📖 What is the NSW Selective Schools Test?
A quick guide for Year 6 students and families
The NSW Selective High Schools Placement Test is used to select Year 7 students for entry into selective high schools across New South Wales — including James Ruse, North Sydney Boys, North Sydney Girls, Baulkham Hills, Hornsby Girls, and many more.
📋 The Four Test Strands
- 📚 Reading — Reading comprehension across fiction, non-fiction and poetry passages. Tests literal comprehension, inference, vocabulary in context and author’s purpose.
- ✍️ Writing — One creative or persuasive writing task. Marked by trained assessors for ideas, structure, language and mechanics.
- 🔢 Mathematical Reasoning — Number, measurement, geometry, patterns, data and probability. No calculator permitted.
- 🧠 Thinking Skills — Verbal reasoning (analogies, classification), logical reasoning (sequences, patterns) and abstract thinking.
💡 Key Facts
Highly competitive: Only ~15–17% of applicants are offered places at selective schools each year. Preparation significantly improves performance.
Online test: Delivered on computer at your school or a test centre.
Year 6 students sit the test in March for Year 7 entry the following year.
💡 Tip: The Writing section is not tested in this free sample — but it is one of the most improvable parts of the test. Our full packs include real writing prompts with model responses and examiner annotations.
