My Daughter Trained Soroban for 2 Years—Then Crushed Her 6th Grade Entrance Exam: Here's How
When prestigious middle schools test math, they don't just test formulas—they test speed, accuracy, and mental stamina. My daughter's Soroban training gave her advantages other applicants couldn't match. This is our story of entrance exam preparation.
Two years before the entrance exam, I wondered if Soroban was worth continuing. My daughter already calculated faster than her classmates—wasn't that enough? Then I talked to parents of students who'd entered our target school. One mother said, 'The math section isn't hard, but it's designed so most children can't finish in time. Speed determines everything.' That conversation changed our approach. My daughter entered the exam room two years later and finished with 12 minutes to spare. She scored in the top 3% of applicants. Here's exactly what Soroban gave her that other preparation couldn't.
Understanding What Entrance Exams Actually Test
Before discussing Soroban's role, we need to understand what competitive middle school exams actually assess.
The Typical Exam Structure
- •Math Section: 30-40 problems in 45-60 minutes
- •Reading Section: Multiple passages with comprehension questions
- •Writing Section: Essay or structured response
- •Sometimes: Logic, IQ-style, or creative thinking questions
The math section is usually not conceptually difficult—most 5th graders can solve most problems given unlimited time. The challenge is the combination of speed, accuracy, and sustained focus over many problems.
The 'secret' of entrance exam math: questions are designed so that a child using standard calculation methods will barely finish on time—and rushed children make errors. Children who calculate faster have time to check their work and approach problems calmly.
Why Standard Math Tutoring Wasn't Enough
Like most parents targeting competitive schools, I enrolled my daughter in entrance exam prep classes in 4th grade. The classes were excellent—they covered problem types, test strategies, and time management.
But I noticed something concerning during practice tests:
- •She understood all the concepts and strategies
- •She knew how to approach every problem type
- •She still ran out of time on nearly every test
- •Her errors were calculation mistakes, not conceptual ones
The prep class taught her WHAT to do. But it couldn't teach her to do it FAST enough. That's where Soroban became invaluable.
The Soroban Advantages for Entrance Exams
Advantage 1: Raw Calculation Speed
After two years of consistent Soroban practice, my daughter could:
- •Add 4-digit numbers mentally in 2-3 seconds
- •Multiply 2-digit by 2-digit in under 5 seconds
- •Calculate percentages without writing anything
- •Check calculations by doing them again—still faster than classmates doing once
On a 40-question math test, if she saved just 30 seconds per problem on calculation alone, that's 20 extra minutes compared to peers. Those 20 minutes are transformative.
Advantage 2: Mental Calculation Means Fewer Steps
Standard test-taking advice: 'Write out every step.' This is good advice for most children—it prevents errors and helps with checking.
For Soroban-trained children, writing out calculation steps is actually slower and more error-prone than mental calculation. My daughter would:
- •Read the problem
- •Calculate mentally (seeing the abacus in her mind)
- •Write only the answer
- •Move to next problem
Classmates would: Read, write setup, calculate on paper, write answer, check paper work, move on. Each problem took them 2-3 times longer.
Advantage 3: Accuracy Under Pressure
Entrance exams are high-pressure environments. Nervous children make careless errors. The visualization component of Soroban created interesting pressure resistance:
- •The mental abacus is a 'calm' procedure—visualizing beads is meditative
- •Unlike rushed written calculation, mental abacus maintains its rhythm
- •My daughter reported feeling 'in a zone' during mental calculation
- •Errors actually decreased under time pressure as she relied more on visualization
Advantage 4: Sustained Mental Stamina
Soroban training is essentially mental exercise. Regular practice builds cognitive endurance. After 60 minutes of problems, my daughter's calculation speed barely declined. Classmates without this training showed significant slowdown as the test progressed—mental fatigue affected their later answers most.
