By Jon Petruch · Official details checked 21 October 2026
A selective reserve list is a ranked wait list: if your child didn't get an initial offer from a school, they may still get one when another family declines. The same system runs for opportunity classes. This guide explains what each outcome means, what reserve bands A to F tell you, and the one date that matters most right now: the reserve decision date, 3 December 2026 at 3:00 pm.
When are selective and OC results released?
For 2027 entry, selective outcomes were released on 19 August 2026 and OC outcomes on 9 September 2026, in the online application dashboard. Next cycle follows the same pattern: selective in August and OC in September 2027, according to the department's outcomes page.
When outcomes are released, you'll also see your child's performance report, explained below. If you're planning ahead for next year, our test dates guide has the full timeline.
What do the different outcomes mean?
There are five possible outcomes for each school you chose: offer, reserve list only, offer and higher-choice reserve list, unsuccessful, or not applicable. You can only receive one offer when outcomes are first released, and it always comes from the highest-choice school your child qualified for.
- Offer: accept or decline by the due date in your dashboard, or you lose it. You can accept now and decline later, but a declined offer can't be got back.
- Reserve list only: your child is waiting for a place at that school.
- Offer and higher-choice reserve list: you can accept the offer and wait to see if a place comes up at the school you preferred.
- Unsuccessful: no place at that school.
- Not applicable: you already have an offer from a higher choice, so this lower choice doesn't apply.
What is a selective reserve list?
A reserve list is a ranked wait list for one school. When a family declines an offer at that school, the department says the place goes to the next eligible student on its reserve list.
That means movement depends entirely on other families' decisions, which is why it's hard to predict. A place on a reserve list is not a guarantee, and there's no reserve list for Aurora College.
What do reserve bands A to F mean?
Reserve bands estimate when an offer might arrive, based on when students in a similar position got offers the year before. Selective high schools use bands A to F and opportunity classes use bands A to E. In both, the last band means an offer is unlikely:
| Band | Selective high school (2027 entry) | Opportunity class (2027 entry) |
|---|---|---|
| A | By the end of September | By the end of September |
| B | By the end of October | By the end of October |
| C | By the end of November | By the end of November |
| D | By the end of December | By the end of December |
| E | By the end of January | Unlikely to get an offer |
| F | Unlikely to get an offer | Not used |
These estimates come from the department's selective reserve bands and OC reserve bands pages. The department is clear that they are estimates only. Some sites track reserve movement week by week from parent reports; we stick to the official bands.
What is the reserve decision date?
For 2027 entry, the reserve decision date is 3 December 2026 at 3:00 pm for both selective and OC. If you've accepted an offer and are on a higher-choice reserve list, this is the day you have to choose: keep the offer, or decline it to stay on the reserve list.
The rule is slightly different for each. For selective, after that date you're removed from all reserve lists you're on if you hold an accepted offer. For OC, you're removed from the reserve list for your first-choice school, and to stay on it you must decline the offer you accepted at your second-choice school. Either way, a declined offer can't be got back, so read the key dates carefully before you act.
How long can my child stay on a reserve list?
For selective entry, a child can be placed from a reserve list up to the end of Term 1 of the entry year, which for 2027 entry is the end of Term 1 2027. For opportunity classes, it's up to the end of Term 1 in Year 6, so a child starting OC in 2027 could still get an offer until early 2028.
After that, selective vacancies are filled through the Years 8 to 11 entry process instead. If an offer does come, the department will contact you and you'll need to respond by the due date shown in your dashboard.
What does the performance report show?
The performance report places your child in one of four bands for each section of the test: top 10%, next 15%, next 25% or lowest 50% of candidates. It doesn't show a percentage of correct answers, a test score or a placement rank.
A result in the top 10% for Reading doesn't mean your child scored 90%; it means they performed better than about 90% of students who sat it. Equally, the lowest 50% band isn't a fail, because half of all students land there for every section by design.
Why is there no cut-off score?
There's no cut-off because the department says there are no set minimum entry scores for any school. The level needed changes every year with the number of applicants, how they perform, the number of places and how many offers are declined.
So when someone asks "what is a good score for selective?", the honest answer is that no score is released, and any published "cut-off" is an estimate. As we put it elsewhere on this site, that's an estimate wearing the clothes of a statistic.
Can I appeal a selective or OC outcome?
You can appeal only in limited circumstances, with documentary evidence such as medical records, and appeals are usually due within five business days of outcomes. Test answers can't be re-marked, and the department won't release a score or rank through an appeal.
The department lists grounds that don't count, including results on practice tests, coaching-college tests, NAPLAN or IQ scores, disappointment at missing out, or a lack of test preparation. Appeals go to a panel of principals and a Director, Educational Leadership, and the decision is final.
What if my child missed out?
Missing out on an OC place doesn't stop a child getting into a selective high school later, and missing out on Year 7 entry isn't the only route either. The department encourages families to talk to their local school about its high potential and gifted education programs, and selective high schools also take students in Years 8 to 11.
From Jon: Many parents have a backup plan. I've seen families move house to get into the catchment for a school they want, and others wait and get their child into a selective school in a later year. I've also seen a child contacted with a place after initially missing out. That isn't common, but it can happen. For some families the backup is a private school, and they pay for it. Ideally, though, your child gets in the first time, and that's far more likely if you've prepared in advance.
If your child is aiming for the selective test after OC, our selective schools test guide explains what changes in Year 6, and our NSW Selective practice tests give them timed practice with worked explanations.