What do schools look for?

Schools usually look for children who demonstrate good cognitive, linguistic, motor and social skills. Children are also assessed on their ability of concentration and independence in a school setting.

During the interview, children are asked to attend both group observation session and one-to-one session with the teacher. For example, in the interview of CIS, children are asked to leave their parents and enter interview rooms in which group activities (making play-doh) and individual assessment take place. Children communicate with the teachers in their mother tongue. They also take part in physical activities such as climbing the stairs and skipping.

Here are some common tasks during the interview:

Following simple commands

Children are asked to follow simple commands such as raising their hands and cleaning up.

Answering questions about a story

After reading the story, the teacher will ask the children to recall details of the story. For example, the name of the characters.

Identifying numbers, colors, letters and shapes

Children are presented with picture cards and are asked to read them out in English and Chinese.

Drawing and colouring

Children are asked to draw a picture and describe it. It can show how well the children express themselves.