How to Choose the Right OC or Selective School
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Choosing school preferences for your child’s OC/Selective application can be a confusing and daunting process.
How far should my child be traveling to school? Will my child be able to get the entry score required? What else does the school offer outside of academics?
We know how hard it is to answer those questions (especially when school selection will have an impact on how your child spends some really important years of their life) so we’ve put together a helpful list of factors that you should consider when picking an OC or Selective School.
1. Location
As a real estate agent would say, “location, location, location”.
Availability of public transport and travel time are reliant on where you live relative to the school’s location. Keep in mind that if your child has to travel for large quantities of time to and from school, they will have less time for sleep, spending time with the family, extracurriculars, as well as before/after school classes. In some cases, students are better off attending a more convenient school than one that is highly ranked so they can devote more time to more meaningful and productive activities.
Safety is also an important factor to take into consideration - keep in mind whether or not your children will have friends to travel with. The closer you live to the school, the more likely other students will be commuting with them.
2. Minimum entry results
When applying for the Opportunity Class (OC) program in New South Wales, students and parents can now list up to 4 school preferences. This is an increase from previous years and gives families more flexibility, but also requires more strategy.
It's important to note that students will only receive one offer, and it will be for the highest-ranked school they qualify for. That’s why it’s essential to carefully select your preferences based on your child’s likely performance.
New Band System Makes School Selection Harder
Previously, students received an overall score after the OC or Selective Test. Now, results are reported in broad performance bands:
Top 10%
Next 15%
Next 25%
Bottom 50%
This makes it harder for parents to understand which schools are within reach. In response, Alpha One has developed a new OC & Selective Test Calculator to help estimate which schools your child is likely to gain admission into.
How to Use the Calculator to Choose OC and Selective Schools
Students improve over time as they build familiarity with exam content and test-taking strategies. That’s why we recommend parents input their child’s estimated final performance when using the calculator. The school preference deadline falls after the exam, so parents can make changes if needed.
For the Selective Test Calculator results:
1st preference: A high-achieving school in the low red or high yellow zone, if you believe your child may outperform.
2nd preference: A school in the low yellow to high green zone, which should be attainable with improvement.
3rd preference: A school safely in the green zone to serve as a backup.
For the OC Test Calculator results:
1st preference: A school in the yellow zone (goal school).
2nd to 4th preferences: Choose schools from the bottom of the yellow zone through to anywhere in the green zone, with the last one being the lowest school you are willing to accept.
You don’t need to use all 4 OC choices, if you’re only seriously considering 2–3 schools, that’s completely fine.
These are general guides to choosing preferences and ultimate selections will be highly impacted by the other factors listed in this blog. Other things to keep in mind are whether or not your child is consistent in their mock exams as well as the amount of effort a student undertakes in the leadup to the exam. For students who struggle with consistency, a lower ranking backup school is recommended in case the student struggles to perform to their potential.
Trial Test Reports vs Calculator: What’s More Accurate?
Students enrolled in our OC Trial Test (OCTT) or Selective Trial Test (STTC) programs will receive fortnightly performance reports, including school admission recommendations.
These reports may differ from the calculator results. That’s because:
The calculator does not factor in test difficulty or
How your child ranks against a wider cohort
These variables allow the OCTT/STTC reports to provide more accurate predictions of school placement outcomes.
3. HSC rankings (Selective Test only)
While minimum entry scores are well correlated with HSC rankings in the top 10 Selective schools, the rankings can vary a fair amount for schools beyond that. For example, Penrith High School has a HSC rank of 33 (in 2022) while Chatswood High School has a HSC rank of 61 (also in 2022). While Penrith has a much higher HSC ranking, it has a lower cutoff, making it far easier to gain admission into.
4. Extracurriculars, subjects offered and other opportunities
Many OC and Selective schools provide more opportunities and extracurricular activities than small local schools. These activities and opportunities can really help a child grow and develop in ways outside of academics. For students going into high school, this is especially important as this is where they'll be spending the next six years.
A few things to consider are:
Subjects offered as well as any accelerated subjects in Selective Schools
Extracurricular and sports offered e.g. Duke of Edinburgh, concert bands, representative sports, other leadership opportunities
Availability of opportunities for students to be challenged and pushed out of their comfort zones e.g. chance to travel overseas as part of certain subjects
These factors have a profound impact on how fulfilling students find their schooling years and how they develop as well rounded individuals.
More information can be found about these features on each school’s website and also at their open day events.
If you would like to discuss what would be the best options for your child or you think your child might need some extra support to perform their best, please contact us for a free consultation.
Published 31st October 2020, last edited 30th July 2025
