[NSW] The Comprehensive Guide to Opportunity Class (OC) Schools

 

 

 

 

Year 5 entry in 2025

The Opportunity Class Placement Test will be held on 1 August 2024.

While Opportunity Classes have been around for a while, there have been several major changes in the past few years. North Shore Coaching College, the expert in OC Exam Preparation courses and mock tests, has compiled this comprehensive guide to the OC test and application process, with all the important, up-to-date information you need here on one page.

What are Opportunity Classes (OC)?

Opportunity Classes are located in government primary schools and cater for academically gifted Year 5 and Year 6 students with high potential. These classes help students to learn by grouping them with students of similar ability, using specialised teaching methods and educational materials at the appropriate level.

Parents normally apply when students are in Year 4. Students who are placed then attend the opportunity class full time in Years 5 and 6 at the primary school with an opportunity class. It is a two-year placement program. In the majority of cases, students who accept a place in an opportunity class will leave their current school to attend the school with an opportunity class.

There are 1840 places available in Year 5 opportunity classes across NSW in 2025.

• See a list of NSW primary schools with opportunity classes.

Read more: Official NSW Department of Education Website

Should I consider OC for my child?

There are a number of factors you should consider in deciding whether to enrol your child in an Opportunity Class, such as:

• Giftedness
• Eligibility
• Changing schools
• Teaching & curriculum
• Peers

Is my child gifted?

Opportunity Classes are designed to provide enhanced learning opportunities for high potential and gifted students, i.e. those with very high to extremely high academic merit (in the top 9% of their cohort).

Read more: High Potential and Gifted Students | NSW Department of Education

 

Eligibility

Students are usually in Year 4 at the time of applying and when sitting the test. They are aged between 9 years and 5 months and 11 years at the time they start Year 5.

A student’s family must be living in NSW by the beginning of the school year of entry.

A student must be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident of Australia or a New Zealand citizen to enrol in an Opportunity Class.

Read more: Information for Applicants | NSW Department of Education

 

Changing Schools

Entering an Opportunity Class often involves changing to schools that may be located quite far from your current school/home. Parents of students who are offered a place in an opportunity class cannot assume that younger or older siblings can also enrol as an out-of-area enrolment at that school. Parents should consider this when choosing opportunity classes.

Changing schools may also mean that your child needs to negotiate a new social and emotional environment for the last two years of their primary schooling, and this can be problematic for certain children.

If you have any concerns about applying to Opportunity Classes, we recommend speaking to your child’s current teacher(s).

 

Teaching & Curriculum

Mainstream classrooms that contain children of all abilities can pose challenges for those at either end of the academic spectrum, including gifted students, who can easily become bored and disengaged at regular schools.

The aim of an Opportunity Class is to provide very capable students with the chance to learn in an environment that suits their unique needs, with teachers who have experience and training in the area of gifted education.

The topics of work covered in an OC class are highly engaging as they allow students to work at their own level, study topics that are interesting to them and complete tasks that are suited to their ability. Students have the opportunity to accelerate and extend their learning. There is also a strong focus on learning through problem-solving.

 

Peers

OC classes give capable kids the chance to learn alongside peers who have similar, or even stronger, academic capabilities. The stimulating, well-resourced environment of an OC classroom offers these kids the chance to strive and learn from others whose perspective could enrich their own skills and may be a good educational setting for your child too.

Dr. Miraca Gross, Professor of Gifted Education at UNSW, says that confidence and well-being issues can occur when very bright children don’t have an opportunity to connect with other kids who share their expectations of friendship:

“Gifted children tend to reach the final stage of friendship expectations years ahead of average ability children, thus causing social isolation and the need for a true friend.”

Often the feeling of isolation that gifted children feel in a mainstream classroom is alleviated when they join an Opportunity Class as they finally have like-minded students to talk to. Socially, this can displace feelings of being different or isolated.

Read more: Why accept an OC offer? | Jewells Primary School 

 

Which schools have Opportunity Classes?

 

What is the OC selection process?

Entry into Opportunity Classes is decided on academic merit based on student performance in one placement test that typically occurs around late July each year.

To promote fair and equitable access for all high potential and gifted students, the Equity Placement Model helps to address unintended barriers to entry for students from low socio-educational advantage backgrounds, Aboriginal students, rural and remote students, and students with disabilities.

Learn more about the Equity Placement Model.

Where a student has missed the test for a valid reason, alternative evidence of academic merit will be used to rank the student. This rank will then be reviewed by the selection committee to make placement decisions.

Performance report

The Performance report shows how your child performed in comparison to the other students who took the test in that year.

For each of the test components, the report shows where your child performed in one of four bands:

• top 10% of candidates
• next 15% of candidates
• next 25% of candidates

• lowest 50% of candidates

Download a Performance report example [PDF, 240KB].

It is important to understand that the Performance report does not show the percentage of correct answers a child has achieved for any of the test components, but rather how many other students performed within the same range.

The Performance report does not provide an individual’s test scores or placement rank.

Test scores or placement rank are not available.

Read more: The Selection Process | NSW Department of Education

What is the OC Placement Test like?

The test in 2024 is paper-based. The test consists of 3 test components: Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, and Thinking Skills, in that order.

• Reading – 25 items – 30 minutes
• Mathematical Reasoning – 35 items – 40 minutes
• Thinking Skills – 30 items – 30 minutes

All questions are multiple-choice.

Reading Test

The reading test consists of 25 questions. Students have 30 minutes to complete the test. The questions are based on a diverse range of texts and assess a range of reading skills.

The reading test questions are based on different genres such as non-fiction, fiction, poetry, magazine articles and reports.

