Selective School Test Results: When & How

Results for the NSW Selective High School Placement Test are typically released in late November, approximately 8 months after the test date (which is usually in March).

The exact date changes each year but follows a consistent pattern:

• March: Students sit the test
• November (last week): Results and initial placement offers are released
• December: Deadline to accept or decline offers
• January – February: Reserve list offers go out

Results are sent directly to families by the NSW Department of Education. You will receive both your child's test performance information and, if applicable, a placement offer.

Results are delivered through the online application portal used during the initial application. Parents receive an email notification when results are available, with instructions to log in and view them.

The results notification includes:

• Component scores — individual scores for Thinking Skills, Reading, Mathematics, and Writing
• Overall placement score — the composite score used for ranking
• Placement outcome — which school your child has been offered (if any), or reserve list status

Keep your login credentials safe — you'll need them to accept offers and check reserve list updates.

Selective school test scores are standardised, meaning they account for the difficulty of the test each year. Raw marks are converted to scaled scores to ensure fairness across different test versions.

Key things to understand about scores:

• There is no published "maximum score" — the scoring scale is standardised, not out of 100
• All four components are equally weighted at 25% — Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills, and Writing each contribute equally to the composite score
• Writing scores take longer to process — because writing is marked by human assessors, this component typically takes the longest
• Scores are relative — your child's score is meaningful only in comparison to other students sitting the same test in the same year

Don't try to compare scores across different years or with students who sat a different test version. The standardisation process means a "good score" depends entirely on the cohort.

After receiving results, one of three things happens:

1. Your child receives a placement offer

• You'll see which school has offered a place
• You must accept or decline by the stated deadline (usually 2–3 weeks)
• If you accept, the school will contact you with enrolment details
• If you listed multiple preferences, you'll receive an offer from the highest-ranked school where your child's score was sufficient

2. Your child is placed on the reserve list

• This means they scored well but didn't get an initial offer at their preferred schools
• Reserve list offers may come in January–February as other families decline
• Read our complete reserve list guide for more detail

3. Your child does not receive an offer or reserve list placement

• This means their score was below the threshold for their nominated schools
• There is no formal feedback on areas of weakness — only component scores
• You can use the component scores to identify where to focus if trying again

The Department of Education does not publish official cutoff scores. However, approximate cutoffs circulate within the community based on data from accepted students. These should be treated as rough guides only.

Schools are generally grouped into tiers based on competitiveness:

Tier	Schools	Approximate Demand
Highest demand	James Ruse, North Sydney Boys, North Sydney Girls, Sydney Boys, Sydney Girls	Top 5–10% of all applicants
High demand	Baulkham Hills, Hornsby Girls, Girraween, Penrith	Top 10–20%
Moderate demand	Caringbah, Fort Street, Sefton, Gosford	Top 20–35%
Lower demand	Farrer, Merewether, Hurlstone (agricultural)	Top 35–50%

These tiers shift from year to year. A school's cutoff depends on both the quality of the applicant pool and how many students list it as a preference.

For a deeper dive, read our guide on selective school cutoff scores.

A disappointing result is tough for the whole family. Here's what to remember:

• One test does not define your child — the selective test measures a narrow set of skills under high pressure on a single day
• Many factors affect performance — illness, anxiety, time management issues, or simply an off day can all impact results
• Non-selective schools can be excellent — many comprehensive high schools have gifted & talented programs, extension classes, and produce outstanding HSC results
• There are other pathways — some selective schools accept applications for Year 8 or Year 9 entry, and the HAST test opens doors to scholarships at independent schools

If your child wants to try again (for Year 8 mid-stream entry or to target a different school), use the component scores to identify exactly where to focus. Targeted preparation is far more effective than general cramming.

Whether your child is preparing for their first selective school test or building on previous results, the most effective strategy is regular practice under real exam conditions.

SelectiveExams offers free monthly mock exams covering all four test components — Maths, Thinking Skills, Reading, and Writing. Every exam includes:

• Strict timed conditions — auto-submission when time expires
• Instant results and worked solutions
• Performance analytics showing time per question and topic accuracy
• Public leaderboard — realistic benchmarking against other NSW students

Regular mock exams build the skills, stamina, and confidence that make the difference on test day.

Create your free account and start practising today.