What is the NSW Selective High School Placement Test?

The Selective High School Placement Test is the test that NSW students sit in Year 6 if their family applies for a place at a selective high school. This page explains what it is, who sits it and how it fits into the wider process. It is written for parents and carers.

What the test is

Selective high schools in NSW admit students on academic merit instead of by local address. To be considered, a student sits one placement test (the exception is boarding at Farrer Memorial and Yanco agricultural high schools, where families apply directly to the school and there is no placement test). The Department of Education runs it, and families apply online through the Department's application site.

The test is computer-based and sat at a local test centre, usually a public high school. It has four sections: Reading, Mathematical reasoning, Thinking skills and Writing. Each section counts equally. The next page, the test format, goes through each one.

Who sits it

Students apply at the end of Year 5 or the start of Year 6 and sit the test in Year 6. The result is used for Year 7 entry the following year. The test is open to students from public schools, non-government schools and home study. Families must be living in NSW by the start of the entry year, and since 2026 the 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. See eligibility and birth dates for the details.

The Opportunity Class (OC) test is a separate test for Year 5 entry. Doing the OC does not carry over to Selective, and you apply separately. The page OC or Selective compares them.

The four kinds of school

The Department describes four types of selective school.

• Fully selective high schools. Every Year 7 place is offered through the test.
• Partially selective high schools. Some Year 7 places are selective and the rest are filled locally.
• Agricultural high schools. These emphasise the study of agriculture, which is compulsory in Years 7 to 10, and three of the four offer boarding.
• Aurora College. Online selective classes in English, mathematics and science for rural and remote students who attend, or are enrolling in, an authorised host NSW public high school. It has 90 places, 45 for boys and 45 for girls.

Our schools list shows how to read each type.

How many places

For 2027 entry the Department lists 4,338 Year 7 places. The Department's outcomes information says about a quarter of Selective candidates gain a place. That figure is context, not a prediction for any child, and it says nothing about a child's ability or future.

Gender parity and equity pools

From the 2027 intake, coeducational selective schools offer equal numbers of boys' and girls' places. The NSW Government made this change to address a decline in girls applying for and accepting places. The mix in selective high schools had reached about 58% boys. If places for one gender go unfilled, they go to the other.

Under the Equity Placement Model, up to 20% of places at a school are held for equity groups. These cover 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 make a separate application. How placement works explains more.

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." It recommends regular school attendance and becoming familiar with the test structure, using its free Student Resource Hub, online practice tests and videos. The Department also says the selection committee may not place students who do not have good attendance. See preparing without coaching and the official practice tests.

What to do next

If you are deciding whether to apply, should we apply is a calm place to start. If you already know you will, check the key dates and read how to apply.

Source: NSW Department of Education, selective high school pages, checked 7 October 2026. Plans and dates can change, so confirm on the Department's pages.

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.