time period (ideally one or two years).

Consistency is equally important for both numeracy and literacy. For example, vocabulary is something that cannot be learned in a short time period. For a student to understand a difficult word, they need to be exposed to that word dozens of times. Seeing a word once or twice will not be enough for a student to truly understand that word and how it should be used.

For maths, consistent preparation allows students to learn how to maintain speed and accuracy under time pressure. In the Selective Test, especially the Maths and Thinking Skills Tests, it’s not enough to be able to answer questions correctly, it is also necessary to answer questions quickly and efficiently.

It should be noted that preparation comes in many different forms. It is not just about completing questions. Simply reading books is a form of preparation. In fact, it is probably the most effective type of preparation for the Reading and Writing Tests, as long as students are reading books that are challenging enough.

Preparing for the Selective Test can be likened to going to the gym. If you want to improve your physical strength, you need to work out at the gym consistently over an extended period of time. Furthermore, as your physical strength improves, your workouts need to increase in difficulty. The same is true for Selective Test preparation. Students need to be consistently working on their numeracy and literacy skills and progressively being exposed to more challenging material.