Opportunity class practice tests
Helping your child prepare for the placement test
The placement test is designed to assess your child’s abilities in reading, thinking and maths. The questions draw upon concepts from the NSW curriculum up to Year 4 that your child learns at school. We review all questions to make sure students do not need any extra knowledge.
It is important to know that coaching or tutoring for the placement test is not necessary. The test will not need your child to know any new or special knowledge. Therefore, extra paid coaching outside of school will not give your child an advantage.
The department does not recommend or endorse coaching for the placement test. There is no credible research that shows coaching helps a child gain entry. A child who is coached and gains entry, is likely to have been placed without being coached. Also, many students who receive coaching still do not get accepted. In fact, too much coaching can harm a student’s wellbeing.
The department provides free resources to help your child prepare for the test. Students are encouraged to access these in the Student Resource Hub. The resources will help your child:
- understand what to expect on test day
- learn about the test structure
- prepare for the different types of questions
- get tips for taking the test.
Please ensure your child attends school regularly leading up to the test. If they miss too many days without a good reason, the selection committee will be informed. The committee may not place students who do not have good attendance, as it may affect their ability to succeed in a selective high school.
Regular school attendance helps your child maintain a routine, build social connections, and not miss important learning. This will benefit their general learning and preparedness for the test.
What is in the test?
The Opportunity Class Placement Test is a computer-based test that has 3 sections. Students sit the placement test in an external test centre where computers are provided. All questions are multiple-choice and are answered using the computer.
| Test component | No. of questions | Time | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Test | 14 (3 questions have multiple parts to answer) | 40 minutes | 33.3% |
| Mathematical Reasoning Test | 35 | 40 minutes | 33.3% |
| Thinking Skills Test | 30 | 30 minutes | 33.3% |
More about the 3 test sections
Reading Test
The Reading Test questions assess various reading skills through a diverse range of texts.
The texts include different genres such as:
- non-fiction
- fiction
- poetry
- magazine articles
- reports.
The Reading Test has 14 questions (3 questions have multiple parts to answer). You will have 40 minutes to complete this test.
Mathematical Reasoning Test
The Mathematical Reasoning Test assesses the student's ability to use mathematical understanding and knowledge to solve problems from a range of math topics.
The Mathematical Reasoning Test has 35 questions. You will have 40 minutes to complete this test.
Calculators are not used in the Mathematical Reasoning Test (or any other test section).
Thinking Skills Test
The Thinking Skills Test evaluates the student's critical thinking and problem-solving abilities through various question types.
The Thinking Skills Test has 30 questions. You will have 30 minutes to complete this test.
No previous knowledge is required for this test.
Video – Opportunity Class Placement Test: a guide for students (duration 3:58)
[Transcript of video: ‘Opportunity Class Placement Test – a guide for students (3 minutes 58 seconds)]
This video about the Opportunity Class Placement Test will provide an overview of the test sections and types of questions used in the test.
The Opportunity Class Placement Test has been designed to allow you to demonstrate your reading, reasoning and thinking ability. This means that you do not need to learn or memorise facts about specific subjects. Instead you need to apply what you know to find the best answer.
There are three tests which are reading, mathematical reasoning and thinking skills. You will take the test one after another on a computer in a test centre. Most test centres will be a local high schools. You will read the questions and enter your answers on the computer. You cannot use a calculator, but we'll be able to do any working out on paper.
Let's take a look at each test.
For the reading test, you'll have 40 minutes to provide 33 answers across 14 questions. The questions are based on a diverse range of texts and assess a range of reading comprehension skills. You will read all texts on screen. Reading questions come in different contexts to test a range of skills. The questions are based on different genres and include non fiction and fiction such as poetry, magazine articles, reports and extracts from books. This is an example of a reading question. It is a multiple choice question assessing the reader's understanding of a poem. More reading example questions are available in the Practise tests on the website.
For the Mathematical Reasoning test you will have 40 minutes to answer 35 questions. The questions are all multiple choice with five possible answers. This tests mathematical reasoning skills and your ability to apply your mathematical understanding or knowledge to new problems. You can't use a calculator, but can use paper for working out. Questions can be drawn from a range of mathematical content areas. This is an example of a mathematical reasoning question. Select the best answer from the five options provided. More mathematical reasoning example questions are available in the Practise tests on the website.
For the Thinking Skills test, you'll have 30 minutes to answer 30 questions. The questions are all multiple choice with four possible answers. This test will assess your ability in critical thinking and problem solving. No previous knowledge is required. There are a range of different question types in the Thinking Skills Test. You can see them in the Practise Tests available on the website.
For further information and support, visit the Selective High Schools and Opportunity Classes website. For students, work through the activities in the Student Resource Hub and view the online practise tests. You can ask your parents to contact the selective education team by sending a message in the application dashboard if they have any questions.
[End of transcript]
Student resource hub
Did you know there is a Student resource hub where your child can:
- learn more about whether an opportunity class might be a good fit
- take interactive quizzes
- practise test items to help them prepare
- and lots more.
Practice tests
Your child may feel more confident and prepared if they familiarise themselves with the test by using the:
- online computer-based practice tests
- PDF copies of practice tests.
The online computer-based practice tests will simulate the actual placement tests. These practice tests are timed and show the different types of test content and questions students will be asked to answer. After completing each multiple-choice test section, students will be able to see what questions were answered correctly and incorrectly. Each multiple-choice question is worth one mark. The answers to the online computer-based practice tests are found in the PDF practice test’s answer sheets linked below.
The online computer-based practice test will also help students familiarise themselves with the placement test software and the functions available. Students can learn more about the tests and functions in the student resource hubs for selective high schools and opportunity classes.
The online computer-based practice tests work on most computer devices. To ensure they function and display as intended, check that your device and browser meets the minimum technical requirements outlined below.
