NSW selective and scholarship test preparation

Make every practice session count.

Start with the free Skills Map: see which reasoning skills are strong and which are still building, then get a clear plan for what to practise next. No card needed.

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Whole-test preparation for NSW selective ACER scholarship Opportunity Class

Mia’s skills map

Illustrative example · not a real child

Next session · Today · 25 min

Building a persuasive argument

1Lesson: claim and reasons5 min
2Plan and write a paragraph12 min
3AI feedback, then revise8 min

Why this? Persuasive structure is Mia’s clearest gap, and Writing hasn’t had a session this week.

Why AI Scholar Coach?

Three ideas shape every session: the test ahead, the child doing the learning, and the support around them.

Built for their test

Original lessons and questions modelled on the concepts, question types and patterns in selective-school and scholarship tests, so each part of the test gets the emphasis it deserves.
See the tests we cover
Personalised for your child

AI maps your child’s strengths and learning gaps as they practise, then adapts their learning path to their goals, their target test and the time they have each week.
See a plan adapt
Support for the whole journey

Interactive tutoring when they’re stuck, quests that keep practice positive, and clear parent insights into what’s growing and what comes next. Learning and encouragement, working together.
See tutoring and feedback

Whole-test preparation in one place

Built around the test ahead

Choose the test, and everything follows it. Original questions are modelled on analysis of past formats: the question types that appear, how often they come up and the concepts underneath them.

NSW selective ACER scholarship OC Year 4

NSW selective placement test · four sections, equally weighted

Reading25%
Mathematical Reasoning25%
Thinking Skills25%
Writing25%

Question Mathematical Reasoning

A pancake recipe uses 2 cups of flour for every 3 cups of milk. How much flour goes with 12 cups of milk?
Concept

Ratio: both parts grow by the same factor

Linked to ratio and rates on Mia’s skills map
Lesson

Ratios with bar models
- Step-by-step visual explanation
- 4-minute teaching video, with captions
- 6 focused questions with hints
- Timed or untimed practice set

ACER scholarship tests · three areas

Written Expression
Humanities: comprehension and interpretation
Mathematics

Question Humanities

“Grandpa folded the letter twice and tucked it behind the clock, where no one ever dusted.” What does this suggest about the letter?
Concept

Inference: what a small detail reveals

Linked to inference on the skills map
Lesson

Reading between the lines
- Worked passages, one clue at a time
- 3-minute teaching video, with captions
- 5 focused questions with hints
- Timed comprehension practice

NSW Opportunity Class placement test · three sections

Reading
Mathematical Reasoning
Thinking Skills

Question Mathematical Reasoning

What number comes next? 3, 7, 15, 31, …
Concept

Number series with a two-step rule

Double, then add one
Lesson

Spotting two-step rules
- Step-by-step: differences first, then doubles
- 3-minute teaching video, with captions
- 8 focused questions with hints
- Timed or untimed practice set

Foundations Times tables and number facts join the plan whenever quick recall needs strengthening.

A plan that changes as they learn

Every activity updates your child’s skills map. The next session is chosen from what changed, the test ahead and the time available, so effort goes where it is most useful.

Strengths and gaps update as your child practises
Each recommendation explains itself in plain language
Short sessions or long ones: the plan fits the time

Mia’s plan

Illustrative example · not a real child

Skills map · focus areas

Persuasive structureWritingBuilding
Ratio and ratesMathematical ReasoningBuilding
InferenceReadingDeveloping
Spatial reasoningThinking SkillsDeveloping

Time for the session

15 min 25 min 40 min

Today · 25 min

Building a persuasive argument

1Lesson: claim and reasons5 min
2Plan and write a paragraph12 min
3AI feedback, then revise8 min

Why this? Persuasive structure is Mia’s clearest gap, and Writing hasn’t had a session this week.

Today’s writing session is ready to start.

Help at the moment it matters

When your child is stuck, the tutor responds to their reasoning instead of handing over an answer. When they write, feedback arrives while their ideas are still fresh.

A tutor that follows their thinking

Mathematical Reasoning · voice or typing

Question A pancake recipe uses 2 cups of flour for every 3 cups of milk. How much flour goes with 12 cups of milk?

