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Selective School Exam Hub

This hub organises selective-school preparation into clear topic pages. Each page keeps the same structure, uses file names that identify the category immediately, and sits under this main hub so families can move from broad exam areas into focused practice one skill at a time.

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🎯 Selective Exam Syllabus

This is the starting point for selective-school preparation. The exam is built to check accuracy, speed, reasoning, and confidence, not just memory. Children need to read carefully, notice patterns, solve problems, and write clearly under timed conditions.

Reading · 45 mins · 17 questions Maths · 40 mins · 35 questions Thinking · 40 mins · 40 questions Writing · 30 mins · 1 prompt
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Think

Reason with logic, patterns, and evidence-based decisions.

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Read

Understand meaning, vocabulary, and clues hidden in texts.

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Solve

Use maths strategies across number, space, data, and chance.

✍️

Write

Plan, organise, and express ideas clearly under time pressure.

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How should families use this hub?

Start with the introduction, then move into the topic pages one by one. That way the student learns the idea first, practises it next, and only then works through mixed revision.

How This Selective Area Is Organised

The pages below are grouped by the major exam categories: mathematical reasoning, thinking skills, reading, and writing. Inside each category, the syllabus is broken into smaller topic pages so revision can stay focused and easy to navigate.

Official Syllabus Included Here 31 Topic Pages 4 Main Exam Areas Category-Based File Names Common Page Template
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Reading

Fiction, poetry, non-fiction, inference, vocabulary in context, and synthesis across texts.

➗

Mathematical Reasoning

Whole numbers, fractions, percentages, ratios, measurement, geometry, and data.

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Thinking Skills

Evaluating arguments, drawing conclusions, spotting flaws, numerical reasoning, and spatial reasoning.

✍️

Writing

Narrative, persuasive, discursive, and the four main marking areas used in selective writing.

11Maths Topics
7Thinking Topics
6Reading Topics
7Writing Topics

➗ Mathematical Reasoning

Upper-primary mathematics content with strong emphasis on multi-step problem solving, interpretation, and strategy choice.

40 mins · 35 questions
🏆 Section Complete!
01✓
Number & Algebra
Numbers, patterns, and the rules that build answers.
02✓
Measurement
Length, area, perimeter, and real-world measures.
03✓
Geometry & Position
Shapes, grids, angles, and coordinates.
04✓
Data & Chance
Tables, graphs, averages, and probability.

🧠 Thinking Skills

Reasoning-first questions that test how children process information, judge logic, and solve unfamiliar problems.

40 mins · 40 questions
🏆 Section Complete!
01✓
Verbal Reasoning
Start with clues, claims, and evidence.
02✓
Number Reasoning
Use number puzzles to find efficient answers.
03✓
Spatial Reasoning
Turn, flip, and fit shapes in your head.
04✓
Data Rules
Work through schedules and tables.

📘 Reading

Reading questions with strong emphasis on subtext, evidence, inference, and careful interpretation of genre-specific clues.

45 mins · 17 questions
🏆 Section Complete!
How to crack Reading questions

Tell your student this: the answer is always in the text. They are not guessing from memory or general knowledge. They are proving the answer by finding evidence, then checking that the option fits the clue.

🔎 Proof first, answer second
Step 1

Overview

Skim the question stems first, then scan the title, headings, and opening lines. Build a quick map of what you need to hunt for.

Step 2

Inference

Use the because test: say your answer aloud and finish with “because the text says...”

Step 3

Vocabulary

Cover the word and replace it with a meaning that fits the sentence. Check nearby clues first.

Step 4

Genres

For fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, ask what clues the text gives and what kind of answer the question wants.

Step 5

Exam Plan

Form your own answer before reading the options. If a question names a paragraph, go straight there instead of rereading the whole text.

Trap spotter

Skip Absolutes

Be careful with options using always, never, completely, or entirely. The text rarely proves answers that strong.

Trap spotter

Skip Real-Life Logic

Do not choose an answer just because it sounds true in real life. Choose it only if the passage states or strongly implies it.

Trap spotter

Skip Twisted Words

Some wrong answers copy words from the passage but twist the meaning. Matching words is not enough; the meaning must match too.

Trap spotter

Keep “Just Right”

The best answer is usually balanced: not too strong, not too weak, and backed by one exact line in the text.

01✓
Fiction
Story clues, feelings, and motives.
02✓
Poetry
Images, comparisons, and deeper feeling.
03✓
Non-Fiction
Reports, articles, information-rich texts.
04✓
Reading Skills
Inference, vocabulary, and synthesis.

✍️ Writing

Timed writing preparation across major text types and the exact marking areas children need to strengthen.

30 mins · 1 prompt
🏆 Section Complete!
How to crack Writing tasks

Tell your student this first: Writing is not about filling the page with lots of words. It is about answering the prompt clearly, staying in control, and making every sentence help the reader. The marker is looking for clear ideas, smart organisation, and careful language choices.

✍️ Think first. Plan fast. Write clearly.
Step 1

Read the prompt carefully

Circle the key words. Ask: What am I really being asked to write? A story, an argument, or a balanced discussion? Stay close to that task all the way through.

Step 2

Plan before writing

Spend a few minutes making a quick plan. Choose your main idea, put events or reasons in order, and decide how you will open and finish. A short plan saves many mistakes later.

Step 3

Keep one clear job per paragraph

Each paragraph should do one job only. In a story, one paragraph might introduce the problem. In persuasive writing, one paragraph should carry one strong reason.

Step 4

Choose strong but controlled words

Use words that help the reader see, feel, or understand the idea. Do not use difficult words just to sound clever. Choose words you can control correctly.

Step 5

Leave time to check

Save a few minutes at the end to reread your work. Check capitals, full stops, tense, spelling, and whether every sentence actually matches your plan and the prompt.

What markers want

Clear ideas

Markers reward writing that stays focused and develops one strong idea properly instead of jumping between many weak ideas.

What markers want

Strong structure

Good writing feels easy to follow. The reader should always know where the piece is going and why each paragraph is there.

Trap spotter

Do not rush into sentence one

Many students lose marks because they start too quickly with no plan. Fast planning usually creates better writing than fast drafting.

Trap spotter

Do not mistake length for quality

A longer piece is not automatically better. A shorter, well-shaped response usually scores higher than a messy piece that keeps repeating itself.

01✓
Text Types
Narrative, persuasive, and discursive writing.
02✓
Ideas & Content
Clear idea and stay close to the prompt.
03✓
Structure & Language
Paragraphs and precise word choices.
04✓
Grammar & Punctuation
Checking boundaries, tense, and accuracy.

🏆 Suggested Practice Path

A simple way to build the section without jumping straight into full selective mocks.

1

Topic Pages

Start with one page at a time so the question style and vocabulary become familiar.

2

Mixed Sets

Blend a few related pages once confidence grows inside one exam area.

3

Timed Bursts

Introduce short timed practice before moving to full-paper pressure.

4

Full Mocks Later

Build complete selective mock exams after the topic pages are well established.

💬 Selective Feedback & Corrections

Use this form if you notice something that should be improved, corrected, or explained more clearly on any Selective page.

Stored privately in Google Sheets

Tell Us the Exact Page

Please pick the area first, then paste the exact page name or URL if you know it. That helps us find the issue quickly and fix the right topic.

Feedback Type
Please keep it kind, specific, and helpful.
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What to Include

The best reports tell us exactly where the issue is, what the problem is, and what you think should be changed.

1. Pick the section and the exact page/topic.
2. Tell us if it is a suggestion or a correction.
3. Explain the problem in a short, clear way.
4. Add the page URL if you can, so we can find it quickly.