OC and Selective
OC test and Selective test compared
4 min read ยท Facts checked 19 October 2026
In short
The OC test is for Year 5 entry and has three multiple-choice sections. The Selective test is for Year 7 entry and has four, including a 30 minute writing task. Both are computer-based and held in May, and each draws on the NSW curriculum up to the year before entry.
On this page
Families sometimes treat the OC test and the Selective test as one test with a different name. They are separate tests, for separate entry points, with different content and length. This post lays them out side by side using the NSW Department of Education's own pages.
Two different doors
Opportunity classes (OC) are full-time classes in some public primary schools, designed for gifted and high potential students in Years 5 and 6. A child applies for Year 5 entry. The department's opportunity classes page says that, in most cases, a student who accepts a place moves out of their present school and into one that runs an opportunity class.
Selective high schools are public schools that cater to gifted and high potential students, and a child applies for Year 7 entry. The department describes several types: fully selective, partially selective, agricultural and the online Aurora College. See its selective high schools page for the current list.
Entry to a selective high school in Years 8 to 11 is not through this placement test. The department says to contact those schools directly.
The tests side by side
| OC test (Year 5 entry) | Selective test (Year 7 entry) | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Computer-based | Computer-based |
| Sections | 3 | 4 |
| Reading | 14 questions, 40 minutes | 17 questions, 45 minutes |
| Mathematical reasoning | 35 questions, 40 minutes | 35 questions, 40 minutes |
| Thinking skills | 30 questions, 30 minutes | 40 questions, 40 minutes |
| Writing | None | 1 task, 30 minutes |
| Weighting | One third each | A quarter each |
| Calculator | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Curriculum drawn on | Up to Year 4 | Up to Year 6 |
Adding the section times gives 110 minutes of testing for the OC test and 155 minutes for the Selective test, before any breaks or instructions. The reading sections each include a few questions with multiple parts to answer.
What each section is checking
Reading. Both tests use a range of reading material, including non-fiction, fiction, poetry, magazine articles and reports.
Mathematical reasoning. Students use ideas from the school maths curriculum to solve problems. The department notes they do not need to study extra concepts.
Thinking skills. General critical thinking and solving problems. Nothing needs to be learnt beforehand.
Writing (Selective only). One topic to write about according to the instructions, answered on the computer in 30 minutes.
What stays the same
Both are held in May, on a computer, in a local test centre allocated by the family's primary school address. Both have more than one version so they can run on different days and a make-up day. Both report back through the family's application dashboard, and both use performance bands that compare the child with others who sat the same test that year, rather than giving a raw score.
For entry in 2027 the dates were:
- Selective High School Placement Test: Friday 1 and Saturday 2 May 2026.
- Opportunity Class Placement Test: Friday 8 and Saturday 9 May 2026.
- Make-up test for both: Friday 22 May 2026.
The next dates had not been published when this was checked.
What the weighting tells you
Weighting is easy to overlook. In the Selective test, the single 30 minute writing task carries the same weight, a quarter, as the 35 maths questions or the 40 thinking skills questions. A child who is strong at maths but unused to timed writing is therefore carrying an unnoticed gap. In the OC test each of the three sections carries a third, so thinking skills, the shortest section, counts as much as reading.
Logistics that catch families out
- One day only. Each student sits the test on one day, not both. Because all students from a primary school are tested on the same day, the department advises keeping both test days free until you receive your test date.
- The ticket. The Test Admission Ticket arrives in the family's application dashboard about two weeks before the test, and the child must bring the printed ticket.
- Where. Students are allocated to a local test centre based on their primary school's address, and from 2026 the tests are held only in NSW. A student overseas or interstate must return to NSW to sit it.
- Outcomes. For 2027 entry, selective outcomes were expected on 19 August 2026 and OC outcomes on 9 September 2026, shown in the application dashboard.
What the performance report shows
When outcomes are released, a performance report places the child in one of four bands for each test component: the top 10% of candidates, the next 15%, the next 25% or the lowest 50%. The department explains that the bands show how other students performed, not the percentage of questions a child got right, and that individual scores and placement ranks are not given out. The report reflects the test that year, so it is not something to compare with a neighbour's child from a different year.
A sensible way to compare for your child
If your child is in Year 4 and you are weighing OC, you are looking at a test with no writing section, built on the curriculum up to Year 4, and a move to a different school for Years 5 and 6 in most cases. If they are in Year 6 and you are thinking about a selective high school, the test is longer and includes writing.
The department's advice for both is the same: coaching is not necessary, and its free practice tests are the right way to learn the format. Our post on whether coaching helps covers this.
Where to go next
- NAPLAN, OC and Selective: which test is which?
- The Selective test is on a computer
- Try OC and Selective questions in our free samples, or see all plans on the pricing page.
Not affiliated with ACARA or the NSW Department of Education.
Sources
Each page was checked on 19 October 2026.
- Opportunity class practice tests, NSW Department of Education
- Selective high school practice tests, NSW Department of Education
- Placement test, NSW Department of Education
- Opportunity classes, NSW Department of Education
- Selective high schools, NSW Department of Education
Common questions
How many sections does the OC test have?
Three: reading, mathematical reasoning and thinking skills. All questions are multiple-choice and answered on a computer.
How many sections does the Selective test have?
Four: reading, mathematical reasoning, thinking skills and writing. The first three are multiple-choice and the writing section is a single open-response task.
Which curriculum do the tests draw on?
The OC test draws on the NSW curriculum up to Year 4. The Selective test draws on the NSW curriculum up to Year 6.
Is a calculator allowed?
No. Students cannot use a calculator in any section of either test.
When are the tests held?
In May. For entry in 2027, the OC test was on 8 and 9 May 2026 and the Selective test on 1 and 2 May 2026, with a make-up for both on 22 May 2026.
Keep reading
- OverviewNAPLAN, OC and Selective: which test is which?NAPLAN, the OC test and the Selective test are three different things. What each is for, who sits it, when, and what a parent needs to do.
- Selective testSelective test is on a computer: how to practiseThe NSW Selective High School Placement Test is sat on a computer. What that means for the four sections, the writing task and how to practise the format.
- Selective testDoes coaching help for the Selective test?The NSW Department of Education says coaching is not necessary for the OC and Selective tests. What that means for families, and what helps instead.
Want some practice questions to try?
The form 01 practice papers are free. They are Foundation, OC and Selective, written independently, so your child can see the format before deciding whether to do more.