Start at the right level
Adaptive difficulty finds where your child actually sits, instead of drilling questions that are too easy or demoralising.
Year 4 · Opportunity Class
OC Test practice for Year 4 students
The Opportunity Class Placement Test decides entry to OC classes for Years 5 and 6. Sat in Year 4, it tests reading, mathematical reasoning and thinking skills — the last of which most students have never encountered in a classroom.
Start practising freeWhat’s on the test
| Section | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Reading | Comprehension and inference across a range of text types. |
| Mathematical Reasoning | Problem solving that rewards reasoning over arithmetic speed. |
| Thinking Skills | Logic and critical reasoning — unfamiliar to most Year 4 students. |
How Cognora prepares your child
Target the weak section
Thinking Skills is where most OC candidates lose marks. Practice weights toward whichever section needs it.
Build exam stamina
Timed mock papers so the format is familiar long before test day.
Guides to the process
- How to prepare for the OC test: a realistic plan working back from May
The NSW Opportunity Class test is sat in early May of Year 4. The department says coaching is not necessary, and it is right. What actually helps is familiarity with the three papers, the free official practice tests, and short regular practice — here is how to spread that across the months you have.
- OC practice tests: the free official ones, and how to use them
The NSW Department of Education publishes one online OC practice test in the current computer format, and three PDF sample tests from the older paper test. What each is good for, when to use it, and why the order matters.
- Thinking Skills practice questions: what the NSW test actually asks
Thinking Skills is the one paper in the NSW OC and Selective tests that is not taught at school, so most children meet it cold. Three real questions with full worked explanations, and what each one is really testing.
- OC or Selective: which test should my child sit?
The Opportunity Class test is sat in Year 4 for entry in Year 5. The Selective test is sat in Year 6 for entry in Year 7. They are different tests at different ages, most children are eligible for both in turn, and one does not gate the other.
- OC results 2026: reserve lists, appeals and what happens next
Opportunity Class placement outcomes for 2027 entry were released on 9 September 2026. What an offer, a reserve list place and no offer each mean — and the 16 September appeal deadline.
- How to apply for an Opportunity Class or Selective High School in NSW
Applications for OC and Selective placement open in November and close in February, and no late applications are accepted. The steps, the school preference rules that catch most families out, and what you need before you start.
- Opportunity Class (OC) test dates 2027: applications, test days and timeline
When is the NSW Opportunity Class (OC) placement test? Applications open in November 2026 and close in February 2027, with the computer-based test in early May 2027.
Common questions
When do students sit the OC test?
In Year 4, for placement into an Opportunity Class in Years 5 and 6. Check the NSW Department of Education site for the current year’s dates and application window.
How early should we start?
Most families begin six to twelve months out. Short, regular sessions beat cramming — the adaptive engine is built around consistent practice.
Is Thinking Skills really that different?
Yes. It is not taught in the standard curriculum, so it is usually the section where preparation makes the biggest difference.