NSW Selective Schools ~ Minimum Entry Scores 2020

Congratulations to all the students who sat the 2020 Selective test! Whether you got into a Selective High School or not, we hope it has been a useful learning experience. For students planning to sit the placement test in the coming years, please see our full Selective Schools blog post for more information.

Entry into these schools in Year 7 is determined by the students’ results in the Selective High School Placement Test in English (including reading and writing), mathematics and general ability, together with their primary school’s assessment of their performance in English and mathematics. Other evidence of academic merit may also be considered.

There were 17 fully selective high schools, 26 high schools with selective classes (partially selective), 4 agricultural high schools and a virtual selective class provision offering selective placement in Year 7 for entry in 2020.

Number of vacancies: 4,226

Number of applicants: 15,079

Acceptance rate: 28.0% (number of vacancies ÷ number of applicants)

The table below shows the minimum entry scores (‘cut-off scores’) for last year’s Selective High Schools placement (Year 7 2020).

• Minimum entry scores vary from school to school and from year to year.
• The minimum entry score for a selective high school is the score of the lowest scoring student to accept a place there. The filling of all selective high school vacancies tends to continue until the end of the first term in the year of enrolment.
• The minimum entry score is determined by the geographical location of the schools and the academic merit of the students applying for entry. Where parents decline offers after the school term ends, it may become necessary to go much further down a reserve list than may have happened in previous years.
• The minimum entry score is not an indicator of the relative performance of the selective high schools.
• Parents should not use minimum entry scores as the only criterion on which to base their choice of selective high schools. They should also consider factors such as the curriculum offered at each school and travelling times and transport.
• Since isolation factors as well as school and test scores are considered for entry to Hurlstone Agricultural High School – Boarder, Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School and Yanco Agricultural High School, the minimum entry scores are not published.
• For further information about applying for placement in a selective high school in Year 7, visit the Public Schools website.