NSW selective high school test vs the OC test
They are two separate tests, two separate applications, and two separate entry points. The short version: OC is sat in Year 4 for entry in Year 5; the selective high school test is sat in Year 6 for entry in Year 7.
Last updated: 22 September 2026
Side by side
| Opportunity class | Selective high school | |
|---|---|---|
| Sat in | Year 4 | Year 6 |
| Entry into | Years 5–6 at a primary school with an OC class | Year 7 at a selective high school |
| Sections | Reading · Mathematical Reasoning · Thinking Skills | Reading · Mathematical Reasoning · Thinking Skills · Writing |
| Writing task | No | Yes — a typed response |
| Applications | Open around November, close in February | Open around November, close in February |
| Test | May | May |
The real difference: writing
The selective test adds a typed writing task, and the four components each carry equal weight in the final score. That single change alters how families should think about preparation: a child who is strong at multiple choice can still lose a quarter of the available marks on a task they have never done under time pressure.
The other three components cover similar ground at both levels — reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning that leans on problem solving rather than computation, and thinking-skills questions that aren't drawn from the curriculum at all.
On Meritly, both levels have timed Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills papers, marked as soon as your child finishes — three of the four selective components, and all three at OC level.
Does getting into an OC help with selective entry?
No. An opportunity class place carries no weight in the selective high school process — you apply again in Year 6 and sit the test on the same terms as everyone else. OC students often do well, but that reflects the students, not a pathway.
The reverse is worth saying just as plainly: not getting an OC place has no effect on the selective application two years later.
The timelines overlap, and that catches people out
Both cycles open around November and close in February, and both sit in May. If you have children in Year 4 and Year 6 in the same year, you are running two applications in the same window, with two different papers to think about.
Where the official information lives
Dates, eligibility and the application portal for both are published by the NSW Department of Education. Check the current year's page before acting on any date you read anywhere else, including here.
Related guides:
About Meritly — Meritly is an Australian-owned practice platform covering Maths and English from Year 1 to Year 12, Science to Year 10, and Reasoning for Years 3 to 6, with exam-style practice for NAPLAN, ICAS, the Australian Mathematics Competition, and the OC and Selective test sections in NSW.
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