The Selective test, explained
The Selective High School Placement Test is a NSW test sat in Year 6 for entry into a selective high school in Year 7. Here's exactly what's on it — including the typed writing task — when it happens, and how to prepare calmly and honestly.
- Yr 6 → 7
- Sat in Year 6, for entry in Year 7
- 4 parts
- Reading · Maths Reasoning · Thinking Skills · Writing
- On screen
- Computer-based · writing is typed
Written and reviewed by the Hootbrook education team · Last reviewed 30 August 2026
The Selective High School test is the NSW Selective High School Placement Test, sat in Year 6 for entry into a selective high school in Year 7. It is computer-based and has four parts — Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills and a typed Writing task — and entry is highly competitive.
What is the Selective test?
Selective high schools are NSW government schools that group academically capable students together from Year 7. Some are fully selective, some are partially selective (with both selective and local classes), and a few are agricultural high schools.
Places are offered on the Selective High School Placement Test, sat in Year 6. Entry is competitive and is decided by an overall placement score. There is no single fixed pass mark — the minimum entry score differs by school and by year, depending on who applies.
For each selective school’s type and its Year 7 places for boys and girls, browse our list of NSW selective and OC schools.
The timeline
- 1
Year 6 — apply
Applications open online through the NSW Department of Education during Year 6, and you nominate your preferred selective schools.
- 2
Year 6 — sit the test
The Placement Test is usually held around the middle of the year, on a computer, in four parts including a typed writing task.
- 3
Later that year — offers
Placement outcomes are released later in the year, with a review process for families who wish to use it.
- 4
Year 7 — start
Successful students begin at their selective high school in Year 7.
Exact dates change every year. For the current year's timeline, eligibility and how to apply, always check the official NSW Department of Education page.
What's on the test
The Selective test has four parts, all done on a computer. The writing task is what sets it apart from the OC test. Tap any part for a full guide with sample questions.
Reading →
Passages followed by multiple-choice questions on meaning, inference, tone and how writers use language.
Mathematical Reasoning →
Multi-step word problems that reward clear reasoning — number, proportion, measurement, patterns and logic.
Thinking Skills →
Critical and logical reasoning puzzles — assumptions, conclusions, and working problems out from the evidence.
Writing →
One typed writing task from a prompt or short stimulus. It is marked by hand for ideas, structure and control of language.
Sample questions in the real format
Exemplars we've written across the Selective sections, plus a look at the writing task. Choose an answer to see how each one is worked out. These are illustrative examples in the current test format — not real NSW past papers, which are never released.
The sample questions and writing example below are shown in English — the Selective test itself is sat in English.
A shop sells pens at 3 for $5. In a sale, the price changes to 4 for $5. How much is saved by buying 12 pens at the sale price instead of the normal price?
Choose an answer to see how it’s worked out.That's it.
Close — work out each total, then compare.
Normally 12 pens is 4 sets of 3, so 4 × $5 = $20. On sale it's 3 sets of 4, so 3 × $5 = $15. The saving is $20 − $15 = $5. Finding the full cost each way, then subtracting, is the safe method.
A tank is ⅗ full. After 12 litres are added, it is ⅘ full. What is the full capacity of the tank?
Choose an answer to see how it’s worked out.That's it.
Close — how much of the tank is 12 litres?
Going from ⅗ to ⅘ is a rise of ⅕ of the tank, and that equals 12 litres. So the whole tank is 5 × 12 = 60 litres. Turning the change into a single fraction of the whole is the key step.
“The minister's speech was, the newspaper reported, ‘a triumph of enthusiasm over accuracy.’ Readers were left in no doubt about how the editor felt.” What is the editor's attitude to the speech?
Choose an answer to see how it’s worked out.That's it.
Close — read the phrase as a hint, not praise.
“Enthusiasm over accuracy” is a polite way of saying the speech was lively but wrong on the facts — a veiled criticism. “Left in no doubt” confirms the disapproval came through clearly. Selective Reading often turns on figurative or ironic language rather than the literal words.
Five buildings stand in a row, numbered 1 to 5 from left to right. The café is in building 3. The bakery is next to the café. The library is to the right of the bakery, with exactly one building between them. Which building is the library in?
Choose an answer to see how it’s worked out.That's it.
Close — test each place the bakery could go.
