What is in the OC Reading test?
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OC Reading is 14 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes, with 33 answers in all, and it counts for a third of your child's result. Your child reads fiction, non-fiction, poetry, magazine articles and reports on the computer, and answers questions about what each text means.
Facts checked Last updated Sources
Practice: the Department publishes free OC practice tests. SelectiveReady's practice tests are for the selective test.
How long is OC Reading, and how much does it count for?
Reading is one of three sections in the opportunity class test, and it counts for the same share of the result as each of the others. Reading has 14 multiple-choice questions (3 have more than one part) in 40 minutes, and is worth 33.3% of the test. This page is for families whose child sits the 2027 test in Year 4, for Year 5 entry in 2028. The OC test overview covers the whole test.
| What | OC Reading |
|---|---|
| Questions | 14 questions (33 answers) |
| Time | 40 minutes |
| Share of the result | 33.3% |
| Answers to give | 33 answers |
| The three sections | Reading; Mathematical Reasoning; Thinking Skills |
The same figures appear in the Department's placement procedures, so the two official sources agree. The Department's placement procedures (Table 7) set out the same test structure, starting with Reading: 40 minutes, 14 questions, multiple choice, 33.3%.
Reading is the section with the fewest questions but the most to read. Every question is about a text, so a lot of the time goes on reading, not on choosing an answer. For how the three sections fit into one test day, see how the OC test works.
What kinds of texts will my child read?
Your child reads a mix of stories, factual writing and poems, not one long book. Reading uses different types of text: non-fiction, fiction, poetry, magazine articles and reports. The student page says Reading texts can include sections of novels or non-fiction books, poems, magazine articles and reports.
The table below is our own description of what each kind of text usually asks of a reader. It is not the Department's list of question types, and the real test may mix these in other ways.
| Text type | What it asks of a reader | A way to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Non-fiction | Finding facts, following how an idea is explained, and telling a main point from a detail. | Look at headings and the first line of each paragraph before reading closely. |
| Fiction | Following what happens, how a character feels and why, and what a word means in that scene. | Keep track of who is speaking and what has changed by the end. |
| Poetry | Working out what the poet means, not only what the words say, and what an image suggests. | Read the whole poem once for its feeling, then again line by line. |
| Magazine articles | Seeing the writer's purpose and opinion, and separating it from the facts given. | Ask who the article is for and what it wants the reader to think. |
| Reports | Reading for exact information and how the parts of the report fit together. | Check the answer against the exact words in the text before choosing. |
The texts are pitched at what children meet in primary school. The questions draw on concepts from the NSW curriculum up to Year 4, and the Department says students do not need extra knowledge. A child who reads widely at home and at school, across stories, poems and non-fiction, already meets every text type on this list.
What do the Reading questions ask my child to do?
The questions ask your child to show they understood a text: what it says, what it suggests and why the writer made certain choices. Every answer is a choice on the screen. The Department's own example for OC is about a poem. The Department's example OC Reading question is a multiple-choice question testing the reader's understanding of a poem.
In plain terms, a question about a poem might ask what a line means, how the speaker feels, or which word sums up the poem's mood. Questions on stories and articles ask the same kind of thing about those texts. The Department says no extra knowledge is needed, so the answers come from reading, not from knowing the topic already.
We don't copy or reproduce the Department's test questions here. To see what a real OC Reading question looks like, use the Department's OC practice tests.
Why are there more answers than questions?
Some Reading questions have several parts, and each part needs its own answer. In Reading, students give 33 answers across the 14 questions in 40 minutes. For the online practice tests, the Department explains how this is marked. In the online practice tests each response is worth 1 mark; questions that ask for several responses are worth more. The Department publishes this rule for its practice tests, not for the real test.
Reading the time budget
A parent sees the format line and wonders how to explain the pace to their child. Here is one way to think it through, using only the Department's figures.
- The section lasts 40 minutes, and your child gives 33 answers in that time.
- That is a little over a minute per answer, and the reading time comes out of the same minutes.
- So a question with several parts deserves more time than a question with one part, because each part is a separate answer.
- The useful habit is reading the text with care once, then going back to it for each answer, rather than rushing the reading.
How is OC Reading different from selective Reading?
