NSW Selective and OC 2028 Entry: Key Dates and How to Apply

Last updated 17 Oct 2026

If your child is in Year 5 now and you’re eyeing a selective high school for Year 7 in 2028, or they’re in Year 3 and you’re thinking about an opportunity class for Year 5 in 2028, the application window is coming up soon. Here’s what we know, what we expect, and how to apply without missing a step.

A quick note on dates. As of 17 October 2026, the NSW Department of Education hasn’t published the key dates for 2028 entry. Anything below marked expected, based on past rounds is our estimate from the last round, which opened on 6 November 2025. It isn’t an official date. We’ll update this page as soon as the Department announces the 2028 dates.

Selective (Year 7) vs OC (Year 5): the timeline at a glance

The Department runs both through the same application process, managed by its Selective Education Team. The difference is when your child applies and sits the test.

Source: NSW Department of Education’s application process page.

Key dates for 2028 entry (expected, based on past rounds)

None of these are confirmed yet. We’ll swap in the official dates once the Department releases them.

What happened last round (2027 entry)

The best guide to the coming round is the last one. Applications opened on 6 November 2025. These are the official dates the Department published for 2027 entry:

Selective high school, Year 7 entry in 2027

Opportunity class, Year 5 entry in 2027

Notice that the OC test ran a week after the selective test, and OC results came out about three weeks later. Expect a similar pattern for 2028 entry, but check the official dates once they’re out.

How to apply: the 5 steps

Applications are made online through the Department’s application website. Your child has to sit the Placement Test, and you apply on their behalf.

1. Register. Sign up using your own details as the parent or carer, not your child’s.
2. Verify your email. Click the link in the verification email. If it doesn’t arrive, check your junk folder or give it a few minutes.
3. Log in to the application website.
4. Complete the 8 sections. You can save and come back later. You’ll also upload a photo of your child, which goes on their Test Admission Ticket so they can be identified at the test centre. Saving isn’t the same as submitting.
5. Submit. Press submit, then check you’ve got the confirmation email and a message on your application dashboard.

After submitting, you can still log in to update details, upload documents and message the Selective Education Team.

Not sure about school choices yet?

Submit anyway. Last round you could change your school choices until 5 June, a month after the test.

Don’t leave it late

The Department says closing dates are strictly observed and late applications aren’t accepted. Put a reminder in your calendar for early November and apply in the first few weeks.

Who can apply, and where the test is held

Parents can apply if their child is at a NSW public school, a non-government school, in home study, or at an interstate or overseas school. There are some catches:

• The test is only held in NSW. From 2026, students who are interstate or overseas have to come back to NSW to sit the selective test. If they can’t, they won’t be considered for a place.
• Residency. Families have to be living in NSW by the start of the school year of entry. Conditions may apply to students who aren’t Australian citizens, permanent residents or New Zealand citizens.
• Not quite eligible yet? If you expect to meet every enrolment condition before initial offers come out, you can still apply and your child can sit the test. You’ll need to meet them all before you can get an offer.
• Disability or medical conditions. You can ask for reasonable adjustments for the test when you apply.
• Aurora College. Students must attend, or plan to enrol at, a rural or remote NSW public school that acts as an Aurora College host school.

What to do between now and test day

Applying takes an evening. Getting your child comfortable with the test format takes longer. The Department provides free practice tests and resources to help students get familiar with the test. Most families also find it helps to add some timed practice, so the clock on test day isn’t a surprise.

That’s where EduSpark comes in. Every paper is timed like the real thing, and every answer comes with a step-by-step explanation, so your child learns from each mistake instead of just seeing a score.

• Selective (Year 7): 90 practice papers, $59 per subject or $149 for all three. More on the test: NSW Selective test practice, plus our guide to NSW selective past papers and what’s out there for 2027.
• OC (Year 5): 60 practice papers, from $119. See OC practice tests.

Both give 12 months of access with a 7-day refund.

Try a free selective practice paper · Try a free OC practice paper