Whole School Testing for Incoming Year 8 students Term 3
The NFER Nelson Verbal & Non-Verbal Explained
The NFER-Nelson Non-Verbal Reasoning Test is a test of a student’s ability to recognize similarities, analogies and patterns in unfamiliar designs. These reasoning processes are widely accepted as being fundamental to understanding and assimilating new information and ideas. As a consequence, scores on this test will give an indication of how easily pupils will acquire new concepts and master new material in a wide range of school subjects, based on their current levels of functioning. Using designs rather than words allows reasoning processes to be assessed independently of language skills.
The NFER-Nelson Verbal Reasoning Test yields very useful information about pupils’ abilities that may not be evident from their usual classroom work. The ability to understand and assimilate new and possibly unfamiliar information is very important, as it will influence profoundly a pupil’s future intellectual development (Smith & Hauges,1993).
Therefore, these two tests measure potential rather than achievement. The information obtained from these tests forms part of a student’s academic profile that is gathered by the college. There is no need to study for these tests as both tests measure potential rather than achievement which can be influenced by many aspects of a child’s schooling.
If it happens that your child is unavailable on that testing day, another day is scheduled before the end of the year and again the following year.
If you know your child has a learning difference, a vision or hearing impairment you should contact Ms Lynne Ivicevic (9433 7248) as soon as you receive the testing letter, so that arrangements can be made to meet your child’s needs
Student Profiling
All gifted students entering the College will have sat the Department of Education and Training’s Selective Entrance Test. This test reports on how your child has performed against other students who sat the tests. Further data is obtained through the Year 7 NAPLAN testing and an academic ranking is given by your child’s Year 7 teacher as well as comments on their social, emotional and behavioural characteristics on a Transition to Secondary School Sheet. Enrolment Forms as well as primary school reports are additional sources of information.
By collating a wide assortment of data that is transferred to relevant personnel, we as a College are better prepared to cater for the needs of students.