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Get full access Start with a free testThe Selective High School Placement Test is the single entry test used to offer Year 7 places at academically selective high schools across New South Wales. Children sit it in Year 6, and successful applicants start at a selective school in Year 7 the following year. There is no interview — entry is decided on the test alone.
The test was redesigned in 2021 to reward thinking and reasoning over memorisation, and from 2025 it is sat on a computer at an allocated test centre rather than on paper at your child's own school. It covers four areas: Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills and Writing.
Three multiple-choice sections plus one writing task. The four components now carry broadly equal weight, so the Writing task matters as much as the others.
Comprehension across several text types — fiction, poetry, information and gap-matching. Tests how carefully your child reads and interprets, not speed alone.
Problem-solving and reasoning drawn from primary maths (roughly Years 1–5). It rewards working things out, not recalling formulas.
Logic, deduction and critical reasoning with no prior knowledge needed — strengthening/weakening arguments, finding flaws, patterns. Often the section that separates top scorers.
One typed response in a form set on the day (story, persuasive, report, etc.). Marked by two examiners on ideas & structure and on sentences, punctuation and spelling.
The total working time is about 155 minutes. The Department can vary the exact number of questions and timing from year to year — confirm the current specification on the official site before your child's test.
The cycle runs to the same rhythm every year:
Most recent cycle (Year 7 entry in 2027): applications closed 20 February 2026, the test was held 1–2 May 2026, and outcomes are released in late August 2026. Exact dates change every year — always confirm the current cycle on the NSW Department of Education website. Applications are made online by a parent or carer; late applications are not accepted.
The Department does not endorse coaching and says no special tutoring is needed to do well — the test is designed to measure thinking, not memorised content. What genuinely helps is familiarity and confidence: knowing the on-screen format, pacing each section, and reading widely over time.
See exactly where your child stands with a free, exam-style diagnostic across all four sections — with an instant skills report. No payment details needed.
Try a free test See the Selective packageThe test is sat on a Department-provided computer at an allocated test centre (a local public high school) in NSW. Your child is given paper for working out; calculators are not allowed. The full session runs a few hours with short breaks between sections.
If something goes wrong: if illness, injury or an unexpected event affects the test, families can lodge an illness/misadventure request (usually within five business days), and a make-up test exists for approved cases. Disability adjustments (extra time, rest breaks, large print, a reader/writer and more) can be requested when applying for children who already receive them at school.
Children sit it in Year 6, and successful applicants start Year 7 at a selective high school the following year.
It is computer-based, sat at an allocated NSW test centre. All sections, including the Writing task, are completed on screen.
There is no fixed cut-off. Results are rank-based, and the level needed differs by school and by year depending on demand and how applicants perform. The Department does not publish minimum entry scores.
No. The Department does not endorse coaching and says no special tutoring is required — the test measures thinking and reasoning, not memorised content. Familiarity with the format, timed practice and wide reading are what help most.
Yes — you list up to three selective schools in order of preference. An initial offer comes from the highest-preference school your child qualifies for.
If your child isn't offered a place initially, they may go on a school's reserve list and receive a later offer as places are declined — sometimes up to the end of Term 1.
You can lodge an illness/misadventure request (usually within five business days) and there is a make-up test for approved cases. Sitting the scheduled test wherever possible is still strongly advised.
The test is held in early May (Term 2) and outcomes are released in late August (Term 3). Exact dates change each year — confirm them on the NSW Department of Education site.
Start with a free, exam-style diagnostic across all four Selective sections — no payment details needed.
Try a free testLast reviewed June 2026. Test facts on this page are drawn from the NSW Department of Education (placement test, outcomes and application pages). Dates and details change each year — always confirm the current cycle on the Department website. Test Magic is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NSW Department of Education.
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