NSW Selective Test Resource Hub
Discover everything you need to understand, prepare for and succeed in the NSW Selective Test. From application tips to final-week strategies, find all the guidance and resources in one place from our expert educators.
Select the headings or icons below to explore each section.
About the Selective School System in NSW
Selective high schools in New South Wales (NSW) offer specialised education for high-potential and gifted students in Years 7 to 12. Parents typically apply for entry to Year 7 when their child is in Year 5 or early Year 6.
Types of Selective High Schools
- Fully Selective High Schools: 17 schools exclusively for students placed through the selective school placement process.
- Partially Selective High Schools: 25 schools with both selective and non-selective streams. Non-selective students attend local area classes, while selective students attend specialised classes.
- Agricultural High Schools: 4 schools with a focus on agricultural studies, admitting students through the selective school placement process.
- Aurora College: An online high school offering selective classes for rural and remote students.
Key Facts and Statistics
- Approximately 101,800 Year 6 students are enrolled in NSW each year.
- About 18% of Year 6 students (around 18,500 in 2024) sit the Selective High School Exam.
- Only 4,248 spots are available across all selective high schools annually.
- In 2024, 23% of students who sat the exam received an offer.
Some spots are allocated to underrepresented student cohorts to support equity and diversity in selective school placements.
Applying for Selective High Schools
The application process for selective high school placement is managed online through the NSW Education Department’s website.
Key Dates
| Event | Timeline |
| Applications Open | November–February |
| Exam Date | May |
| Final School Choice Review | Mid-May |
| Outcome Notifications | Late July (year prior) |
Application Steps
- Submit an Application: Applications must be submitted while the student is in Year 5 or early Year 6.
- Select Preferred Schools: Parents can nominate up to three selective schools in order of preference.
- Attend the Exam: Students sit the Selective High School Placement Exam in May.
- Review Choices: In mid-May, parents can make final adjustments to their school preferences.
- Receive Outcome: Offers are sent in late July, with students receiving one offer for their highest preferred school for which they qualify.
Important Notes
- Students are eligible for one offer only, based on their exam performance and the order of preferences.
- Further details and step-by-step guidance can be found on the NSW Department of Education’s website.
Tips for Parents
- Understand the Process: Familiarise yourself with the timelines and requirements early to avoid missing critical deadlines.
- Choose Wisely: Research schools carefully to determine which ones align best with your child’s needs and interests.
- Prepare for the Exam: Encourage your child to prepare for the Selective High School Exam with practice tests and study materials and consider a specialised Exam Preparation course through a provider such as The Swot Shop.
- Stay Informed: Regularly check the NSW Education Department’s website for updates or changes to the process.
By staying proactive and organised, you can help your child navigate the competitive selective school application process with confidence.
Selective schools offer great opportunities for students, and there are good reasons why both students and parents are keen to explore this option. At the same time, the selective school exam is highly competitive, and selective schools may not be the best choice for every student. Below, we outline the benefits and challenges of selective schools to help parents make an informed decision.
Benefits
Selective schools offer many advantages that support a student’s academic and personal development:
- Academic Excellence: Selective schools foster an environment where high-achieving students can thrive. This collaborative learning environment often results in higher academic performance and excellent preparation for tertiary education.
- Specialised Teaching Methods: These schools use evidence-based teaching methods tailored to gifted and high-potential students. Approaches include:
- Enriched Learning: Exploring concepts in greater depth.
- Accelerated Learning: Allowing students to progress through the curriculum more quickly.
- Like-Minded Peer Group: Being surrounded by peers with similar abilities and ambitions can create a motivating and supportive community.
- HSC Scaling Advantages: High-performing student cohorts often achieve strong results in the Higher School Certificate (HSC), potentially supporting higher scaled marks.
- Extra Resources and Opportunities: Many selective schools offer a wide range of extracurricular activities and resources tailored to gifted students.
- Motivating Environment: The competitive yet supportive environment in selective schools can encourage students to develop resilience and effective study habits, valuable for academic and professional success.
