NSW Selective Test Is Now Computer-Based — How to Prepare (2026)

One of the most common questions in NSW selective test parent groups is: “What does the computer-based test actually look like on test day?” Since the NSW Selective High School Placement Test moved from paper to computer in 2025, many parents feel uncertain about what their child will face. The format change is permanent, the test platform is unfamiliar, and most preparation resources are still paper-based.

Here’s everything you need to know about the computer-based format — what changed, what the interface looks like, what catches students off guard, and how to make sure your child is ready for it.

What changed in 2025

The NSW Selective High School Placement Test was historically a pen-and-paper exam. Students sat in school halls, filled in bubble sheets with pencil, and worked through printed question booklets. That format had been in place for decades.

From 2025, the test is fully computer-based. It’s administered through a digital platform developed by Cambridge University Press & Assessment and delivered by Janison, an Australian education technology company. This is the same partnership that develops the test content itself.

This is a permanent change. The 2026 test and all future years will continue to use the computer-based format. There is no plan to return to paper.

Students sit the test on computers at designated test centres — not on their own devices at home. The testing environment is supervised and standardised, similar to how NAPLAN online works.

Why the change? Computer-based testing allows for more consistent delivery, faster result processing, and alignment with international best practice in large-scale assessment. It also opens the door to adaptive testing in future years, where question difficulty adjusts based on student responses.

What the computer-based test looks like

Understanding the test interface before test day removes a major source of anxiety. Here’s what your child will see on screen.

The test interface

The test runs in a locked-down browser on a desktop or laptop computer. Students cannot access other applications, websites, or files during the test. The interface is clean and purpose-built for assessment.

Key elements visible on screen:

• Question area — the question text and answer options are displayed in the centre of the screen. For multiple-choice questions, students click on their chosen answer option to select it.
• Countdown timer — a clock showing the remaining time for the current section is visible at the top of the screen at all times. Students can see exactly how many minutes and seconds remain.
• Question navigator panel — a panel showing all question numbers for the section. Students can click any question number to jump directly to that question. Answered questions are visually distinguished from unanswered ones.
• Flag/review button — students can flag any question they want to return to later. Flagged questions are highlighted in the navigator panel, making them easy to find.
• Progress indicator — shows the current question number out of the total (e.g. “Question 12 of 35”).

Section-by-section format

The test has four sections, each completed separately with its own timer. Students cannot go back to a previous section once it’s finished.

Mathematical Reasoning: 35 questions in 40 minutes. Each question has 5 answer options (A–E). Students select one answer by clicking. Questions include diagrams, tables, and figures displayed on screen. Rough working must be done mentally or on provided scrap paper — there is no on-screen calculator or scratchpad.

Thinking Skills: 40 questions in 40 minutes. Each question has 4 options (A–D). This section relies heavily on visual and spatial reasoning, so diagrams, patterns, and shape sequences are displayed directly on screen. Image quality is high and consistent across all test computers.

Reading: 30 questions in 40 minutes. Most questions have 4 options (A–D), with 2–3 sentence placement questions using up to 7 options (A–G). Reading passages appear on screen alongside the questions. For longer passages, students scroll through the text. Some question formats display the passage and question side by side; others require scrolling between the passage and the question.

Writing: 1 task in 20 minutes. Students type their response in a simple text editor built into the test platform. Basic formatting is available (paragraphs, line breaks) but no spell-check, grammar-check, or advanced formatting tools. Touch-typing skill is a genuine advantage here.

Navigation

Within each section, students have full control over which question they work on:

• Forward and back buttons move between questions sequentially.
• Question number list allows jumping directly to any question in the section.
• Flagged questions are highlighted in the navigator, so students can quickly return to questions they’ve marked for review.
• Answers can be changed at any time before the section timer runs out. There is no penalty for changing an answer.

This navigation system is similar to what students experience on most online exam platforms, including EduSpark. Familiarity with any computer-based testing interface transfers well to the real test.

5 things that catch students off guard

Even well-prepared students can be thrown by the computer format if they haven’t specifically practised for it. These are the five most common issues.

1. Reading on screen is slower than on paper. Research on digital reading consistently shows that most students read 10–20% slower on screen, at least until they build screen-reading stamina. For the Reading section — 30 questions across multiple passages in 40 minutes — this matters. Students who haven’t practised reading extended text on a screen often run out of time, even if they finish comfortably on paper.
2. You can’t underline or annotate passages. On paper, students instinctively circle key words, underline topic sentences, and scribble notes in the margins. On screen, none of this is possible. Students need alternative strategies — like mentally noting paragraph numbers where key details appear, or using a finger to track their place on screen. This is a skill that needs explicit practice.
3. The visible timer creates different pressure. A countdown clock ticking away on screen feels more urgent than glancing at a wall clock. Some students find themselves checking the timer every few seconds, which breaks concentration. Others feel a wave of panic when they see single-digit minutes remaining. Students who are used to an on-screen timer treat it as a tool rather than a threat.
4. Scrolling through long passages requires different pacing. Paper-based reading lets students see the entire passage at once (or across two facing pages). On screen, longer passages require scrolling back and forth between the text and the questions. This physical act of scrolling, relocating your place, and holding information in working memory is a genuinely different cognitive task. It needs practice.
5. Clicking is not the same as circling. On paper, circling an answer is a deliberate physical act. On screen, some students accidentally skip questions by clicking “Next” before selecting an answer. Others click too quickly and select the wrong option without realising. The question navigator helps catch unanswered questions, but only if the student checks it before time runs out.

How to prepare for the computer format

The good news: digital test skills are straightforward to build. A few weeks of targeted practice is enough. Here’s what to focus on.

