OC Year 4 sample questions with worked solutions

The NSW Opportunity Class Placement Test has three timed components: Reading (40 minutes), Mathematical Reasoning (about 30 minutes), and Thinking Skills (about 30 minutes). There is no writing section. Calculators are not permitted. The items in the printable pack mirror those section types.

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: Maya zipped her pencil case twice, lined up her pencils in a row, and asked the supervisor what time the section would start. When the clock showed one minute before the start, she took a slow breath and turned to the first question.

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

Look for actions that show intent. Lining up pencils, checking the time, and breathing slowly suggest careful preparation. The worked solution in the PDF explains why “Maya 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 OC preparation strategies and the Opportunity Class course outline. The downloadable PDF includes sample items across all three components with full worked solutions.