The exams, side by side
Three of these are separate exams with separate purposes, and parents routinely confuse them. NAPLAN is a national snapshot every child in four year levels sits. The other two are NSW placement tests a child opts into, and they decide who gets a place.
NAPLAN
Sat by every student in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in the same national window — 10–22 March in 2027. Four domains: reading, writing, conventions of language, and numeracy, all drawn from the Australian Curriculum. It is a snapshot, not a selection test: nobody passes or fails, and no place depends on it. NAPLAN practice →
Opportunity Class placement test (NSW)
Sat in Year 4 for entry to an opportunity class in Year 5. Three computer-based sections: Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills. Applications open early November and close in February; the test is held in May. What the OC test is →
Selective High School placement test (NSW)
Sat in Year 6 for entry to a selective high school in Year 7. Four computer-based sections: Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills and Writing. Same timetable — apply November to February, sit in May. What the Selective test is →
Everyday classwork
The one that actually matters most, and the reason the banks are graded Foundation to Extension rather than pitched at one exam. A child who can reason through a hard Year 5 question is better off in every one of the exams above. Start with a free test →
What we have practice for — and what we do not
Our self-study practice is 345 graded tests across Years 2 to 10 in Maths and English, spelling included to Year 6, written to the Australian Curriculum and calibrated a step above it. That maps onto these exams unevenly, and here is exactly how.
Reading and comprehension
Covered by the English banks, Years 2–10. Every one of them is comprehension-led, and the top tiers are pitched above year level, which is where placement tests sit.
Mathematical reasoning
Covered by the maths banks, Years 2–10. The Year 6 ones were rebuilt specifically for multi-step reasoning rather than single-step arithmetic.
Writing
Covered, Years 2–10 — by the Writing Coach. It marks a child's own writing against curriculum criteria, which no multiple-choice bank can do. Try it →
Thinking Skills
Covered since 30 August 2026 — 246 questions. It is a third of the OC test and a quarter of the Selective test, and exam mode now fills that section with our own questions, drawn fresh each time.
What is built, year by year
Years 2 to 6 — 225 graded practice tests, spelling banks, 101 mastery lessons and the Writing Coach. Every subject this site teaches is here.
Years 7 to 10 — 74 mastery lessons in Maths and English, 60 graded maths practice tests, 60 graded English practice tests, and the Writing Coach. Spelling stops at Year 6, and we would rather say so than sell you a page with nothing behind it. Those years are also taught in person through our tutoring centre, which starts with a free diagnostic and a written report you keep whether or not you enrol.
Thinking Skills: 246 questions, built 30 August 2026. It is sat in exam mode rather than as a graded practice test, because the section only exists inside the OC and Selective papers.
Common questions
Which of these exams does my child have to sit?
Only NAPLAN, and only if they are in Year 3, 5, 7 or 9 — and parents can withdraw a child from it. The Opportunity Class and Selective High School placement tests are optional and are applied for.
What is the difference between NAPLAN and the OC or Selective tests?
Purpose. NAPLAN reports where a child sits against national standards; nothing is won or lost. The OC and Selective tests are competitive placement tests run by the NSW Department of Education — they decide who is offered a place, and they are pitched well above year level.
Are the Opportunity Class and Selective tests only in NSW?
Yes. Both are run by the NSW Department of Education for NSW public schools. Other states run their own academically selective entry with different tests and timelines, and we do not cover those.
Do you have practice tests for these exams specifically?
Yes. Exam mode sits an Opportunity Class or Selective paper under the real section timing, with the five options the real Mathematical Reasoning paper gives. Every multiple-choice section is built: Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills. The Selective writing task is not simulated, because it is one open response marked by a person — the Writing Coach is the tool for that. Questions come from our own banks rather than past papers, and are drawn fresh each time. Our 225 graded practice tests are separate, and are written to the Australian Curriculum rather than to any exam.
What year levels do you cover?
Graded maths and English practice tests both cover Years 2 to 10, with spelling practised inside English to Year 6. Mastery lessons and the Writing Coach cover Years 2 to 10. Years 7 to 10 are also taught in person through our tutoring centre.
Go deeper on each exam: NAPLAN · Opportunity Class placement test · Selective High School placement test.
AceTheirTest is an independent practice platform. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to ACARA, NAPLAN, the National Assessment Program, or the NSW Department of Education. Exam names are used only to describe what each exam is.