| Metric | Before Soroban Focus | After 1 Year | After 2 Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Problems Completed | 32/40 | 38/40 | 40/40 + check |
| Time Remaining | 0 minutes | 5 minutes | 12 minutes |
| Calculation Errors | 4-6 per test | 1-2 per test | 0-1 per test |
| Overall Score | 78% | 89% | 96% |
Our Two-Year Preparation Journey
Grade 4 (Year 1): Building Foundation
My daughter had basic Soroban from earlier grades, but we intensified practice:
- •Daily practice: 20 minutes of Soroban exercises
- •Focus: Speed drills on addition/subtraction
- •Goal: Automatic visualization of 4-digit operations
- •Progress marker: Completing level-appropriate calculations without physical abacus
Simultaneously, she attended regular math prep class to learn problem types and strategies. Soroban was her calculation engine; prep class was her strategy system.
Grade 5 (Year 2): Integration and Speed
The second year focused on integration:
- •Daily practice: 15 minutes Soroban + 45 minutes practice tests
- •Focus: Multiplication/division speed, multi-step problems
- •Goal: Apply mental calculation to exam-style problems automatically
- •Progress marker: Finishing full practice tests with time to spare
By late Grade 5, Soroban wasn't a separate activity—it was integrated into how she approached every math problem.
The key insight: Soroban training and exam prep weren't either/or. Soroban provided the calculation speed; exam prep provided problem-solving strategies. Together, they created a complete exam-ready skillset.
Exam Day: What Actually Happened
The entrance exam was on a Saturday morning. 400+ applicants for approximately 100 spots. I was nervous; my daughter seemed calm.
Her Report Afterward
- •'The math was pretty easy—I finished fast and checked everything twice.'
- •'Some problems had long calculations. I just did them in my head while others were writing.'
- •'I could hear kids around me still calculating when I was already on the next section.'
- •'I wasn't nervous during math because I knew I'd have time.'
Results came two weeks later: She ranked in the top 3% of applicants. Her math score was nearly perfect. Several problems required quick calculation—exactly where Soroban shone.
Advice for Parents Considering This Path
Start Early, But It's Not Too Late
We had two years, which was ideal. But even one year of focused Soroban practice would provide significant advantages. Start whenever you can—the benefits compound.
Consistency Over Intensity
20 minutes daily beats 2 hours on weekends. Soroban skill builds through neural pathway development, which requires consistent repetition. Sporadic practice doesn't create the automatic visualization needed for exam conditions.
Integrate with Exam Prep
Don't treat Soroban as separate from exam preparation. Use Soroban speed when doing practice tests. Time yourself. See the mental abacus as your exam tool, not just a separate skill.
Track Progress Objectively
Keep records of practice test performance: time remaining, errors, score. Watch for trends. Celebrate improvement—it motivates continued effort.
Common Questions from Other Parents
'Won't calculators make this obsolete?'
Entrance exams don't allow calculators. This is intentional—schools want students who can calculate, not students who can press buttons. Mental math skills matter more in these high-stakes contexts, not less.
'My child already uses shortcuts—isn't that enough?'
Shortcuts help but have limits. Soroban visualization handles any number—no trick needed, just process. When exam problems are specifically designed to avoid common shortcuts, Soroban's systematic approach still works.
'What if my child resists more practice?'
Frame Soroban as the 'cheat code' for exams—which it essentially is. When children understand that 20 minutes of Soroban saves them from hours of frantic calculation on test day, motivation often follows.
Beyond the Entrance Exam
My daughter is now thriving in 6th grade at her target school. The Soroban advantages haven't stopped:
- •Math classes move faster—she keeps up easily
- •Quick quizzes favor speed—she rarely scores below perfect
- •Science with calculations goes smoothly
- •Confidence from exam success carries into all subjects
- •Study time is efficient because calculation isn't a bottleneck
The entrance exam was a gateway, but Soroban benefits continue daily.
Looking back, our two years of Soroban + exam prep was the best educational investment we made. The entrance exam advantage was real and measurable. But more importantly, my daughter entered middle school with rock-solid math foundations and genuine confidence.
Give your child the entrance exam edge through Soroban training. Sorokid's structured program builds mental calculation speed systematically, preparing children for competitive academic environments.
Start Entrance Exam Prep