What is the NSW OC test? A plain guide for parents

What the test is for

An opportunity class (OC) is a class for academically able students in Years 5 and 6, held inside a public primary school. The test is how the Department decides who is offered those places. Children sit the OC placement test in Year 4, and the offer is for Year 5 the following year.

The classes are part of the NSW public school system. Families do not need to be enrolled in a public school to apply. The Department says the process is open to students from public schools, non-government schools and home study, as well as families from interstate or overseas, provided the family is living in NSW by the start of the entry year. Families who are not Australian citizens or permanent residents (or New Zealand citizens) must also meet the Department's citizenship or visa conditions before an offer can be made, though a family that expects to meet them before offers are released may still apply and sit the test (NSW Department of Education, checked 7 October 2026).

A two-year program

The opportunity class is a two-year program. A child joins at the start of Year 5 and stays for Years 5 and 6. It is not possible to apply for Year 6 only. After Year 6, children move on to high school in the usual way. A family that wants a selective high school applies separately, at the end of Year 5 or the start of Year 6 (during the opportunity class), for Year 7 entry. An OC place does not carry over to the Selective test, so each is its own application.

For many families this is the part that deserves the most thought. A place can mean a different school, a longer trip each day and a new group of classmates. The page Should we apply? goes through those questions calmly.

Who sits it

Children who apply and meet the age range for their cycle sit the test. The Department sets a birth-date range each year. For 2027 entry it is 1 January 2016 to 31 July 2017. Our page on eligibility explains how the range works and what to do if a child falls outside it.

Siblings each need to qualify on merit. A place for one child does not guarantee a place for a sibling.

How many places, and how they are shared

For 2027 entry the Department lists 1,840 Year 5 places in total, including 100 at Aurora College, the online option (50 places for boys and 50 for girls). There are 89 opportunity classes including Aurora College online, spread across metropolitan and rural or regional areas. You can browse them on our schools page.

Places per school differ. In a 15-place class, 7 places go to boys, 7 to girls and 1 is awarded on merit. This follows the Department's gender parity approach, which applies from the 2027 intake. The Department explains that the mix had drifted to about 60% boys in opportunity classes, and that parity is meant to correct that. If places for one gender are not filled, they go to the other.

How competitive it is

The Department's outcomes page says about one in eight OC applicants gain a place. That figure is useful context, but it is not a prediction for any child. Children are placed according to how they perform against other applicants, and the Department sets no minimum score. Results are given as bands rather than individual scores (see test format for how the sections count).

The Department also has an Equity Placement Model, which sets aside part of the places for students from some groups, such as students experiencing low socio-educational advantage, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students from rural or remote areas and students with disability. Equity students do not need a separate application.

What the Department says about coaching

The Department states: "The department does not recommend or endorse coaching for the placement test. There is no credible research that shows coaching helps a child gain entry." (NSW Department of Education, checked 7 October 2026.)

We think parents should hear that first. The Department offers free practice material and our page on official practice tests links to all of it.

A note about ExamExplained

ExamExplained is run alongside a tutoring business. We are not affiliated with the NSW Department of Education, and this page is not official advice. Everything here is drawn from the Department's published pages, and we link to them so you can check for yourself. If you want to compare the OC with the high school pathway, see OC versus Selective.

What to do next

Look at the key dates, check eligibility and read about the test format. None of this needs to be rushed. Applications for the next cycle are expected to open in early November 2026, so there is time to read, ask questions and talk with your child's teacher.

Department of Education wording on this page is quoted or adapted briefly under CC BY 4.0. © State of New South Wales (Department of Education), 2023. Licence: CC BY 4.0. ExamExplained has changed and summarised the text and is not endorsed by the Department.