Results enquiry

Parents who believe there has been an error in the processing or reporting of their child's Writing test results may request a results enquiry.

An administration fee of $40 (AUD) is payable (via debt card or credit card) when submitting a Results enquiry. The administration fee covers the cost of re-marking and scoring the writing test paper.

A results enquiry involves:

• checking that the students’ data is matched correctly to their Writing test
• a review of examiner-marked Writing test by a senior examiner to ensure that the marking criteria have been appropriately applied

Note: Results enquiries are available only for the selective high school writing test. All other selective high school test components are computer marked and include reliability checks to ensure their accuracy, therefore a results enquiry is not available for these test components.

A results enquiry may change the original outcome for each school preference, or it may result in no change. Please note that if your child’s performance is lowered by a results enquiry, any existing offer(s) may be withdrawn.

Requesting a results enquiry will not lead to a placement score or rank being given to parents. However, parents will be told if their child’s outcome changes after a results enquiry and a new Performance report will be provided if their child’s performance bands change.

A results enquiry including the payment of the administration fee must be submitted within five working days after the original outcome notification. The results enquiry period for placement in 2023 has now closed.

Appeals against the outcome of the results enquiry

Parents have the option to appeal the outcome of the Results enquiry within 5 working days of the release using the Results enquiry outcome appeal form (available here during the appeals period).

Appeals based on a malpractice determination

Parents can appeal against the determination of malpractice using the link within their malpractice letter. The appeal must be submitted by the due date specified in the letter.

Appeals on other grounds

Please check the invalid grounds below before submitting an appeal.

All decisions made by the selection committee and appeals panel are based on the way students are ranked on academic merit for placement in selective high schools. You may appeal against the outcome if something specific happened to prevent you from submitting an illness/misadventure request at the time of the test. Appeals will not generally be accepted if they are based on grounds that you mentioned or should have mentioned, through the illness/misadventure process within 5 working days of the test.

Appeals that have the greatest chance of being upheld are those where:

• you know what happened to prevent your child from doing his or her best or attending the test, and
• you have not already told the selection committee about this event and you have good reasons for not doing so, and
• you have written evidence to support your case.

All relevant documentary evidence must be included with all appeals at the time they are submitted. Additional material will not be requested by the Unit and cannot be considered after the due date.

Residency appeals

Applicants for selective high school placement must satisfy residency requirements. An appeal on the grounds of residency can be made in extenuating circumstances, for example, on receipt of written evidence a permanent residency visa is about to be granted.

Not valid for an appeal

Matters which have or should have been dealt with as an Illness/misadventure request or results enquiry are not valid grounds for appeal. If you had extenuating circumstances which prevented you from submitting an Illness/misadventure request or results enquiry you must give details and provide supporting documentation.

Matters which should have been dealt with in an Illness/misadventure request include:

• difficult family circumstances and bereavements in the period leading up to the test or on the test day
• illness, injury, anxiety, fatigue or stress at the time of the test
• test centre problems such as disruptions during the test or suspected shorter time given for the test
• anything voluntary and avoidable that stopped the child from sitting the test or doing his or her best in the test, such as participation in entertainment, sporting events, attendance at excursions, camps, or a holiday trip.

Other invalid grounds include:

• suspected disadvantage of outcome results due to the implementation of the Equity Placement Model.
• concern about recent changes to reporting of test scores or weighting of test components
• suspected problems with the teacher, for example extended teacher absences, or changes of teacher or school
• the process used to determine academic merit, such as consideration of IQ results in the Interstate/overseas process or alternative evidence of academic merit
• lack of familiarity with the placement process, the English language, Australian culture and/or the NSW education system
• the student’s academic performance on the practice selective high school tests on the Team’s website or other measurements or reports, such as IQ score, NAPLAN results, ICAS testing, school reports or certificates and scholarship or coaching college testing (where NAPLAN results were used to determine placement for students who missed the Selective High School Placement Test and parents can show evidence that something went wrong in the NAPLAN tests, an appeal can be considered, provided that the parents can provide the results of an individual WISC V IQ test)
• requests for reconsideration of an application on the basis of parent or student expectation or disappointment at not receiving an offer or not being placed on a reserve list
• young age of the student, lack of test preparation, educational disadvantage or failure of the student to complete one or more tests and/or the perceived failure of the student to demonstrate his/her potential
• perceived advantage the student may gain from placement in a selective high school, including travel convenience, attendance with friends/siblings, benefits to the family.
• Requests for consideration under equity groups will not be considered valid grounds for appeal. Students from each of the equity groups will have been identified using data from the application form and other data held by the department. For more information visit the Equity Placement Model webpage.

Appeals made on invalid grounds will be acknowledged and analysed but will not be passed on to appeals panels. Appeals where any available valid adjustment would not make a difference to the placement outcome will not be passed on to the appeals panel.

How to submit an appeal

Before submitting an appeal other than a results enquiry, please ensure there are valid grounds and documentary evidence.

• Go to the appeals form in your application dashboard for either a general appeal or a residency appeal. Select the appeals form from the Action column.
• Complete all sections explaining the grounds for the appeal and attach supporting documentation.

You will be notified whether or not your appeal will be forwarded to the appeals panel for consideration.

Appeals panels

Appeals panels meet in September or October to consider all valid appeals. Appeals panels include a selective high school principal, an opportunity class principal, and a local Director, Educational Leadership. The appeals panel will consult with the primary school principal if necessary.

Even where an appeal is well supported by evidence and is considered valid by the appeals panel, an adjustment is not always possible as it depends on the available information. Where the basis of an appeal is accepted by the Unit but there is no valid available adjustment or any possible adjustment would not change the placement outcome, the appeal may not be submitted to the appeals panel.

The outcome of appeals is sent to applicants in October.