NSW selective test results, officially called placement outcomes, are released in August of Year 6 in your online application dashboard. For Year 7 entry in 2027, they came out on 19 August 2026. For 2028 entry, expect them in August 2027, after the placement test on 13 and 14 May 2027.
Results week moves fast. You'll have a few days to accept an offer or lodge an appeal, so it helps to know what you're looking at before the email arrives.
Key dates
| 2027 entry (this year) | 2028 entry (next year) | |
|---|---|---|
| Placement test | 1 to 2 May 2026 | 13 to 14 May 2027 |
| Make-up test | 22 May 2026 | 11 June 2027 |
| Last day to change school choices | 5 June 2026 | 25 June 2027 |
| Outcomes released | 19 August 2026 | August 2027 (date to be confirmed) |
| Appeals close | 26 August 2026 | About five business days after outcomes |
| Reserve decision date | 3 December 2026, 3:00 pm | Early December 2027 (to be confirmed) |
| Reserve offers can continue until | End of Term 1, 2027 | End of Term 1, 2028 |
Applications for 2028 entry open on 5 November 2026 and close on 15 February 2027. See our OC and selective test dates guide.
What you'll see on results day
You'll get an email telling you outcomes are ready. Log in to your application dashboard and you'll see two things.
1. An outcome for each school you chose
Each school choice shows one of five outcomes:
| Outcome | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Offer | Your child has a place | Accept or decline by the due date in your dashboard |
| Offer and higher-choice reserve list | A place at this school, plus a spot on the wait list for a school you ranked higher | Usually accept the offer and keep waiting. See accept or wait |
| Reserve list only | No offer yet, but your child is on the wait list | Check the reserve band |
| Unsuccessful | No place at this school | Look at other options |
| Not applicable | You already have an offer from a higher choice | Nothing |
You can only get one offer when outcomes are first released. It always comes from your highest choice your child qualified for. If you get an offer from a higher-choice school, you won't get an offer from any lower choice, even if you decline the higher one.
2. The performance report
The performance report shows which band your child landed in for each section of the test: reading, mathematical reasoning, thinking skills and writing. The bands compare your child with everyone who sat the test:
- Top 10%
- Next 15%
- Next 25%
- Lowest 50%
It does not show a mark, a percentage correct, a placement score or a rank.
How to read the performance report
A top 10% band is not 90%. It means your child did better than about 90% of the students who sat the test. Those students were already a strong group, because most families don't apply unless their child is doing well.
Lowest 50% isn't a fail. Half of all applicants land there in every section, by design.
Look for the pattern, not the single section. A child with three top-band sections and one lowest-50% section has a clear next step. That's useful if they'll apply for Years 8 to 11 entry, or if a sibling is sitting the test next year.
There's no cut-off score to compare with. The department doesn't publish minimum entry scores. The level needed changes every year with applicant numbers, results, places and how many families decline. Read more in our reserve list guide.
The first week: a checklist
- Read every school's outcome, not just your first choice.
- Note the due date for accepting an offer. If you miss it, you lose the offer.
- If you have an offer and a higher-choice reserve, accepting usually costs you nothing until the reserve decision date. Accepting doesn't remove you from the higher-choice reserve list before then.
- If you're on a reserve list, write down the reserve band and its estimated offer month.
- If something went wrong on test day, check whether you have grounds for an appeal. It closes about five business days after outcomes, and late appeals aren't accepted.
- Talk to your child before you talk about schools. Name the outcome simply and give them time.
Reserve bands in brief
If your child is on a reserve list, the dashboard shows a band from A to F. Each band estimates when an offer might arrive, based on last year:
| Band | Estimated offer (2027 entry) |
|---|---|
| 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 |
These are estimates only. Movement depends on how many families above your child decline. Our reserve list guide covers bands in detail.
What's changed for 2027 entry
From the 2027 intake, the NSW Government introduced equal places for girls and boys in selective and partially selective high schools. Places are now filled within each group, which can change how far a reserve list moves at some schools compared with past years.
If your child missed out
A Year 7 outcome isn't the end of the road.
- Reserve offers can still come until the end of Term 1 of Year 7.
- Years 8 to 11 entry: each selective high school runs its own process for later years. For 2027 entry, applications opened on 17 June 2026. See the department's Years 8 to 11 page and each school's website.
- High potential and gifted programs at your local high school are worth asking about.
See every NSW selective school and our NSW selective schools ranking.
Preparing for 2028 entry
If your child is in Year 5 now, applications open on 5 November 2026 and the test is on 13 and 14 May 2027. That's about six months away.
- Read the selective schools test explained and our guides to thinking skills and the writing test.
- Practise under timed conditions with our NSW Selective practice tests, with worked explanations and human-marked writing.
Frequently asked questions
When are selective test results released? In August of Year 6. For 2027 entry, outcomes came out on 19 August 2026. For 2028 entry, expect August 2027.
Do selective results show a score? No. The performance report shows a band for each section (top 10%, next 15%, next 25%, lowest 50%), not a mark or rank.
What's a good score for selective? There isn't an official one. The department publishes no cut-offs, and the level needed changes each year.
Can I appeal a selective result? Only on limited grounds, such as a documented medical or unforeseen event, and only within about five business days. See our appeals guide.
Sources: NSW Department of Education, selective high schools application process and key dates (page updated 27 October 2026); outcomes, reserve list bands and appeals pages. Practice Tests & Exams is not affiliated with the NSW Department of Education. Confirm dates in your application dashboard.