QUEST ADMISSIONS ASSESSMENTS AT ST COLUMBA’S COLLEGE
CONTENTS PAGE
Page 3:
What is Quest Admissions. Question Admissions at St Columba’s.
How are the admissions tests performed?
Page 4:
What does the assessment look like? Sample questions.
Page 8: Accessibility
How do I prepare my child for a Quest assessment?
Page 9: Will my child's Quest results be shared with me?
1.WHAT IS QUEST ADMISSIONS?
QuestAdmissionsisasetofentryandassessmenttestscreatedbythecompany QuestAssessments(originallypartoftheATOMLearninggroup).
The tests are designed to evaluate a child’s academic potential and thinking skills,ratherthanjustcurriculumrecallorrotelearning.
QuestworkalongsideStColumba’sCollegetocreateasetofbespokeentrance exams.
Some elements of the assessment are adaptive which adjusts difficulty based onperformance.
Quest Admissions aims to provide a more positive and less pressurised exam experienceforchildrenwhilegivingschoolsdata-driveninsightsforadmissions decisions.
Website–QuestAdmissionsEntryAssessments
2. QUEST ADMISSIONS AT ST COLUMBA’S COLLEGE
QuestAdmissionswillbeusedacrossthecollegeforadmissions.
Atourmainentrypointsof11+and13+.
Foralladhocentryfrom7+throughto13+.
3. HOW ARE THE ADMISSIONS TESTS PERFORMED?
Quest is primarily a cloud based solution allowing flexibility in set up and implementationofassessments.Apapersolutioncanalsobeusedifneededfor specificcandidates.
StColumba’sCollegeperformalloftheadministrativesetuponbehalfofparents andstudentsaheadofassessmentday.
On the assessment day candidates will be given a unique access code to log in with Page 3
4. WHAT DOES THE ASSESSMENT LOOK LIKE?
Traditional Assessment
Comprises of 4 modules for; Maths, English, Verbal & Non-Verbal reasoning
Duration approximately 1hr 10 (assuming no extra time or breaks)
Note: that these assessments are broken down into smaller chunks or ‘modules’ on the assessment day depending on the schedule of the day.
5. SAMPLE QUESTIONS
A short familiarisation test is available with approximately 3 questions per module
Quest Assessments – There’s A Better Way To Assess
One example question from each section is shown below.
Maths
This section is adaptive so shows true “stretch” of candidates
Includes a “primary Maths Challenge” element
There are up to 20 questions in total
Candidates are not expected to necessarily complete the whole section.
There is an extensive database of questions that this module calls on based on the candidates performance.
English
The English part of the assessment is non-adaptive, so all candidates regardless of ability will see the same text and questions
The text and questions used in this part will be unique to St. Columba’s College.
The types of questions included are:
Reading comprehension
Grammar and punctuation
Vocabulary
A cognitive assessment that evaluates a child’s ability to solve problems, identify patterns and understand logic using shapes, diagrams, and images rather than language
Testing visual and spatial skills to measure raw reasoning ability and abstract thinking
The types of questions included are:
Find the next shape in the sequence
Spot which image doesn’t belong to a given set
Solve problems presented with interactive diagrams and puzzles
Assesses a child’s ability to understand, analyse, and solve problems using written information and language rather than their general language knowledge
The skills tested in this section include reading comprehension, vocabulary, logic, problem solving and attention to detail. The types of questions included are:
Analogies: completing a sentence that shows a relationship between two words
Synonyms and Antonyms: identifying words with similar or opposite meanings
Word Grouping/ Odd One Out: Identifying the word that does not belong in a given group of words
Text-Based Inference: Reading a short passage and answering true/false/can’t tell questions based only on the information in the passage
6. ACCESSIBILITY
To support our SEND candidates the tool is flexible and both additional time and breaks can be scheduled as appropriate.
7. HOW DO I PREPARE MY CHILD FOR A QUEST ASSESSMENT?
Whilst the following may help with developing your child’s skills and build familiarisation with format of the tool, Quest is not designed to be “revised for” as such. Internal candidates will not be specifically coached in preparation for assessment beyond what may be covered in their typical English and Maths lessons.
Quest practice questions – this will help your child become familiar with the format of the assessment as well as tools used within the assessment (particularly the puzzle and problem solving sections)
Read often and widely – a broad vocabulary and exposure to various texts will support the English and verbal reasoning sections
Practice logic puzzles – puzzles that involve word relationships and pattern build key skills to support the English and verbal reasoning sections
Focus on comprehension of texts – practice reading short texts and extracting specific information to answer questions
Practice playful problem solving – board games and logic puzzles are great tools for stretching your child’s brain and encouraging strategic thinking, (chess, connect 4, sudoku, code-breakers, Rubix cubes).
Practice on adaptive online platforms – If you wish to practice and prepare more extensively there are platforms such as ATOM Learning or BOFA that simulate a very similar format to Quest Assessments
8. WILL MY CHILD’S RESULTS BE SHARED WITH ME?
Will my child’s results be shared with me? If requested, the results of any internal (SCC Prep) candidates can be shared with parents. Due to the volume of applicants, we do not provide results or feedback for external candidates.
