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  • 2027 test, 2028 entry

How do I apply for an opportunity class?

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You apply online on the Department's application website while your child is in Year 3, choosing between one and four opportunity class schools in order of preference. For the 2027 test and Year 5 entry in 2028, the application dates are not yet announced; applications are expected to open between late October and mid-November 2026.

Facts checked Last updated Sources

Practice: the Department publishes free OC practice tests. SelectiveReady's practice tests are for the selective test.

How is applying for OC different from selective?

You apply two years earlier and you can list one more school; the website, the steps and most rules are the same as for selective high schools. The OC test has 3 sections (Reading, Thinking Skills and Mathematical Reasoning). Unlike the selective test, there is no Writing section. For opportunity classes, parents usually apply at the end of Year 3 or the start of Year 4. The child sits the test in Year 4 and starts in Year 5.

Applying for an opportunity class and for a selective high school, side by side
WhatOpportunity class (Year 5)Selective high school (Year 7)
When you applyApply end of Year 3 or start of Year 4; test in Year 4; entry in Year 5Apply end of Year 5 or start of Year 6; test in Year 6; entry in Year 7
School year at application (last cycle)Year 3 at opening, Year 4 at closingYear 5 at opening, Year 6 at closing
How many schools you can list4 school choices (maximum)3 school choices (maximum)
Usual age at the start9 years 5 months to 11 years at the start of Year 511 years 5 months to 13 years at the start of Year 7
Attendance feesNo attendance feesNo attendance fees except boarding

An opportunity class is a two-year program in Years 5 and 6. Parents cannot apply for Year 6 only. A place in an opportunity class does not give automatic entry to a selective high school. You apply again, separately, in Year 5 for Year 7. So a family that wants both applies twice, about two years apart. The selective version of this page is how to apply for a selective high school, and the two programs are compared on OC vs selective.

When do I apply for Year 5 entry in 2028?

Applications open in November while your child is in Year 3 and stay open into February, the first weeks of Year 4 — though the 2027-test dates are not yet announced. The Department has not yet published any dates for entry in 2028 (the tests sat in 2027). Its key dates still cover entry in 2027 only (checked 6 October 2026). Applications are open for about 4 months, from November each year to February the following year.

Applying for Year 5 entry in 2028 (the 2027 test): our estimates until the Department announces the dates
WhatWhenStatus
Dates announced (expected)sourceExpected: 17 October to 6 November 2026Expected
Applications open (expected)sourceExpected: 29 October to 13 November 2026Expected
Applications close (expected)sourceExpected: 12–26 February 2027Expected
Last day to update application details (expected)sourceExpected: 5–19 March 2027Expected

Every date in this table is our estimate from past cycles, so plan around it but wait for the Department's announcement before you book anything. For comparison, last cycle For entry in 2027, applications were open from 6 November 2025 to 20 February 2026. We track every date, and the change from expected to published, on OC test dates.

Who can apply for an opportunity class?

Any parent or carer of a child in the right school year can apply, whatever kind of school the child goes to now; the main condition is living in NSW by the start of Year 5.

  • Parents and carers can apply if their child is at a NSW public school, a non-government school, in home study, or at an interstate or overseas school.
  • Students and their families must be living in NSW by the beginning of the school year of entry.

Conditions may apply to students who are not Australian citizens or permanent residents, or New Zealand citizens. The Department lists them on its visa subclasses and enrolment conditions page. If you expect to meet all enrolment conditions before initial offers are released, you may still apply and your child can sit the test. You must meet them before you can receive an offer. In practice, a family moving to NSW or waiting on a visa can still apply and sit the test, but cannot accept an offer until the conditions are met.

How old does my child need to be?

Most children are in the usual range simply by being in Year 3 at the right time. Students are usually aged between 9 years 5 months and 11 years when they start Year 5.

The Department publishes a birth-date range for each intake. Last cycle, For Year 5 entry in 2027, students usually have a birth date between 1 January 2016 and 31 July 2017. It has not yet published the range for Year 5 entry in 2028. If your child is close to either edge, check the Department's page when the dates are announced.

If your child is outside the usual age range or school year, explain why in the application. The selection committee decides whether to accept it. This covers children who started school early or late, or who skipped or repeated a year.

How do I fill in the application?

