By Jon Petruch · Official details checked 21 October 2026
There are no official selective past papers or OC past papers: the NSW Department of Education publishes practice tests, not the real papers from previous years. What it does publish is free and useful: online practice tests in the current computer format, plus three PDF practice tests each for the OC and selective tests, with answers and explanations. This guide explains what's official, why the PDFs are out of date, what the "past papers" on tutoring websites usually are, and how to use the official material well.
Are there official OC and selective past papers?
No. On its selective and OC practice test pages, the department offers practice tests, not previous years' real test papers.
The real test now runs in several versions across different days, with some questions shared between versions so results can be compared. The department explains this on its placement test page.
What free official practice material is there?
The department publishes online practice tests, three PDF practice tests for each test, and a Student Resource Hub. All of it is free:
| Resource | OC test | Selective test | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online computer-based practice tests | Yes | Yes | Timed, with an on-screen countdown, in the same software style as the real test. Shows right and wrong answers at the end. |
| PDF practice tests 1 to 3 | Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills | Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills, Writing | Printable, with answer keys and explained answers. Older paper-based format. |
| Student Resource Hub | Yes | Yes | Interactive quizzes, practice items and test-taking tips |
If you can't use the online tests at home, the department suggests your local public library or your child's school. It also says the PDFs are for personal, non-commercial use, and that copyright in them belongs to Cambridge University Press & Assessment. So it's best to download them straight from the department.
Are the official PDF practice tests still accurate?
Not completely. The department says the PDF practice tests "are from older paper-based versions of the test" and "do not reflect the current test format".
The question styles are still the best official guide to what your child will meet, especially in Thinking Skills. But the timing and layout have changed. Today's selective test has 17 Reading questions in 45 minutes, 35 Mathematical Reasoning in 40, 40 Thinking Skills in 40 and one writing task in 30. Today's OC test has 14 Reading questions in 40 minutes, 35 Mathematical Reasoning in 40 and 30 Thinking Skills in 30. Our guides to the selective schools test and the OC test cover each section.
What are the "past papers" on tutoring websites?
They're usually the department's own practice tests renamed as "past papers", older sample tests from the paper-based years, or the tutoring company's own mock exams. None of them is a real paper from a recent OC or selective test.
That doesn't make them useless, but check two things before your child spends hours on them. First, does the format match today's test, including the number of questions, the timing and whether there's writing? Second, if it's labelled "official", is it simply the department's free PDF that you could download yourself?
What is a selective trial test?
A trial test is a mock exam run by a tutoring or coaching business, not by the department. Its results don't count towards placement.
Trial tests can be useful for practising under exam conditions, in a room full of other children, with a strict clock. Treat the score as a snapshot of one paper on one day, not a prediction of your child's result.
How should my child use the official practice tests?
Use them as part of a plan, not as a pile of papers to work through. With only three PDF tests per level plus the online tests, each one is worth using carefully.
From Jon: Start with a mock exam to see your child's baseline. Once you know what they're missing, work on those skills untimed. When they're competent, move on to full mock exams under timed conditions, as close to the real thing as possible, so they get used to solving problems against the clock. Remember that schools don't prepare children for these exams; that isn't the goal of the syllabus, so there may be skills your child simply hasn't met yet.
In practice, that might look like this:
- Use one PDF practice test early as an untimed diagnostic.
- Use the explained answers to find the gaps, and work on those skills without a timer.
- Save the online computer-based tests for timed runs closer to the test, because they're the closest thing to the real format.
For the selective Writing Test, the PDF writing prompts give your child real topics to practise on. Our selective writing guide explains how to prepare for them.
Does my child need more than the official practice tests?
The department says coaching isn't necessary and that the test needs no knowledge beyond the NSW curriculum. Many families still want more timed practice than the official tests provide, because a few papers run out quickly.
If you do want more, look for mock exams that follow the current computer-based format and timings, not the old paper format.