Kids Learning HubNSW Selective Thinking Skills: what it is and how to practise
Thinking Skills is the part of the Selective test that surprises most families — it isn’t taught at school, so it’s the section that improves the most with practice. Here is what the questions look like and simple ways to build the skill at home.
What Thinking Skills actually tests
Thinking Skills measures how clearly your child reasons, not what they have memorised. There is no maths syllabus or set text to learn — every question can be solved from the information given. That is good news: it means the section responds well to practice with the question styles, not cramming.
The three question families
- Critical thinking (verbal). Short arguments where the child must spot an assumption, find the flaw, or work out what must be true. “Which statement, if true, most weakens this argument?” is a classic shape.
- Logical puzzles. A few clues, and a deduction to make — who sits where, what order things happened in, which option fits every rule.
- Abstract / non-verbal reasoning. Shapes and patterns: matrices with a missing tile, a series that continues, analogies (“this is to that as …”), and rotations or reflections. No words needed — just spotting the rule.
Why it’s the most improvable part
Because it is unfamiliar, most children start below where their ability suggests — and rise quickly once they have seen the patterns a few times. An hour spread over several short sessions usually pays off more here than in any other part of the test.
How to practise at home
- Ask “why do you think that?” and “what would have to be true for that to work?” during everyday reading and conversation.
- Play logic and strategy games — they build the same deduction muscle without feeling like a test.
- Do a few pattern puzzles so shapes, series and matrices become familiar rather than surprising.
- Always review the misses. The learning is in talking through why the right answer is right — not the score.
Common mistakes
Rushing before reading the whole argument, latching onto the first pattern that half-fits, and guessing instead of eliminating. Slowing down just enough to check the options usually lifts the score.
Practise free on Kids Learning Hub
Kids Learning Hub’s free Selective Prep course includes Thinking Skills practice — verbal reasoning, logic and abstract patterns — alongside Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Writing, with 10 full mock exams.
Start the Selective Prep courseFrequently asked questions
Is Thinking Skills hard to prepare for?
It feels unfamiliar at first, but that is exactly why it improves the most with practice. Once children recognise the question styles — logic, verbal reasoning and abstract patterns — their scores usually rise.
Do you need maths or English knowledge for Thinking Skills?
No. Every question can be answered from the information given, so no specific subject knowledge is required. It tests reasoning, not content.
What are abstract (non-verbal) reasoning questions?
Shape-and-pattern puzzles: a matrix with a missing tile, a series that continues, analogies between figures, and rotations or reflections. The task is to spot the rule.
How should my child practise Thinking Skills?
Short, regular sessions on the question styles, plenty of “why do you think that?” in everyday life, logic and strategy games, and always reviewing why the wrong answers were wrong.