OSH+Practice

The OSH test, as I am sure you aware, is a computerised test designed to test their "latent ability" rather than how well they have been taught. It is a CAT (cognitive abilities test), covering Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative and Non Verbal Reasoning, and English. I use this page to dump ideas down as I find them in my endless hours searching the internet, so apologies if they seem jumbled and disjointed.

Much of the work below is designed to be done on the computer. I will send home other challenges in the weeks before the test... be aware that you will need a hole punch for one of them along with lots of little squares of paper (the blocks of note paper).

Parents often start to ask in Year 5 how they can start to prepare their boys for the OSH test. Games such as the ones below, along with the brain training programs that can be found on mobiles, on Nintendos and games consoles honestly are the perfect early start. Key to the test is being able to think on your feet to apply knowledge to unfamiliar situations.

These websites will give endless hours of fun "brain training" type games that will be of great help.

=[|1)]=

A fantastic site. Try the Math (sorry its American!!) links and the brain training links. =2) *NEW *= The [|Brain Experiment] has lots of games, some of which are very hard, but that are ideal for practicing for the exam.

In particular try this..... [|Missing Number]

media type="custom" key="8557540"

[|Brain Games]

=3)= These two maths games for example are particularly useful:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/arithmetic/arithmetic.htm



=4) *NEW *=
 * [|Countdown]- as in the maths part of the TV game is a very useful exercise. Try this game.**
 * [|A Square of Numbers]-**

=**5)**=

=**[|Mathletics] or [|World Maths Day]**=


 * A whole section of the OSH computerised test this year was on speed of simple sums such as 92 - 45. Live Mathletics and, throughout Feb/ early March, World Maths Day websites are perfect, perfect practice for this. A couple of 20 mins sessions each week would be very useful!**

=**6)** ***NEW*** The NRich website=

There are hundreds of good problems on this site and I will add more links on htis page as I get the chance!


 * Overlapping- Spatio Awareness is a key part of an ability test. These activities may help with this**
 * [|Overlaps]**
 * [|Shape Multiplication]-**

=**7)** ***NEW*****= The [|11+ website] is very good for exam papers, the verbal reasoning and non verbal reasoning in particular being useful for OSH. Do be aware though that these are very (almost stupidly) hard in some cases. Children who had day places last year were finding these tests tough.

=8)= =E-Tests= I have developed a number of tests as practise for the big day. It will also give you an idea of the type of thing being asked in a CAT test. These will gradually be added to as I make more.

Number 1 media type="file" key="number analogies 1.swf" width="360" height="270" Number 2

media type="file" key="number 2.swf" width="360" height="270" Number 3 media type="file" key="number 3.swf" width="360" height="270" Verbal 1 media type="file" key="verbal reasoning 1.swf" width="360" height="270" Verbal 2 media type="file" key="verbal reasoning 2.swf" width="360" height="270" Verbal 3 media type="file" key="verbal reasoning 3.swf" width="360" height="270"