You apply online on the Department's application website, in five steps. You apply online in 5 steps: register, verify your email, log in, complete the 8 sections (including a photo of your child), and submit.

  1. Register

    Create an account on the application website.

  2. Verify your email

    Open the email the Department sends and confirm your address.

  3. Log in

    Log in to reach your application dashboard.

  4. Complete the form

    Fill in every section, including a photo of your child and your school choices in order.

  5. Submit

    Submit the application before the closing date.

You can change your school choices in the application dashboard after you submit, up to the last day to change choices in the key dates. The Department's guide to using the application website has screen-by-screen help.

How many schools can I choose, and does the order matter?

For opportunity classes you can choose between 1 and 4 schools, in order of preference. The order matters, but only in one way: an offer comes from the highest school on your list that your child's result reaches.

  • Listing a school as your first choice gives no extra consideration.
  • You get an initial offer from one school only. If your child's result is enough for several of your choices, the offer comes from the highest of them.
  • You cannot decline an offer in order to get a later offer from one of your lower-choice schools, so order your choices carefully.

So list schools in the order you would really choose them, and only list a school you would accept. Putting a school first does not help or hurt at that school; it only decides which offer you get if your child's result is enough for more than one.

You can change the list after you apply, up to a deadline. For the 2027 test that deadline is not yet announced (Expected: 28 May to 11 June 2027, our estimate). The Department's own pages disagreed on it last cycle: The OC placement timeline PDF says the last day to change school choices is mid-May. The key dates on the application process page give 5 June 2026. Treat the earlier date as the safe one.

Aurora College runs online opportunity classes for country children. To be considered for the Aurora College opportunity class, a student must attend, or plan to enrol in, a rural or remote NSW public school that hosts Aurora College. More on the schools themselves is in the OC guide.

How do places for girls and boys work?

Each opportunity class now holds a set number of places for girls and for boys, and children compete on their test result for the places in their group. From 2027 entry, each opportunity class has a set number of places for girls and boys.

In an opportunity class with 15 Year 5 places, 7 go to boys, 7 to girls, and 1 is filled on merit regardless of gender. Places are still decided by the test; the split only decides which list a child is ranked in.

  • If places for boys or girls are not filled, they are offered to students of the other gender who qualify on their test performance.
  • Gender diverse students are considered on their test performance. One who scores higher than the lowest eligible student of either gender is offered a place, even if the gender balance shifts slightly.

The split does not change how you should order your choices. List schools in the order you prefer them.

What are equity places, and do I apply for them?

Equity places are a share of each class held for children from four groups, and there is nothing extra to apply for: the Department considers every eligible child from the normal application. Up to 20% of places at each selective high school and opportunity class are held for high potential and gifted students from 4 groups: low socio-educational advantage areas, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students, rural and remote students, and students with disability.

  • The held places are 10% for students from low socio-educational advantage backgrounds, 5% for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students, 2.5% for rural and remote students and 2.5% for students with disability.
  • The first 80% of places are offered on test performance to everyone, including students in the equity groups. The next 20% go to equity-group students who were not already offered a place.
  • Equity offers go to students whose test performance is within 10% of the minimum accepted for the school from a general applicant in initial offers, or as the selection committee decides.

There is no separate application for equity places. Students are considered automatically from their standard application. Families are not told whether an offer came from an equity place, for privacy, equity and wellbeing reasons. So answer the application's background questions accurately; that is how the Department knows which group a child is in.

Does an opportunity class cost anything?

No attendance fees are charged: opportunity classes are in public primary schools. Public primary schools with opportunity classes or Aurora College classes do not charge attendance fees. Schools may ask parents to pay for curriculum-related resources such as textbooks and subject materials, and for excursions or sports. These are the same costs any public school may ask for.

What happens after I apply?

Your child sits the Opportunity Class Placement Test in Year 4, and offers follow later in the year. Last cycle, For Year 5 entry in 2027, the Opportunity Class Placement Test was held on 8–9 May 2026. Each student sat on one day only. What the test covers is on how the OC test works, what the result means is on OC results, and how later offers are made is on the OC reserve list.

On preparation, the Department's view is plain. The Department says coaching or tutoring for the placement test is not necessary, and that extra paid coaching will not give a child an advantage. The full rules and key dates are on the Department's application process page. How we check every fact here is on sources.

