What does the Selective test decide?

It determines whether your child is in the running for a Year 7 seat at a NSW selective school. Offers follow test performance and the order of the schools you list, and some seats are held under the Equity Placement Model.

When does my child sit it?

In Year 6, in May, for entry to Year 7 the following year. Parents usually apply at the end of Year 5 or the start of Year 6.

How many Year 7 places are there?

The Department lists 4,338 places across NSW selective high schools for Year 7 entry in 2027, plus 90 at Aurora College. Check its page before planning, because numbers can change.

Do selective high schools charge fees?

They are public schools and do not charge attendance fees, except for boarding at agricultural high schools. Schools may ask for payments for materials, excursions and sport.

Where is the test held?

At a test centre near the child's primary school, usually inside a public high school in NSW. Since 2026 it is only held in NSW, so students interstate or overseas must come back to sit it.

The NSW Selective High School Placement Test: a parent's guide

Checked 19 October 2026 by XReady

A miniature archway with a path in warm amber light.

In short

Children take this one test on a computer in Year 6 so they can be considered for Year 7 at a NSW selective high school. The Department lists 4,338 places for 2027 entry. It does not recommend coaching.

Selective high schools in NSW choose students on academic merit (external link), not by where they live. This placement test is the single test the Department of Education uses to decide who is considered.

What it decides

Doing the test does not guarantee a place, and it is not a pass or fail exam. Offers depend on how a child performs compared with the other students who sat it, the order of the schools the family listed, and the number of places at each school. Families can list up to three school choices (external link), and the Department suggests choosing only schools you would truly like your child to attend.

Who sits it

Applications go in around the end of Year 5 or the beginning of Year 6, and the test itself is in Year 6. The result serves Year 7 entry the year after. Children at public schools, non-government schools and those studying at home can all apply. Families need to be living in NSW by the first day of the entry year (external link), and those without Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency must meet visa-related enrolment conditions before an offer can be made.

For Year 7 entry in 2027, students were usually born between 1 January 2014 and 31 July 2015 (external link). Entry at Years 8 to 11 uses a different, school-run process.

Selective practice is not the same as the real test, so treat anything you read here as a guide to the shape of the day. This is separate from the Opportunity Class test for Year 5 entry, which has its own application.

The kinds of school

Fully selective high schools. There are 17 in NSW (external link). Every Year 7 place through the test goes to a selective student.
Partially selective high schools. There are 27 for Year 7 entry. A mix of local students and selective students, with the selective students in classes together.
Agricultural high schools. There are four, where every student studies agriculture from Years 7 to 10 (external link). Three offer boarding, and Farrer Memorial and Yanco take boarding applications directly, without the placement test.
Aurora College. Selective lessons delivered online in English, maths and science (external link), for rural and remote children enrolled at a host school. It has 90 places.

Fairness measures

Under the Equity Placement Model, as much as a fifth of the places at each school (external link) can be set aside for under-represented groups: children from lower-advantage backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, rural and remote children, and children with disability. Offers within those groups still follow test performance.

From 2027, each co-educational selective high school reserves fixed numbers of places for girls and for boys (external link).

What the Department says about coaching

The Department's position is that it neither recommends nor endorses coaching (external link), and it cites no credible research showing that coaching helps a child win a place. It asks instead for regular school attendance and for families to use its free practice resources. If a family wants practice anyway, preparing without coaching takes a gentle, low-pressure approach.

Where to go next

Read the test format to see the four sections, then the parent FAQ. XReady offers Selective practice papers, and the form 1 free sample papers are a low-stakes place to begin. The 2028-entry application dates had not been published on 19 October 2026, so check the Department's application page.

Checked 19 October 2026. Plans, numbers and dates can change; confirm on the NSW Department of Education pages above.

Common questions

What does the Selective test decide?: It determines whether your child is in the running for a Year 7 seat at a NSW selective school. Offers follow test performance and the order of the schools you list, and some seats are held under the Equity Placement Model.
When does my child sit it?: In Year 6, in May, for entry to Year 7 the following year. Parents usually apply at the end of Year 5 or the start of Year 6.
How many Year 7 places are there?: The Department lists 4,338 places across NSW selective high schools for Year 7 entry in 2027, plus 90 at Aurora College. Check its page before planning, because numbers can change.
Do selective high schools charge fees?: They are public schools and do not charge attendance fees, except for boarding at agricultural high schools. Schools may ask for payments for materials, excursions and sport.
Where is the test held?: At a test centre near the child's primary school, usually inside a public high school in NSW. Since 2026 it is only held in NSW, so students interstate or overseas must come back to sit it.

Sources, checked 19 October 2026

NSW Department of Education: Selective high schools (external link) NSW Department of Education. Checked 19 October 2026.
NSW Department of Education: Application process (external link) NSW Department of Education. Checked 19 October 2026.
NSW Department of Education: Placement test (external link) NSW Department of Education. Checked 19 October 2026.
NSW Department of Education: Outcomes (external link) NSW Department of Education. Checked 19 October 2026.
NSW Department of Education: Applications to open for 2027 selective school entry (external link) NSW Department of Education. Checked 19 October 2026.
NSW Department of Education: Selective high school practice tests (external link) NSW Department of Education. Checked 19 October 2026.

Not affiliated with ACARA or the NSW Department of Education.