The café is in 3, so the bakery (next to it) is in 2 or 4. The library sits two along to the right (one building between), so library = bakery + 2. Bakery = 2 gives library = 4; bakery = 4 would put the library in building 6, which doesn't exist. So the library is in building 4.
A council argues: “Since we added more streetlights, night-time accidents on Main Road have fallen. So streetlights prevent accidents.” Which statement, if true, most weakens this conclusion?
Choose an answer to see how it’s worked out.That's it.
Close — look for another possible cause.
The council assumes the lights caused the drop. If the speed limit fell at the same time, that change could be the real reason — a second possible cause weakens any 'this caused that' claim. The other options don't offer an alternative explanation for the fall.
Sample prompt. “Some people say that every student should learn a musical instrument at school. Write a piece persuading your reader to agree or disagree.” You would type your response within the time allowed.
What markers reward in a strong response:
- • A clear position, stated early and held all the way through.
- • Reasons backed by specific examples — not just repeated opinion.
- • A deliberate shape: an opening that hooks, paragraphs that build, a firm close.
- • Varied sentences and precise, well-chosen vocabulary.
- • Accurate spelling, punctuation and paragraphing, even under time pressure.
Writing prompts vary — they may ask for a persuasive, narrative or creative piece, often from a short stimulus. Planning for a minute before you type is time well spent.
How to prepare
There are no shortcuts and no secret tricks — but there is a calm, honest way to build real readiness across all four parts.
Little and often. Short, steady sessions build more than last-minute cramming — and they keep a Year 6 child calm rather than anxious.
Understanding over tricks. Thinking Skills and Reading reward genuine reasoning. Practise thinking your child can explain, not shortcuts to guess.
Practise the writing under time. Writing is typed and time-limited. Practise planning quickly, then writing a full, structured response before the clock runs out.
Practise in the real format. Working on a screen, in the four-part format, with gentle time limits makes the actual test day feel familiar.
Read widely. Wide reading lifts Reading, Writing and vocabulary all at once. Ten real minutes a day beats any single worksheet.
Start from the truth. A free assessment shows your child's real level in each part, so time goes to the gaps — and wellbeing comes first.
A note on past papers
The NSW Department of Education does not release recent Selective test papers. Be wary of anyone selling “real past papers”. Every question your child sees on Hootbrook is written by educators in the current test format and checked before it is used — so your child practises the real thing, not a leak.
Selective or OC — which is which?
They're often confused. The Selective test is sat in Year 6 for a place in a selective high school in Year 7, and it includes a typed writing task. The OC test is sat earlier, in Year 4, for a place in an Opportunity Class in primary school (Years 5–6), with no writing task.
Selective test — frequently asked
What is the Selective High School test?
It is the Selective High School Placement Test, run by the NSW Department of Education. It is used to offer places at selective high schools — public schools that group academically capable students together from Year 7.
What year do you sit the Selective test?
Students sit it in Year 6, for entry into a selective high school in Year 7. Applications are made online during Year 6.
What is on the Selective test?
Four parts, done on a computer: Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills and a typed Writing task. The multiple-choice sections are marked automatically; the writing task is marked by hand.
Does the Selective test include writing?
Yes. Unlike the OC test, the Selective test includes one typed Writing task, responding to a prompt or short stimulus. It is assessed for ideas, structure, and control of spelling, punctuation and grammar.
What is the difference between the OC and Selective tests?
The OC test is sat in Year 4 for a place in an Opportunity Class in primary school (Years 5–6). The Selective test is sat in Year 6 for a place in a selective high school (Year 7 onward), and it adds a typed writing task.
Are there real Selective test past papers?
No. The NSW Department of Education does not release recent Selective test papers, so be cautious of anyone selling 'real past papers'. Practising in the current test format — as you do on Hootbrook — is the honest way to prepare.
What score do you need to get into a selective school?
There is no single fixed score. Places are offered on an overall placement score, and the minimum entry score differs from school to school and from year to year depending on the applicants. Check the official NSW Education page for how placement works.
When is the test held and how do I apply?
Applications open online during Year 6 and the test is typically held around the middle of the year, with offers later on. Exact dates change every year — always check the official NSW Education page for the current timeline.
See where your child stands today
Start with the free assessment. It finds your child's true level across every part of the Selective test, so preparation begins from the truth — not a guess.