When Is the Next NSW Selective Test?

The NSW Department of Education runs the Selective High School Placement Test about twelve months before each Year 7 intake. For Year 7 entry in 2027, the confirmed test dates were Friday 1 and Saturday 2 May 2026, with a make-up sitting on Friday 22 May 2026.

Following that same yearly cycle, the test for Year 7 entry in 2028 is expected in early May 2027. The Department typically confirms exact dates and opens applications around twelve months out, so families aiming for the 2028 intake can expect applications to open in November 2026 and close in February 2027, with the test itself landing in the first half of May 2027.

That gives most families somewhere between six and eight months of genuine preparation time, which is exactly the window the Mama Bear Plan’s 25-week Weekly Mock Test Challenge is built around.

Why Selective Test Practice Changes the Outcome

The Selective Test is unlike anything most Year 6 students have sat before: four back-to-back sections, a strict computer-based format, and a test room full of strangers. Content knowledge alone doesn’t prepare a child for that. Genuine selective test preparation does.

A single selective sample test tells you what a child knows today. A consistent run of selective test practice, sat under real conditions, builds the stamina to stay sharp through the fourth section, the instinct to pace each question, and the calm that comes from having done this exact routine twenty times before.

Families who rely on scattered selective nsw sample tests or a one-off selective trial test tend to peak too early or too late. A structured, weekly rhythm of practice selective test sittings keeps a child improving steadily, right up to test week.

Meet the Weekly Mock Test Challenge

The Mama Bear Plan’s Weekly Mock Test Challenge turns selective exam preparation into a habit instead of a scramble. Every week, for 25 weeks, your child sits one full selective sample test in each of the four subjects:

• Thinking Skills
• Mathematical Reasoning
• Reading
• Writing

Each Test Set is numbered 1 through 25 — all 4 tests in every set — so the difficulty and format build naturally as your child progresses. This is online selective practice tests done properly: not a random grab-bag of selective test practice papers, but a deliberate, week-by-week programme that mirrors the real exam from day one.

A Real Selective Trial Test at Home

Every weekly selective trial test runs to the same timing as the NSW Department of Education’s own example timetable, so there are no surprises on the actual test day.

Families can run this in the morning or the afternoon, preferably on a Saturday or Sunday, with every test submitted automatically once its duration ends — just like the real selective sample test. That single habit, submitting on time instead of finishing when ready, is one of the most underrated parts of selective test preparation.

What Unlocks Every Week

Finish all four tests on time, and the following week your child receives real, personalised feedback, not just a score.

This is what separates a true selective test preparation programme from a pile of static selective test practice papers: the feedback loop closes every week, so effort turns into visible progress instead of guesswork.

Mama Bear Marathon

The Road to Selective Test Success

Your 25-Week Timeline to Selective Exam 2027

Mama Bear Lap 1 is due Sunday, 11 October 2026. From there, one test per subject is due every week, preferably completed on the Saturday or Sunday, but flexible to any day as long as it’s finished by the week’s deadline.

With a break over Christmas and New Year, the 25 weeks run through to 4 April 2027, leaving roughly four weeks of buffer before the expected early-May 2027 test.

The Full 25-Test-Set Schedule

Each Test Set bundles all 4 subject tests — Thinking Skills, Mathematical Reasoning, Reading, and Writing — due together each week.

Note: TestRoom is an independent online platform service for NSW Selective Test preparations and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NSW Department of Education.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these selective test practice papers the same format as the real test?

Yes. Each selective sample test follows the Department’s four-section structure and official timing, so your child sees a genuine practice selective test, not a simplified version.

What makes these online selective practice tests different from free sample tests online?

Most free selective nsw sample tests give you a score and nothing else. This program adds weekly Band Scores, Writing Feedback, and Areas of Improvement, so every selective practice online session feeds into the next.

How many selective trial test sittings does my child need before test day?

There’s no fixed number, but consistency matters more than volume. A steady weekly rhythm of 25 test sittings, each in exam conditions, builds far more readiness than a handful of rushed attempts the week before.

Can we start selective exam preparation partway through the 25 weeks?

Yes. Tests are numbered 1 to 25, so families can join at Test Set 1 or pick up mid-sequence and still complete the full set before test day. You can make up other tests in-parallel. For example: If you started your journey at the Test 10 week. You are in the challenge joining from Test 10 from the same week of others. Student can finish Test Set 1 to Test Set 9 in free time. Band scores, writing and personalized feedback is provided for these tests as well.

How many hours a week should a child spend on selective test preparation?

There is no single correct number, as it depends on the individual student’s starting point and the time remaining before the test. What matters more than total hours is consistency and quality — regular, focused sessions across all four sections tend to outperform occasional long, unstructured study blocks.

What makes selective test preparation different from regular school study?

The Selective Test assesses higher-order reasoning rather than curriculum recall. A student can perform well in regular schoolwork and still find the test format unfamiliar, because the question styles, time pressure, and computer-based format differ significantly from typical classroom assessment.