NSW Selective practice tests 2027: free mocks, samples and study materials

Return to the selective school preparation hub for schools, eligibility and verified 2027-cycle dates. “2027” on this page means Year 7 entry year, not the calendar year of the Placement Test. NSW DoE names each cycle by entry year: the test for Year 7 entry in 2027 was sat 1–2 May 2026 (make-up 22 May 2026) and is completed as of September 2026.

Use this page to start NSW Selective practice tests for 2027-entry (Year 7 entry), or for the next published cycle: three equal starts (sample, component, or mock), account gates stated plainly, and Braintree Coaching Australia originals labelled apart from official DoE materials. Do not treat the finished May 2026 sitting as still ahead. For worked question-type teaching, keep the selective test questions practice examples article. That guide teaches; this page starts practice.

How should we choose a starting path for Selective practice?

A Selective practice start is one of three equal paths — sample, component drill, or timed mock — and each path states whether an account or email gate applies before you click through. Official NSW Department of Education materials are labelled separately from Braintree Coaching Australia originals.

Path	What you get	Material label	Account / gate	Start here
Try a sample	Official DoE online practice that simulates test-day software, plus older PDF samples that do not match the current computer-based format; or our printable Year 6 sample with worked solutions	Official (DoE / Cambridge copyright) · Original (Braintree printable)	DoE: no published account wall. Braintree printable: email download gate (not paid membership)	DoE practice tests · Year 6 sample questions
Practise a component	Past-paper style PDFs and component drills for Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills or typed Writing — pick the weakest section from a baseline, not a random stack	Original Braintree library (not official DoE used papers unless a source says so)	No account to browse the library; download/print as published on each page	NSW Selective past papers · Thinking Skills guide · Writing guide
Sit a mock	Full-length timed on-screen Selective mock for stamina and pacing across all four components	Original Braintree free mock pack	Overview: open. Starting a test: free student account required (no card)	Free mock tests

Prefer the Department's online practice over its PDF samples when you want format fidelity. Use our printable sample when you want parent-led worked solutions at the kitchen table. Sit a full mock only after a weak component is steady enough that the sitting teaches something.

What does a worked Selective sample explanation look like before we buy a pack?

A worked Selective sample explanation names the reasoning step (not only the answer) so a family can see what “review” means before buying a question bank. This Mathematical Reasoning pattern is from our original Year 6 sample pack — not an official DoE item:

Question: A sequence begins 2, 5, 11, 23, … What is the next number?

Find how each term relates to the previous one. Here, multiply by 2 and add 1: (2×2)+1=5, (5×2)+1=11, (11×2)+1=23. The next term is (23×2)+1 = 47. The full printable walks common traps and parallel Reading / Thinking Skills items with the same review habit: name the reasoning step, not only the answer.

Download the NSW Selective Year 6 sample questions (email gate) for the complete worked set, or read more component walkthroughs in the selective test questions practice examples teaching article. Only after that review habit is clear should you compare a Selective Test Preparation course or paid bank.

What were the key dates for the completed 2027-entry Selective cycle?

The 2027-entry Selective cycle (Year 7 entry in 2027) ran from applications in November 2025 through placement outcomes expected in August 2026, with the Placement Test sat on 1–2 May 2026 and now a historical record. Keep these dates for reference; do not work a current preparation plan backwards from them. 2028-entry application, sitting and outcomes dates are not yet published on the Department application page as of September 2026 — confirm there before you lock a next-cycle mock calendar.

Event	Timing (2027 entry cycle — completed sitting)
Applications open	6 November 2025 (Year 5)
Applications close	20 February 2026 — no late applications
Placement test	1–2 May 2026, one day per student (make-up 22 May 2026) — completed
Outcomes	19 August 2026 (expected)
2028 early prep	Year 5 foundations from mid-2026 — see OC and Selective timeline caps 2027–28; exact 2028-entry sitting date unpublished

Confirm every live date on the NSW Department of Education application page before you lock in a mock schedule.

What is the current preparation checklist after we pick a path?

The current Selective preparation checklist is the same resource order used for the completed May 2026 sitting — sample or component work first, then on-screen mocks — with calendar dates taken only from the Department’s next published cycle.

1. Sample path: download the NSW Selective Year 6 sample questions printable (email gate) and/or sit the official NSW DoE online practice (no published account wall) under section timers.
2. Component path: run three weekly timed drills per weakest component via NSW Selective past papers and sibling guides, and log every mistake by type rather than by question number.
3. Pair paper sets with free timed mocks on screen when accuracy is steady — remember a free student account is required to start a mock.
4. Re-read Thinking Skills new format before heavy Thinking Skills blocks — computer-based structure differs from older PDFs.

