Selective past papers: every official paper and sample, in one table
Independent. Not affiliated with the NSW Department of Education.
The Department hasn't released papers from the computer-based Selective test sat in Year 6. It publishes online practice tests in the current format and 31NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published older paper-based PDF tests with explained answers, free for personal use.
Are there real Selective past papers?
Not from the computer-based test. Release of those papers: Not published1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Not published. Anything sold as a Selective past paper was written by someone else to match the format.
What the Department does publish is practice: online tests in the current format, and 31NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published PDF tests from the older paper test. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published It doesn't say which year's test those PDF papers came from. 1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Not published
Which official Selective papers and samples are there?
The online practice tests and 31NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published PDF sample tests, all free and all from the Department. Each PDF test has questions, an answer key and explained answers for Reading, Maths and Thinking Skills, plus a Writing question.
| Resource | Owner and rights | Year and format | Question papers | Answer keys | Explained answers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online practice tests | NSW Department of Education; free | Today's format: on screen, timed, with a countdown your child can hide2NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published | Open the online tests | Right and wrong shown at the end | On review, with the correct answer 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Sample practice test 1 | The Department; copyright Cambridge University Press & Assessment2NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published; personal, non-commercial use only1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published | Year: Not published1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Not published. Older paper-based versions1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, PDF | Reading · Maths · Thinking Skills · Writing | Reading · Maths · Thinking Skills | Reading · Maths · Thinking Skills |
| Sample practice test 2 | The Department; copyright as above; same terms | Year not published. Older paper version, PDF | Reading · Maths · Thinking Skills · Writing | Reading · Maths · Thinking Skills | Reading · Maths · Thinking Skills |
| Sample practice test 3 | The Department; copyright as above; same terms | Year not published. Older paper version, PDF | Reading · Maths · Thinking Skills · Writing | Reading · Maths · Thinking Skills | Reading · Maths · Thinking Skills |
The links open the Department's own files; we link to them rather than copy them. They are also listed on the Department's Selective practice tests page.
What are the writing tasks in the practice papers?
Each sample test has one writing task, and each asks for a different form.
| Paper | The writing task asks for |
|---|---|
| Sample practice test 1 | an advice sheet3NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| Sample practice test 2 | a newspaper report4NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| Sample practice test 3 | a diary entry5NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
The forms the real test can set: Not published1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Not published. Practise more than one. Our Selective writing guide covers the marking criteria and planning.
How are the PDF papers different from today's test?
The sections and kinds of questions are much the same, but the papers were made for pencil and paper. Today's test is on a computer, so the PDFs teach the questions, not the screen.
| What | The PDF practice papers | Today's Selective test |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Older paper-based versions1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published | On computers provided by the Department6NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Answering | The cover says it's a question paper with a separate answer sheet7NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published | Clicked or typed on screen, saved every 30 seconds6NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Working out | The cover says: working out on the question paper, no extra paper7NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published | 26NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published sheets of working paper, more on request |
| Timer | You keep time yourself | A countdown on screen, as in the online practice tests 2NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| Writing | A printed task, answered on paper | One task; children can plan on paper or on screen, then type1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Calculator | None | No calculator1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Marking | You mark with the answer key | Multiple choice is computer-marked, with manual reliability checks8NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
How should my child use the PDF papers?
As extra timed practice on paper: a section at a time, at today's time limit, then marked together with the explained answers. Save the online tests for learning the screen.
Print a section
You can download and print each section2NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Start with the section your child finds hardest, not the whole test.
Answer every question
The papers tell children there are no marks lost for incorrect answers7NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published, so a sensible guess beats a blank.
Mark with the answer key
Mark it together straight after, while your child still remembers how each answer was chosen.
Read the explained answers
Each test comes with explanations of answers1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. Ask your child to explain one wrong answer back to you.
Then try the online test
The PDFs can't show the screen. One Department online test teaches the timer and tools before the day. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
How many papers should my child do?
Fewer than you might think. The Department says coaching is not necessary1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published and that a small amount of preparation is enough. 9NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
Three PDF tests, the online tests and a few free sections give plenty of practice for the format. One paper reviewed carefully teaches more than three rushed ones.
When should my child use the past papers?
Spread them over the months before the test, not the last week. The Selective test is usually in early May9NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published , and the next one is expected in early May 20279NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Expected.
Early on
One Department online test, so your child sees the screen and tools, then one PDF section to find the weakest area.
In the middle months
One PDF section or free section every week or two, each reviewed with the explained answers.
In the last few weeks
One more online test to refresh the screen, then keep things light. The Department suggests you keep up activities, friends, healthy food and sleep9NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
Where can my child try a timed section now?
Right here, free and with no account: one section of our own Selective practice test, at today's time limit, with every answer explained. It's independent practice written to the published format, not a past paper.
Free practice · no account
Free Selective practice test
Answers stay in this browser tab and are never uploaded.
The practice could not load. Please try again.
For what each section covers and how close it is to the real test, see the free Selective practice test. Saving results needs an account. Your child can take one full practice test with results, with a free account10SelectiveReady · 12 October 2026 · Published.
Are the past papers sold online the real thing?
No. Released papers from the computer test don't exist 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Not published, so papers and books sold as past papers were written by others. Some are useful practice: check them against the published format before your child relies on them.
It says who wrote it, and doesn't claim to be a released test.
It promises no score, band or offer.
What if we can't print, or need another format?
Use the online tests or a library. The Department suggests your local public library, or your child's school2NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published if you can't use the practice tests at home.
For children with disability, it can provide practice material in large print, black-and-white or braille2NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. It also says these children should try the online practice tests to check any assistive technology2NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Questions parents ask about Selective past papers
Are the Department's PDF papers real past tests?
They are older paper-based versions1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published of the test, published as practice. The Department doesn't say which year's test they came from, so treat them as practice papers, not a record of one year.
Why can't I find papers from recent years?
Because the test moved to computers. A year printed on a paper is someone else's label: the Department doesn't say which year its PDFs came from 1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Not published, and it hasn't released papers from the computer tests 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Not published.
Are the official papers free?
Yes. The online tests and the PDFs are free. The PDFs are for personal, non-commercial use only1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, so you can print them for your family but not share or sell them.
Where are the answers?
In the same table. Each PDF test has an answer key and explained answers for Reading, Maths and Thinking Skills. The Writing question has no answer, so use a self-check against the marking criteria.
Which school year are the papers for?
The Selective test is usually sat in Year 611NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, for Year 7 entry. Its questions draw on concepts from the NSW curriculum up to Year 61NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, so the papers suit Year 5 and Year 6 children.
Can a past paper score predict my child's result?
No. Real results come as bands that compare your child with everyone who sat that year 8NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, and no scores or ranks are given8NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. A practice score only shows what to work on next.
Can my child do the PDF papers on a screen?
Yes, but print them if you can, because writing on the paper is how they were designed. For screen practice, the Department's online tests and our free sections are closer to the day.