Practice on a computer, not just on paper

This is the single most important adjustment parents can make. Paper-based practice books and worksheets build content knowledge — they teach your child the maths, reading, and reasoning skills they need. But they do nothing to build comfort with the digital format.

Every practice paper your child completes on a computer builds familiarity with clicking answers, navigating between questions, reading passages on screen, and working under an on-screen timer. These are separate skills from the academic content, and they need separate practice.

Ideally, at least half of your child’s practice papers in the final 4–6 weeks before the test should be completed on a computer.

Build screen-reading stamina

Have your child read articles, stories, and textbook content on a screen for 30 or more minutes at a time. This builds the sustained focus needed for the Reading section.

Start early — screen-reading stamina takes 2–3 weeks of regular practice to build. Good sources include e-books, news websites (ABC Kids News is excellent for this age group), online encyclopaedias, and any age-appropriate long-form content.

The goal is not speed-reading. It’s sustained comprehension — the ability to read a 400-word passage on screen and retain the key details without needing to re-read multiple times.

Practice with an on-screen timer

Use a timer application visible on screen during practice sessions, or better yet, use an online platform with built-in timers that enforce the time limit automatically.

The goal is to normalise the countdown pressure before test day. Students who have already completed 10–15 timed practice papers on screen will barely notice the timer during the real test. Students experiencing it for the first time will feel every second.

Learn to pace without annotations

Teach your child strategies for the Reading section that don’t rely on underlining or circling:

• Read the questions first, then the passage. This gives purpose to the first read — your child knows what to look for.
• Note paragraph numbers mentally. Instead of underlining a key sentence, remember “the statistics are in paragraph 3” or “the counterargument starts in paragraph 5.”
• Skim first, then read carefully. A quick skim of the passage (15–20 seconds) to get the structure, then targeted re-reading to answer specific questions.
• Use the question to guide re-reading. Rather than re-reading the entire passage for each question, identify which part of the passage is relevant and scroll directly to it.

Paper-based practice vs computer-based practice

Most families use a combination of paper books and online practice. Here’s how they compare across the features that matter most for test readiness.

Paper books still have genuine value. They’re great for building content knowledge, and some students find it easier to learn new concepts on paper before practising them on screen. A stack of practice booklets from Excel, Opportunity Class Tests, or other publishers is a solid foundation.

But paper books should supplement computer-based practice, not replace it. The students who perform best on test day are those who have practised in conditions closest to the real test — on a computer, with a timer, with click-to-select answers, and with the need to scroll through reading passages on screen.

What EduSpark’s online practice looks like

EduSpark is a computer-based practice platform built specifically for Australian selective entry tests. For the NSW Selective High School Placement Test, here’s what’s available:

• 90 NSW practice papers across 3 subjects: Thinking Skills (30 papers), Mathematical Reasoning (30 papers), and Reading (30 papers).
• Correct question counts matching the real test: 40 questions for Thinking Skills, 35 for Maths, and 30 for Reading.
• On-screen timer with enforced time limits matching the real test (40 minutes per section).
• Question navigator with skip, flag, and return functionality — the same mechanics students will use on test day.
• Click-to-select answers with instant auto-correction after submission.
• Detailed explanations for every question — not just the correct answer, but a step-by-step walkthrough of how to solve it.
• 2 free papers per subject — no credit card required. Start with the free practice papers to see how your child handles the on-screen format.

EduSpark covers the three multiple-choice sections of the NSW selective test (Thinking Skills, Mathematical Reasoning, and Reading). For writing preparation, see our guide on NSW selective test writing tips.

Tips for test day

On the day of the test, the computer format should feel familiar rather than surprising. Here are practical tips to help your child perform their best:

• Arrive early and get comfortable with the screen. The test centre will have a brief orientation period. Use this time to adjust the chair height, check the screen brightness, and get settled. If the screen is too bright or too dim, ask the supervisor — most test centres allow brightness adjustments.
• Use the flag feature strategically. If a question looks like it will take more than 90 seconds, flag it and move on. Come back to flagged questions after completing the easier ones. Don’t get stuck on a single hard question while easy marks remain unanswered.
• For Reading: skim first, then answer. Quickly skim the passage to understand its structure and topic (15–20 seconds). Then read the questions. Then read the passage carefully to find answers. This three-pass approach is faster than reading the passage in detail before knowing what the questions ask.
• Check the question navigator before time runs out. With 2–3 minutes remaining, glance at the navigator panel. Any unanswered questions will be visible. Make sure every question has a selected answer.
• Don’t panic if the interface looks slightly different. The real test platform may have minor visual differences from any practice platform your child has used. The core mechanics — click to select, timer at the top, navigator on the side — are the same across all computer-based testing systems. If your child has practised on any online platform, the transfer is seamless.
• Answer every question. There is no penalty for incorrect answers on the NSW selective test. A guess has a 20–25% chance of being correct. A blank answer has a 0% chance. Never leave a question unanswered.

The format change is an opportunity

The shift to computer-based testing is an advantage for students who prepare for it and a disadvantage for those who don’t. Many families are still relying entirely on paper books because that’s what they’re familiar with. Every computer-based practice paper your child completes puts them ahead of students who only practise on paper.

The digital skills needed — screen reading, click navigation, timer management, scrolling through passages — are not difficult to learn. They just need deliberate practice. A few weeks of regular online practice is enough to build the familiarity and confidence your child needs.

Start with 2 free papers per subject and see how your child handles the on-screen format. If they’re comfortable, you’re on track. If they’re not, you’ve identified exactly what to work on before test day.