Results and offers5 min read

What if we miss out? Reserve lists, appeals and other pathways

If your child does not receive a Selective offer, here is how reserve lists and bands work, when an appeal is possible, the Years 8 to 11 route, and how to talk with your family about the result.

Last checked 7 October 2026 against the official sources.

If your child does not receive a Selective offer, they may be on reserve lists, an appeal is possible only in limited circumstances, and there is a school-run route into Years 8 to 11. Your local high school remains a good option, and the way you talk about the result matters. Nothing here is a guarantee.

A calm starting point

Places are limited, and many capable children are not offered one. The Department notes that many high potential and gifted students choose to stay at their local comprehensive school (NSW Department of Education, checked 7 October 2026). It can help to talk with your family about how you will respond to either result.

Reserve lists and bands

You receive an offer from only one school: the highest preference your child qualified for. For higher preferences, your child may sit on reserve lists.

For Selective, a child with no accepted offer stays on reserve lists to the end of Term 1 of the entry year. For OC, a child with no accepted offer stays on reserve lists to the end of Term 1 of Year 6.
A reserve list (wait list) holds students who were not made an offer at that school when outcomes were first released but may get a later offer if their position on the list is reached.
For Selective Year 7, the Department publishes reserve bands A to F, which estimate timing based on when students in a similar position were offered a place in the previous year. Band A is likely by the end of September, and the later bands run on to band E by the end of January. Band F is unlikely. OC bands run A to E (A to D by the end of September to December, E unlikely).
The bands are an estimate and are not a promise. Offers depend on how many families decline.

For the 2027 entry cycle the reserve decision date is 3 December 2026 at 3 pm, which has not passed yet. After that date, students holding an accepted offer are removed from higher-choice reserve lists, so a family that wants to stay on a higher-choice reserve list must decline its accepted offer before then. A declined offer cannot be got back, so read the Department's outcomes page before you decide. The date for 2028 entry is not published, and a similar timing is expected.

Read how placement works for the full picture and reading the performance report for what the bands on the report mean. There are no set minimum scores, and the Department does not give individual scores or ranks.

Appeals

Appeals are possible only in a limited number of circumstances. They must be lodged through the application dashboard by the due date in the Department's key dates (typically 5 business days after outcomes are released), and no late appeals are accepted.

The Department's outcomes page does not list valid grounds. It says an appeal must include relevant supporting documentary evidence (for example, documentation from medical practitioners or evidence of unforeseen circumstances), that up to 3 documents can be attached, and that nothing can be added after you submit. Read its list of invalid grounds before you decide to appeal.

Invalid grounds include disappointment at not receiving an offer or not being placed on a reserve list, the student's young age, lack of test preparation, educational disadvantage, misunderstanding of the placement process, perceived advantages such as travel convenience, and requests to re-mark any part of the test or adjust the performance report. Appeal decisions are final. An appeal is not a request to be reconsidered because the outcome was a surprise.

For 2027 entry, appeals closed on 26 August for Selective and 16 September for OC at 11:59 pm. Check the outcomes page for the current year.

Years 8 to 11

If your child does not get a place in Year 7, there is a separate application for Year 8 to Year 11 entry, run by the schools. It is worth knowing about, but it is not a second round of the same test. See Years 8 to 11 entry.

Staying local

For most families the local high school is the plan, and for many it is the best plan. Your child may stay with local friends, will usually travel less, and may have more time for activities like sport and music, which the Department itself lists as benefits of a school close to home. The Department says every NSW public school takes part in its Inspire high potential and gifted education (HPGE) offerings. Ask your local school what it offers, and see the Department's high potential and gifted education page.

How to talk to your child

The Department's own material asks parents to consider if and how to share results. Some thoughts that families find helpful:

Decide as a family what you will say if there is no offer.
Keep the focus on effort and on what stays the same: school, friends, interests.
Avoid comparing with classmates or siblings.
Remember the result shows how your child went in one test on one day, relative to other applicants.
Give it a few days before you plan next steps.

Key fact

There is no guarantee of a place for any child, however well they prepare, and the Department publishes no minimum score. We do not offer any guarantee either.

Sources

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.

Frequently asked questions

What is a reserve list?

A reserve list (wait list) holds students who were not made an offer at that school when outcomes were first released but may get a later offer if their position on the list is reached. For Selective, a child with no accepted offer stays on reserve lists to the end of Term 1 of the entry year. A child who holds an accepted offer is removed from higher-choice reserve lists after the reserve decision date unless the family declines that offer first. A declined offer cannot be got back, so read the Department's outcomes page before you decide.

What do the reserve bands A to F mean?

They estimate the timing of a possible offer, based on when students in a similar position on the reserve list were offered a place in the previous year. For Selective Year 7, band A is likely by the end of September, through to band E by the end of January, and band F is unlikely. Opportunity class bands run A to E, with E unlikely. They are estimates, not promises.

Can we appeal the outcome?

Only in limited circumstances, by the due date in the Department's key dates (typically 5 business days after outcomes), through the application dashboard and with supporting documents. The Department lists these among the invalid grounds: disappointment at not receiving an offer, the young age of the student, lack of test preparation, a perceived advantage from placement such as travel convenience, misunderstanding of the placement process, and requests to re-mark the test or adjust the report. Its list is longer, so read it before appealing.

Is there a second chance after Year 7 starts?

There is a separate, school-run application for Years 8 to 11. Each school sets its own assessment. See our page on Years 8 to 11 entry.

Can we find out our child's score or rank?

No. The Department gives a band for each section and no individual scores or ranks. A top 10% band does not mean a score of 90%.

Are there other options besides selective schools?

Yes. Your local public high school is a good option. The Department says every public school in NSW takes part in its Inspire high potential and gifted education (HPGE) offerings, and encourages you to talk to your local school about the programs it offers. Its School Finder tool lists schools near you.