NSW Selective Year 6 sample questions with worked solutions

The NSW Selective High School Placement Test has four timed components: Reading (40 minutes), Mathematical Reasoning (about 30 minutes), Thinking Skills (about 30 minutes), and typed Writing (30 minutes). Calculators are not permitted. The items in this printable pack mirror the first three components — Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, and Thinking Skills.

How to use these questions

Ask your child to attempt each question first, then read the worked solution together and discuss where their reasoning matched or differed. One or two questions per session is enough — the goal is to practise explaining method under time pressure.

Sample question — reading inference

Passage: Before the supervisor started the section, Lina scrolled through the on-screen instructions twice, adjusted her chair, and asked whether she could use the restroom. When told she had two minutes, she nodded, took a slow breath, and placed both hands on the desk.

Question: Which statement is most strongly supported by the passage?

Look for actions that show intent. Re-reading instructions, adjusting the chair, and breathing slowly suggest careful preparation. The worked solution in the PDF explains why “Lina wanted to feel ready before the section began” is the best answer.

Sample question — mathematical reasoning

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 PDF includes the full worked solution and common traps.

Sample question — thinking skills

Question: Seed is to plant as egg is to ___

State the relationship in words: a seed grows into a plant. An egg grows into a bird. The PDF walks through why “nest” and “shell” do not complete the young-to-adult development pair.

How your child can check their own work

Before reading the solutions, ask: “Which option did you eliminate first, and why?” For numerical items, estimate whether the answer should be larger or smaller than the starting numbers. For reading, point to the exact phrase that supports the chosen answer.

Next step

For a wider view of preparation, see our NSW Selective preparation strategies and the Selective Test Preparation course outline. The downloadable PDF includes sample items across Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, and Thinking Skills with full worked solutions.