About Selective Schools

Selective schools are a type of government high school that accepts students based on their results in the Selective High School Placement Test, an exam taken in Term 1 of Year 6. The schools are un-zoned, meaning students are able to apply for entry regardless of where they live. Students attending these schools generally perform at a higher level in the HSC (Higher School Certificate) that is completed in Year 12.

Selective schools are split into two main categories: fully selective and partially selective. However, some of these schools can also be sorted into other categories which we have listed below. For the full list of schools, visit the Department of Education’s list of Selective high schools.

Fully Selective Schools

All classes in fully selective schools are academically selective. As of 2024, there are 17 fully Selective Schools in NSW. 

Partially Selective Schools

Only some classes in partially selective schools are academically selective. Students who are admitted through the Selective Test process will be placed into selective classes for English, Mathematics and Science classes but will often join non-selective students for other subjects. As of 2024, there are 25 partially selective high schools in NSW. 

Special Schools

All four agricultural high schools in NSW are fully selective. These schools offer agriculture as a compulsory subject from years 7-10. 

The Conservatorium High School is a specialist high school that lies outside of the Selective School program and focuses on music studies. However, students will need to attempt the Selective Test as well as complete a musical audition for admission. More details for the Conservatorium High School’s admission process can be found on their site.

Aurora College is a virtual selective school for rural and remote students. The school offers selective classes for Mathematics, English, and Science such that students will be able to attend their local high school for other subjects. They also offer senior subjects for the HSC which can be taken if a student’s local school does not offer it. More information regarding this school can be found on their site.

There are many advantages and disadvantages that should be kept in mind when deciding whether or not attending a selective high school would be the right decision for your child. A few key points are listed below:

Overall, attending a selective school is based on your child’s needs. If your child wishes to pursue a more academic career, it is often beneficial to apply for a selective school. That being said, the Selective Test is a great learning opportunity for children even if they do not wish to attend a selective school as it gives them the experience of taking examinations. 

Private schools are independent institutions, separate from the government system. As they are privately funded, students will be required to pay a school fee in order to attend which can range from about $2,000 to $40,000 a year depending on the school. While the fees may be quite expensive, the facilities offered by private schools are generally at a much higher level than that offered by government schools. There tends to be more opportunities for a wider range of extracurricular participation.

Academically, the top private schools perform very well against the rest of the state, frequently having many private schools ranked within the top 50 high schools in NSW. Private schools also offer scholarships for students, and can be provided for different reasons (eg. Sport scholarships may be given to students if they are high achievers in sport and apply for one). If you wish to send your child to a private school on a scholarship, consider having them sit a scholarship exam for that specific school in Year 6. More information about each school’s scholarship programs can be found on their school websites.

Choosing between private schools and selective schools can be a difficult and daunting decision to make. Here are some comparisons of the two to help your decision making process. 

Academics 

According to the 2023 HSC Results, the top four high schools were Selective while only one was private.

Going down the list, a large portion of the top 50 high schools are private schools, taking up 32 spots on the list. Only 16 out of the top 50 schools were selective high schools. From an academic only standpoint, top selective schools perform at a much higher level than private schools but lower achieving selective schools generally do poorer than their private counterparts. 

Extra Curricular

Private schools place great emphasis on their extra curricular activities and have access to more funding, thus offering a larger variety that students can participate in. These include more niche sporting, creative arts and international opportunities. Every private school has a different offering so please check their website or contact them for specifics. 

School Fees

Private school tuition fees are much more expensive than selective school fees. While selective schools are technically free, costs from excursions, devices, uniforms, and other miscellaneous costs average up to approximately $2,000 a year. On the other hand, as mentioned earlier, some private schools can reach up to approximately $40,000 a year. For a clearer idea of what each private school charges, visit Private Schools News Australia.

The Test

The 2025 Selective Test for 2026 entry will be held on May 2–4.

