Guides for parents
Facts about dates, format and placement are checked against the NSW Department of Education's own pages, and each guide links to its sources.
- What is the NSW OC test? A plain-English guide for parents
What the Opportunity Class Placement Test is, who sits it, what is in it and how places are offered, explained simply for parents of Year 3 and Year 4 children.
- OC and Selective test 2027: key dates for 2028 entry
Official 2027 test dates and application deadlines for NSW Opportunity Class (Year 5, 2028) and Selective High School (Year 7, 2028) entry.
- OC test format explained, section by section
A detailed look at the three sections of the computer-based NSW OC test: what each question type looks like and what it tests.
- How OC placement offers work
How the NSW Department of Education decides opportunity class offers: test performance, school choices, reserve lists and gender balance.
- OC test preparation timeline: November 2026 to May 2027
A calm, term-by-term plan for parents preparing a child for the NSW OC test on 11–12 May 2027, from first practice to test week.
- OC Thinking Skills: question types and how to practise
The main kinds of Thinking Skills questions in the NSW OC test, with simple strategies parents can teach at home.
- OC Reading: how to build skill and speed
What the OC Reading section asks, why it is tight on time, and practical home habits that improve comprehension.
- OC Mathematical Reasoning: what is tested and how to prepare
The topics in the OC Mathematical Reasoning section and strategies for multi-step word problems without a calculator.
- How to use the official OC and Selective practice tests
What the NSW Department of Education's free practice tests include, how they differ from the real test, and how to combine them with other practice.
- NSW Selective test 2027: format and dates for Year 7 entry in 2028
The Selective High School Placement Test on 13–14 May 2027: its four sections, timing, writing task and key dates for 2028 entry.