NSW Selective test common mistakes and how to correct them
Identify the habits behind avoidable losses: unsupported inference, unmodelled maths, missed logic constraints and rehearsed writing.
A useful mistake log describes the decision that failed. “Careless” is too vague to change; “ignored the word except” or “calculated before converting units” creates a specific next action.
Common section errors
- Reading: choosing an attractive claim that the passage does not support.
- Maths: solving the wrong quantity or overlooking units and scale.
- Thinking skills: treating “could be true” as “must be true”.
- Writing: forcing a memorised story onto a prompt it does not fit.
Common preparation errors
Repeating the same paper can inflate confidence through memory. Reading worked solutions without a delayed re-attempt creates recognition, not recall. Practising only objective questions leaves writing fluency fragile. Finally, chasing unofficial score rumours distracts from controllable skills.
A three-step correction
- Name the missed clue or broken step.
- Solve the item again from a blank start.
- Attempt a different item using the same underlying skill several days later.
Only the third step demonstrates transfer. Track whether the correction survives time and unfamiliar wording.