OC vs Selective Test: What’s the Difference, and Which One Is Right for Your Child?

The OC test is a NSW test that Year 4 children sit to try for a place in an Opportunity Class, a special class for Years 5 and 6. The Selective test is a NSW test that Year 6 children sit to try for a place at a selective high school.

Here is the main OC vs Selective test difference. The OC test has three parts, whereas the Selective test has four. Both have Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills, but only the Selective test adds a writing task. And while OC is a class for two years, Selective is a school for six.

In 2027, both tests fall in the same week in May, and applications open on 5 November 2026. The blog explains what is different, what stays the same, and how to choose what is right for your child.

OC vs Selective Test at a Glance

Let’s take a quick look at the main OC vs Selective test differences. If you’re short on time, read the first three rows. They explain most of the rest.

Source: NSW Department of Education - Opportunity class practice tests, Selective high school practice tests, Opportunity classes (Year 5–6), Selective high schools, Choosing your schools and Application process pages, checked November 2026.

Put simply: OC is a two-year class in primary school, chosen by a three-part test in Year 4. Selective is a high school, chosen by a four-part test in Year 6.

Some children move to a new primary school for OC, then go to a selective high school later. Others stay at their local school and only apply for high school. Both are normal. If your child is in Year 3 now, only the OC column matters this year.

Which Test Is Your Child Sitting in 2027?

Here’s something that confuses many parents. The Department names each round after the year your child starts at the new school, not the year they sit the test. So a test in May 2027 is called “entry in 2028”. This table works from your child’s school year now, so you don’t have to work it out.

Is your child in Year 4 this year? Then they have missed the OC test, because you can’t apply to join an OC class in Year 6 only. Their next chance is the Selective test in Year 6. That’s fine. Any eligible Year 6 child can sit the Selective test, whether or not they did the OC test.

When Are the OC and Selective Tests in 2027?

The Department shared the 2027 dates in late October 2026. Both tests use the same application dates, but the tests are on different days. Here are the key dates in order.

• 5 November 2026: applications open for both tests.
• 15 February 2027: applications close. This is also the last day to ask for extra support on test day.
• 11 or 12 May 2027: the OC test. 13 or 14 May 2027: the Selective test. Each child goes on one day only.
• 10 and 11 June 2027: catch-up tests for children who were sick (OC on 10 June, Selective on 11 June).
• 25 June 2027: the last day to change your school choices.
• August and September 2027: Selective results usually come in August, and OC results in September.

There’s a long wait between the test and the results, so it helps to know these dates early.

For a Year 5 child, this means applying now or over the summer holidays. They sit the test in mid-May, early in Term 2, and you get the result in Term 3. For help with the form itself, see our step-by-step guide to the selective high school application for 2028.

What Do the OC and Selective Tests Actually Check?

Neither test checks how much your child has memorised. Both tests look at how well your child reads, thinks and solves new problems.

The Department says the questions use what children learn at school. The OC test uses school work up to Year 4. The Selective test uses school work up to Year 6. The Thinking Skills part needs no school knowledge at all.

So the type of thinking stays the same, and only the level goes up. A Year 4 maths question might ask your child to find a total. A Year 6 question on the same idea might ask them to compare two choices and pick the better one. A child who is confident with school maths and reads carefully is already building what both tests look for.

How Do the Parts of Each Test Compare?

Three of the four parts are in both tests. Many parents are surprised by how alike the timing is.

Source: NSW Department of Education - Opportunity class practice tests and Selective high school practice tests pages, including the student guide videos.

Reading

In the OC test, your child has 40 minutes for 14 questions. Some questions have more than one part, so there are 33 answers in total. In the Selective test, they have 45 minutes for 17 questions and 38 answers. Both tests use stories, facts, poems, magazine articles and reports, all read on screen.

Mathematical Reasoning

This part is almost the same in both tests: 35 questions in 40 minutes, with five answer choices each and no calculator. The difference is the maths. The Selective questions use two more years of school maths, so they often need more steps.

Thinking Skills

The OC test has 30 questions in 30 minutes. The Selective test has 40 questions in 40 minutes. Both have four answer choices. That’s about one minute per question in each test. The real change is that your child has to stay focused for 10 more minutes.

Writing (Selective only)

Your child gets one topic and 30 minutes. They can plan on paper or on the screen, then type their answer. Markers look at three things: fresh ideas, writing that suits the purpose and the reader, and good use of words. If the writing goes off topic, it gets a lower mark, even if it is well written.

Is the OC Test Harder Than the Selective Test?

This is one of the most common questions parents ask. The answer depends on what you mean by “hard”.

Harder to get into: OC

OC has fewer than half as many places as Selective, and fewer places usually means more competition. Some schools are also much harder to get into than others. A popular selective school in Sydney can be far more competitive than the numbers for the whole state suggest. The same is true for some OC schools.

Harder to sit: Selective

The Selective test is 45 minutes longer. It adds a writing task worth a quarter of the result. It also uses two more years of reading and maths. Many of the children sitting it have already done a test like this once before.

Does Getting Into OC Help With Selective?

Many families think of OC as the first step towards Selective. In fact, the Department runs them as two completely separate processes.

For Selective, your child applies again in Year 5 and sits a new test in Year 6. Only that test counts. Being in an OC class doesn’t add marks. Missing out on OC doesn’t take any away. The Department even has a student video about this. In it, a Fort Street High School student says they did badly in the OC test. They still got into a selective school.

OC can still help in other ways. Two years in a faster class, with classmates who like a challenge, can build reading and thinking skills. Your child will also have done one of these tests before, so the Selective test won’t feel so new.

