OC Test Week — What to Bring and How to Prepare

The test is on 8 & 9 May 2026. Your child has been allocated one of those two days — check your test admission ticket in your application dashboard for the exact day and centre.

This page covers everything you need for the final week: what to bring, what to do the night before, and how to keep the morning calm. Nothing here will improve your child's score. The work has been done. This week is about logistics and confidence.

What to bring on test day

Every student needs

• Two lead pencils
• An eraser
• A pencil sharpener
• A printed copy of the Test Admission Ticket
• A clear bottle of water
• School uniform

Bring if needed

• A clear plastic bag for stationery (pencil cases aren't allowed, so this is the easiest swap)
• EpiPen, asthma inhaler, or any other medication your child might need
• Glasses
• Tissues
• A wristwatch — but only one that can't make noise, calculate, communicate, or connect to anything
• Any disability adjustments approved in your application (e.g. FM transmitters)

Do not bring

• Pens
• Rulers
• Calculators
• Note paper
• Dictionaries or any other books
• Smart watches, phones, or any device that can compute, photograph, communicate, or make noise
• Pencil cases

What about snacks?

Yes — there's a longer break in the middle of the test, and your child is allowed to eat during it. Pack something small and easy: a muesli bar, crackers, a piece of fruit. Keep it nut-free, as you would for school.

A water bottle is on the official "must bring" list, so don't skip it.

The week before

This is not the week to learn anything new. If your child wants to practice, keep it light — a handful of familiar question types, not a full mock test. The goal is to keep them in the rhythm without burning them out.

What actually matters this week:

• Sleep. Earlier bedtimes from a few days out, not just the night before.
• Routine. Normal school, normal meals, normal everything. Surprises are the enemy.
• Confidence. If your child is anxious, remind them they've already done the work. The test is just a chance to show what they know.

If you haven't already, print the Test Admission Ticket now. Tickets were released on 24 April via your application dashboard. Don't leave this until the morning.

The night before

Pack the bag together. Lay out the school uniform. Have an early dinner, something familiar. Aim for an early bedtime, but if your child can't sleep straight away, that's normal — just lying in bed quietly is fine.

A short, calm conversation helps more than a pep talk. Something like "You've worked hard. Tomorrow you just do your best, and then we'll go and have your favourite meal afterwards." Whatever fits your family. Keep it short.

The morning of

Plan to leave with plenty of buffer. Test centres can be unfamiliar locations and parking is unpredictable, so allow more time than you think.

A normal breakfast — not a special one. Something your child eats on a normal school day. A new "test day breakfast" is a recipe for an unsettled stomach.

Avoid last-minute coaching. No quizzes in the car. If your child wants to talk, talk about anything else. If they're quiet, let them be quiet.

When you drop them off, keep your goodbye short and confident. Children read your nerves. If you act like this is just another school day, they'll feel like it's just another school day.

If something goes wrong

If your child is unwell, injured, or experiences something serious in the lead-up or on the day, you can submit an illness or misadventure request to NSW Department of Education. In approved cases, a make-up test is held on 22 May 2026 — but this isn't something you can opt into. It's only available to families whose request is approved.

If you think you might need this, contact NSW DoE through your application dashboard as soon as possible. Don't wait.

NSW DoE — Illness and misadventure information

After the test

The test will feel hard. That's by design — it's meant to stretch even the strongest students, and most children come out saying they didn't finish or didn't know some questions. This is completely normal and isn't a signal of anything.

Don't quiz your child about specific questions. Plan something nice for lunch instead — their favourite meal, somewhere they like, or a takeaway at home if that's their style. The whole point is to mark the day as something they got through, not a performance to debrief.

Results are released in late September 2026 via your application dashboard. The wait is long. Try not to let the conversation at home revolve around it.