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OC Practice Test: a free mini mock test with worked answers

Twelve original OC-style questions — four each in Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills — at Year 4 level. Try them untimed, or start the 15-minute timer for mock test conditions. Every answer has a worked explanation.

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Updated 26 September 2026 · Test facts checked against the NSW Department of Education

Free OC mock test: 12 questions

Before you start: the real OC test has 79 questions over 110 minutes, sat on a computer with no calculator. This mini mock test gives a feel for each question type; it cannot predict a score.

OC mini mock test (12 questions)

Reading

Read the text, then answer questions 1–4.

The Garden on the Point

On the rocky point at Kestrel Bay, where the wind hardly ever stopped, old Mr Aldridge kept a garden that nobody believed could grow. Each spring he carried buckets of seaweed up the cliff path and dug them into the thin, sandy soil. Visitors laughed at the low stone walls he built around every bed. “Nothing grows out here,” they said, “except salt.”

By midsummer, however, the walls had done their work. Tucked behind the stones, out of the wind, rows of beans climbed their poles and pumpkins sprawled across the paths. Mr Aldridge never boasted about it. When people asked for his secret, he only pointed at the walls and the seaweed and said, “The sea took a lot from this garden. I just asked it to give a little back.”

1. What did Mr Aldridge dig into the soil each spring? A Shells B Seaweed C Sand from the beach D Salt

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Answer: B. The text says he “carried buckets of seaweed up the cliff path and dug them into the thin, sandy soil”. This is a literal question: the answer is stated in the text.

2. Why did Mr Aldridge build low stone walls around the garden beds? A To keep visitors out of the garden B To mark where the paths should go C To shelter the plants from the wind D To stop the pumpkins from spreading

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Answer: C. The plants grew “tucked behind the stones, out of the wind”. The text never says “the walls were for shelter” — you infer it from what happened.

3. “By midsummer, however, the walls had done their work.” In this sentence, had done their work means the walls had A fallen down B achieved what they were built for C needed repairing D been finished

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Answer: B. Vocabulary in context: the next sentence shows the plants growing behind the walls, so the walls had succeeded at their job.

4. Which word best describes Mr Aldridge? A Boastful B Impatient C Quietly determined D Careless

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Answer: C. He keeps working despite being laughed at (determined) and “never boasted” (quiet). “Boastful” is the opposite of what the text says.

Mathematical Reasoning

5. A bus leaves at 8:47 am and arrives at 10:15 am. How long is the trip? A 1 hour 18 minutes B 1 hour 28 minutes C 1 hour 32 minutes D 1 hour 38 minutes E 2 hours 28 minutes

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Answer: B. Count up: 8:47 → 9:00 is 13 minutes, 9:00 → 10:00 is 60 minutes, 10:00 → 10:15 is 15 minutes. 13 + 60 + 15 = 88 minutes = 1 hour 28 minutes.

6. Mia has three times as many stickers as Leo. Together they have 48 stickers. How many stickers does Mia have? A 12 B 16 C 24 D 32 E 36

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Answer: E. Leo has 1 part and Mia has 3 parts: 4 parts = 48, so 1 part = 12. Mia has 3 × 12 = 36. (Choosing 12 is the most common mistake — that is Leo’s share.)

7. A rectangle has a perimeter of 30 cm. Its length is 9 cm. What is its area? A 27 cm² B 45 cm² C 54 cm² D 60 cm² E 81 cm²

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Answer: C. Length + width is half the perimeter: 30 ÷ 2 = 15, so the width is 15 − 9 = 6 cm. Area = 9 × 6 = 54 cm².

8. What is the next number in this pattern? 3, 7, 15, 31, … A 47 B 55 C 62 D 63 E 64

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Answer: D. Each number is double the one before, plus 1: 3×2+1 = 7, 7×2+1 = 15, 15×2+1 = 31, 31×2+1 = 63. (The gaps 4, 8, 16, 32 double too.)

Thinking Skills

9. Ava, Ben, Cal and Dee ran a race. Ava finished before Ben. Cal finished last. Dee finished before Ava. Who came second? A Ava B Ben C Cal D Dee

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Answer: A. Cal is 4th. Dee is ahead of Ava and Ava is ahead of Ben, so places 1–3 are Dee, Ava, Ben. Ava is second.

10. All the students in the chess club also play in the school band. Some students in the band play the trumpet. Which statement must be true? A Some chess club students play the trumpet. B Every band student is in the chess club. C Every chess club student plays in the band. D No chess club student plays the trumpet.

