Skip to main content
ExamExplained
Apply5 min read

Selective test eligibility: birth dates and entry year

Who can sit the Selective test, which birth dates apply for 2027 entry and what we expect for 2028 entry. The checker below runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Last checked against the official sources.

This page helps you work out whether your child is in the right year and age range to apply. A checker sits below the text. It works entirely in your browser, and we store nothing.

  • The Selective test is sat in Year 6 for Year 7 entry.
  • For 2027 entry, births from 1 January 2014 to 31 July 2015 are in the usual range.
  • For 2028 entry, we expect births from 1 January 2015 to 31 July 2016. The Department has not published this yet.
  • Families must be living in NSW by the start of the entry year, and citizenship or visa conditions may also apply.

The basic rule

Students apply at the end of Year 5 or the start of Year 6, and sit the test in Year 6. If they receive an offer, they start at the selective school in Year 7 of the following year. For 2027 entry, the Department says the usual age at the start of Year 7 is between 11 years 5 months and 13 years.

Birth dates for 2027 entry (confirmed)

The Department's range for 2027 entry is students born between 1 January 2014 and 31 July 2015. Applications and testing for this cycle have finished: the test was sat in May 2026. Offers and reserve lists for 2027 entry are still running, to the end of Term 1 2027.

Birth dates for 2028 entry (expected)

The Department has not yet published the 2028-entry range. The Department sets the range by age at the start of Year 7 (11 years 5 months to 13 years), so we expect it to move forward one year, to 1 January 2015 to 31 July 2016. Please treat that as unconfirmed. When the Department publishes its range, we will update this page and the change log.

Common trap

Do not rely on a school friend's year level alone. Some children are older or younger than their year group. Check the birth date against the Department's published range.

Using the checker

Type a birth date into the checker below. It tells you which entry year the date matches, using the ranges above. It does not decide eligibility. The Department and its selection committee do. If the result says the date falls outside the range, read the next section.

If your child is outside the range

The Department says applications outside the usual age range are considered by the selection committee. This is a real option, but it is a case-by-case decision, so speak to the Department early. If you have applied, message the team through your application dashboard. Otherwise email set@det.nsw.edu.au or call 1300 880 367.

Who can apply

The test is open to students from:

  • public schools;
  • non-government schools, including independent and Catholic schools;
  • home study;
  • interstate or overseas, if the family will be living in NSW.

Moving to NSW, or moving away

Families must be living in NSW by the start of the entry year. From 2026, the placement tests are held only in NSW. Families who are not Australian citizens, permanent residents or New Zealand citizens must also meet citizenship or visa conditions before an offer can be made. They may still apply and sit the test if they expect to meet those conditions before offers. Under the Department's procedures, applications from families who live outside NSW are considered only if places remain after suitable NSW applicants have been placed. A student from interstate or overseas would need to be in NSW to sit the test. If your move date is uncertain, ask the Department before you apply.

Siblings

Each sibling has to qualify on merit. A brother or sister at a selective school gives no automatic place. Each child needs their own application.

OC and Selective are separate

A place in an Opportunity Class does not carry over to Selective, and the Department says you apply separately. The OC test is for Year 5 entry, sat in Year 4. Our page OC or Selective compares them, and the OC guide explains the OC test.

What if the year has passed

Students who miss the Year 7 round can look at Years 8 to 11 entry, which is a different process. See Years 8 to 11 entry.

Key fact

The checker collects nothing. We never ask for a child's name or school, and the birth date you type into the checker stays in your browser. Please do not enter a child's name anywhere on this site.

Source: NSW Department of Education, selective high schools and application process pages, checked 7 October 2026. Confirm on the Department's page.

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.

Which entry year does this birth date usually match?

These are the usual birth-date ranges the Department publishes for each entry year. Applications are made by school year, so if your child is outside a range, check the official page.

This stays in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent.

Enter a date of birth to see which cycle it falls in.

Frequently asked questions

Which birth dates apply for 2027 Year 7 entry?
For 2027 entry the Department's usual range is students born from 1 January 2014 to 31 July 2015. That usually means aged between 11 years 5 months and 13 years at the start of Year 7. Check the Department's page, because the range is set each year.
What is the range for 2028 entry?
The Department has not published it. We expect the range to move forward one year, to births from 1 January 2015 to 31 July 2016. That is an expectation only, so please confirm on the Department's page before applying.
What if my child is outside the usual age range?
Cases outside the usual range go to the selection committee, which considers them individually. The Department's pages explain how to raise this with your application. If you are unsure, message the Selective Education Team through your application dashboard if you have applied, or email set@det.nsw.edu.au or call 1300 880 367.
We are moving from interstate or overseas. Can we apply?
The test is open to interstate and overseas students, but families must be living in NSW by the start of the entry year, and citizenship or visa conditions may apply before an offer. From 2026 the tests are held only in NSW, so a student living elsewhere would need to be in NSW to sit.
Does the eligibility checker store my child's birth date?
No. The checker runs in your browser. The birth date you type is not sent to us or saved. We do not collect anything about a child. If you close or refresh the page, the entry is gone.

Sources