Year 9 selective school test: how entry after Year 7 works
Independent. Not affiliated with the NSW Department of Education.
There's no one Year 9 selective test: each NSW selective high school runs its own entry for Years 8 to 11. You apply the year before, to each school; for entry in 2027, applications opened on 17 June 20261NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
Our practice follows the Year 6 Selective test, not a school's own later test. A younger child at home? A free section, with no account, is a calm start.
How does selective entry after Year 7 work?
Each selective high school runs its own entry for Years 8 to 11: its vacancies, its assessments and its decisions. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published You apply to the school, not to one central round.
Vacancies depend on students leaving, and some schools have none in some years1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Some schools keep reserve lists for future vacancies, and some open extra places for a year group.
You can apply at every type of selective high school1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. To find out about vacancies, ask each school1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
How is it different from Year 7 entry?
Year 7 entry is one Department process for every school. Later entry is a separate process at each school.
| Year 7 entry | Years 8 to 11 entry | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | The Department, for every school | Each school, for its own places 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| The test | One Selective test, sat in Year 6 | some schools test, others review reports1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| How you apply | One online application, up to 32NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published choices | a separate application for each school1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, in the same order on each |
| When you apply | Usually November to February3NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, in Year 5 or Year 6 | the year before the placement year1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Answering an offer | In the dashboard, by the due date 4NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published | By the time in the offer letter, or within 241NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published hours by phone |
| Reserve lists | Bands A to F5NSW Education · 18 October 2026 · Published; offers can come until the end of Term 1 20275NSW Education · 18 October 2026 · Published | Only where a school keeps one; it may close after Term 21NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
When do we apply for Year 8, 9, 10 or 11?
You apply in the year before the place starts. For a Year 8 place, you apply while your child is in Year 7. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
| Your child is in | You can apply for |
|---|---|
| Year 7 | A Year 8 place |
| Year 8 | A Year 9 place |
| Year 9 | A Year 10 place |
| Year 10 | A Year 11 place |
Dates for entry in 2028 are not published1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Not published yet. The last round shows the usual shape of the year.
17 June 20261NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
Applications opened
For entry in 2027.
24 July 20261NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
Applications closed
July 2026–August 20261NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
Schools set out their assessments
Each school told families what it needed. 1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
August 2026–September 20261NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
Assessments, where held
Not every school tests. 1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
September 2026–October 20261NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
Outcomes released by schools
Outcomes come in the same year applications close1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
late January 20271NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
New students start
1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
Next year's round may follow different dates. Watch each school's website through the year.
Is there a Year 9 selective test?
There is no single Year 9 test. It depends on the school: some schools test, others review reports1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. The school tells you if there is a test, and whether it costs anything.
A common Years 8 to 11 test, or past papers for one: Not published1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Not published. Ask each school what its assessment covers.
If your child has a disability and needs adjustments, contact the school early1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Our practice follows the Year 6 Selective test. 6SelectiveReady · 12 October 2026 · Published It isn't built for any school's Years 8 to 11 assessment.
What does one school's process look like?
James Ruse Agricultural High School shows how different a school's own process can be. For Years 8 to 11 it uses an Edutest entrance exam, then an application and an interview, both by invitation7James Ruse AHS · 13 October 2026 · Published.
| Step at James Ruse | For the 2027 intake |
|---|---|
| The form | the Department's Years 8 to 11 form is not used7James Ruse AHS · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| First stage: entrance exam | On 15 August 20267James Ruse AHS · 13 October 2026 · Published, for a fee of A$1807James Ruse AHS · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| The news | by email, up to four weeks after the exam7James Ruse AHS · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| Second stage: application | It asks for school reports (with emphasis on English, Mathematics and Science), the school's own information form, and competition or test results including the latest NAPLAN7James Ruse AHS · 13 October 2026 · Published |
Joining part-way through also has limits. At James Ruse, starting courses the year group already takes early is not always possible7James Ruse AHS · 13 October 2026 · Published. See the James Ruse page.
How do we apply to each school?
You make a separate application for each school1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, and list the schools in the same order on each.
Find the right form
Check the school's website: it uses the school's own online form or the Department's general form1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Fill it in
Include a copy of your child's birth certificate, citizenship or passport, and any extra forms the school asks for1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Send it to the school
Return it to the school itself1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published, by its closing date.
Repeat for each school
List the schools in the same order of preference on every form.
How are places decided?
Each school's selection committee looks at academic performance in the application, and any test the school sets1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Children from under-represented groups may get extra consideration when results are similar1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. The four groups are children at schools in areas of low socio-educational advantage, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, rural and remote, and disability.
Your family must be living in NSW by the start of the entry year3NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. Conditions may apply to non-citizens3NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
What happens with offers and reserve lists?
