If your child holds an offer from one selective school and sits on the reserve list for a school you ranked higher, you can keep both, but only until the reserve decision date. For 2027 entry, that's 3 December 2026 at 3:00 pm.
After that date, if you still hold the accepted offer, you're taken off the higher-choice reserve list. To keep waiting, you have to decline the offer you hold, and a declined offer can't be got back.
This is the hardest decision in the whole process. Here's how it works and how to think it through.
The rule
Selective high schools (Year 7)
- Until the reserve decision date, you can hold an accepted offer and stay on higher-choice reserve lists.
- After it, students holding an accepted offer are removed from all higher-choice reserve lists.
Opportunity classes (Year 5)
- If you've accepted an offer and you're on the reserve list for your first-choice school, you're removed from that reserve list on the reserve decision date.
- To stay on it, you must decline the offer you accepted.
Reserve offers can continue after the date, up to the end of Term 1 of the entry year, but only to students still on the list.
Your options before 3 December
| Option | What happens | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Keep the offer | Your child starts at the school that offered. You leave the higher-choice reserve list | You may miss a late offer from your first choice |
| Decline the offer and stay on the reserve list | You keep waiting for your first choice, possibly until the end of Term 1 | If no offer comes, your child goes to their non-selective high school (or OC alternative) |
| Offer arrives before the date | Accept the higher-choice offer. Your lower offer is released | None |
Enrolling at your local school as a backup doesn't remove your child from a reserve list.
Five questions to decide
1. What band are you in, and where is it now?
Reserve bands estimate when an offer might arrive, based on last year.
| Selective band | Estimated offer |
|---|---|
| A | By end of September |
| B | By end of October |
| C | By end of November |
| D | By end of December |
| E | By end of January |
| F | Unlikely |
If you're band A to C and still haven't had an offer by early December, your list is moving more slowly than last year. If you're band D or E, an offer was always expected after the decision date, so waiting is a real gamble. Band F means an offer is unlikely.
2. How big is the gap between the two schools for your child?
Think about what actually changes day to day: travel time, single-sex or co-ed, subjects, sport, friends, and whether it's fully or partially selective. If you'd be happy at the school that offered, the case for waiting is weak.
3. What's the fallback if no offer comes?
If you decline and no offer arrives, where does your child go? If the honest answer is "a school we'd be unhappy with", keep the offer.
4. How does your child feel?
A child who's excited about the school that offered, or who has friends going there, often settles better than one who spends Term 1 waiting.
5. Can you live with not knowing until Term 1?
A late offer can arrive in January or after school has started. Some families find that harder than the decision itself.
A simple rule of thumb
- Keep the offer if you'd be content at that school, or the fallback is a school you don't want.
- Consider waiting only if your first choice matters a lot to your child, your fallback is acceptable, and your band and the list's movement still make an offer realistic.
The department's bands are estimates, not promises. Some parent forums track reserve movement, but those reports are partial and self-reported. Base your decision on your band and your own fallback.
Before you decline anything
- Check the exact date and time in your dashboard.
- Confirm which reserve lists you're on and what band each shows.
- Make sure your fallback enrolment is sorted.
- Remember you can't undo a decline.
If you still have questions, contact the Selective Education Team through your dashboard before the deadline.
If you keep the offer and want to move later
Selective high schools run their own Years 8 to 11 entry each year. A student at one selective school can apply to another through that process. They can't transfer automatically.
Frequently asked questions
What is the selective reserve decision date for 2027 entry? 3 December 2026 at 3:00 pm, for both selective and OC.
Can I accept an offer and stay on the reserve list? Yes, until the reserve decision date. After it, holding an accepted offer removes you from higher-choice reserve lists.
If I decline my offer, can I get it back? No. A declined offer can't be reinstated.
Do reserve offers stop on the reserve decision date? No. They can continue until the end of Term 1 of the entry year, for students still on the list.
Sources: NSW Department of Education, application process key dates (reserve decision date note, page updated 27 October 2026), outcomes, selective and opportunity class reserve list bands pages. Practice Tests & Exams is not affiliated with the NSW Department of Education. This is general information. Confirm in your application dashboard.