As a parent or guardian, you understand how crucial it is to provide the education your child deserves. It’s among the most meaningful choices you’ll make for your children. And letting them down in this area could result in regrets for the rest of your life. One of the most crucial things you can do to ensure your child has a bright future is to ensure they take the opportunity class test or OC test.
What Is an Opportunity Class (OC)?
The NSW government created the Opportunity Class, a two-year programme, to serve high-potential academically gifted Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. Year 5 is when the Opportunity Class placement programme begins, and Year 6 is when it ends.
Students stay in the same group from Year 5 to Year 6 and are exposed to more difficult academic subjects. Despite the extreme academic selectiveness of these programmes, it could be beneficial to devote the necessary time and energy to OC test preparation. After all, your child may feel empowered by being with other intellectually talented and like-minded classmates.
What Is an OC Test?
Candidates must pass the OC Placement Test, a paper-based exam, to be considered for admission to academically selective courses at any of NSW’s 77 public schools. Students must take this test so they can be considered. Based on how well they do on the OC Test, students are ranked according to their academic merit. The selection committee will then decide where to position candidates by renewing this rank.
Ways to Help Your Kid Prepare for the OC Test
Start Early
Now that you understand the importance of the OC and the Test, you must start preparing your child early enough by ordering OC class test books for practice, which is the first step to helping your child ace this exam.
The three subjects covered in the OC test are reading, critical thinking, and mathematical reasoning. As such, the amount of data will undoubtedly be enormous. For this reason, you must begin your preparations as soon as possible. It’s usually preferable to comprehend a limited quantity of material over an extended period than hurrying at the last minute.
On the NSW Government’s official website, under Education, you can find the dates for the OC Placement Test. For example, in 2024, the test will take place on 1 August. That means you’ll have seven months to prepare your kid if you start early enough or at the beginning of the year.
Ensure a Strong Academic Background
If your child has solid academic foundations, they will find it much easier to do well on the OC test. To ensure your child is doing at or above grade level in all academic subjects, you and your child should put in an effort throughout the preceding school years.
To estimate the amount of work your child will require in the programme, you can review their prior year’s progress. Have hope, even if your child has weakened in the previous years. Make good use of this as a helpful point of reference to assist your youngster in reaching their goals.
Practice with OC Class Test Books
One of the best methods to help your child with their studies is to ensure they understand the structure and the test format. Students will feel more at ease with the test procedure if they know the format, organisation, and question types. Opportunity class tests can immensely help your child with the examination process.
As mentioned above, three areas comprise the exam: reading, cognitive skills, and mathematical reasoning. You can find OC class test books for each skill or general ability if you search for specialised OC book suppliers online. Instead of evaluating your child’s academic knowledge, the test assesses their abilities and stimulates learning.
Additionally, there’s a time limit for your child to complete the exam. Therefore, helping your child in finishing several practice exams is much needed. In addition to practising answering the questions, your child must practice solving them accurately within time. The ideal way to practice these skills is to have them finish practice exams. That way, your child will become accustomed to finishing tests under pressure when the time comes.
Many kids suffer from math anxiety, especially when there’s a time constraint. It’s, therefore, best to have your child practice arithmetic for at least an hour every day.
Establish Healthy Reading Habits
The OC test has a range of difficulty levels for its questions. While some questions are difficult to read, others could be complex. You want your youngster to know precisely how to respond to similar enquiries when they arise.
That’s the point at which reading comprehension is necessary. Your youngster will find it much easier to identify the correct responses if they can understand the questions. Enrol your child in a reading program, assign them a one-hour reading session each day, and hire a reading tutor to help them build strong reading habits.