We encourage students, parents and carers to access both the online computer-based practice tests and the PDF copies either at home, at school or their public library.
Equipment, network and browser requirements
The table below outlines these minimum requirements to operate the online practice tests.
Screen
Display must measure 24.6 cm (9.5 inches) diagonally and support resolution of at least 1024 x 768 at 32,000 colours.
Keyboard
Physical keyboard (wired or wireless) is required for laptops and desktop computers.
Physical keyboard (wired or wireless) is required for Windows touch devices.
Pointing device
Mouse, trackpad, touchpad or touch screen or other pointing device that the student is familiar using. Apple pencil is not supported.
Network
Connected to the internet with at least 100 kilobit per second download and 5 kilobit per second upload for each concurrent device in a test session.
Browsers
| Browser | Supported Versions |
|---|---|
Internet Explorer |
Not supported |
Microsoft Edge |
121 or later |
Firefox |
122 or later |
Safari |
17 or later |
Chrome |
121 or later |
Device requirements
| Device type | Supported operating system | Hardware | Not supported |
|---|---|---|---|
Windows |
Windows 10, version 22H2 or later |
PC or tablet capable of running supported operating system, 1GB hard drive space free Note: Physical keyboard (wired or wireless) and mouse (or touchpad) are required for Windows touch devices. |
Windows RT, Windows 10S, Windows CE, Windows Terminal Services, Virtual D |
Mac |
macOS 10.15.6 or later |
Mac capable of running supported operating system, 1GB hard drive space free |
N/A |
Chromebook |
Chromebook version 90 or later |
Manufactured during 2016 or later. Note: Physical keyboard (wired or wireless) and mouse (or touchpad) are required for Chromebook touch devices. |
|
Apple iPad |
iPadOS 15 or later |
iPad Air 2 Pro (1st generation) iPad (5th generation) Note: Apple pencil is not supported. |
iPad Mini (all models) iPad Air (1st generation) |
Android |
TBC |
TBC |
TBC |
Reasonable adjustments
For students with disability who require approved reasonable adjustments, the (soon to be released) online practice tests can be used to test the compatibility of their assistive technology and/or to practise using accessible tests, for example different colour themes, fonts and backgrounds.
More information about what reasonable adjustments are available and how to request them is included at Using the application website (see step 4).
Accessible Test Materials
Alternative format practice tests including large-print, black-and-white print and braille are available for students with disability.
Parents/carers of students who require modified materials (e.g. braille papers) should email the Selective Education Team or call the team on 1300 880 367 for further information.
Online computer-based practice tests
PDF copies of the practice tests
The PDF practice tests below are from older paper-based versions of the test, so they do not reflect the current test format.
All tests are now completed on computers.
To experience the current computer-based test format go to the online Opportunity Class Placement Practice Tests.
Copies of the online computer-based practice tests, answers and the explanation of answers are also available in PDF format below. You can download and print the PDF versions of each test section.
The explanation of answers can be used to support the online practice tests.
Copyright in the sample tests and related materials on this webpage is owned by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. The sample practice tests and related materials may contain copyrighted content owned by third parties. For clarity, the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence does not apply to the sample tests, related materials and third party content. You may only download, display, reproduce or use these materials (or any part of them) for your personal or non-commercial use. For any other use not expressly indicated, prior written permission must be obtained from NSW Department of Education and Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
Sample practice test 1
| Section | Links to samples | |
|---|---|---|
Reading |
Reading sample questions (PDF 1.4 MB) Reading sample answers (PDF 95 KB) Explanation of answers - Reading (PDF 2.6 MB) |
|
Mathematical Reasoning |
Mathematical reasoning sample questions (PDF 1.8 MB) Explanation of answers - Mathematical reasoning (PDF 3.6 MB) |
|
Thinking Skills |
Thinking skills sample questions (PDF 2 MB) Thinking skills sample answers (PDF 78 KB) Explanation of answers - Thinking skills (PDF 1.7 MB) |
Sample practice test 2
| Section | Links to samples | |
|---|---|---|
Reading |
Reading sample questions (PDF 1.6 MB) Reading sample answers (PDF 91 KB) Explanation of answers - Reading (PDF 2.8 MB) |
|
Mathematical Reasoning |
Mathematical reasoning sample questions (PDF 1.6 MB) Explanation of answers - Mathematical reasoning (PDF 3.3 MB) |
|
Thinking Skills |
Thinking skills sample questions (PDF 1.1 MB) Thinking skills sample answers (PDF 92 KB) Explanation of answers - Thinking skills (PDF 3 MB) |
Sample practice test 3
| Section | Links to samples | |
|---|---|---|
Reading |
Reading sample questions (PDF 1.6 MB) Reading sample answers (PDF 37 KB) Explanation of answers - Reading (PDF 2.9 MB) |
|
Mathematical Reasoning |
Mathematical reasoning sample questions (PDF 1.1 MB) Explanation of answers - Mathematical reasoning (PDF 3.3 MB) |
|
Thinking Skills |
Thinking skills sample questions (PDF 1.5 MB) Thinking skills sample answers (PDF 39 KB) Explanation of answers - Thinking skills (PDF 3 MB) |
Video – What students can expect before, during and after the OC test
Social stories
Helping students to know what to expect in the test centre
Your child may not have done a test like this before and might be feeling uncertain about doing a test in an unfamiliar place with other students they don't know.
If they are feeling nervous or would just like some help to approach the day in a positive way, you may like to download our 'social story' using one of the links below. You can read and discuss it with your child and share ways to respond to challenging or unfamiliar situations.
There is a version for students who have been approved to sit the test in a smaller room and a version for students who will be in the test room. There are also editable PowerPoint versions where you can add your own photos to personalise for your child.