Where can we get the official NSW Selective sample materials?

Start with the official sample and information material published by the test administrator. The Selective High School Placement Test is administered by the Selective Education team at the NSW Department of Education, so the Department's own samples are the closest public indicator of question style, difficulty and the computer-based format.

• the NSW Department of Education publishes the official Selective Placement Test information, the four-component structure, eligibility, the application process, and sample test materials. Start here before buying anything.
• the Department's practice-tests page carries free online practice that simulates the software used on test day, plus downloadable PDF sample papers. The practice tests and related materials are copyright Cambridge University Press & Assessment, which partners with the Department on test development, design and marking.

Sit the official sample under quiet, timed conditions early in the year as a diagnostic. Mark it carefully, identify the weakest of the four components, and use the result to shape the first few months of practice. Unlike the OC test, the Selective test includes a typed writing task, so the diagnostic should be sat on a computer to surface typing and on-screen reading habits as well as content gaps.

When the Placement Test for your entry year is already completed, read the Department's placement outcomes page for results timing, offers and reserve lists, then keep this page for the next published cycle's selective practice tests order rather than inventing sitting dates.

What does the NSW Selective test cover that the OC test does not?

The Selective test has four equally weighted components, while the OC test has three. The Selective High School Placement Test assesses Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills and a Writing task, each worth 25 per cent; the Opportunity Class test, sat two years earlier, covers the same reasoning components but has no writing component. That difference shapes the resource mix: a Selective candidate needs typed-writing practice that an OC candidate does not.

Component	Approx. timing	Format
Reading	45 minutes, 17 questions (3 multi-part → 38 answers)	On-screen multiple choice and passage tasks.
Mathematical Reasoning	40 minutes, 35 questions	On-screen, no calculator permitted.
Thinking Skills	40 minutes, 40 questions	On-screen critical thinking and problem-solving items (DoE publishes no named subtype list). Start with the Selective Thinking Skills new format guide for computer-based structure, then our Thinking Skills selective test guide for weekly drills and mock-review mistakes.
Writing	30 minutes, one response	One typed response on screen. See our selective writing test guide for genre coverage, mock-review mistakes and a weekly typed-practice plan.

The total sitting runs to roughly 155 minutes. Because each component carries an equal weighting, a strong child who neglects writing or thinking skills can still miss a place, so the resource plan must give the writing task real practice time rather than treating it as an afterthought.

What kinds of practice materials does a Selective candidate actually need?

Most Selective candidates need five kinds of material across a preparation year: component-specific drills, full-length mock tests, vocabulary work, timed typed writing, and a mistake-tracking log. Each addresses a different gap, and none replaces the others.

Material	Purpose	Frequency
Component drills (Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills)	Building accuracy on individual question types.	Daily, 20–30 minutes per session.
Verbal sub-skill drills (word rearrangement, sentence completion)	Targeted Thinking Skills verbal items that recur in NSW Selective and EduTest papers.	Twice weekly — see the verbal reasoning guide modules.
Timed typed writing tasks	Rehearsing the 30-minute on-screen writing response.	Twice weekly, marked against a simple home checklist.
Full-length timed mock tests	Practising stamina and pacing across the whole on-screen sitting.	Weekly in the middle phase; tapering near the test.
Vocabulary lists with context sentences	Lifting reading comprehension and inference scores.	20 new words per week throughout the plan.
Mistake log	Identifying recurring errors and stopping them recurring.	After every drill or mock test.

In our mock reviews, the mistake log is the step tutors see move accuracy most often. A child who reviews every wrong answer, and writes the type of mistake rather than just the question into a running list, gets more from the next sitting than one who sits more papers without review. For writing, keep a parallel log of recurring weaknesses (weak openings, thin paragraphs, run-on sentences) so each typed response targets a specific fix.

What do we see go wrong in Selective mock tests?

The pattern is consistent across components, and it is rarely a knowledge gap. From our own timed mock reviews with Year 6 children, Braintree Coaching Australia tutors record four recurring weaknesses: Reading questions that turn on inference rather than recall, Mathematical Reasoning accuracy that holds up until pace forces slips, Thinking Skills items where the pattern is spotted too late, and Writing responses limited by keyboard fluency rather than ideas. Each one has a different fix, which is why a single "do more practice papers" instruction rarely moves a score.