Challenges
Despite their advantages, selective schools come with challenges that parents and students should carefully consider:
- Pressure and Stress: The competitive environment can create significant pressure to perform, potentially leading to stress and anxiety. For students with perfectionistic tendencies, this may be amplified.
- Competition Among Peers: Constant comparison with high-achieving peers may affect students’ self-esteem. For those used to being the top achiever in their previous settings, adapting to a highly competitive environment can be difficult.
- Narrow Focus: Selective schools often emphasise academics over non-academic skills, which can limit exposure to interpersonal, leadership, and social development opportunities.
- Travel and Community: Students may face longer commutes if the selective school is far from home. This can affect their ability to maintain local friendships and community connections.
- Overemphasis on Results: The focus on academic performance can overshadow the joy of learning and personal growth. Encouraging lifelong learning requires a balance between results and the intrinsic value of education.
Key Considerations for Selective Schooling
When deciding whether a selective school is right for your child, consider these factors:
- Academic Fit: Ensure your child is comfortable with a competitive and rigorous academic environment. While some students thrive, others may find it overwhelming.
- School Culture: Research the school’s culture and offerings. Speak with current students and parents, explore the school’s website, and attend open days where available to assess its extracurricular and academic programs.
- Mental Health and Well-Being: Balance academic aspirations with your child’s mental health. Support a well-rounded life with time for social connections and activities beyond school.
- Extracurricular Opportunities: Check for programs aligned with your child’s interests, such as sports, arts, or clubs. A well-rounded education fosters resilience and interpersonal skills essential for success in life.
- Preparation for the Selective Exam: The placement test is highly competitive. Encourage balanced preparation through gradual skill-building and avoid placing undue pressure on your child.
Final Thoughts
Choosing a school is an important decision that requires thoughtful consideration of your child’s unique needs and aspirations. While selective schools offer significant benefits, they may not be the best fit for every child. Whichever path you choose, supporting your child’s growth and happiness is the ultimate priority. Good luck with your decision-making process!
Once you’ve decided to pursue the selective high school pathway for your child, the next crucial step is choosing which schools to list on your application. This decision can affect your child’s secondary education experience, so it’s important to approach it thoughtfully.
Selective schools in NSW are highly competitive, and some schools are significantly more difficult to gain entry into than others. When making your decision, consider a range of factors—not just academic rankings.
Key Factors to Consider
- Your Child’s Academic Ability
Be realistic about your child’s current academic strengths and exam performance. Applying only to the most competitive schools without a good match to your child’s capabilities can reduce the chance of receiving an offer. Aim for a balance between aspiration and attainability.
- HSC Performance and Academic Focus
A school’s HSC results can reflect its academic environment and the overall performance of its student cohort. While past results don’t guarantee future outcomes, they can indicate how academically focused the school is and whether it aligns with your child’s learning needs and goals.
- Location and Travel Time
Long travel times can take a toll on your child’s wellbeing and academic performance. A long commute may leave less time and energy for study, rest, extracurriculars, and social life. Balance your ambitions with practical daily logistics.
- Your Child’s Interests and Future Goals
Look into each school’s subject offerings, including electives like languages, arts, and STEM options. Also consider extracurricular activities such as music, debating, or sports. Choose schools where your child can thrive both academically and personally.
Understanding the Selective School Application Process
When applying for selective high schools in NSW, you can nominate up to three schools, listed in order of preference. Importantly:
- Your child will receive only one offer, and it will be for the highest-ranked school on your list for which they qualify based on their exam results.
- If your child is eligible for more than one school, they will not receive multiple offers—only the top preference among them.
This makes your list order especially important.
How to Prioritise Your School Choices
To maximise your child’s chances while still aiming high:
- First Preference: Choose the selective school your child most wants to attend and where you believe they have a reasonable chance of qualifying.
- Second Preference: This could be another school that is desirable and within your child’s reach academically.
- Third Preference: Consider a selective school with a slightly lower entry threshold that your child is likely to qualify for. It should still be a school you and your child would be happy with.
This strategic approach gives your child the best chance of receiving an offer while still aiming for competitive options.
How to Assess Competitiveness of Selective Schools
Some selective schools are in particularly high demand. To gauge how competitive a school is, consider:
- Recent HSC rankings: Higher-ranked schools usually attract more applications.