OC Reading is shorter, has fewer answers and counts for a bigger share of the result than selective Reading. That is because the OC test has three sections where the selective test has four. The OC test has 3 sections (Reading, Thinking Skills and Mathematical Reasoning). Unlike the selective test, there is no Writing section.
| What | OC Reading (Year 4) | Selective Reading (Year 6) |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 14 questions (33 answers) | 17 questions (38 answers) |
| Time | 40 minutes | 45 minutes |
| Share of the result | 33.3% | 25% |
| The Department's example question | Multiple choice on a poem | Comparison of 2 short extracts |
Both tests draw on the same kinds of texts. The difference is the level: OC questions stay within what children learn up to Year 4. If your child will sit both tests, the selective Reading page covers the Year 6 version, and OC vs selective compares the whole tests.
Where can my child practise OC Reading?
The Department publishes its own OC practice tests, and the online ones show your child the real test software.
- The Department offers 2 types of practice test: online computer-based tests and PDF tests.
- The online practice tests simulate the real test, so your child can get used to the test software and its tools.
- The Department publishes 3 PDF sample tests, each with Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills.
- The PDF practice tests come from older paper-based versions of the test, so they do not reflect the current format.
- For students with disability, practice materials are available in large print, black-and-white or braille.
The other two sections have their own pages: OC Mathematical Reasoning and OC Thinking Skills. For when to start, check the OC test dates.
Does my child need coaching for OC Reading?
The Department says no: coaching or tutoring for the placement test is not necessary.
“It is important to know that coaching or tutoring for the placement test is not necessary.”
Reading draws on what your child already does at school. Regular reading of different kinds of texts, and a look at the online practice test so the screen isn't new on the day, cover what the Department describes. We explain how we check every fact on this page on how we check our facts.
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.
- Opportunity class practice tests
- Reading: 14 questions, 40 minutes, 33.3%Checked
The source's words
“Reading Test 14 (3 questions have multiple parts to answer) 40 minutes 33.3%”
- Reading: 33 answers across 14 questionsChecked
The source's words
“For the reading test, you'll have 40 minutes to provide 33 answers across 14 questions.”
- Three sections, all multiple choice on computerChecked
The source's words
“The Opportunity Class Placement Test is a computer-based test that has 3 sections. All questions are multiple-choice and are answered using the computer.”
- Reading: types of textChecked
The source's words
“It uses different types of reading material and genres. These include: non-fiction fiction poetry magazine articles reports.”
- Concepts up to Year 4Checked
The source's words
“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.”
- Reading: a question about a poemChecked
The source's words
“This is an example of a reading question. It is a multiple choice question assessing the reader's understanding of a poem.”
- Practice marking: 1 mark per responseChecked
The source's words
“Each individual response is worth 1 mark. Some questions ask for multiple responses and so are worth more than 1 mark.”
- No Writing sectionChecked
The source's words
“There are 3 test sections: reading, thinking skills and maths.”
- Official practice: online and PDFChecked
The source's words
“There are 2 types of practice test: online computer-based practice tests PDF practice tests.”
- Online practice simulates the real testChecked
The source's words
“The online computer-based practice tests will simulate the actual placement tests. This helps your child get familiar with the test software and its tools.”
- Three PDF sample testsChecked
The source's words
“Sample practice test 3 Section Links to samples Reading Reading sample questions”
- PDF tests are from the old paper testChecked
The source's words
“The PDF practice tests below are from older paper-based versions of the test. So they do not reflect the current test format.”
- Accessible practice materialsChecked
The source's words
“For students with disability, practice materials are available in different formats. For example, we can provide test material in: large print black-and-white braille.”
- Selective high schools and opportunity classes placement procedures (PD-2002-0006-06)
- Test structure in the placement proceduresChecked
The source's words
“Table 7 Opportunity Placement Test structure | Opportunity Class Placement Test section | Minutes | Questions | Type | Weighting | Reading | 40 | 14 (3 questions have multiple parts to answer) | Multiple choice | 33.3%”
- Get ready for the Opportunity Class Placement Test
- Reading: texts can include extracts from booksChecked
The source's words
“The texts are drawn from non-fiction, fiction, poetry and can include sections of novels or non-fiction books, poems, magazine articles and reports.”
- Selective high school practice tests
- Reading: 17 questions, 45 minutes, 25%Checked
The source's words
“Reading Test | 17 (3 questions have multiple parts to answer) | 45 | Multiple-choice | 25%”
- Reading: a comparison questionChecked
The source's words
“It is a comparison type of question where you read 2 short extracts on the same theme and answer multiple choice questions comparing the extracts.”
- The Department says coaching is not necessaryChecked
The source's words
“It is important to know that coaching or tutoring for the placement test is not necessary.”