Four sections, each worth exactly a quarter of the score. This guide sets out the official structure and timings, the application calendar, and the rules that decide who receives an offer.
Each section carries 25% of the placement score. A strong result in one cannot rescue a weak result in another — which is why a single weak component is the most common reason a capable child misses out.
| Section | Questions | Time | Format | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 38 questions | 45 min | Multiple choice | 25% |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 35 questions | 40 min | Multiple choice | 25% |
| Thinking Skills | 40 questions | 40 min | Multiple choice | 25% |
| Writing | 1 question | 30 min | Open response | 25% |
Reading. Non-fiction, fiction, poetry, magazine articles and reports.
Mathematical Reasoning. No calculator is permitted in this or any other section.
Thinking Skills. No previous knowledge is required for this test.
Writing. Assesses the creativity of ideas and the ability to write for a purpose and audience.
The test is computer-based throughout. The Department states that “all questions (multiple-choice and the writing question) are answered using the computer” — the writing response is typed, not handwritten.
Dates below are from the most recently completed cycle — Year 7 entry in 2027. Applications open while a child is in Year 5 and close while they are in Year 6.
| Stage | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Applications open | 6 November 2025 | Child is in Year 5 |
| Applications close | 20 February 2026 | Child is in Year 6 |
| Test admission ticket | April 2026 | 2 weeks before the test |
| Placement test | 1 or 2 May 2026 | Child is in Year 6 |
| Make-up test | 22 May 2026 | Approved illness or misadventure only |
| Last day to change school choices | 5 June 2026 | |
| Placement outcome released | Term 3, 2026 |
The Department notes these dates are subject to change, and dates for the next cycle were not published at the time of writing. Confirm against the official key dates page before acting on any calendar, including this one.
No late applications. “Closing dates for applications are strictly observed. No late applications will be accepted.”
The test is only held in NSW. The Department states that “from 2026 the Selective High School Placement Test will only be held in NSW”. Families living interstate or overseas must return to NSW to sit it, and applicants must be NSW residents by the school year of entry.
There is no pass mark. The Department states there “are no set minimum entry scores to receive an offer to a selective high school or opportunity class”. What a place costs in marks depends on how many students apply, how they perform against each other, and how many places a school has.
Performance is reported in four bands — the top 10% of candidates, the next 15%, the next 25%, and the lowest 50%.
Up to 20% of places at each school are held under the Equity Placement Model for students from low socio-educational advantage backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students from rural and remote locations, and students with disability. Those students still receive offers based on test performance. An offer comes from one school only — there is no shortlist of competing offers to choose between.
On 17 October 2025 the NSW Government announced that from the 2027 intake, an equal number of places would be available for girls and boys at all selective high schools, partially selective high schools, and opportunity classes.
At the time of the announcement, selective high schools were running at 58% boys to 42% girls. Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos pointed to “a growing decline in girls accepting places”. Assessment itself is unchanged — the reform governs how places are distributed, not how candidates are marked.
Year 6. Applications open while your child is in Year 5 and close while they are in Year 6. The test is sat in Year 6, and successful students start Year 7 at a selective high school the following year.
Four: Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills and Writing. Each section contributes 25% of the placement score, so no single component outweighs another.
Reading is 38 questions in 45 minutes, Mathematical Reasoning is 35 questions in 40 minutes, Thinking Skills is 40 questions in 40 minutes, and Writing is one question in 30 minutes. The first three are multiple choice; Writing is an open response. The counts come from the instruction pages of the practice question papers published by the Department, which state them directly — a summary page elsewhere on the site describes Reading as 17 questions, counting question groups rather than answers.
Computer. The NSW Department of Education states that "all questions (multiple-choice and the writing question) are answered using the computer", which includes typing the writing response.
No. The Department's wording is that "students cannot use a calculator during this, or any other, test".
The Department states that "no previous knowledge is required for this test". It measures reasoning rather than recall, which is why revising school content does not prepare a student for it in the way it does for Mathematical Reasoning.
There is no fixed threshold. The Department states there "are no set minimum entry scores to receive an offer to a selective high school or opportunity class". The mark required varies each year with the number of applicants, their relative performance, and the places available at each school.
One. You receive a placement offer from only one school. Students on a reserve list may receive an offer later if their position is reached before vacancies are filled.
Not since 2026. The Department states that "from 2026 the Selective High School Placement Test will only be held in NSW", so candidates living outside NSW must return to sit it. Applicants must also be NSW residents by the school year of entry.
Yes. From the 2027 intake, an equal number of places are available for girls and boys at all selective and partially selective high schools. The NSW Government announced this on 17 October 2025, citing a composition of 58% boys to 42% girls. Candidates are still assessed on placement test performance.
Last reviewed 2 August 2026. Confirm official dates and rules against the Department’s key dates page before acting on them.