Mathematical Reasoning Test

The mathematical reasoning test consists of 35 questions. Students have 40 minutes to complete the test. The questions are all multiple-choice.

The mathematical reasoning test assesses the student’s ability to apply mathematical understanding and knowledge to problems, with questions drawn from a range of mathematical content areas. Calculators are not used.

Thinking Skills Test

The thinking skills test consists of 30 questions. Students have 30 minutes to complete the test. The questions are all multiple-choice.

The thinking skills test assesses the student’s ability in critical thinking and problem-solving. There is a range of different question types in the test.

Read more: The Test | NSW Department of Education

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The test was running in a paper-based format.  Stay tuned to the North Shore Coaching College blog for all the latest updates for the 2025 entry!

 

What happens after the test?

Placement Outcome Information

Placement outcome information is usually sent to parents by email and post at the start of October.

The placement outcome information advises that your child may be:

• offered a place at one school choice, or
• placed on the reserve list (waiting list) for one or both choices, or
• unsuccessful for one or both school choices, or a combination of two of the above.

If your child is made an offer to the school you selected as your first choice and also had a score high enough to be offered a place at your second choice school, the second choice school will be shown as ‘not applicable’.

Responding to an Offer

Responding to an offer is done via the application dashboard. Complete, sign and return the response form to the Team before the due date. You will usually need to respond within two weeks but if you get an offer by phone you may have to respond within 24 hours.

Reserve Lists

Opportunity Classes only have a limited number of places available each year. Each school may also have a reserve list in case students with initial offers withdraw. Applicants are given their reserve list position with their placement outcome advice.

The Team continues to make offers to students on reserve lists as vacancies occur throughout Year 5 and to at least the end of Term 1 in Year 6. For the 2024 entry， applicants whose children are on a reserve list only can be offered a place if their child’s position on the reserve list is reached until at least the end of Term 1, 2024.

When an applicant declines an offer of placement, the next student on a reserve list is offered their place. Students will receive an offer if their position on the reserve list is reached. Applicants must accept an offer by the advised due date or the offer will lapse.

• Students on reserve lists may not be offered a place.
• Students who have accepted an offer for the school they listed second may be placed on the reserve list for the school they listed first. If their reserve list position for that school is reached, they will receive another offer. If they accept the new offer to the school they listed first, the Team will consider the original offer declined.
• Reserve lists remain active throughout Years 5 and up to the end of Term 1 in Year 6.

Applicants who have accepted an offer for placement in an opportunity class, and are also on a reserve list for a higher choice school, will be removed from the reserve list. These applicants may remain on a reserve list for a higher choice only if they decline their offer by that date. However, there is no guarantee that the student would receive a further offer.

Enrolment

Schools will contact parents about enrolment procedures and orientation days.

All successful opportunity class students are sent an ‘Authority to attend’ letter in late January of the year of entry. This document confirms the student’s entitlement to enrol in an opportunity class. Students must present the letter to the school on the first day of Term 1 along with other original documents the school requires.

Read more: Placement Outcome Information | NSW Department of Education

How can I apply for OC?

To apply for Year 5 placement in the following year, Year 4 parents must submit an application (usually around May) and have their child sit the placement test.

For 2025 entry, the Opportunity Class Placement Test will be held on Thursday 1 August 2024.

Parents can choose up to two school choices, with the first one being the first preference.

Click here to read more about the application process.

 

How can I prepare my child for OC?

 

 

It’s never too early to start thinking about boosting your child’s academic journey, and it’s never too late to make a difference by supplementing their education with external coaching. That said, it’s generally more effective to work consistently over a longer period of time than (just) to prepare intensively in the lead-up to examinations. If you think your child would benefit from regular, personalised learning outside of school, weekly tuition might suit you.

 

In terms of the OC test specifically, around Year 3 is a good time to begin preparation, giving your child approximately a year to develop their knowledge and skills. In the highly competitive world of OC exams, it is important to be prepared for the OC test. A small number of sample tests are available from the official website, but the best way to prepare is through North Shore Coaching College’s Year 3 and Year 4 Fastrain Programs and OC Exam Preparation Program. We provide expertly developed courses focusing on Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills (the three components of the OC test). Mock tests & review sessions are regularly provided as part of the Programs, as well as personalised homework help, and additional exam preparation workshops.

Through North Shore Coaching College’s over 30 years of educational experience, we have found that practising sitting an examination in a test environment reduces test anxiety and improves performance when it comes to any test.  The annual SWAT MOCK EXAM is on Sat, 6 July 2024.

For Year 3 and Year 4 students, early testing and practice teaches how to manage time and deal with a wide range of vital question types and topics typically found in the OC test.

Register for SWAT now!

 

 

About North Shore Coaching College

North Shore Coaching College is Australasia’s leading institution specialising in coaching and tuition with over 65 campuses across Australia and Hong Kong. Established since 1991, we have been delivering high-quality, affordable educational services with no hidden costs for students from junior to high school. Our teaching methodology is optimised, with approximately two-thirds of the time spent teaching and the remaining for class practice and individual attention. This learning process encourages creativity, open discussion and lateral thinking. At North Shore, we also assist students to develop effective time management, self-motivation and self-direction in studies which increases discipline, confidence and communication skills. Our goal is to prepare your child to be ‘results-oriented’ with an exam-focused mind to succeed. Indeed, we have many proven success stories delivering “Tuition That Works”. Thousands of North Shore students achieve in winning school scholarships, gaining entry to selective high schools, and moving on to distinguish themselves at Australia’s most respected universities. Read more about the awards and success stories here.