Guides for parents
What's on the test, when it runs, and how to help
Guides to the NSW Selective and OC tests, NAPLAN, the ACER scholarship test, HAST and WA GATE: the format, the dates, how places are offered, and how to help at home.
- Facts about each test come from the body that runs it — the NSW or WA education department, ACARA or ACER — and we link to them.
- Practice questions are checked by a second reviewer, and every check is logged.
Latest guide · Free practice questions
Free NSW OC Practice Questions (Thinking Skills and Maths)
Six free NSW Opportunity Class (OC) practice questions with worked answers: three Thinking Skills and three Mathematical Reasoning. Try them here.
The short answer
- The OC placement test has three parts: Reading (40 minutes), Mathematical Reasoning (35 questions, 40 minutes) and Thinking Skills (30 questions, 30 minutes).
- Each part counts for a third of the result.
All guides
NSW Selective
NSW Selective Mathematical Reasoning: What's Tested, With Free Example Questions
A parent's guide to the Mathematical Reasoning section of the NSW Selective test: the 35-question format, the topics that come up most, why "reasoning" is the operative word, and five free practice questions to try.
NSW Selective Reading Test: 45 Minutes, 38 Answers, and the Matching Half Nobody Warns You About
What the Reading section of the NSW Selective test really looks like: how long it runs, how the 38 answers are laid out, why the second half is different, and how to practise for it at home.
NSW Selective Thinking Skills: What's Actually Tested (With Example Questions)
What the Thinking Skills section of the NSW Selective test measures, the main question families and roughly how often each appears, how it differs from Maths and Reading, and how to help a child prepare.
NSW Selective Test: Format, Sections & What to Expect
A plain-English guide to the NSW Selective High School Placement Test — the four sections, how long each runs, what they cover, and how to prepare calmly.
How to Apply for a NSW Selective High School or Opportunity Class
Applications open in November. A step-by-step walkthrough of the NSW selective and OC application — who can apply, the five online steps, school choices, equity places, adjustments, and what happens after you submit.
Selective School Results & Cutoffs: How It Really Works
How NSW selective placement actually works — how results are reported, why there are no official cutoff scores, how preferences and offers are decided.
How NSW Selective School Preferences Work
A practical guide to choosing your school preferences (one to three), how the placement algorithm works, and common mistakes to avoid.
NSW Selective Test 2026: What Parents Need to Know
Key dates, format changes, section breakdowns, and preparation strategies for the 2026 NSW Selective High School Placement Test.
Selective Place or Scholarship? NSW Selective vs the ACER Test
Both are sat in Year 6, both lead to a Year 7 place. How the NSW Selective Placement Test and the ACER Scholarship Test differ, and which parts of preparation are shared.
NSW Selective vs OC: Which Test Is Your Child Sitting?
The OC test and the Selective High School Placement Test are two exams, two years apart. What changes between them, what carries over, and how to prepare for each.
Test Nerves in a 10-Year-Old: What Helps, What Makes It Worse
A practical guide for parents whose child gets anxious before the selective, OC or NAPLAN test. What the nerves are actually about, what to say in the weeks before, and how to handle the morning itself.
Does Coaching Help for the Selective or OC Test?
What the NSW Department of Education actually says about coaching for the selective and OC placement tests — quoted in full — plus what that does and doesn't mean for how you help your child at home.
Prepare for the Selective Test in 6 Months: A Weekly Plan
A calm, week-by-week six-month plan to prepare for the NSW Selective test — building all four sections steadily without burnout, month by month.
How to Help Your Child With the NSW Selective Writing Test
Writing feels like the one section you can't coach. Here's what the NSW Department of Education says the test assesses, the mistakes that quietly cost marks, and a simple home routine that works — without you writing it for them.
5 Math Tricks to Learn for the NSW Selective Test
Five mental math shortcuts that show up again and again on the NSW Selective Test. Each one saves time and reduces mistakes under pressure.
Last-Minute Tips for the NSW Selective Test (2026)
The NSW Selective test is days away. Here's what to pack, eat, and do — plus practical strategies your child can use during the test.
