If your child is in Year 5 now (2026), they will sit the NSW Selective High School Placement Test in Year 6, in May 2027, for entry to Year 7 in 2028. Here is the expected timeline, what has changed recently, and a realistic term-by-term preparation plan.
A note on the year labels, because they catch everyone out. The Department of Education names each cycle by the year a student starts Year 7, not the year the test is sat. So the cycle your Year 5 child is heading into is called “2028 entry” on official pages, even though the test itself is in 2027. If you are reading a forum or a Facebook group, check which label they are using before you take a date from it.
Expected key dates: the May 2027 test (Year 7 entry in 2028)
The Department of Education has not yet published these dates, but the cycle has followed the same rhythm for several years. For the cycle just completed - the one for Year 7 entry in 2027 - applications opened on 6 November 2025, closed on 20 February 2026, and the test ran on 1 and 2 May 2026, with outcomes expected in August 2026. Based on that pattern, expect:
- Applications open: early November 2026 (your child is in Year 5)
- Applications close: late February 2027 (no late applications are accepted, so put a reminder in your calendar now)
- Test days: expected early May 2027 - each student attends one day only, assigned about two weeks beforehand
- Outcomes: typically released in August (the previous cycle’s outcomes were expected around 19 August 2026)
Always confirm dates on the official NSW Department of Education selective schools pages once they are announced.
What the test looks like now
The test is fully computer-based. There are four sections, each worth an equal 25% of the placement score: Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills, and Writing. The writing section gives your child one task and 30 minutes to plan, type and polish a response - and it is the only section where marks come from human-style judgement of ideas, structure and language rather than right-or-wrong answers. That makes it the section where focused practice moves the needle most.
Also worth knowing: from the 2027 entry intake onwards - that is, the cohort who sat the test in May 2026 - selective schools offer an equal number of places to girls and boys. That change is already in effect and will apply to your child.
A term-by-term prep plan
Term 3, 2026 (now): build the base
No cramming - build habits. A daily reading habit (quality fiction and non-fiction), a vocabulary notebook, and one relaxed piece of writing a fortnight. The goal this term is that writing feels normal, not scary.
Term 4, 2026: apply, then start timed practice
Applications should open around early November - submit early rather than close to the deadline. Start gentle timed practice: one 30-minute writing task a fortnight, rotating text types so nothing on test day is a surprise.
Summer holidays: light touch
Keep reading daily, write occasionally, rest properly. Burning a Year 5 student out in January does not help in May.
Term 1, 2027: weekly rhythm
One timed writing task a week under real conditions, each one marked with specific feedback, plus regular practice in the other three sections. Review every piece of feedback before writing the next one - the review is where the improvement happens. Our ten writing tips make a good checklist.
Term 2, 2027: the run-up
Full exam-condition practice, including typing on a computer with no spell-check. Taper in the final week: one light practice, early nights, and a calm test day. Confidence at this point comes from the months behind you, not the week in front of you.
Where the writing marks come from
Writing is marked against official criteria covering ideas, structure, language, and mechanics - our guide to how the writing test works breaks them down. The fastest way to improve is the loop the plan above is built on: write to time, get marked against the real criteria, read the feedback, write again. You can start that loop today with a free marked practice test.