There is limited information on the GEP Test Format on the official MOE website:
IDENTIFICATION OF PUPILS FOR THE GEP
The entry point into the GEP is at Primary 4.
Pupils are identified for the GEP through a two-stage exercise in Primary 3.
| Stage | Month | Participants | Papers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screening | August | Primary 3 pupils enrolled in government and government-aided schools | English Language
Mathematics |
| Selection | October | Only shortlisted pupils will be invited to the Selection stage | English Language
Mathematics General Ability |
For the screening test, the duration for each paper is around 1.5 hours.
For the selection test, there are traditionally two papers of 2.5 hours each:
- Paper 1: English paper and a General Ability paper
- Paper 2: Maths paper and another General Ability paper
In August every year, the cohort of P3 students is invited to sit for a GEP screening test. The test is not compulsory but all children are encouraged to go for it. The test comprises an English and a Maths paper, about 1½ hours each.
Out of the cohort of approximately 50,000 kids, some 3,000 pupils (about 6%) are shortlisted for the GEP selection test.
The selection test takes place over two days in October, the first comprises an English paper and a General Ability paper, about 2½ hours in total. The second consists of a Maths paper and another General Ability paper, also about 2½ hours altogether.
Source: http://hedgehogcomms.blogspot.com/2008/09/gep-testing-and-kiasu-ism-at-its.html
GEP Test Syllabus
Officially, the GEP Test can only test within the Primary 3 syllabus. (This is more relevant for Math than English. For English, it is more open-ended, they can test advanced GEP vocabulary like “cantankerous”.)
For example, technically they are not supposed to test “speed” questions since that is a Primary 5 topic. Similarly, they are not supposed to test area/perimeter of circle questions, or even area/perimeter of triangle questions.
Hence, the GEP Math Test Syllabus (according to the official Primary 3 syllabus) includes:
- Whole Numbers
- Fractions
- Money
- Measurement (Length, Mass, Volume)
- Time
- Area and Perimeter (rectangle/square)
- Angles (basic concepts of right angle, acute angle)
- Perpendicular & Parallel Lines (basic concepts)
- Bar graphs
The above topics may seem deceptively easy. However, even for a simple topic like fractions, it is possible to test a question like the GEP Screening Test Question Sample: The Tap Question, which may stump many secondary school students.
Related posts:
- Recommended Books for GEP Selection Test and How to Get Into GEP
- Actual GEP Questions 2017 (from Forum)
- Free Video about GEP
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