- Number of applications vs available places: A larger number of applicants per spot indicates a more competitive entry.
- Historic patterns: While official cut-off scores are no longer published, trends from prior years (where available) can provide some guidance.
How The Swot Shop Can Help
At The Swot Shop, we use our 25+ years of experience to support families through this important process. Our Selective Exam Preparation course students benefit from:
- General advice based on past student outcomes and school entry trends.
- Informative parent sessions where school choices and strategy are discussed.
- Practical insights into balancing ambition with realistic expectations based on your child’s performance.
If you’re enrolled in our preparation program, our education team can offer guidance to help you make informed, confident choices.
In 2024, 88.7% of students who attended our Selective Exam Preparation Program and advised us of their results received an offer or a place on a reserve list. Over the years our leading success rate has been consistently around 80-90%.
Most Recent Data on School Demand and Performance
Here are two key resources to help guide your decision:
1. Fully Selective Schools – 2024 Places and Applications
(As published by the Sydney Morning Herald, June 2024)
2. Top 20 NSW High Schools by HSC Results – 2024
(As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, December 2024)
These insights can help you assess which schools are highly sought after and whether they are a good fit for your child.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right selective high schools for your child is not an exact science. With cut-off scores no longer publicly available, parents must rely on informed judgment and available data. By considering your child’s abilities, interests, and daily wellbeing – along with academic reputation and competition – you’ll be better placed to make the right decision.
We hope this guide provides a helpful foundation. If your child is preparing with The Swot Shop, don’t hesitate to contact us for further advice or to attend one of our information sessions.
For more information about our Selective Exam Preparation program, please get in touch with our team on (02) 9634 2000.
Preparing for the NSW Selective Test is a journey that often starts early. Admission to a selective high school is highly competitive. To receive an offer, students must not only demonstrate strong academic abilities but also be familiar with the exam format and maintain a steady pace during the test.
While education authorities have worked to make the Selective Test less coachable, the demand for places remains overwhelming. More high-potential and gifted students sit the exam than there are places available. As a result, most successful candidates have participated in some form of preparation program or tutoring outside of school.
The Swot Shop Selective Exam Preparation Program
At The Swot Shop, we have been offering our leading Selective Exam Preparation program for over 25 years, consistently achieving a success rate of 80-90%. In 2024, 88.7% of students in our program reported success in gaining an offer or a reserve list placement.
Program Entry Requirements
Entry to our program begins with an entry test that mirrors the Selective Exam format. This test provides valuable insights into your child’s strengths and areas for improvement, helping determine their suitability for the program.
Program Structure
The Selective Exam Preparation program spans four terms, with most students starting in Term 2. However, for those joining later, we offer a Selective Condensed program beginning in Term 3 or Term 4. The Condensed program features twice-weekly, two-hour classes designed to:
- Use students’ time efficiently.
- Match the optimal concentration span of Year 5 and 6 students.
- Maximise engagement and learning at a complex level.
Key Features of the Program
- Alignment with the Selective Exam Format: Our program is carefully structured to meet the demands of the Selective Exam, including extensive online test practice and optional holiday review sessions with daily test practice.
- Expert Guidance: Parents receive access to our expert education team for advice, as well as an in-depth information session at the start of the program.
- Gradual Skill Development: Our curriculum is designed to build skills progressively, ensuring that students have time to learn, consolidate, and perfect each concept before advancing.
- Effective Teaching and Practice: Combining explicit teaching methods with targeted practice helps students achieve the accuracy and speed required to excel in the exam.
Additional Support for Parents
Choosing the right selective schools for your child’s application can be a complex process due to limited publicly available information. While cutoff scores for schools are no longer published, The Swot Shop’s experienced education team can provide general suggestions and advice to assist in making informed decisions.
Information Sessions
We hold dedicated information sessions for parents of students in our Selective Exam Preparation program. These sessions often include discussions about school choices, drawing on:
- Over 25 years of experience in running selective preparation courses.
- Data shared by previous students to inform our recommendations.
Contact Us
For more information about The Swot Shop’s Selective Exam Preparation program and how we can support your child’s journey, please contact us.
