Entrance Testing For The Forms

There are 3 parts to the assessment.

• A 30 minute Mental Agility multiple-choice paper
• A 30 minute Maths paper – see topics covered below
• A one hour English paper involving a reading comprehension and a written composition.

Information for Teachers and Parents preparing students for the Mathematics Entrance Test (Form 1 to 4 entry)

The topics on the Waterford Mathematics Entrance Test are as listed below. The questions are designed to test basic arithmetic skills as well as the ability to interpret information and solve simple problems. Forms 1 to 4 write the same test, with ramped pass marks for the higher year groups. Younger students will inevitably encounter some questions, especially towards the end, that they do not understand; we therefore encourage everyone to search for and concentrate on the questions they feel most confident about. A simple but important point is to ensure that students know that the test is one piece of A4 paper with questions on both sides! They may ask for scrap/working paper if required.

 Topics

•  Place value.
• Units of length, area and mass/weight. Conversions eg metres to millimetres.
• Addition, subtraction and multiplication of whole numbers (including the long multiplication of a 3-digit and a 2-digit number).
• Systematic counting strategies.
• Operations with simple fractions, decimals and percentages and conversion between these forms. Simplifying fractions. Practical applications, including money or shopping.
• Time: 12 and 24 hour clocks.
• Interpreting and drawing bar charts.
• Spotting and using number patterns.

Calculators may not be used. The time allowed is 30 minutes.