At a glance
- sections, weighted equally
- 4
- minutes of test time
- 155
- based, at a test centre
- Computer
- sits it, for Year 7 entry
- Year 6
The four sections
Sections run in this order. Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills are multiple choice. Writing is a response to one task.
| Section | Questions | Time | Format | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 17 (38 answers) | 45 min | Multiple choice | 25% |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 35 | 40 min | Multiple choice | 25% |
| Thinking Skills | 40 | 40 min | Multiple choice | 25% |
| Writing | 1 task | 30 min | Written response | 25% |
Reading
Reading fiction, non-fiction and poetry closely, on screen.
Reading guide →Mathematical Reasoning
Applying school maths to problems your child hasn’t seen before.
Maths guide →Thinking Skills
Reasoning with the information in each question. No school content is needed: everything your child needs is on the screen.
Thinking Skills guide →Writing
Writing one piece, in 30 minutes, for the purpose and audience the task sets.
Writing guide →What each section tests
Reading
Questions ask about meaning, tone and the writer’s purpose, not only facts from the text. Three of the 17 questions have several parts, so there are 38 answers in all.
Mathematical Reasoning
Multi-step word problems with five answer options. No calculator or ruler.
Thinking Skills
Critical thinking and problem solving, with four answer options. The time per question is the tightest in the test.
Writing
Marked on creativity, purpose and audience, and on text structure, grammar, punctuation, style and vocabulary. Writing that doesn’t address the topic gets lower marks, even if it is well written.
Sample questions
One question from each multiple-choice section, taken from our free mock, with the worked solution.
Reading
Poem
It was the door, not fully closed at night,
that kept me standing longer than I meant,
a narrow line of hallway light laid down
across the boards like something half-remembered.
Beyond it, you were sleeping on your side,
one hand beneath your cheek, the blanket loose,
your face made younger by the ordinary peace
that comes when no one asks the world of you.
How easily the years disguise themselves.
The room had altered less than you had done,
and yet beneath the sharpened planes of age
there stayed the softer map I used to know.
I thought then how childhood never leaves,
but settles deeper under speech and habit,
like rain absorbed by timber in a house
that still releases weather after storms.
Outside, the dark pressed gently at the glass.
Inside, your breathing moved the quiet on,
and when I reached to close the door at last,
I left it open, and went back alone.
In the first stanza, what effect does the partly open door have on the narrator?
Answer and worked solution
Answer: A. The line 'like something half-remembered' suggests the door and the strip of light trigger reflection and memory. A is therefore correct. B and C are not supported by the calm tone, and D contradicts the narrator’s quiet, lingering observation.
Maths
At 0600 there are 8 vans in a depot. The recorded numbers of vans at 0700, 0800, 0900, 1000, 1100, 1200 and 1300 are 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16 and 18.
How long after 0600 is the number of vans first double the number at 0600?
Answer and worked solution
Answer: B. Double the 0600 number is 16 vans. The first recorded time with 16 vans is 1200, which is 6 hours after 0600.
Thinking Skills
A fitness tracker company surveyed its users and found that those who wore their trackers to bed reported better sleep quality than those who did not.
The company concluded that wearing a fitness tracker during sleep improves sleep quality.
Which one of the following sentences shows the mistake the company has made?
Answer and worked solution
Answer: A. The company has assumed a causal relationship based solely on a correlation. It ignored the possibility that users who care more about sleep quality may choose to wear their tracker at night, meaning their concern drives both tracker use and reported sleep quality rather than the tracker improving sleep.
On test day
- The test is sat on a computer at a test centre, usually a local high school.
- The four tests are taken one after another, with a break during the test.
- Calculators, rulers and dictionaries aren’t allowed. Paper is available for working out.
Bring
Two 2B pencils · An eraser · A pencil sharpener · A printed copy of the test admission ticket · A clear bottle of water · School uniform
Leave at home
Pens · Rulers · Calculators · Note paper · Dictionaries or other books · Phones, smart watches and other devices · Pencil cases
Key dates
Year 7 entry in 2028
The Department hasn’t published these dates yet. They appear here once it does.
Year 7 entry in 2027
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Applications open | 6 November 2025 | Confirmed |
| Applications close | 20 February 2026 | Confirmed |
| Placement test | 1 or 2 May 2026 | Confirmed |
| Make-up test (approved illness or misadventure) | 22 May 2026 | Confirmed |
| Last day to change school choices | 5 June 2026 | Confirmed |
| Placement outcomes | 19 August 2026 | Confirmed |
Source: NSW Department of Education placement timeline and outcomes page. Checked on 19 October 2026. A date is marked “Confirmed” once the Department publishes it; no date is shown until then.
Results and offers
Families receive a performance report with a band for each section, not a mark or a rank. The outcome is an offer, a place on a reserve list, both, or no place. No minimum entry score is published.
NSW Selective results explained: bands, offers and reserve listsRead the guide →Questions parents ask
Is there a writing section?
Yes. The Selective test has one writing task, completed in 30 minutes. The Opportunity Class test has no writing section.
Can my child use a calculator?
No. Calculators, rulers and dictionaries aren’t allowed in the test. Paper is available for working out.
Are mock tests the same as past papers?
No. Our mocks follow the published test format, with the same sections, question counts and timing, but they aren’t past papers. The Department publishes its own sample practice tests.
How is the test different from OC?
The Selective test is sat in Year 6 for Year 7 entry and has four sections, including Writing. The OC test is sat in Year 4 for Year 5 entry and has three multiple-choice sections with no writing.
Is the test on paper?
No. All sections are taken on a computer at a test centre, and reading texts are shown on screen.