Is Your Child Ready for the NSW Selective Test?
A practical self-assessment checklist to help parents gauge their child's readiness for the NSW Selective test across reading, maths, thinking skills, and writing.
Free NSW Selective Thinking Skills Practice Questions
Five free NSW Selective Thinking Skills practice questions with worked answers — logic, deduction, verbal analogies and argument analysis. Try them here.
HAST vs NSW Selective: Two Pathways, Compared
One is a school-by-school entry test from ACER; the other is the NSW public selective stream. What differs, what preparation is shared, and whether a child can do both.
Does NAPLAN Count for Selective School Entry?
The short answer is no — and the NSW Department of Education's own policy says so in writing. Here's what NAPLAN is actually for, what it can and can't tell you about the selective test, and what to do with a Year 5 result.
NSW OC
The Opportunity Class (OC) Test: A Parent's Guide
What the NSW Opportunity Class placement test is, who sits it in Year 4, the three sections, how placement works, and how to prepare without pressure.
How Opportunity Class Places Are Offered
What happens between the OC placement test and the September outcome — how four school choices become one offer, what the performance report shows, reserve list bands, and the deadlines that decide an offer.
NSW OC Test 2026: What Parents Need to Know
Key dates, test format, competition numbers, and preparation advice for the 2026 NSW Opportunity Class Placement Test.
OC Test vs NAPLAN: How They Differ & Which to Prepare For
NAPLAN and the NSW Opportunity Class (OC) test are often confused. Here's how they differ in purpose, format and stakes — and how to prepare for each.
When to Start Preparing for the OC Test (Year 3 to Year 4)
A calm, term-by-term timeline for the NSW Opportunity Class placement test — when applications open, what's worth doing in Year 3, what the last few months look like, and how much preparation the department itself says is needed.
Free NSW OC Practice Questions (Thinking Skills and Maths)
Six free NSW Opportunity Class (OC) practice questions with worked answers: three Thinking Skills and three Mathematical Reasoning. Try them here.
How to Apply for a NSW Selective High School or Opportunity Class
Applications open in November. A step-by-step walkthrough of the NSW selective and OC application — who can apply, the five online steps, school choices, equity places, adjustments, and what happens after you submit.
NSW Selective vs OC: Which Test Is Your Child Sitting?
The OC test and the Selective High School Placement Test are two exams, two years apart. What changes between them, what carries over, and how to prepare for each.
Does NAPLAN Count for Selective School Entry?
The short answer is no — and the NSW Department of Education's own policy says so in writing. Here's what NAPLAN is actually for, what it can and can't tell you about the selective test, and what to do with a Year 5 result.
Test Nerves in a 10-Year-Old: What Helps, What Makes It Worse
A practical guide for parents whose child gets anxious before the selective, OC or NAPLAN test. What the nerves are actually about, what to say in the weeks before, and how to handle the morning itself.
Does Coaching Help for the Selective or OC Test?
What the NSW Department of Education actually says about coaching for the selective and OC placement tests — quoted in full — plus what that does and doesn't mean for how you help your child at home.
NAPLAN
NAPLAN Language Conventions Explained: Spelling, Grammar & Punctuation
What the NAPLAN Language Conventions section tests — spelling, grammar and punctuation — with free example questions for Year 3 and Year 5.
NAPLAN Numeracy: Topics Tested Year by Year
Which maths topics NAPLAN Numeracy tests at Year 3 versus Year 5, how the content steps up, and free example questions for each year.
NAPLAN Reading Explained: What's Tested & How to Help
What the NAPLAN Reading test actually measures — from locating facts to inference — and calm, effective ways to build comprehension at home.
NAPLAN Writing Task Explained (Year 3 & Year 5)
How the NAPLAN Writing task works — narrative vs persuasive, paper vs typed, what markers look for, and calm ways to help your child prepare.
NAPLAN Year 5: What Parents Need to Know
A calm, complete guide to NAPLAN Year 5 — the four domains, the online adaptive format, typed writing, the March window, and how to help gently.
