When do NSW Opportunity Class applications open?

Applications open in November of the year before the test and close in February. For example, applications for 2026 entry ran from 7 November 2024 to 21 February 2025. The NSW Department of Education publishes the exact dates each year.

What year is my child in when they sit the OC test?

Year 4. Applications open in November while your child is in Year 3, the test is sat in early May of Year 4, and entry to the Opportunity Class is in Year 5. For Selective: apply in November of Year 5, sit the test in May of Year 6, enter in Year 7.

Can I apply late for the NSW Selective or OC test?

No. The Department states that closing dates are strictly observed and no late applications are accepted.

When are the NSW OC and Selective test results released?

Selective High School outcomes are released in August and Opportunity Class outcomes in September. For 2027 entry the published dates were 19 August 2026 and 9 September 2026.

NSW OC & Selective: key dates, and how to apply

The whole cycle runs on one calendar: applications open in November, close in February, the tests are in early May, and results come out in August and September. Miss the February deadline and there is no second chance that year.

Dates on this page are from the NSW Department of Education's published application information. The Department sets new dates each year; always confirm on the official application page before relying on them.

The yearly cycle

Both tests follow the same pattern each year
When	What happens	Notes
November	Applications open online	Same window for OC (Year 5 entry) and Selective (Year 7 entry)
February	Applications close	"Closing dates for applications are strictly observed. No late applications will be accepted."
Early May	Placement tests	Computer-based, at a test centre. Selective and OC are on different days; a make-up test date exists for documented illness or misadventure
Early June	Last day to change school choices	You can adjust your school preferences for a few weeks after the test
August	Selective outcomes released
September	OC outcomes released

The most recent published dates, so you can see the pattern

Entry in 2026: applications 7 November 2024 to 21 February 2025; tests 2 to 4 May 2025.
Entry in 2027: applications November 2025 to February 2026; Selective test 1–2 May 2026, OC test 8–9 May 2026, make-up tests 22 May 2026; last day to change school choices 5 June 2026; Selective outcomes 19 August 2026, OC outcomes 9 September 2026.
Entry in 2028: expect applications to open in November 2026 and close in February 2027, with tests in early May 2027. Check the official page for the exact days once they are published.

Which year is your child in? The OC test is sat in Year 4 for entry to an Opportunity Class in Year 5. The Selective test is sat in Year 6 for entry to Year 7. So a child in Year 3 today applies this coming November–February (still in Year 3) and sits the OC test in May of Year 4; a child in Year 5 today applies this November and sits the Selective test in May of Year 6.

How the online application works

You apply through the Department's online portal, not through your school. The Department describes five steps:

Register an account as the parent or carer.
Verify your email address.
Log in to the application.
Complete all eight sections of the application — this includes uploading a recent photo of your child and answering every question.
Submit.

The step that catches people out is the last one. In the Department's own words: "saving your application does not submit it." A saved-but-not-submitted application on the closing date is the same as no application at all.

Before you sit down to apply, have ready

A recent, clear photo of your child (head and shoulders) as a digital file.
Your child's current school details.
Your list of school choices, in order of preference. You can revise these for a few weeks after the test, but you have to enter something now.
If you are applying for an equity placement — students from low socio-educational advantage areas, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students, students from rural or remote locations, or students with disability — read the requirements for that section carefully before you start. Up to 20% of places are held under the equity placement model; see how scores and placement work.

Three mistakes that cost a place before the test is sat

Assuming the school will apply for you. It will not. Parents apply directly.
Saving, not submitting. See above. Log back in after submitting and check the status.
Leaving it to the last week of February. Photos get rejected, emails do not arrive, the portal is busy. Apply in November or December and forget about it.

What to do in the six months between applying and the test

This is the real question, and the honest answer is that most families do nothing structured until March, then panic. The gap from November to May is long enough to fix a weak section properly if the work is steady — and too short if it starts at Easter. We have written out a week-by-week 6-month plan; the short version is: Thinking Skills first, timed practice from month three, and go through every wrong answer.

Applying this November?

We run live one-to-one online classes for the OC and Selective tests, in Australian time, in the real test format. The first lesson is a demo class, and there is a free 30-minute OC sample paper with full answers to see where your child stands.

Book a free OC exam demo OC exam preparation