What to Expect of the Selective High School Minimum Entry Scores

by GEA | 22nd March 2022 | Blog, Education

The minimum entry scores for entry into selective high schools are soon to be released – we expect this to happen in April 2022.

With the different circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, students who sat the selective placement test in March 2021 were faced with greater challenges than students in previous years. Therefore, we cannot predict the trend in entry scores for 2022.

In the meantime, this blog provides a table of estimated entry scores for you to use as a guide.

Below is a table of the estimated minimum entry score and rank for all selective high schools in NSW for 2022.

Minimum entry scores and rank for all selective high schools in NSW for 2022 (alphabetical order) – estimate only*

School	Type	Suburb	ESTIMATED entry marks
James Ruse Agricultural High School	Fully	Carlingford	107
Baulkham Hills High School	Fully	Baulkham Hills	99
North Sydney Boys High School	Fully	Crows Nest	94
Normanhurst Boys High School	Fully	Normanhurst	93
North Sydney Girls High School	Fully	Crows Nest	93
Sydney Boys High School	Fully	Moore Park	93
Chatswood High School	Partially	Chatswood	92
Girraween High School	Fully	Girraween	92
Sydney Girls High School	Fully	Surry Hills	92
Fort Street High School	Fully	Petersham	91
Gosford High School	Fully	Gosford	91
Hornsby Girls High School	Fully	Hornsby	91
Merewether High School	Fully	Broadmeadow	91
Smiths Hill High School	Fully	Wollongong	91
Northern Beaches Secondary College Manly Campus	Fully	North Curl Curl	88
Penrith High School	Fully	Penrith	88
Hurlstone Agricultural High School	Fully	Glenfield	87
Sydney Secondary College Leichhardt Campus	Fully	Bexley	87
Ryde Secondary College	Partially	Ryde	86
Sydney Secondary College Balmain Campus	Partially	Rozelle	86
Parramatta High School	Partially	Parramatta	85
Prairiewood High School	Partially	Wetherill Park	84
Rose Bay Secondary College	Partially	Dover Heights	84
Sydney Technical High School	Partially	Rozelle	84
St George Girls High School	Fully	Kogarah	83
Alexandria Park Community School	Partially	Alexandria	81
Blacktown Boys High School	Partially	Blacktown	81
Caringbah High School	Fully	Caringbah	81
Macquarie Fields High School	Partially	Macquarie Fields	81
Tempe High School	Partially	Tempe	81
Blacktown Girls High School	Partially	Blacktown	80
Sefton High School	Partially	Sefton	79
Karabar High School	Partially	Queanbeyan	77
Armidale High School	Partially	Armidale	76
Auburn Girls High School	Partially	Auburn	76
Aurora College (Virtual)	Partially	Aurora	76
Bonnyrigg High School	Partially	Bonnyrigg	76
Elizabeth Macarthur High School	Partially	Narellan	76
Gorokan High School	Fully	Lake Haven	76
Grafton High School	Partially	Grafton	76
Kooringal High School	Partially	Kooringal North	76
Moorebank High School	Partially	Moorebank	76
Peel High School	Partially	Tamworth	76
Granville Boys High School	Partially	Granville	68

What is the entry mark made up of?

The entry mark for selective schools looks different this year and parents have been left in the dark once again regarding the changes.

The last published list of entry marks (in April 2021) was out of a total calculated score of 300, with the following breakdown:

Component	School Assessment Score*	Test Score	Total Score
English (Reading Comprehension and Writing)**	50	50	100
Mathematics**	50	50	100
General Ability	No school scores	100	100
Total calculated placement score	100	200	300

*some independent schools do not have to provide this score.

**Schools provide the school assessment scores out of 100 in English and Maths, based generally on the student’s performance in Year 5 (usually using the mid-year report) and NAPLAN results in Year 5.

From 2022, this has changed to a total calculated placement score out of 120, in part due to changes in the placement test design. The table below demonstrates the breakdown:

Component	Weighted scaled test score
Reading	25
Mathematical Reasoning	25
Thinking Skills	35
Writing	15
Moderated School Assessment Score*	20
Total calculated placement score	120

*Some independent schools do not have to provide this score.

For each test component, the raw test score is scaled on a state-wide basis to reduce the variability in test question difficulty. However, the conversion from the previous total placement score of 300 to the new placement score of 120 is unclear. In addition, due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2021, primary schools are not required to provide school assessment scores for the 2022 selective high school placement process for Year 7 entry in 2023.

This further adds to the confusion for parents on how to use the published entry scores list as indication for what their children need to achieve for placement in a selective high school.

Though the list we have provided above is not accurate, it should act as a guide on the school choices available and what to aim for to help maximise your child’s chances of receiving a placement in 2023.

To help you understand the timing of the placement test and the entry scores list, see the mapping in the table below:

For students who sat the test in	The entry score list is published in
March 2019	April 2020 (out of 300)
March 2020	April 2021 (out of 300)
March 2021	April 2022 (out of 120)
March 2022	April 2023 (out of 120)

What are the key dates for the application process?

Typically, students are in Year 5 during the application process and sit the test in Year 6.

The placement test usually occurs in March for entry the following year. For reference, below are the key dates for Year 7 selective high school placements in 2023:

Date	Activity
19 October 2021	Applications open for entry
17 November 2021	Applications close for entry
10 March 2022	Selective High School Placement Test
24 April 2022	Last day to change school choices
Early July 2022	Placement outcomes expected to be released
Late July 2022	Appeals due 15 working days after outcomes are released
Early August 2022	Reserve lists activated until at least May 2023
October 2022	Appeals outcomes released
May 2023	Reserve lists close

The key dates for placements in future years are expected to be similar, however are subject to change.

GEA Selective School Program

Our Selective Preparation Program targets topics assessed in the selective placement test, exposing students to the structure and types of questions commonly asked. The course also equips students with exam techniques and tools to reduce and manage cognitive load experience during exams.

Some key information in relation to the course:

Length: 40 weeks
Starts: Term 2, 2022
Locations: Kogarah and Turramurra Campus and online
Completion: March 2023 (the week before the Selective exam in 2023)
Sessions: 4 hours per week – Mathematics, English, Writing, Thinking Skills, exam techniques, time management, problem-solving strategies and most importantly, reducing cognitive load
Mock exams that mirror the Selective Test structure
1 hour per week homework assistance (optional – free of charge)
Full guidance for parents throughout the application process

To find out if your child has the potential cope with advanced courses and enter a selective high school, book a Selective Benchmark Assessment with us today.

*Disclaimer: the selective entry marks above are an estimate only, and should be used only as a guide.