Date marked on the calendar by thousands of families in New South Wales. For many of you, August 19, 2026, is a milestone – it is the day on which the Department of Education of New South Wales will announce the placements for Selective High Schools. The day your child sat the selective test in May of this year and you anxiously await for news: that is to some a major success, and to others perhaps the closure of a chapter of long weeks and many sleepless nights.

At GEA, we have seen hundreds of families on both sides of the fence experience this moment.

We are here to answer many of your key questions.

Where and how to view your Child’s Placement

The results are not issued over the phone, or via mail. They will be displayed in the same online dashboard you used to complete your initial application, and you will receive a notification when results are ready to be viewed. We would advise you to check directly in the dashboard on the day instead, as often emails can lag or even end up in the spam folder!

Three Placement categories when you log into the portal, you are able to view one of the three possible placements.

1. Offered a placement in your preferred school: This is the most anticipated and successful result.

You will be offered a place in your child’s best-chosen school, (if applicable), the selection is based on a merit-based system, and preference order. Your first choice is heavily considered so this outcome is a strong indicator of high academic achievement!

2. Placed on the waitlist: This result signifies that your child’s test was very close to the cutoff scores and a spot has become available.

This is by no means a negative result – your child still performed in the very upper echelons. Places can and do come off the waitlist throughout the year, up to, and even past the first day of school.

3. Unsuccessful for any listed preferred schools: A difficult outcome to accept, but it is in no way represents your child’s overall ability, or lack of.

The entry into Selective schools is an extremely competitive one; around 17,000 students aspire for just 4,300 positions statewide.

A single examination at one moment in time cannot sum up a child’s knowledge and potential, and there are many alternative, excellent pathways to study including future Entry programs Year 8-11, and superb Comprehensive schools!

Beyond Offer, what do the results really mean?

While there won’t be explicit numbers for any of the tests given: There are no raw scores or published ranking numbers in the results. The Dept of Education does not release ranking for placement but does provide a student performance report which demonstrates performance within bands (Reading, mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills, Writing).

Take notice of your child’s performance levels (bands).

They will provide you with useful insights for strengths/weaknesses should your child remain in a mainstream school for high school, try Year 8 entry next year, or aim for scholarships. Cutoffs are not advertised until after the tests take place and fluctuate each year depending on the applicants, the desired place, so a rumour from last year cannot guide you on expectations.

What you can do today (regardless of outcome)

If it is an offer, Congratulations!

Enjoy the moment and spend time familiarizing yourself with enrolment documents and key dates.

If it’s on the waitlist: remain optimistic! Take time for yourself to unwind and know that offers do move, and new opportunities arise.

If it’s unsuccessful: resist the impulse to scrutinize the test and interrogate your child.

Don’t make this day about perceived failure. Rather, use it as an opportunity to plan and support future endeavours. All the outcomes present pathways for growth regardless of results, GEA can assist your child. From those entering selective schools, through to candidates waitlisted or aiming for Year 8 entry, our team is dedicated to helping students maximize their potential.

To inquire further about the next steps for your child’s education journey, call us on 1800 675 160 or visit globaleducationacademy.com.au.