That also shapes how to use a paper library. Our NSW Selective past papers page holds roughly 90 free practice PDFs, and the temptation is to work straight through them. It is more useful to pick the papers that hit the weakness the mistake log has already named, then return to full sittings once that component is steady.

In what order should we work through the resources?

The order matters as much as the materials: set a baseline first, drill weak components next, then rehearse the full sitting last. Working in this sequence stops a child burning through scarce mock tests before they are ready to learn from them.

1. Baseline. Sit the official NSW DoE Selective sample test under timed, on-screen conditions. Mark it together and rank the four components from strongest to weakest.
2. Component drills. Spend the bulk of the plan on short daily drills in Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills, weighted towards the weakest component. Keep mental-maths sharp, since calculators are not permitted, and add two timed typed-writing tasks each week. For verbal Thinking Skills items, rotate word rearrangement and sentence completion drills from our verbal reasoning guide.
3. Past-paper revision. Use the Department's published sample questions to drill specific question types across all four components and confirm the mistake log is shrinking.
4. Full mock tests. Rehearse the whole on-screen sitting, timed and scored, tapering in the final fortnight so the child arrives fresh.

For a full week-by-week build that puts these resources on a calendar, see our NSW Selective test preparation strategies.

How does NSW Selective practice relate to OC preparation?

NSW Selective and Opportunity Class preparation run through the same statewide placement process, so much of the resource advice transfers directly. Both the Selective High School Placement Test (sat in Year 6 for Year 7 entry) and the OC Placement Test (sat in Year 4 for Year 5 entry) are administered by the Selective Education team at the NSW Department of Education, and both test reading, mathematical reasoning and thinking skills. The Selective test simply adds a writing component at the harder Year 6 level.

For families who prepared for, or are looking ahead to, the OC test, our OC practice resources guide curates the equivalent materials, our OC practice tests page provides full-length timed mocks, and our OC past papers page covers component-by-component revision. A child who built disciplined reasoning habits for the OC test in Year 4 is already working on the foundations the Selective test will draw on in Year 6. The main new demand is the typed writing task.

What should we look for in a paid Selective question bank?

Paid third-party question banks vary considerably in quality, so check a bank against four criteria before committing budget. The aim is question volume that matches the real test, not a different test entirely.

• Difficulty matched to the real test. Compare a sample question to the official DoE material. If the third-party Mathematical Reasoning or Thinking Skills questions are noticeably easier or harder, the bank will not predict real performance.
• Coverage of all four components. A bank that is heavy on maths but thin on Thinking Skills or Writing leaves a quarter of the test under-prepared, since each component carries an equal weighting.
• Solutions that explain the reasoning. Look for solutions that name the inference in a reading passage, the step in a maths problem, the rule in a pattern item, or the criterion a writing sample meets.
• A computer-based or on-screen practice mode where possible. The real test is sat on a computer at a designated test centre, including a typed writing response, so on-screen practice reduces surprises on the day.

Official sample materials from the Department, combined with a steady weekly routine, are enough for many families. A paid bank is a supplement, not a substitute for reviewing every mistake. If you want to see where your child sits before spending anything, sit a free Selective mock test on screen and mark it against the Department's own guidance.

Where should we go after choosing a Selective practice path?

Choose a start from the three paths above: sample (DoE online or Braintree printable), component (past papers / sibling drills), or mock (free timed sitting; free student account to start). Review a worked explanation before you buy a pack. Then taper against the Department's published sitting date for your Year 7 entry year, not against the completed May 2026 dates in the historical table. Pair this page with our NSW Selective test format guide for component timing and format, and with our NSW Selective test preparation strategies for a week-by-week timeline. Teaching deep-dives stay on the selective test questions practice examples article. Do not treat that blog as a second resource hub.

Which related Selective practice resources should we open next?

• Free mock tests — timed Selective and OC practice on screen
• NSW Selective Year 6 sample questions — printable worked solutions
• Selective Thinking Skills new format guide — computer-based structure for 2027–28
• NSW OC & Selective timeline/caps 2027–28
• Selective school preparation — eligibility, timeline and programme overview
• NSW Selective test format guide — all four components and verified 2027-cycle dates
• NSW Selective test preparation strategies — phased plan across Reading, Maths, Thinking Skills and Writing
• NSW Selective past papers — free practice PDF downloads between computer mocks
• Selective Test Preparation course — structured classroom support

Return to the selective school preparation hub for schools, application mechanics and the single online portal.