NAPLAN Year 3: What to Expect (With Example Questions)
A calm guide to NAPLAN Year 3 — the four sections, the online format, the March window — with free example numeracy questions your child can try today.
What Do NAPLAN Results Actually Mean?
A plain-English guide to NAPLAN proficiency levels, how adaptive testing works, and what to do with your child's results.
Does NAPLAN Count for Selective School Entry?
The short answer is no — and the NSW Department of Education's own policy says so in writing. Here's what NAPLAN is actually for, what it can and can't tell you about the selective test, and what to do with a Year 5 result.
NAPLAN Year 3 vs Year 5: What Changes
A side-by-side comparison of NAPLAN Year 3 and Year 5 — timing, the switch from paper to typed writing, harder content, and what stays the same.
Is My Child Ready for NAPLAN? An Honest Guide
An honest look at what "ready for NAPLAN" really means, why the test needs no cramming, and a few calm ways to help your child feel prepared.
Free NAPLAN Practice Questions (Year 3)
Free NAPLAN Year 3 practice questions spanning Language Conventions and Numeracy — tap to answer, get instant feedback and worked explanations.
Free NAPLAN Practice Questions (Year 5)
Free NAPLAN Year 5 practice questions across Language Conventions and Numeracy — tap to answer, with instant feedback and worked explanations.
NAPLAN Year 5 Numeracy: Example Questions With Answers
Five free NAPLAN Year 5 Numeracy example questions with worked answers — place value, fractions, decimals, measurement and money. Try them online here.
OC Test vs NAPLAN: How They Differ & Which to Prepare For
NAPLAN and the NSW Opportunity Class (OC) test are often confused. Here's how they differ in purpose, format and stakes — and how to prepare for each.
Test Nerves in a 10-Year-Old: What Helps, What Makes It Worse
A practical guide for parents whose child gets anxious before the selective, OC or NAPLAN test. What the nerves are actually about, what to say in the weeks before, and how to handle the morning itself.
ACER Scholarship
ACER Scholarship Test (Year 7 Entry): Format & Samples
How the ACER Scholarship Test for Year 7 entry works — the three components, question counts, participating schools, and how selection works.
ACER Scholarship Test 2027: Dates, Registration & How It Works
The February 2027 ACER Scholarship Test sitting — when applications open and close, how cooperative and alternative-date registration differ, what is on the paper, and how to plan a calm run-up.
Year 7 Scholarship Tests: Which One Will Your Child Sit?
ACER Scholarship Test, HAST, or the school's own exam — how the Year 7 entry tests differ, when each is held, and what preparation carries across them.
Free ACER Scholarship Practice Questions (Year 7 Entry)
Free ACER Scholarship Test (Year 7 entry) maths questions to try in the browser — tap to answer, with instant feedback and worked solutions. No sign-up.
Selective Place or Scholarship? NSW Selective vs the ACER Test
Both are sat in Year 6, both lead to a Year 7 place. How the NSW Selective Placement Test and the ACER Scholarship Test differ, and which parts of preparation are shared.
HAST
HAST: The Higher Ability Selection Test, Explained
What the HAST (Higher Ability Selection Test) is, its levels, the Primary test structure, which schools use it, and how it differs from the ACER test.
HAST vs NSW Selective: Two Pathways, Compared
One is a school-by-school entry test from ACER; the other is the NSW public selective stream. What differs, what preparation is shared, and whether a child can do both.
Free HAST Practice Questions (Primary Level)
Free HAST practice questions in Mathematical Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning — tap to answer, with instant feedback and worked explanations. No sign-up.
Year 7 Scholarship Tests: Which One Will Your Child Sit?
ACER Scholarship Test, HAST, or the school's own exam — how the Year 7 entry tests differ, when each is held, and what preparation carries across them.
WA GATE
WA GATE ASET: Test Format and How to Prepare
What the WA GATE Academic Selective Entrance Test (ASET) involves — the four sections, timing, Perth Modern entry, and a calm approach to preparing.
Free WA GATE Practice Questions (ASET)
Free WA GATE ASET practice questions in Abstract Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning — tap to answer, with instant feedback and worked explanations.