When is the NSW selective test?

For 2027 entry it was held on 1 and 2 May 2026. The test for 2028 entry is expected in Term 2 of 2027. Check the NSW Department of Education for confirmed dates.

What is on the NSW selective test?

Reading (45 minutes), Mathematical Reasoning (40 minutes), Thinking Skills (40 minutes) and Writing (30 minutes), all on computer.

Can my child sit the selective test more than once?

The Year 7 test is taken in Year 6. Some schools also offer places in later years through their own processes, so check with the school.

Is there an NSW test for Year 5 entry?

Yes, the Opportunity Class Placement Test for Year 5 entry, with Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills sections.

Selective school guidesUpdated 24 September 2026Super Sheldon academic team

NSW Selective High School Placement Test: Format, Dates and How to Prepare

The NSW selective test decides entry to some of the state's most sought-after high schools. Here's how the test works, the latest dates and changes and how to help your child prepare.

What is the Selective High School Placement Test?

It's the test NSW uses to offer places in fully and partially selective public high schools, starting in Year 7. Students sit it in Year 6. Entry is based on test performance, and from the 2027 intake places are split equally between boys and girls in co-educational selective schools.

Test format

The test is computer-based, on devices provided at the test centre. It has four parts:

Test	Time	What it checks
Reading	45 minutes	Understanding and inference across fiction, non-fiction and poetry
Mathematical Reasoning	40 minutes	Applying maths to unfamiliar problems
Thinking Skills	40 minutes	Critical thinking and problem solving
Writing	30 minutes	A piece written to an unseen prompt

Source: NSW Department of Education, placement test.

Key dates

For Year 7 entry in 2027:

Applications: 6 November 2025 to 20 February 2026
Test: Friday 1 or Saturday 2 May 2026 (make-up test 22 May 2026)
Outcomes: Term 3 2026

For Year 7 entry in 2028, expect a similar cycle: applications from around November 2026, with the test in Term 2 of 2027. Check the NSW Department of Education site for confirmed dates.

Living overseas or interstate? From 2026 the placement tests are only held in NSW, so your child will need to travel to sit it.

Thinking Skills: the section most families underestimate

Thinking Skills questions ask children to judge arguments, find the flaw in reasoning, work through logic puzzles and solve spatial problems. None of it is taught directly at school. The good news is that each question type has a method, and children improve quickly once they know it.

How to prepare

1Start in Year 5. That gives a full year to build skills before May of Year 6.
2Read widely and deeply. The reading test uses varied, challenging texts.
3Stretch the maths. Mathematical reasoning goes beyond the Year 6 syllabus. Worded, multi-step problems are the best practice.
4Learn Thinking Skills methods. Practise one question type at a time before mixed papers.
5Write to a timer. Thirty minutes is short. Practise planning for five minutes and writing for twenty-five.
6Practise on screen. The test is computer-based, so do some practice tests on a computer too.

Keep reading

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How ready is your child for the selective test?

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