Can the Test Admission Ticket be on a phone?

No. A digital copy is not accepted. Print the ticket from your application dashboard and bring the paper copy.

When does the ticket arrive?

About two weeks before the test, you receive an email saying it is ready in your application dashboard. Contact the Department if it has not come.

What if my child turns up late?

They do not get extra time, and arriving at the wrong place, date or time means they cannot sit that test.

Can parents wait at the school?

No. Parents leave the grounds once staff take the children to the test room, and return at pick-up time. Special written permission for medical reasons is the exception.

What if my child is sick?

Keep them at home. Lodge an illness or misadventure request before the deadline with evidence, and if it is accepted they may be offered the make-up sitting.

OC and Selective test day checklist for parents

Checked 19 October 2026 by XReady

Pencils, eraser and a wristwatch laid out neatly, lit in amber.

In short

Pack the printed Test Admission Ticket, a clear water bottle and basic stationery, and send your child in uniform. Phones, smart watches, pens, rulers and calculators stay behind. If your child is unwell, lodge an illness or misadventure request in the dashboard before the deadline.

Use this list for either the Opportunity Class test or the Selective test. It follows the NSW Department of Education placement test page, which you should look at again just before the day in case anything has changed.

About two weeks out

The Test Admission Ticket is released roughly a fortnight before the test (external link). An email tells you it is ready in your application dashboard, and you print it. Without the paper ticket your child cannot sit the test.
Check the venue, date and time on it and plan how you will get there. The Department recommends public transport, and parking near test centres can be scarce.
Children from one primary school all sit on the same day, so leave both test days free until you have your ticket.
If your child would find it reassuring, read the Department's social stories (external link) together so they know what to expect.

Packing

The printed Test Admission Ticket
Two 2B pencils, plus an eraser and a sharpener (external link)
A clear bottle of water
School uniform, even on a Saturday
For the Selective test, a snack for the long break (nut-free) and a hat to wear outside

Computers and mice are provided. Two A4 sheets are handed out for working, and extras can be requested.

Pack if needed

Medication such as an inhaler or EpiPen
Anything arranged as a disability adjustment
Glasses and tissues
A jumper if it is cool
Stationery in a clear plastic bag, since pencil cases are not allowed

Leave at home

Pens, rulers, calculators, smart watches, phones (external link) and any other device, pencil cases, dictionaries, books and note paper. The Department can update this list, so check its page on the day.

Getting there and being collected

Aim to arrive at the time printed on the ticket. Late arrivals do not receive extra time, and turning up at the wrong place, date or time means your child cannot sit (external link). Staff will meet you at the entrance. Once children are walked to the test room, parents leave the school grounds. Be at the pick-up point on time. A signed note is needed if someone else is collecting your child, and a late finish is announced by SMS.

If your child is unwell or something goes wrong

Please do not send a child with COVID or flu. They may infect others and may be turned away. Lodge an illness or misadventure request in your dashboard by the deadline in the Department's key dates (external link), with supporting evidence. The same route covers technical faults and disruptions at the test centre. A child who misses both the test and the make-up cannot be placed.

Test security

Cheating, copying, using a device (external link) and passing on questions or answers all count as malpractice, and the child will not be considered for a place. Ask your child to keep questions to themselves afterwards, including in group chats.

Setting the tone

Walk your child through the day in plain steps. Arrive, go in, sit the test, take breaks, get collected. An ordinary calm morning is the best preparation. The Selective test format and the OC test format describe the sections. XReady's free OC and Selective sample papers give children a chance to try a whole paper at home first.

Checked 19 October 2026 against the NSW Department of Education pages above.

Common questions

Can the Test Admission Ticket be on a phone?: No. A digital copy is not accepted. Print the ticket from your application dashboard and bring the paper copy.
When does the ticket arrive?: About two weeks before the test, you receive an email saying it is ready in your application dashboard. Contact the Department if it has not come.
What if my child turns up late?: They do not get extra time, and arriving at the wrong place, date or time means they cannot sit that test.
Can parents wait at the school?: No. Parents leave the grounds once staff take the children to the test room, and return at pick-up time. Special written permission for medical reasons is the exception.
What if my child is sick?: Keep them at home. Lodge an illness or misadventure request before the deadline with evidence, and if it is accepted they may be offered the make-up sitting.

Sources, checked 19 October 2026

NSW Department of Education: Placement test (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: 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.