Sources

Each fact on this page, the page we checked it against and the source's own words. An “Expected” date is our estimate from past years, not the Department's.

  1. Opportunity classes (list of schools)

    NSW Department of Education · page last updated 23 July 2026

    • When families apply for OCPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “at the end of Year 3 or the beginning of Year 4 at the time of applying - in Year 4 when sitting the test.”
    • Usual age for Year 5 entryPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “aged between 9 years and 5 months and 11 years at the time they start Year 5.”
    • No attendance feesPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “NSW public primary schools that have opportunity classes or host Aurora College classes do not charge attendance fees.”
    • OC is a two-year programPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “It is a 2-year program (Year 5 to 6). Parents cannot apply for Year 6 placement only.”
    • OC does not lead to a selective placePublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “No. You will need to apply separately for selective high school placement when your child is in Year 5 for placement in Year 7.”
    • Usual birth dates for Year 5 entry in 2027PublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “For Year 5 opportunity class entry in 2027, students would usually have their birth date between 1 January 2016 and 31 July 2017.”
    • Who can apply for Aurora College OCPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “Students must be currently attending or intending to enrol in a rural or remote NSW public school (their Aurora College host school) to be considered for entry.”
    • Set places for girls and boys in each OCPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “Each opportunity class will have a set number of places for girls and boys for placement from 2027.”
    • Places for boys and girls in a 15-place classPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “For opportunity classes with an intake of 15 Year 5 students, 7 places will be allocated to boys and 7 places will be allocated to girls.”
  2. Selective high schools (list of schools)

    NSW Department of Education · page last updated 10 September 2026

    • When families apply for selectivePublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “at the end of Year 5 or the beginning of Year 6 when their parents apply - in Year 6 when they sit the test”
    • Usual age for Year 7 entryPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “aged between 11 years and 5 months and 13 years at the time they start Year 7.”
    • No attendance fees (except boarding)PublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “NSW selective high schools are public schools and do not charge attendance fees – except for boarding at agricultural high schools.”
    • Outside the usual age rangePublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “If your child is outside the usual age range or school Year when applying, you should explain the reasons for this in your application.”
    • Schools may ask for some costsPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “Schools may ask parents to make payments for curriculum-related resources, such as textbooks and materials needed for some subjects.”
  3. Selective school and opportunity classes applications open

    NSW Department of Education · page last updated 10 November 2025

    • School year when applyingPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “Students seeking placement in an opportunity class will be in Year 3 when applications open and in Year 4 when applications close.”
    • School year when applyingPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “Students seeking placement in a selective high school are in Year 5 when applications open and in Year 6 when applications close.”
    • Applications open (expected)ExpectedChecked

      Our estimate: Applications opened on Thursday 6 November 2025 and Thursday 7 November 2024, the first Thursday of November in both years of the joint window. Expected about Thursday 5 November 2026; window 29 October – 13 November 2026 (our confidence about 0.4 for the day, 0.8 for the window).

    • Applications close (expected)ExpectedChecked

      Our estimate: Applications closed on Friday 20 February 2026 and Friday 21 February 2025, the third Friday of February in both years. Expected about Friday 19 February 2027; window 12 – 26 February 2027 (our confidence about 0.55).

    • Applications open and closePublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “The application period is from 6 November 2025 to 20 February 2026.”
  4. Choosing a school

    NSW Department of Education · page last updated 18 June 2026

    • Up to 4 OC school choicesPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “For opportunity classes you can choose between 1 and 4 schools.”
    • Up to 3 selective school choicesPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “For selective high schools you can choose between 1 and 3 schools.”
    • No advantage for a first choicePublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “You will not be given any extra consideration for listing a school as your first choice.”
    • One initial offer, from the highest choice metPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “Parents can get an initial offer of placement from only one school.”
    • You cannot decline to move down your listPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “You cannot decline a placement offer to get a later offer from one of your lower-choice schools.”
    • Choices can be changed after applyingPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “You can change your school choices after you submit your application – see 'last day to change school choices' in the Key dates.”
  5. Opportunity class practice tests

    NSW Department of Education · page last updated 22 July 2026

    • No Writing sectionPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “There are 3 test sections: reading, thinking skills and maths.”
  6. Application process

    NSW Department of Education · page last updated 12 August 2026

    • Opportunity Class Placement TestPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “8-9 May 2026 | Opportunity Class Placement Test (students are allocated to attend one test day only)”
    • No dates yet for entry in 2028PublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “Entry in 2027 - SHS–Yr 7 entry in 2027 - OC–Yr 5 entry in 2027”
    • Last day to update application details (expected)ExpectedChecked

      Our estimate: In the 2027-entry cycle the last day to update details was 13 March 2026, about 3 weeks after applications closed (from the Department's key dates as archived; past rows are dropped from the live page). Expected about Friday 12 March 2027; window 5 – 19 March 2027 is our plus or minus one week (confidence about 0.6).

