Selective test week: what to bring and what happens on the day
Independent. Not affiliated with the NSW Department of Education.
Your child brings the printed ticket, two 2B pencils, an eraser, a sharpener and a clear water bottle1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published to the Selective test and wears school uniform. The test for 2028 entry is expected in early May 20272NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Expected.
The real test is on a computer, with a timer. A free section, with no account, lets your child meet that kind of screen at home first.
What should my child bring to the Selective test?
Every child brings the printed ticket, two 2B pencils, an eraser, a sharpener and a clear water bottle1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. They wear school uniform, even on a Saturday1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Must bring | the printed ticket, two 2B pencils, an eraser, a sharpener and a clear water bottle1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Wear | school uniform, even on a Saturday1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Also bring | a substantial snack and a hat for the long break1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, with no nuts in the snack |
| If needed | medication, glasses, tissues and a clear plastic bag for stationery1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| If the weather is cool | a jumper if it's cool1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| Not allowed | pens, rulers, calculators, nuts, smart watches, phones and pencil cases1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Not needed | their own computer or mouse1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
Pencil cases are on the not-allowed list, so pack the pencils, eraser and sharpener in a clear plastic bag. 1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
Can my child take a watch, a calculator or a phone?
A plain watch is fine; a calculator and a phone are not. Your child may wear a plain wristwatch that can't make a noise, calculate or connect1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
There is no calculator or dictionary3NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published in any section. Each child gets 21NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published sheets of working-out paper at the start, and can ask for more.
When do we find out the test day and centre?
The Test Admission Ticket tells you, and it comes 21NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published weeks before the test. It shows your child's test centre, date and time1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Print it. Printed ticket required1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published: a copy on a phone isn't accepted.
Each child sits on one day only. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published Everyone from the same primary school sits on the same day. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
Until the ticket comes, keep both test days free1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. For Year 7 entry in 2028, the test is expected in early May 20272NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Expected; the exact days are not published2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Not published yet.
How is the test centre chosen?
It depends on your child's primary school address, where the centres are, and how many children each can seat1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. As for the centres, most are local public high schools1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
The location and date can't be changed, except for reasons outside your control1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published, and even then a change isn't certain.
What if the ticket hasn't arrived?
If it hasn't come 21NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published weeks before the test period, send a message in your dashboard1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Any test adjustments arranged for your child are listed on the ticket too. 4NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
What happens on the test day?
Your child checks in, sits the 43NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published sections with breaks between them, and is collected at the end. The ticket sets the real times; the Department's example timetable shows the shape of the day.
Say goodbye at the gate
Staff take children to the test room, and parents leave the school grounds1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
Four sections, one after another
Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills, then Writing. Children stay in the room for the short breaks. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
Collect your child
Be at the pick-up area on time. Anyone else collecting your child needs a signed note from you1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
What does the example timetable look like?
This is the Department's example for the Selective test. Your child's ticket may show different times.
| Time | Part | How long |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30 am1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published | Arrival and check-in | Before the test starts |
| 10:05 am – 10:50 am1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published | Reading | 453NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes |
| After Reading | Break, in the room | 101NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes |
| 11:05 am – 11:45 am1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published | Mathematical Reasoning | 403NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes |
| 11:50 am – 12:10 pm1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published | Long break, with a snack | 201NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes |
| 12:20 pm – 1:00 pm1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published | Thinking Skills | 403NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes |
| After Thinking Skills | Break, in the room | 101NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes |
| 1:15 pm – 1:45 pm1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published | Writing | 303NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes |
| 1:55 pm1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published | Children dismissed | End of the day |
Pack the hat: it's for the long break. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
Can parents stay with their child?
No. Parents leave the school grounds once children go to the room. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published You may go to the test room only with written permission for medical reasons1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
The rooms are run by trained test supervisors, with school staff to support children1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Each centre has a person trained in anaphylaxis response4NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
What if the test runs late?
Wait quietly at the pick-up area. If pick-up time changes, you get an SMS with the new pick-up time1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
What if we're late or go to the wrong place?
Being late costs test time, and the wrong place costs the test. There is no extra time for arriving late1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
At the wrong centre, or on the wrong date or time: wrong place, date or time means no test1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. Read the ticket's centre, date and time twice, the day it arrives.
Plan the trip the week before. The Department recommends public transport, or the parking suggestions sent with the ticket1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. If you drive, allow extra time to park.
What will the test screen look like?
Your child sits the test on computers provided by the Department1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, and does every answer, including the writing, on the computer3NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. The machines are laptops with screens of at least 15.4 inches, or all-in-one computers, each with a mouse4NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
A timer on screen
Each section is timed, with a countdown on screen. The Department's practice tests, which copy the real screen, are timed, with a countdown your child can hide5NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Zoom on every page
Every child has a zoom function on every page4NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Reading on screen
In Reading, all texts are read on screen3NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Writing typed
For the writing task, children plan on paper or on screen, then type3NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
No marks taken off
The Department's practice papers say there are no marks lost for incorrect answers6NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published, so every question is worth a try.
The Department's own online practice tests copy the real screen. 3NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published A session on one of them, or on our free practice test, means the screen isn't new on the day.
What if the computer stops working?
Work is saved every 30 seconds1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. A small problem goes through the illness or misadventure process. 1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
If a problem stops many children starting or finishing, the test may be postponed, and they sit the make-up test1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. There are several versions of the test, with no advantage from the day your child sits1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Some shared questions keep versions comparable; common items do not count1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published toward your child's score.
What if my child is sick on the test day?