For a term-by-term plan from now until May 2027, see our guide on when to start OC or Selective prep.

What Do Parents Need to Do?

You apply the same way for both tests. You do it online, using your own details, not your child’s. The Department lists five steps.

1. Register on the application website with your own details.
2. Check your email and click the link to confirm it. Look in your junk folder if it doesn’t arrive.
3. Log in to the application website.
4. Fill in every section. You can save and come back later, but saving does not send it.
5. Submit the form, then check for the confirmation email and the message in your account.

After you submit, you can log back in. You can change your school choices until 25 June 2027, upload documents, or send the Selective Education team a message.

What Maths Do the Tests Look For?

Mathematical Reasoning makes up one third of the OC result and one quarter of the Selective result. That’s a big share of the marks.

The Department says the maths comes from what children learn at school. What the tests look for is how well your child uses that maths. That means reading a word problem carefully, working out numbers in their head, and thinking through more than one step before picking an answer.

Year 4 style: Pencils come in packs of 6 for AU$3. How much do 18 pencils cost? The answer is three packs, so $9.

Year 6 style: Pencils come in packs of 6 for $3, or packs of 10 for $4.50. What is the cheapest way to buy exactly 30 pencils? Now your child has to compare prices, find the packs that add up to exactly 30, and check each one. Three packs of 10 cost $13.50. That’s cheaper than five packs of 6, which cost $15.

It’s the same topic and the same idea. The Year 6 version just has more steps and more checking.

For more OC maths practice ideas, see our guide to OC test preparation for maths.

How Can Cuemath Help Your Child With OC and Selective Maths?

Cuemath is a live, online maths tutoring program for children from Kindergarten to Year 10. Every class is one-on-one. Your child learns with a coach on a shared screen, two to three times a week, from home.

Our coaches follow the Australian Curriculum and the NSW syllabus. That matters for OC and Selective, because both tests use school maths. When a child is strong in school maths, they have more to work with on test day.

Every plan includes the same things, whatever your child needs. There is no extra charge for test practice.

• Live one-on-one classes: the coach teaches only your child, so classes move at your child’s pace.
• OC and Selective practice: reasoning practice and mock papers for both tests are part of the plan.
• School maths and homework help: your child keeps up with class work at the same time.
• The Mental Math app: short daily practice for speed and accuracy without a calculator.
• Advanced learning: a path for children who are ready for harder topics and maths competitions.
• A parent app: see progress, message the coach and move classes when you need to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the OC test have a writing section?

No. The OC test has three multiple-choice parts: Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills. It takes 110 minutes in total. The writing task is only in the Selective test, which Year 6 children sit. It is worth 25% of the Selective result.

Can my child join an Opportunity Class in Year 6?

No. Opportunity classes last two years, Year 5 and Year 6. The NSW Department of Education does not take applications for Year 6 only. Parents apply at the end of Year 3 or the start of Year 4. A child who misses out can still sit the Selective test in Year 6.

Does my child need to be in an OC class to get into a selective school?

No. OC and Selective are separate. Selective places are given out using the Selective test, which children sit in Year 6. Being in an OC class does not add any marks to that result. Many children get into selective schools without ever being in an OC class.

Are calculators allowed in the OC or Selective test?

No. Calculators are not allowed in any part of either test. Children can do their working out on paper during the test. So practising maths in their head and on paper is more useful than practising with a calculator.

How many schools can I list for OC and Selective?

Up to four OC schools, or up to three selective schools. Your child is judged for every school on their test result only. Putting a school first does not give extra marks. If your child gets an offer from a school higher on your list, you will not get an offer from a school lower down.

When are the OC and Selective tests in 2027?

The OC test is on 11 or 12 May 2027. The Selective test is on 13 or 14 May 2027. Each child sits on one day only. Applications for both open on 5 November 2026 and close on 15 February 2027. Catch-up tests for sick children are on 10 June (OC) and 11 June (Selective).

Do NAPLAN results count for OC or Selective?

No. The NSW Department of Education gives out places based on the OC test and the Selective test. NAPLAN is not part of it. Going to school regularly still matters. If a child misses lots of school without a good reason, the Department tells the selection committee.

Can families who live outside NSW apply?

Yes, but there are rules. Children at schools in other states or overseas can apply. The family must be living in NSW by the start of the school year when the place begins. The child must also come to NSW to sit the test, because the tests are only held in NSW.

Sources

• NSW Department of Education - Application process
• NSW Department of Education - Opportunity class practice tests
• NSW Department of Education - Selective high school practice tests
• NSW Department of Education - Opportunity classes (Year 5–6)
• NSW Department of Education - Selective high schools
• NSW Department of Education - Choosing your schools
• NSW Department of Education - Selective high schools and opportunity class placement procedures

Nupur Jainin✉

Senior Writer

I write because I like understanding things properly, and I've never been able to do that quietly.

Six years in, what still interests me most isn't the writing itself. It's the person on the other side. Who are they, what were they actually worried about when they opened this page, and did they leave with what they came for? Most content fails that last test. It answers the easy question instead of the one that was asked.

At Cuemath, I write for parents and students in India and around the world. That range is the part I enjoy. A parent in Bangalore and a parent in Canada are asking about the same child, but not always in the same words, and that difference matters.

So I research before I write. Not just search results. Forums, reviews, the long comment threads where somebody finally admits what they're really confused about. That's usually where the useful thing is hiding.

I also spend time on how people find this writing at all, since a growing number of them now ask an AI instead of typing into Google. But that only works if the writing is clear to begin with. There's no shortcut around that part.