How Many Questions Are on the NSW Selective Test?

How many questions are on the NSW selective test? On the NSW Department of Education practice-test structure used for the Selective High School Placement Test, the counts are:

• Reading — 17 questions in 45 minutes (three of those questions have multiple parts to answer)
• Mathematical Reasoning — 35 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes
• Thinking Skills — 40 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes
• Writing — 1 typed open-response task in 30 minutes

Each section is weighted equally at 25%. Always confirm the live table on the official NSW selective practice tests page.

Why Reading looks like “17” but feels longer

Parents sometimes count answer clicks and get a higher number than 17. That is expected: three Reading items are multi-part, so students complete more discrete answers than the stem count suggests. When you practise, use official samples first so multi-part navigation is familiar on screen.

Pacing at a glance

Full day length (breaks included): NSW selective & OC test length. Computer format: CBT guide. Writing tips: writing section.

OC question counts (related, not the same exam)

The Opportunity Class test (sat in Year 4) has three multiple-choice sections and no writing: Reading 14 questions (33 answers, as three are multi-part) in 40 minutes, Mathematical Reasoning 35 in 40, and Thinking Skills 30 in 30. Do not reuse selective totals for OC — see OC vs selective and the Opportunity Class test hub.

Practise the real counts under time

Start with the official NSW samples, then timed mocks that match the section sizes. You can try 5 NSW sample questions with no signup, and EduSpark has 1 free timed paper per subject (Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills and Reading). The format and all papers are on our NSW selective test page, and the NSW practice papers guide compares the options.