The Selective Test takes place in early May each year. Leading up to this, students across NSW will be doing their final preparation in the final week leading up to the exam. Whether you’ve been studying all year or just getting into gear now, here’s how to walk into the test room feeling focused, prepared and ready to do your best.
How to Prepare in the Final Week
- Review under test-like conditions
Now is the time to practise under conditions that mirror the real test; timed, quiet and distraction-free.
Try the official practice tests here:
https://se-practice.au.insights.janison.com/pages/shs
Set a timer and complete each section in the correct order:
- Reading (40 min)
- Mathematical Reasoning (40 min)
- Thinking Skills (40 min)
- Writing (30 min)
This will help build focus, pacing and test-day confidence.
- Practise multiple choice strategy
The online practice tests let you flag questions, so if you’re stuck, guess, flag it and move on. Come back later if there’s time. Never leave a question blank. A random guess gives you a 25% chance of being right, but you can boost those odds by:
- Eliminating obviously wrong options,
- Looking for answers that don’t fit the question’s logic or tone,
- Watching out for extreme or unrelated options.
- Focus on timing, not perfection
In every test, some questions will be harder and others easier; they’re scattered randomly, not grouped by difficulty. Each question is worth the same score so don’t get stuck on a tough one.
- If a question is eating up time, guess, flag it and move on,
- Finish the whole test first, then return to flagged questions if you have time.
It’s not about getting every question right. It’s about getting as many right as possible within the time limit.
- Prepare mentally and physically
The final few days are just as much about mindset as they are about study.
- Prioritise sleep and regular meals to stay sharp and steady.
- Talk through the plan: where the test is, who’s dropping you off, what you’ll bring.
- Practise calming strategies like deep breathing, counting to 10 or visualising success. These tools are handy if nerves kick in on the day.
Smart Time Management on the Day
Before the test:
- Eat lunch before heading to the test centre
- Wear school uniform
- Pack: test ticket, 2 pencils, eraser, sharpener, clear water bottle, snack
(Leave smartwatches, phones, calculators, and pencil cases at home).
During the test:
- Use the countdown timer on your computer screen to manage time
- Don’t get stuck – guess, flag, move on
- Use breaks to relax, hydrate, eat and reset.
After the test:
- Walk out with the invigilators to meet your parent or carer
- Don’t discuss test questions with others
- Talk about how you felt, not what you answered
- Be proud of yourself for finishing a big challenge!
Section Tips
Reading (40 min):
- 16 questions with up to 30 responses
- Read carefully as some questions have dropdowns, others use drag-and-drop
- Pace yourself as some questions are multi-step
Mathematical Reasoning (40 min):
- 35 multiple choice questions
- Use the working out paper provided; draw diagrams to help visualise problems
- Be accurate but keep moving; don’t let one tricky question slow you down
Thinking Skills (40 min):
- 40 multiple choice questions
- Pay close attention to what the question is asking:
- Are you looking for what strengthens or weakens an argument?
- Is the answer supposed to be false or not possible?
- Watch for negative wording; words like not, never, least likely can trip you up
Writing (30 min):
- One writing task
- Make a quick plan (2-3 mins), write (20 mins), edit (2-3 mins)
- Stay on topic; even a well-written piece will lose marks if it drifts off-topic
Top Mistakes Students Make and How to Avoid Them
| Mistake | Better Strategy |
| Not reading questions carefully | Read every word, especially in complex or multi-step questions |
| Spending too long on one question | Guess, flag, and move on; come back if time allows |
| Leaving questions blank | Always guess! You’ve got a 25% chance and maybe more if you rule out some options |
| Ignoring the question’s focus | Watch for words like “not”, “except”, “most likely” etc. |
| Writing a great story that’s off-topic | Stick to the prompt! You lose marks for going off-track |
| Cramming the night before | Do light review early in the day, then rest as your brain needs to be fresh and alert |
Final Thoughts
This test is just one step in your learning journey but it’s a great opportunity to show what you can do. Stay calm, manage your time and trust your preparation. Good luck! You’ve worked hard. Now it’s time to show it.