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Answer: C. C only restates the first sentence. A could be true but does not have to be — the trumpet players might all be outside the chess club. “Must be true” questions punish “could be true” answers.

11. Tom says: “Our class should have a class pet, because looking after a pet teaches responsibility.” Which statement, if true, best supports Tom’s argument? A Class pets can be expensive to feed. B In a trial, students who cared for a class pet remembered their classroom jobs more often than before. C Some students are allergic to animals. D The principal likes dogs.

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Answer: B. Only B gives evidence for Tom’s reason (responsibility). A and C weaken the idea; D is not about responsibility at all.

12. In a secret code, CAT is written as DBU. Using the same code, how is DOG written? A EPH B ENF C DPH D EPG

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Answer: A. Each letter moves one place forward in the alphabet: C→D, A→B, T→U. So D→E, O→P, G→H: EPH.

More free OC practice papers and tests

Free OC sample paper (PDF)

A 30-minute Mathkari OC sample paper with full worked answers. Get the free OC sample paper.

Official OC practice tests

The NSW Department of Education publishes computer-based OC practice tests and three PDF practice tests with answers. Open the official OC practice tests.

Mathematical Reasoning practice

Worked examples and eight more practice questions on the OC & Selective maths page.

Reading practice

A poem, a gap-fill question and the four reading question types on the OC & Selective English page.

The OC test at a glance

NSW Opportunity Class Placement Test (Year 4, for Year 5 entry)
Test	Questions	Time	Weighting
Reading	14 (3 have several parts)	40 min	one third
Mathematical Reasoning	35	40 min	one third
Thinking Skills	30	30 min	one third

Each test counts for one third of the result, and there is no penalty for wrong answers. Read what’s on the OC test for a section-by-section explanation.

How to use OC practice tests well

Untimed first. Early on, method matters more than speed. Add the clock about three months before the test.
Know the pace. Thinking Skills is 30 questions in 30 minutes — a minute each. Mathematical Reasoning is 35 in 40 minutes, a little over a minute each.
Practise on a screen. The OC test is sat on a computer; reading a passage on screen feels different from reading on paper.
Review longer than you test. Keep a “wrong-answer book”: the question, the wrong choice, and why it was tempting.
Answer everything. Wrong answers cost nothing, so no question should be left blank.

Want this done for you? Our OC exam preparation classes are live and one-to-one, with timed practice and a weekly plan to the test date. See also our 6-month OC study plan.

Book an OC exam demo class

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Questions parents ask

Is this OC practice test like the real test?

The question styles match the three OC tests — Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills — at Year 4 level. The real test is longer (79 questions in 110 minutes) and sat on the Department’s computer system, so also use the official practice tests to get used to the screen.

How many OC mock tests should my child do?

Two or three full mock tests in the last two months are usually enough. Before that, short timed sets by topic teach more than repeated full tests.

Are there calculators in the OC test?

No. Calculators and rulers are not allowed, so practise mental and written methods.

Is there negative marking in the OC test?

No. Wrong answers and unanswered questions both score zero, so your child should answer every question.

What does “OCSC” mean?

Some families use “OCSC” as shorthand for the NSW OC (Opportunity Class) and Selective tests together. They are two separate tests run by the NSW Department of Education: the OC test in Year 4 for Year 5 entry, and the Selective High School test in Year 6 for Year 7 entry.

Is Mathkari affiliated with the NSW Department of Education?

No. Mathkari Concepts is an independent tutoring provider. Facts about the tests on this page come from the Department’s published information, and every practice question here is our own original material.

NSW OC & Selective exam preparation

OC exam preparationThe NSW Opportunity Class test in Year 4: format, dates and live one-to-one OC tutoring.
Selective exam preparationThe NSW Selective test in Year 6: all four tests, including Writing.
OC practice testA free OC mini mock test, marked instantly, plus the free OC sample paper.
Selective practice testFree Selective mock questions, practice papers and writing prompts.
OC & Selective mathsMathematical Reasoning: topics, worked examples and practice questions.
OC & Selective EnglishReading question types, practice texts, and Selective Writing.

Free guides: What’s on the OC test The Selective test, section by section Key dates and how to apply How OC and Selective scores work A 6-month OC study plan Thinking Skills: logical deduction The four kinds of reading question

Sources

Mathkari Concepts is an independent tutoring provider and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NSW Department of Education. All practice questions on this page are original Mathkari material.

Attempt the free OC practice tests online

Every paper is attempted online and marked the moment you finish — nothing to download. The first three questions are open to everyone.

All OC practice tests →