Aurora College
Aurora College runs online selective classes for rural and remote students, with 90 Year 7 places, and an opportunity class with 100 Year 5 places in 2027.
Details checked 15 September 2026 against the NSW Department of Education’s selective high schools list (updated 10 September 2026) and opportunity classes list (updated 23 July 2026).
- Type
- Online selective classes and online opportunity class
- Students
- Co-educational (boys and girls)
- Year 7 places
- Boys: 45 · Girls: 45
- Year 5 opportunity class places in 2027
- 100 (50 for boys and 50 for girls)
- Address
- Online classes — no single campus
- School website
- aurora.schools.nsw.gov.au
What the Department of Education notes
“Students attend their local ‘host’ NSW public high school and join Aurora College’s online classes for English, mathematics and science.”
From the Department’s selective high schools list
“Only students who will be enrolled in an Aurora College host high school in a rural or remote location may apply for Aurora College.”
From the Department’s selective high schools list
“Only students who would be enrolled in Year 5 in an authorised host school in a rural remote area (excluding areas where there is a current opportunity class provision) may apply for Aurora College, the virtual opportunity class.”
From the Department’s opportunity classes list
“Students attend their local ‘host’ NSW public school and join Aurora College’s online opportunity classes for science, technology, and mathematics.”
From the Department’s opportunity classes list
Size and location
Aurora College teaches online, so the dataset gives it no enrolment figure or campus location here.
How entry works
- Year 7: parents apply at the end of Year 5 or the beginning of Year 6, and the child sits the Selective High School Placement Test in Year 6. An application can list up to 3 school preferences.
- Year 5: parents apply at the end of Year 3 or the beginning of Year 4, and the child sits the Opportunity Class Placement Test in Year 4. It is a two-year program (Years 5 and 6). An application can list up to 4 school choices.
- The Equity Placement Model holds up to 20% of places at each school for students from under-represented groups.
The numbers above come from the Department’s choosing your schools page (last updated 18 June 2026) and its fair access page (last updated 20 February 2026).
The full picture is in our selective test guide and OC test guide, and this year’s timeline is on test dates.
Is there a cut-off for Aurora College?
No. The NSW Department of Education does not publish a minimum entry score for any school. In its own words: “There are no set minimum entry scores to receive an offer to a selective high school or opportunity class.” Who receives an offer depends on each year’s applicants and the places available.
Why there’s no number to aim for, and what families receive instead
Preparing calmly
On its practice tests page, the Department says:
It is important to know that coaching or tutoring for the placement test is not necessary. The test will not need your child to know any new or special knowledge. So, extra paid coaching outside of school will not give your child an advantage.
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. A child who is coached and gets in is likely to have got a place anyway. Many students who get coaching don’t get a place, and too much coaching can harm their wellbeing.
Source: NSW Department of Education, Selective high school practice tests
The Department’s free practice tests show the current test format: selective high school practice tests and opportunity class practice tests.
For a sense of where your child is today, Hootbrook’s free assessment looks at Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills. It is not the official test and has no bearing on placement.
Questions about Aurora College
How many Year 7 selective places does Aurora College have?
The Department of Education lists these Year 7 places for Aurora College: Boys: 45 · Girls: 45 (list updated 10 September 2026).
How many Year 5 opportunity class places does Aurora College have in 2027?
The Department of Education lists these Year 5 places for Aurora College in 2027: 100 (50 for boys and 50 for girls) (list updated 23 July 2026).
Is there a cut-off for Aurora College?
No. The NSW Department of Education does not publish a minimum entry score for any school. In its own words: “There are no set minimum entry scores to receive an offer to a selective high school or opportunity class.” Who receives an offer depends on each year’s applicants and the places available.
Sources and licence
- NSW Department of Education, Selective high schools list (last updated 10 September 2026)
- NSW Department of Education, Opportunity classes list (last updated 23 July 2026)
- NSW Department of Education, Selective high school and opportunity class outcomes
- NSW Department of Education, Choosing your schools (last updated 18 June 2026)
- NSW Department of Education, Fair access (last updated 20 February 2026)
- NSW Department of Education, Selective high school practice tests (last updated 20 March 2026)
- Data.NSW, NSW public schools master dataset (extracted 4 September 2026)
Contains information © State of New South Wales (Department of Education), licensed under CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the Department’s lists and joined them to the master dataset. Hootbrook is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NSW Department of Education.