For Year 8 families looking ahead to JMSS
Make the most of the holidays.Start Year 9 with a clearer plan.
If your child is thinking about the JMSS entrance exam in Year 9, these school holidays are a chance to start gently—before homework, activities and a new school year fill the calendar.
You don't need to turn the break into a study camp. Start by helping your child understand what preparation involves, practise one skill at a time, and see where they need support.
Begin with our free Science Writing Guide. A practical first step for your child. A clearer starting point for you.
- Year 8Prepare
- Year 9Sit the JMSS entrance exam
- Year 10Apply for entry
A useful first step for these holidays.
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Free PDF. No payment required. Start at your own pace.
You want to help. You don't want every day to become a conversation about studying.
Perhaps your child is interested in JMSS, but you're still working out where to begin. There are guides, practice papers and tutoring options—and it isn't always clear which resource to open first.
The holidays give you room to explore preparation together, without asking your child to tackle everything at once.
The goal is not to finish every paper before school starts. It's to understand the task, establish a manageable routine and make the next step easier to choose.
You can support your child without becoming their tutor.
A useful question to start with is: “What did you learn from that task?” rather than “How many questions did you do?”
Free resource
Start with one guide. Make the first step clear.
Our free JMSS Science Writing Guide introduces a structured approach to building a response from a prompt. It explains the P-E-A-C framework, includes worked examples, and highlights common writing mistakes to review.
Read the opening section together, then look at the framework. Your child does not need to complete the whole guide in one sitting.
For the first session, ask them to explain how they would use evidence from a prompt to support an argument. A small, specific task is a more useful starting point than “do some exam prep.”
15-page PDF · Read on screen or print · aceentry.com.au
A good holiday start doesn't mean doing everything.
By the end of an introductory session, aim for your child to:
- Understand one approach they can try
- Identify one thing they find difficult
- Choose one task to revisit
That gives you something concrete to discuss. It also leaves room for the things holidays are for: rest, friends, family and a break from school.
A clearer introduction to the five preparation areas.
ACE Entry has created separate guides for Reading Reasoning, Science Reasoning, Mathematical Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning and Science Writing. Each gives students a focused resource to open, rather than another long list of things to study.
Reading Reasoning
Practise reading closely, identifying supporting evidence and explaining why an answer follows from a passage.
Science Reasoning
Explore variables, data and conclusions. Learn to distinguish what an experiment shows from what a reader assumes.
Mathematical Reasoning
Review problem-solving approaches and worked steps so your child can see how a solution is built.
Numerical Reasoning
Explore number relationships and patterns, then review the reasoning behind an answer.
Science Writing
Free guideUse a clear framework to organise a position, evidence and reasoning in a response to a prompt.
Get the Free Guide
The Science Writing Guide is free. Join the early-access list for news about the wider ACE Entry preparation offer.
These are independent preparation resources, not official exam specifications.
A simple start. Not another holiday timetable to manage.
- Step 1
Get the guide
Download the free Science Writing PDF and look through the opening section with your child.
- Step 2
Choose one small task
Use the guide's framework to discuss how a response could be organised. Start with understanding before adding time pressure.
- Step 3
Review the thinking
Ask your child to explain one choice they made. Agree on what to try next, then leave the rest of the day for the holidays.
JMSS student insight. A practical starting point for families.
Shriya is the public pen name used by our JMSS student contributor. We use a pen name to protect thestudent's privacy.
ACE Entry brings student insight together with educator guidance to make preparation easier to understand: what to practise, how to approach a task and how to review the result.
Our aim is straightforward—to help families begin with more clarity and less guesswork.
Shriya · ACE Entry
Want help choosing what comes next?
Start with the free Science Writing Guide. If you would also like updates about the wider ACE Entry preparation offer, join the early-access list below.
We'll share the confirmed contents, price and delivery details before you decide whether to buy. Joining the list does not commit you to a purchase.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. This starting resource is for families looking ahead to the JMSS entrance exam in Year 9, for Year 10 entry. Use the holidays to explore the preparation gradually, rather than treating them as the final weeks before an exam.
It doesn't need to. Begin with one short session using the free guide. Choose a pace that fits your child's energy and your family's plans. This introductory resource does not require a daily holiday timetable.
No. It is a preparation resource you can use independently or alongside other support. It does not provide individual teaching or personalised assessment.
A link to the free 15-page Science Writing Guide. You can read it on a device or print it. The wider preparation offer is separate; updates about it are optional.
No. ACE Entry is an independent preparation resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by JMSS or Edutest. Refer to the school and Edutest for official application requirements and assessment information.
No. No guide or preparation programme can guarantee admission. This resource is intended to help your child understand and practise an approach to preparation.
Check the official JMSS admissions page (opens in a new tab) for confirmed dates and requirements. We do not publish an exam countdown until the relevant date has been officially confirmed.
We use Shriya as a public pen name to protect our student contributor's privacy. The preparation content should be judged on its clarity and usefulness, not on access to a student's personal details.
Ready for a gentle first step?
Get the Free Science Writing Guide