VIC Selective Entry study plan
VIC Selective Entry · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Higher order thinking and problem-solving
Classify 30 mixed higher-order problems by the reasoning move each requires (deduction, constraint satisfaction, working backwards, elimination)
Solve 10 multi-step logic and sequencing problems under a 90-second-per-item cap and log where time is lost
Build a personal error taxonomy with at least 6 named failure types from your first 30 attempts
Draft a repeatable 4-step attack routine for unfamiliar problem types
Your checkpoint
A one-page error taxonomy plus a scored log of 30 attempted higher-order problems with time per item
Higher order thinking and problem-solving & Reasoning
Apply the week-1 attack routine to 40 higher-order problems spanning numerical, spatial and verbal reasoning
Drill pattern-completion and series problems until you can justify each next term by an explicit rule
Convert 10 word problems into equations or diagrams before solving them
Compare your error taxonomy against a fresh set of 20 problems and revise the categories
Your checkpoint
A revised error taxonomy with a 40-problem accuracy and timing summary showing improvement over week 1
Reasoning
Map every reasoning item type you have met to a named strategy and note which strategies fail under time pressure
Complete 3 timed 20-item reasoning sets and record accuracy separately for each item type
Practise eliminating answer options to reach a confident choice on at least 15 items you could not fully solve
Identify your two weakest reasoning item types and write a targeted drill for each
Your checkpoint
A per-item-type accuracy table from three timed sets, with two written remedial drills
Reasoning & Comprehension and interpretation
Read 8 short passages and extract the main claim, supporting evidence and any assumption in each
Answer inference and author-attitude questions while citing the exact phrase that justifies each answer
Rephrase 10 dense sentences into plain language without losing meaning
Pair each comprehension passage with a reasoning question drawn from its content
Your checkpoint
A portfolio of 8 annotated passages, each with a cited justification for every answer given
Comprehension and interpretation & Creative thinking
Distinguish fact, inference and opinion across 15 short texts and label each sentence type
Generate at least 3 alternative interpretations of 5 ambiguous passages and rank them by textual support
Produce 5 original analogies, 5 unusual uses for a common object, and 5 'what if' scenarios in timed bursts
Evaluate sample creative responses against clarity, originality and relevance criteria you define
Your checkpoint
A creativity log of 15 generated ideas plus a written rubric you applied to 3 sample responses
Creative thinking & Application of known concepts to situations
Transfer 6 known concepts (e.g. ratio, cause and effect, classification) into unfamiliar real-world scenarios and explain the mapping
Write a 150-word structured response to 3 open-ended prompts using a claim-evidence-link pattern
Stress-test your own ideas by writing the strongest counterargument to each of 5 proposals
Solve 10 applied problems that embed a known rule inside a novel context
Your checkpoint
Three 150-word structured responses, each with an attached counterargument paragraph
Application of known concepts to situations & Higher order thinking and problem-solving
Work through 4 full-length mixed practice papers under strict timing
Apply your week-1 attack routine and week-5 creativity rubric to every section, noting where each breaks down
Review every wrong answer and reclassify it into your error taxonomy
Rehearse a time-allocation plan for each section and test it in two of the papers
Your checkpoint
Four completed timed papers with a reclassified error report and a written time-allocation plan
Higher order thinking and problem-solving & Reasoning & Creative thinking & Comprehension and interpretation & Application of known concepts to situations
Re-drill only your top 3 error categories until accuracy on them exceeds 80%
Complete 2 final timed papers and compare section scores against week 7
Condense your strategies into a one-page exam-day checklist
Simulate full exam conditions once, including breaks and no pauses
Your checkpoint
A one-page exam-day checklist plus a week-7 vs week-8 score comparison showing target accuracy on your top error categories
Milestones
Week 2: You can name and apply your 4-step attack routine to a new problem type without prompting, and accuracy on higher-order items has risen from the week-1 baseline
Week 4: Per-item-type reasoning accuracy table shows no item type below 50%, and every comprehension answer you give is backed by a cited phrase
Week 6: You can generate and justify at least 3 distinct interpretations of an ambiguous prompt and map a known concept onto an unfamiliar scenario in under 5 minutes
Week 8: Two final timed papers show improvement over week 7 in at least 3 of the 5 domains, and your top 3 error categories exceed 80% accuracy