Keep them home and request illness or misadventure consideration. A sick child brought to the test may not be allowed to sit the test1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. If the Department accepts an illness or misadventure request, your child can sit the make-up test. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
Submit the request in your dashboard within 51NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published business days of the test. Late requests aren't accepted1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
For a health problem, the proof is a medical certificate for the test day1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Documents must be uploaded in the request, not sent by email or message1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. If the request is accepted, your child may get the make-up test, or an adjusted score if your child sat part of the test1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Which reasons are accepted?
Illness and events outside your control are; plans and forgetting are not.
| Accepted | Not accepted |
|---|---|
| illness, injury or a medical condition affected the test or caused a miss1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published | forgetting the date, being busy, or not knowing the process1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| another unavoidable, unexpected event, such as a bereavement1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published | a family holiday, sport, school events or photo days1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| test centre problems or technical difficulties1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published | Missing both the test and the whole make-up test 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
How do we submit the request?
It takes a few minutes in the dashboard, and you can't change it once it's sent. Gather every document first.
Open the request
Log in and select the 3 dots beside your application, then Illness/Misadventure1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Choose the reason
Pick one: absent for the test, absent for part of it, or issues that affected it1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Explain briefly
Describe what happened, in up to 1,000 characters1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Check, then submit
The request can't be edited after you submit it. The outcome arrives in your application dashboard1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
When was the make-up test last time?
These were the 2027 round's dates. The 2028 round's dates are not published2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Not published yet.
| Step in the 2027 round | Date |
|---|---|
| The Selective test | 1–2 May 20262NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Last day for an illness or misadventure request | 8 May 20262NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| The make-up test | 22 May 20262NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Last day for a request about the make-up test | 29 May 20262NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
A child who misses both the test and the whole make-up test can't be placed. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
What counts as cheating?
Cheating rules out a place, and it includes talking about the questions afterwards. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published The Department lists sharing answers or test content with anyone, before, during or after the test1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published as cheating.
Tell your child before the day: don't post about the questions or describe them to friends, even afterwards. They can say how it felt, just not what was asked.
What should we pack the night before?
Pack the bag together the night before, then check it again in the morning. Tick each item off.
The printed Test Admission Ticket, read for centre, date and time
The pencils, eraser and sharpener from the list above, in a clear plastic bag 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
A clear bottle of water
A substantial snack with no nuts, and a hat 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
Any medication, glasses and tissues
School uniform laid out, and a jumper if it's cool
A signed note, if someone else is collecting
No phone, smart watch, pens, ruler or pencil case in the bag 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
How does test week work for families like ours?
Each case sets out the rules for one family. They describe what the Department says happens, not how a child will go.
Fever on the morning of the test
The child wakes with a temperature on test day.
Keep them home. See a doctor that day for a medical certificate for the test day1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published, then submit the request within 51NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published business days. If it's accepted, the child may sit the make-up test. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
We went to the wrong school
The family drove to the nearest high school, not the centre on the ticket.
The rule is strict: wrong place, date or time means no test1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. Check the ticket the day it arrives, and plan the trip the week before.
Our child has a severe nut allergy
The child carries an EpiPen and needs a nut-free space.
Each centre has a person trained in anaphylaxis response4NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Parents give the anaphylaxis kit to the test supervisor before the test4NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Nuts are banned in every child's snack. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
The ticket says Saturday; a friend's says Friday
Two children from different primary schools have different test days.
That's expected. Everyone from the same primary school sits on the same day. 1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published There is no advantage from the day your child sits1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
What can't be known before the test?
The 2028 test days, your child's centre before the ticket, and how your child will go are all unknown now. Here is what is known beside them.
| Known now | Not known yet |
|---|---|
| The test is expected in early May 20272NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Expected | The exact 2028 test days: Not published2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Not published |
| The ticket comes 21NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published weeks before | Your child's centre, date and time, until the ticket comes |
| What to bring and what isn't allowed | How hard your child's version will feel. Versions differ, with no advantage by day. |
| What happens if your child is sick | Your child's result. No one can predict it. |
The Department also says key dates may change2NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published, so check its key dates page in the last weeks.
How do we keep test week calm?
Keep the week ordinary. The Department suggests your child keep up activities, friends, healthy food and sleep2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
The week before
Normal school, normal sport, early nights. Skip any long practice runs this week.
The night before
Pack the bag together, then do something easy and fun. An early night beats a late review.
The morning
A good breakfast, the bag checked, and plenty of time. Keep the talk light in the car.
Afterwards
Ask how they feel, not how they went. Then plan something nice for the afternoon.
For many children, this is the first time they have sat a test like this5NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Whatever happens on the day, your child is the same child. Tell them you're proud they gave it a go.
Where do we check, officially?
The Department's pages and your dashboard have the final word on the day.
- The placement test: the test day checklist, centres, timetable, and illness or misadventure.
- Key dates: each round's test, make-up and request dates.
- The application website: the Test Admission Ticket and the request form, in your dashboard.
Questions parents ask about Selective test day
Can my child use a calculator?
No. There is no calculator or dictionary3NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published in any section.
Does my child need to bring a laptop?
No. Children sit the test on the Department's computers, so they don't bring their own computer or mouse1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Is school uniform required on a Saturday?
Yes. Your child wears school uniform, even on a Saturday1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
Can we show the ticket on a phone?
No. Printed ticket required1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
Where is the Selective test held?
At a local centre in NSW, chosen by your child's primary school address, and most are local public high schools1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Can we change the test centre or day?
Usually not. The location and date can't be changed, except for reasons outside your control1NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
What if the computer crashes?
Work saves every 30 seconds1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. If a problem affects your child's test, ask for illness or misadventure consideration in the dashboard.
Can my child talk about the questions afterwards?
Not the questions themselves. Sharing test content after the test is cheating, and cheating means no placement1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
Can I wait at the school?
No: parents leave the school grounds1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, then come back for pick-up at the end.