To prepare for a Presidential School, focus on three areas: maths (stage 1, 30 questions - it decides who reaches stage 2), Thinking Skills - logic and problem solving (80 of the 100 stage-2 points) and English at A1-A2 (20 points). No calculator is allowed, the questions get harder as they go and each one hides a trap. Below is how to prepare each section, a 12-week plan, worked examples and tips for exam day.
Priorities: where to spend your time
One Thinking Skills question is worth 2 points and one English question 0.5: one equals four. But do not drop English - among strong candidates it is what makes the difference.
| Section | What it decides | Share of preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Maths (stage 1) | The top 480 per region reach stage 2 | about 40 % |
| Thinking Skills (stage 2) | 80 of 100 points | about 40 % |
| English (stage 2) | 20 of 100 points | about 20 % |
Maths: knowing grade 4 material in depth
- Topics: number and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, data and probability. Mostly grade 4 material, but the problems take two or three steps.
- Traps in the official samples: order of operations, which triangle is "possible", sequences with halves, mixing up perimeter and area, finding the whole from a fraction of it.
- No calculator: do 10 minutes of mental arithmetic a day - times tables, division, fractions.
- Questions get harder from 1 to 30: practise doing 1-10 fast and saving time for 21-30 (60 minutes).
- Review every mistake with the question "which trap was it?".
Thinking Skills: practice by category
- Identifying Similarity: cut a shape out of paper and rotate and flip it - your child learns to see rotation and reflection.
- Finding Procedures: before solving, have your child write the steps - "first we find this, then that".
- Relevant Selection: read the question first, then find only the column and row you need in the table.
- Evaluating Reasoning ("Who is right?"): check each person's claim separately, then choose - only A, only B, both or neither.
- Identifying Mistakes: learn to tell a "necessary" condition from a "sufficient" one - the most common logical flaw.
Two examples (in the Thinking Skills style)
In these questions the method matters more than speed: get your child used to explaining the solution out loud.
- Finding Procedures: 3 apples weigh as much as 2 pears, and 1 pear as much as 6 plums. How many plums equal 1 apple? Solution: 2 pears = 12 plums, so 3 apples = 12 plums and 1 apple = 4 plums.
- Identifying Mistakes: Aziz says: "All cats drink milk. Mos drinks milk. So Mos is a cat." Where is the flaw? Cats are not the only ones that drink milk: the condition is necessary but not sufficient.
English: A1-A2 level and reading
- Vocabulary: everyday topics (school, family, food, animals, weather, travel) - 10 new words a day with an English definition, since questions 6-10 ask for a word from its definition.
- Grammar: tenses (Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple), prepositions, articles, comparatives.
- Reading: questions 26-30 and 36-40 are on texts of 250-270 words; read 3-4 such texts a week and sum up the main idea in one sentence.
- Dialogues (11-15): some replies are "almost right" - practise choosing the one that fits the situation best.
- 40 questions in 40 minutes: a minute each, with more time saved for the long texts.
A 12-week plan
| Weeks | Maths | Thinking Skills | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Diagnostic: one full section, list of mistakes | Diagnostic, meet the categories | Diagnostic, start a word notebook |
| 3-6 | By topic: 10-15 problems a day | One category a day, 8-10 questions | 10 words a day, 2 texts a week |
| 7-9 | Hard problems like 21-30 | Mixed categories, timed | Grammar + 3-4 texts a week |
| 10-11 | 2 full sections a week (60 minutes) | 2 full sections a week (90 minutes) | 2 full sections a week (40 minutes) |
| 12 | Review mistakes, rest | Review mistakes | Review the word notebook |
Tips for parents
- 45-60 minutes a day is enough: for a 10-year-old, regular practice beats long sessions.
- Do not give the answer - asking "how did you find it?" builds thinking.
- Once a week, do a full section in exam conditions: timer, no phone, answers marked on a sheet.
- Compare results with your child's own last week, not with other children.
On exam day
- Wrong answers lose no points - never leave a question blank.
- There is no extra time to fill in the answer sheet: mark each answer straight away.
- Do not stay on a hard question for more than 2 minutes - mark it and come back at the end.
- Calculators, phones and dictionaries are not allowed; leave them at home.
Frequently asked questions
- When should we start? This plan is 12 weeks; if you start at the beginning of grade 4, give the first months to maths and reading and the last 12 weeks to this plan.
- Do we need a tutor? Not necessarily. What matters is regular practice and reading the explanation for every mistake.
- In which language should we prepare? Maths and Thinking Skills can be taken in Uzbek, Karakalpak or English - practise in the language your child will sit the exam in.
- What does Trylab offer? Practice papers with both written stages together, an explanation for every question and a score per section (a raw score, an estimate).