Flour2 cups

Milk3 cups

Shared working: 2 parts flour for every 3 parts milk

Mia
Is it 11? The milk went up by 9, so I added 9 to the flour.
Tutor
I can see your thinking: you kept the difference the same. Let’s test it on the bar model. If the milk doubles from 3 cups to 6, what happens to the flour?
Mia spoken
It doubles too, so 4 cups. Wait… so it’s times, not plus?
Tutor
Exactly. In a ratio, both parts grow by the same factor. How many times bigger is 12 than 3?
Mia
Four times. So the flour is 2 × 4 = 8 cups. How do I spot this in a test?
Tutor
Look for “for every”. Selective maths questions often hide a ratio in a recipe or a map scale. Want to try a map-scale question next?

Writing feedback while ideas are fresh

Writing · persuasive

Task Persuade your principal that every school should have a vegetable garden.

Marked on: Ideas Structure (this feedback) Expression

Mia’s paragraph

I think every school should have a garden. Gardens are good and kids like being outside and you can grow food.

Feedback · Structure

Your three reasons arrive in one breath. Choose your strongest reason, give it its own sentence, then add an example that proves it.

Mia’s revision

Every school should have a vegetable garden, because students learn best when they can see what their work produces. When our class grew tomatoes last term, even students who usually avoid science measured them every morning.

Claim, reason and evidence: structure is stronger

Motivation for children. Visibility for parents.

Achievable goals, quests and rewards keep practice regular and positive. You see the detail behind it, and you set the goals together.

What Mia sees

Coins: 120

This week’s quest

4 practice sessions

3 of 4 done

Reward: Explorer hat for her avatar

Streak3 weeks in a row
Practice bandNearly there

What you see

Parent view

Practice average

72%

Illustrative example

Last 30 days

Practice comparison

62nd percentile

Correct answers in the last 30 days, compared with learners active on AI Scholar Coach in the last 90 days. Practice results, not an official rank or placement prediction.

Reading78%
Mathematical Reasoning71%
Thinking Skills74%
Writing66%

Growing: main idea, number facts, deduction. Next focus: persuasive structure, ratio and rates.

Goals and rewards

Sessions this week Quest reward

Mia’s quest: 4 sessions · Explorer hat for her avatar

Times tables and number facts Short daily rounds, with speed bands from Snail to Cheetah.
Teaching clips Click-to-play explanations with captions, beside the lessons they support.
Practice tests Timed in exam conditions, or untimed to focus on method.

Questions parents ask

Which tests does AI Scholar Coach prepare for?

The NSW selective placement test (Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills and Writing), the NSW Opportunity Class placement test, and independent-school scholarship tests from ACER and AAS. Other scholarship tests, such as Edutest, share much of the same reasoning and maths, but there is no Edutest-specific course yet. Times tables and number facts are added whenever foundations need strengthening.

Are the questions taken from real papers?

No. Every lesson and question is original, modelled on analysis of past test formats, question types and concepts. AI Scholar Coach is independent and not affiliated with the NSW Department of Education, ACER or Edutest.

How much time does it take each week?

You decide. Set the number of sessions and the time available, from 15 minutes upwards, and the plan fits the most useful work into it.

Does the AI tutor just give the answers?

No. The tutor asks about your child’s reasoning, offers a hint or a visual model, and lets them take the next step. Writing feedback works the same way: a specific suggestion, then a revision in their own words.

What do I see, and what does my child see?

You see scores, progress, strengths and gaps, and practice comparisons with a clearly defined group over a set time period. Your child sees goals, quests and rewards, and a named band rather than a number or rank, unless you choose to show them their statistics.

What happens after I sign up?

You create a parent account and verify your email once. Your child’s learner account opens after you approve it. Choose the test ahead, and the skills map starts taking shape from the first session.

How much does it cost?

The Skills Map and some practice each week are free, with no card. The Season Pass is A$199 at the Founding Families price for the first 200 families or until 30 November 2026, whichever comes first, then A$299. Monthly is A$39. Details are on the Pricing page.

Will it get my child a selective place or scholarship?

No one can honestly promise that. AI Scholar Coach is designed to make each session purposeful, so your child builds understanding steadily and approaches the test prepared.

Give every session a clear purpose.

Choose the test ahead, and your child’s skills map starts taking shape from the first session.