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What Score Does My Child Need to Get Into the OC Class?

May 20, 2025 • OC Test Prep Team
A man and young girl looking down together at a piece of paper that appears to have some scores on it. They are happy with the results.

Establishing a target score for the Year 5 Opportunity Class (OC) Placement Test can feel like wandering in the dark. If there are 35 questions, and my child gets 30 right, is that good or bad? It’s a great question with no clear answer.

The NSW Department of Education does NOT publish cut-off marks or detailed scoring methods. In this post, we’ll demystify what you can know about OC scores, explain the percentile-band reporting you’ll receive, and share some thoughts on what you can aim for.

Key things to know

  • There are no published cutoffs: The NSW Education website confirms there are no minimum entry scores or fixed raw-score thresholds published for OC entry—cutoffs vary each year by cohort performance, test difficulty, and school vacancies. And note that up to 20% of student places at each selective high school and opportunity class are held for high potential and gifted:
  • students from low socio-educational advantage areas
  • Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students
  • students from rural and remote locations
  • students with disabilities
  • You will only receive percentile reporting (not exact scores): After the test, parents receive a performance report showing which of four bands their child falls into—Lowest 50%, Next 25%, Next 15% or Top10 %. Neither you, your child or the school will receive the raw scores of your performance on the test.
  • The methodology is not disclosed: The psychometric processes (equating, scaling, standardising) behind these bands aren’t publicly detailed by NESA/ACARA—only broad outlines of test content are available

But what does this mean in terms of what my child needs to aim for?

Our assessment is that only the top 10-15% of applicants across all categories are likely to receive offers. Here’s how we determined this (check our math!) based on 2024 numbers:

98,900 students in Year 4

13,200 Year 4 students sat the OC test

1,840 total OC places available (of which 100 are reserved for Aurora College, to support rural/remote students through virtual opportunity classes)

That means 13% (13,200 ÷ 98,900) of students in NSW choose to sit the test, which is itself a selection criteria. And then of that 13%, only 13% - 14% (1,740 or 1840 ÷ 13,200) will receive offers. Of those who receive offers, we believe that a large proportion will accept the offer.

In the OC Test Prep methodology, your child can aim for the top band across all levels, and focus on areas where they are not yet at the top level.

So what should I/my child do?

While the NSW Department of Education does not provide detailed scoring methodology or overall exact results, you can still maximise your child’s chances by aiming for the Top 10% percentile band.

Start with OC Test Prep’s free diagnostic test—no credit card required—and experience how our real test simulations, adaptive study plans and insightful dashboards can transform your child’s preparation. Use the OC Test Prep bands as markers to understand where your child sits and focus on key areas of improvement.

Sign up now for to take a free diagnostic test and get the tools you need to guide your child from Year 3 right through to the May 2026 OC test!