Test guide

NSW Opportunity Class Placement Test

For Year 4 students applying for a Year 5 opportunity class in a NSW public school. What is in the test, how long each question gets, the key dates and how to prepare.

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What the test contains

The placement test is computer-based and held in May. It has three multiple-choice tests and no writing test. Calculators are not allowed.

Opportunity class placement test, as published by the NSW Department of Education
TestQuestionsTimeTime per question
Reading14 (3 with several parts)40 minutesAbout 2 min 51 s
Mathematical Reasoning35, five possible answers each40 minutesAbout 69 s
Thinking Skills30, four possible answers each30 minutesAbout 60 s

Source: NSW Department of Education, opportunity class practice tests and placement test pages, checked 11 October 2026. Time per question is the test time divided by the number of questions; Reading questions with several parts take longer.

Key dates for Year 5 entry in 2028

Applications open
Expected early November 2026 — not yet published. Verify on education.nsw.gov.au before you plan around it. For 2027 entry, applications ran from 6 November 2025 to 20 February 2026. Source: NSW Department of Education news
Placement test
May 2027, in Year 4 — exact dates not yet published. For 2027 entry, the opportunity class test was held on 8–9 May 2026. Source: NSW Department of Education application process

The department notes there may be changes to dates and activities. Always confirm on education.nsw.gov.au.

How AI Scholar Coach helps you prepare

What a new family gets today:

  • An Opportunity Class goal you choose when you set up your child’s profile.
  • The free Skills Map — a diagnostic across reasoning skills that marks each one Strong understanding, Developing confidence or Building foundations, so you can see where to start.
  • Practice sessions by skill, with banked skills coming back for a review in three days.
  • Times tables and number facts, useful for a test with no calculator.
  • A parent view of your child’s progress.

With a Season Pass or Monthly plan: unlimited sessions, the AI tutor, timed practice tests and quests.

Try a sample question

An original question in the style of Mathematical Reasoning. It is not a real test item.

Mia’s bus leaves at 8:47 am. The trip takes 38 minutes. School starts at 9:30 am. How many minutes before school starts does Mia arrive?

  1. A. 3
  2. B. 5
  3. C. 7
  4. D. 9
  5. E. 13
Show the concept and worked answer

Concept: elapsed time across the hour. Count up to the next full hour first, then add what is left.

  1. From 8:47 am to 9:00 am is 13 minutes.
  2. 38 − 13 = 25 minutes left, so the bus arrives at 9:25 am.
  3. From 9:25 am to 9:30 am is 5 minutes.

Answer: B, 5

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