The Selective Test is split into four parts: 

• Reading Comprehension (16 questions, 2 questions have multiple parts to answer) - 40 minutes 

• Mathematical Reasoning (35 questions) - 40 minutes

• Thinking Skills (40 questions) - 40 minutes

• Writing (1 extended response) - 30 minutes

Students will attempt each part separately with a short break in between each section. The level of difficulty will be significantly harder than content taught at school. 

READING

The first two sections of the Reading exam consist of two reading comprehension articles of different genres/text types including science fiction, poetry, visual texts, news reports, and non-fiction. This is followed by a cloze passage where students fill in missing sentences of a passage using the options provided. 

The final section consists of four excerpts written about a common theme. Students will then have to answer which of the four best fit in each of the questions asked.

MATHEMATICAL REASONING

The Mathematical Reasoning section examines a variety of topics including fractions, ratios, volumes and percentages. While students may have encountered all these topics at school, the questions in the Selective Test are often at a higher level of difficulty.

THINKING SKILLS

The Thinking Skills section has replaced General Ability which was tested in previous years. While a few visual pattern type problems have carried over to the new format, all other questions are drastically different. 

The exam focuses on problem solving and critical thinking questions that are split into two main components: numerical reasoning and logic based critical thinking. The numerical aspect will be very similar to maths questions but have greater emphasis on problem solving. Logic based critical thinking questions will test students on their understanding of arguments and the ability to identify flaws in reasoning.

WRITING

The Writing exam will be a single extended response based on a stimulus that can range from a quote, a picture or an idea. Text types in the new Selective Test format are leaning towards non-fictional pieces ranging from advice sheets to persuasive writing. For this exam, logical writing structure and solid, relevant arguments will be heavily emphasised. 

The Department of Education has released a sample paper which will be very similar to what is expected in the Selective High School placement test.

Alpha One offers 4 Selective Test preparation courses that are designed to help students tackle the Selective Test. Find out more and claim your free trial today.

A student’s condition on the day of the exam is extremely important as it can affect their performance. To ensure they are performing at their peak, students should get eight hours of sleep and drink plenty of water the night before the exam. 

On the day, students should go to the bathroom before the exam and during breaks - even if they do not feel the need to go. It is important for students to keep a sharp eye on the time and set milestones throughout the exam. 

For example, the Thinking Skills section has 40 questions and a 40 minute time limit so each question should be completed in around 1 minute. By the time 20 minutes has passed, students should be halfway through the exam. Each question is worth the same mark despite differing difficulty levels so students should not spend too much time on one question.

Alpha One offers a Selective Trial Test Course (STTC) that focuses on helping students develop exam techniques for speed and accuracy under simulated exam conditions. Find out more and claim your free trial today.

The calculation of entry scores have been revamped many times over the past few years. Currently, the NSW Department of Education has not released how they are calculating the scores in the future. 

The report received by parents upon release of the test results has also been changed this year. Previously, students would receive an overall mark. The new report no longer shows a score but will convey your child’s performance by placing your child in one of four bands for each subject:

• Top 10% of all students

• The next 15%

• The next 25%

• The bottom 50% 

For more specific information regarding the release of results, visit the NSW Government Education page on outcome information.

Parents are able to select three school choices in order of preference in the application. Students will receive an offer from only one school - this will be whichever school their results qualify for and is listed as the higher preference. If their results do not qualify for any of the schools on their preference list, they will not receive an offer.

The Equity Placement Model

The equity placement model is a recently introduced policy which aims to provide fairer access to under-represented groups of students in the OC and Selective Tests. Only 20% of spots will be reserved for students who have not been offered a place,  have scores within 10% of the minimum first round entry score and are a part of these following groups: 

• Students from low socio-educational advantage backgrounds (10% of available spots)

• Aboriginal students (5% of available spots)

• Students from remote areas (2.5% of available spots)

• Students with disabilities (2.5% of available spots)

There is any additional 5% allocated to students who were unable to sit the test on the exam date due to legitimate reasons.

For more information on how this entire process works, read our blog on the equity placement model.