Selective Test Reflections: How Did Our Preparation Compare to the Actual Test?

The NSW Selective School Placement Test has just passed, and over the past few days, we’ve spoken to many of our students about their experience.

As always, their reflections provide valuable insight — not just into this year’s test, but into how students respond under real exam conditions.

Reading: Familiar and Aligned

Students noted that the Reading section closely matched the types of questions they had been practising.

• Question styles were very similar

• Skills required were familiar

• Students felt comfortable navigating the paper

This reflects the importance of practising authentic question types, not just generic comprehension.

Thinking Skills: Strong Preparation Paid Off

A large number of students found the Thinking Skills paper manageable, particularly because of the heavy focus on reasoning.

Many reported that they:

• Recognised the question styles

• Applied strategies they had already learnt

• Had time remaining to check their work

This is a strong indicator that when students are trained with structured reasoning methods, they can handle unfamiliar questions with confidence.

Writing: Within Expectations

The Writing task was generally seen as accessible.

Students felt that:

• The task did not require excessive creativity

• The format was familiar

• The idea of writing a speech was something they had practised before

Additionally, one component involved writing from a student’s perspective, which most students found natural and straightforward.

Mathematical Reasoning: A Noticeable Difference

Perhaps the biggest takeaway came from the Mathematical Reasoning section.

Many students commented that:

• The exam felt easier than what they were used to

• They felt well-prepared for the level of difficulty

• They had extra time to review and check their answers

In fact, several students mentioned they felt over-prepared, having trained with more demanding questions during their preparation.

What This Tells Us

These reflections highlight an important principle in exam preparation:

👉 Training at a higher level builds confidence and control in the real exam

When students are exposed to:

• More challenging questions

• Stricter time pressure

• Deeper reasoning tasks

…the actual test often feels more manageable.