A school can give an offer, a place on the reserve list, or unsuccessful1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Last round, schools released outcomes in September 2026–October 20261NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
| What you get | What to do |
|---|---|
| An offer by letter | Reply as soon as you can: accept within the time in the offer letter, or you may lose it1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. |
| An offer by phone | Accept or decline within 241NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published hours. |
| A reserve list place | Wait for the school. Lists apply only for that school year, and may close after Term 21NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. |
| Unsuccessful | You can ask for a review within 71NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published days, on limited grounds. |
When you accept a place, you provide a birth certificate, passport, visa or proof of citizenship, and proof of your NSW address1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Can we ask for a review if the application is unsuccessful?
Yes, within 71NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published days of the result, but only on two grounds. The grounds are that the school didn't follow its published process, or you have proof for a residency waiver1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
| A valid reason for review | Not a valid reason |
|---|---|
| The school didn't follow its published process | NAPLAN or tests the school didn't ask for, class rankings, competitions, disruptions, or missing documents1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| Proof for a residency rule waiver | Disruptions such as holidays, illness or moving house 1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
If you disagree with the finding, ask for a review by the school's Director, Educational Leadership1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Otherwise, apply again next round: you submit a new application when applications open1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Can a selective student move to another selective school?
Only by applying again. There is no automatic transfer between selective schools1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. A student who wants to move applies through the Years 8 to 11 process, like any other family.
How does later entry connect to the Year 7 reserve list?
Year 7 reserve offers can come until the end of Term 1 20275NSW Education · 18 October 2026 · Published. After that, vacancies are filled through the Years 8 to 11 process5NSW Education · 18 October 2026 · Published.
A Year 7 reserve place doesn't carry over. For a Year 8 place, you apply again, to each school. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published Read about Year 7 reserve lists.
How does later entry work for families like ours?
Each case sets out the rules for one family. Vacancies change every year, so no case says whether a place will come up.
No Year 7 offer, trying again for Year 8
The child started Year 7 at the local high school and wants a selective place in Year 8.
Apply during Year 7, in the application period. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published Make a separate application for each school1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, in the same order on each. In the 2027 round, applications ran 17 June 20261NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published to 24 July 20261NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
Aiming for Year 9 at James Ruse
The child is in Year 8 and the family wants James Ruse for Year 9.
James Ruse runs its own process: an Edutest entrance exam, then an application and an interview, both by invitation7James Ruse AHS · 13 October 2026 · Published. For the 2027 intake, the exam was on 15 August 20267James Ruse AHS · 13 October 2026 · Published.
At one selective school, wanting another
The child is in Year 8 at a selective school closer to the old home, and the family has moved.
There is no automatic transfer between selective schools1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Apply to the new school through the Years 8 to 11 process, the year before the place you want.
Moving to Sydney from overseas for Year 10
The family arrives in NSW in the summer holidays before Year 10.
Apply during the year before, to each school. Your family must be living in NSW by the start of the entry year3NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. On accepting, you provide a birth certificate, passport, visa or proof of citizenship, and proof of your NSW address1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
What can't be known in advance?
Whether a school will have a vacancy, whether it will test, and the dates of its next round stay unknown until the school publishes them. Here is what is known beside them.
| Known now | Not known yet |
|---|---|
| Each school runs its own entry | Which schools will have vacancies in your child's year 1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| You apply the year before, to each school | The dates for entry in 2028: Not published1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Not published |
| Last round's key dates | Whether a school will test, until it tells you |
| How reviews work | Whether your child will get a place. No one can predict it. |
How do we keep our child's spirits up?
Treat another try as a chance, not a verdict on Year 7. Keep it low key, and let your child know their current school is a good place to grow.
Ask your child whether they want to move before you apply. A new school mid-way through high school means new friends, and their say matters.
Where do we go, officially?
The Department's page sets out the process, and each school runs the rest.
- Selective high schools: Years 8 to 11 applications: vacancies, how to apply, outcomes and reviews.
- Each school's own website: its form, assessment, fees and closing date.
- All NSW selective high schools: every school, with links to its page.
Questions parents ask about later selective entry
Is there a Year 8 or Year 9 selective test?
Not one shared test: some schools test, others review reports1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, and each school tells you what it uses.
When do Year 8 selective applications open?
In the year before, during Year 7. For entry in 2027, applications opened on 17 June 20261NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. Dates for entry in 2028 are not published1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Not published yet.
Can we apply to more than one school?
Yes. Make a separate application for each school1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, and list the schools in the same order on each.
Are there past papers for the Year 9 test?
A shared test or its papers: Not published1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Not published. Ask each school whether it shares samples.
Does it cost anything?
It depends on the school. The school tells you whether there's a fee. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published James Ruse's entrance exam for the 2027 intake cost A$1807James Ruse AHS · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Does NAPLAN count?
Only if the school asks for it. NAPLAN that a school didn't ask for isn't a ground for review. 1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
How fast must we answer an offer?
By the time in the offer letter. A phone offer needs an answer within 241NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published hours.
Can we get a Year 11 place?
Yes. Later entry covers Years 8 to 11, so for Year 11 you apply in Year 10. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published