If you have stumbled across this blog post searching for GEP preparation classes prepared for Primary 2, you have come to the right place.
In 2022, Think Academy has helped 70% of the students pass the Screening Round of the GEP exam.
The GEP Identification process is a rigorous test to identify high-ability and high-performing students in order to nurture their talent and giftedness. You can read more on the process and what is being tested here.
While giftedness might be an innate ability, exceptional effort and drive toward excellence play a huge role in their academic and non-academic success. Because if you have the ability, why not use them instead of letting it go to waste?
So should you start preparing Primary 2 students for the GEP?
Students with exceptional ability and drive toward excellence can and should start preparing for the GEP. Not for the sake of taking the exam, but rather to see it as a privilege and opportunity to learn more about themselves.
1. Develop more time-efficient problem-solving methods
Firstly, let’s take a look at what your students are learning in school at Primary 2 and Primary 3 as compared to what is being tested in the GEP.
What is being tested in the GEP are topics learnt in school. However, questions are designed in a way to challenge their thinking and creative problem-solving methods. This requires students to be able to think out-of-the-box and apply pre-existing knowledge and methods.
Although you can use what you have learnt in school, equipping your child with alternative problem-solving strategies taught in Math Olympiad and Upper Primary will allow them to solve the questions more efficiently (see Point 2).
2.Develop exam-taking skills and time management
Typically, students in lower primary not exposed to major exam setting due to the removal of mid-year exams. Additionally, lower primary students are typically not expected to sit in an examination setting for an extended period of time.
One thing to note is that the GEP Selection test will require students to take the English and Math Components consecutively, totaling 2.5 hours. This requires discipline, attention, and focus that needs to be developed in students.
Moreover, long passages and high question volume will also overwhelm students if they are not adequately prepared, which might cause even the best of students to stumble. Hence, time management skills is essential for students who are aiming for the GEP (Psst, scroll down to see the courses that we have prepared).
3. Instil joy of learning and a growth mindset
High ability students might not be challenged enough in a traditional classroom and curriculum. According to Whitmore (1989), the three causes for underachievement in gifted students are lack of motivation to apply themselves in school, environments that do not nurture their gifts and discourage high achievement, and disabilities that mask their giftedness. Instead of forcing children, by encouraging them, you will be able to harness their task commitment to excellence and excitement of learning new things. Gifted and above-average ability students need to develop a growth mindset to develop their intelligence and gifts.
So how can they prepare for the GEP?
Think Academy has prepared a holistic GEP Preparation plan that will develop students confidence in their ability and provide a nurturing environment to develop their problem-solving abilities.
With less than 12 months to go, Primary 2 students can build strong foundations in core concepts, master the GEP question types and learn strategies to solve them efficiently.
Registration for our mock exam is now open (suitable for 2023 P2 students only). The exam is will be held in-person (at Jurong East and Novena).
| Date | Time | Location |
| 15 September 2023 (Friday) | 3pm-4.30pm | Jurong East |
| 17 September 2023 (Sunday) | 11.30am-1.00pm | Novena |
By the way, we’ve got a special promotion for you. For a limited time period only, invite a friend to join you for this mock test and get this mock test and diagnosis for FREE.
