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Montreal, entry into Secondary 1

Preparing the Private Secondary Entrance Exams in Montreal

In the autumn of Grade 6, a few hours of examination weigh on the five years that follow: Montreal's private and selective schools sort on mathematics, French and the ability to work against a clock. I prepare children for that deadline in mathematics and in method, as a mathematics tutor in Montreal with more than 10 years of experience, on one principle: arrive at the examination on familiar ground.

Grade 6 maths and FrenchTimed practiceWithout overloading the child ★ 5.0 · 11 Google reviews
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What the schools are really assessing

Behind formats that vary from school to school, the substance is remarkably stable: how solid the primary school learning is in mathematics (operations, fractions, problem solving) and in French (reading comprehension, structured and correct writing), the ability to manage a timed examination, and a coherent school record. Some schools add logic questions or a piece of writing; none asks for material beyond the syllabus.

The real difficulty is therefore not the content: it is the context. An eleven year old has never sat a high-stakes examination, in a hall, against a clock, among hundreds of other candidates. The preparation that makes a difference works on both: the material, and familiarity with the situation.

The precise arrangements (dates, subjects, how the record is weighted, any interviews) vary by school and by year: Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf, Collège Jean-Eudes, Collège Regina Assumpta and the others each publish their own calendar (French-program schools such as Collège Stanislas follow their own admission process, covered on the French school admission page). Draw up the list of target schools early, check their sites in the spring, and let us build the preparation on that list's real requirements.

How we prepare, without wrecking the child's year

  1. 1

    Taking stock of the primary school learning

    A diagnostic session on Grade 5 and 6 mathematics: operations, fractions, decimals, geometry, problem solving. We find the three or four shaky topics that would cost marks.

  2. 2

    Consolidating at a light rhythm

    One session a week is generally enough, with a few problems between sessions. The goal is a child who is solid and rested on the day, not saturated: over-training at this age is counterproductive.

  3. 3

    Getting used to the examination itself

    Timed simulations in the final weeks: reading the instructions in full, watching the clock, skipping a question that resists and coming back, re-reading. On the day, the child recognises the situation instead of discovering it, which is the best anti-stress there is.

  4. 4

    Preparing a plan B, calmly

    Places are limited and a refusal is not a verdict on the child. A tiered list of schools and a calm family conversation take the drama out of the examination, and, paradoxically, relaxed children perform better.

Also useful

French school admission

The particular case of Collège Stanislas and Lycée Marie de France.

And afterwards: Quebec secondary school

Secondary 1 to 5, the mathematics sequences and the Ministry examinations.

Preparing over the summer

The summer before Grade 6 is the ideal window to consolidate without pressure.

The French half

Reading comprehension and writing, the other half of the entrance examinations.

Frequently asked questions

What are the Montreal private secondary admission exams?

In the autumn of Grade 6, children applying to Montreal's private and selective secondary schools sit entrance examinations, usually in mathematics and French, sometimes with logic questions or a piece of writing. The results, alongside the school record, decide admission into Secondary 1. Formats vary by school and by year.

What do the schools actually assess?

The solidity of primary school learning in mathematics (operations, fractions, problem solving) and French (reading comprehension, structured and correct writing), the ability to manage a timed examination, and a coherent school record. No school asks for material beyond the syllabus.

When should preparation start?

Ideally in the spring of Grade 5 or over the summer before Grade 6: a light rhythm over several months beats last-minute intensity, above all for managing stress. Preparation started in September still helps: we then prioritise the topics that pay best and practice under real conditions.

An entrance examination this autumn?

Tell me which schools you are aiming at and where your child stands in mathematics. I will propose a preparation that is realistic and light enough to leave the year intact. Quick reply by WhatsApp or email.

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