Kids Learning HubNSW Selective test scores and cut-offs, explained
Cut-off scores are the thing parents worry about most — and the most misunderstood. Here is how the Selective test is actually scored, what a “cut-off” really means, and why last year’s number for a school isn’t a target you can rely on.
How the test is scored
Your child’s four parts — Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills and Writing — are each standardised (adjusted so scores are comparable across the whole cohort) and combined into a single placement score. Offers are made on that combined score. Because the parts are standardised, a raw mark on its own doesn’t tell you much; what matters is the combined, scaled result.
What a “cut-off” actually is
A school’s cut-off is simply the lowest placement score that received an offer to that school in that year. It is an outcome of how many strong applicants chose that school — not a fixed pass mark set in advance. Nobody knows a year’s cut-off until offers are made.
Why cut-offs move around
- By school. The most sought-after schools have higher cut-offs, simply because more high-scoring students list them.
- By year. Cohort strength and how many people apply both shift the number up or down.
- Only known afterwards. This year’s cut-off can’t be predicted precisely from last year’s.
Minimum entry scores
The NSW Department of Education publishes the previous year’s minimum entry scores for each selective school. They’re a useful rough guide to how competitive a school is — but treat them as a ballpark, not a guarantee. You can find the current list on the official NSW selective schools pages.
What this means for how you prepare
Since the placement score combines all four parts, the goal is to lift the total — which usually means shoring up the weakest area rather than polishing an already-strong one. Writing and Thinking Skills are the parts families most often neglect, and they count just as much as Reading and Maths.
Practise free on Kids Learning Hub
Kids Learning Hub’s free Selective Prep course builds all four parts that make up the placement score, and its 10 full mock exams show where the marks are being won and lost.
Start the Selective Prep courseFrequently asked questions
Is there a fixed pass mark for the Selective test?
No. There is no set pass mark. A school’s “cut-off” is just the lowest placement score that got an offer there that year — an outcome of demand, not a fixed threshold.
Why do selective cut-offs change every year?
They depend on how many strong applicants list a school, which varies with cohort strength and applicant numbers, so the number moves up or down each year.
What is a minimum entry score?
The NSW Department of Education publishes each school’s minimum entry score from the previous year — a useful rough guide to how competitive a school is, but not a guarantee for the coming year.
How is the Selective placement score calculated?
Each of the four parts is standardised and combined into a single placement score, so results are comparable across the whole cohort. Offers are made on that combined score.