    • No late applicationsPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “Closing dates for applications are strictly observed. No late applications will be accepted.”
    • Who can applyPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “Parents and carers can apply for placement if their child is in: - NSW public schools - non-government schools - home study - interstate schools - overseas schools.”
    • Living in NSW by the start of the yearPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “students and their families must be living in NSW by the beginning of the school year of entry.”
    • Conditions for non-citizensPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “conditions may apply to students who are not citizens or permanent residents of Australia or citizens of New Zealand.”
    • Meeting the conditions laterPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “If you think you will meet all enrolment conditions before we release initial offers, you may still apply and your child can sit the placement test.”
    • Applying in 5 stepsPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “Submitting your application in 5 easy steps 1. Register”
    • Last day to change school choices (expected)ExpectedChecked

      Our estimate: The last day to change choices was 5 June 2026, about 5 weeks after the first test day. Expected about Friday 4 June 2027 if the pattern holds (our confidence about 0.7); the window 28 May – 11 June 2027 is our plus or minus one week.

  7. Applications to open for 2027 selective school entry

    NSW Department of Education · page last updated 17 October 2025

    • Dates announced (expected)ExpectedChecked

      Our estimate: Last cycle the Department announced the dates in a news item on Friday 17 October 2025, 20 days before applications opened; notice has shrunk from months (2023, 2024) to weeks (2025). Expected window 17 October – 6 November 2026 (our confidence about 0.6). 17 October 2026 is a Saturday.

  8. What are selective high schools and opportunity classes?

    NSW Department of Education · page last updated 18 March 2026

    • Applications run November to FebruaryPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “Applications are open for approximately 4 months, from November each year to February the following year.”
  9. Opportunity class placement timeline (PDF)

    NSW Department of Education

    • Last day to change choices: timeline PDF wordingPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “Last day to change school choices: mid-May”
  10. Fair access

    NSW Department of Education · page last updated 20 February 2026

    • Unfilled places go to the other genderPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “the available places will be offered to students from the opposite gender who qualify for placement based on their performance in the placement test.”
    • Gender diverse studentsPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “If a gender diverse student scores higher on the placement test than the lowest eligible student of either gender, they will be offered a place, even if it slightly changes the gender balance.”
    • Up to 20% of places held for 4 groupsPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “Under the Model, up to 20% of student places at each selective high school and opportunity class are held for high potential and gifted:”
    • How the held places are splitPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “10% of places for students from communities of low socio-educational advantage - 5% of places for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students - 2.5% of places for students from rural or remote NSW locations”
    • 80% first, then up to 20%PublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “Offering 80% of places to students according to their performance in the placement test. This includes students in equity groups whose performance qualifies them for one of these places.”
    • Within 10% of the school's minimumPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “These students may be offered a place if their test performance is within 10% of the minimum accepted for the school from a general applicant during initial offers (or as determined by the selection committee).”
    • Equity consideration is automaticPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “There is no separate application process – students will be automatically considered for equity placement when submitting a standard application.”
    • Families are not told about equity offersPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “Will I be told if my child's offer is from an equity place? No. This is because of student privacy, equity and wellbeing considerations.”
  11. Selective high school practice tests

    NSW Department of Education · page last updated 20 March 2026

    • The Department says coaching is not necessaryPublishedChecked
      The source's words
      “It is important to know that coaching or tutoring for the placement test is not necessary.”

Quotes from NSW Department of Education pages are © State of New South Wales (Department of Education), used under CC BY 4.0.

Not affiliated with the NSW Department of Education. SelectiveReady (ABN 53 930 169 401) is an independent practice product. Every fact here is checked against the Department's own pages, and changes are logged.

How we check our facts