NSW Selective test day tips: the final candidate checklist
Prepare for venue instructions, section transitions, pacing, difficult items and the writing review without last-minute cramming.
The Department’s candidate bulletin is the authority for your test day. Confirm the venue, arrival time, identification and permitted items before the final evening.
Before leaving home
- Eat a familiar meal and pack only approved equipment.
- Allow travel margin and keep the venue instructions accessible.
- Do not start a full paper; use a brief strategy reminder only.
During objective sections
Read qualifiers such as best, except and must. Use checkpoints, but do not let clock-checking interrupt every item. When stuck, eliminate options, make the best supported choice and preserve time for the rest of the section.
During writing
Plan purpose and progression before drafting. If an idea is not perfect, develop a workable one rather than spending the writing period searching for brilliance. Review whether the response actually addresses the prompt before proofreading surface errors.
If something goes wrong
Tell the supervisor promptly and follow official directions. Families should use the Department’s current illness/misadventure or adjustment process rather than relying on advice from social media.
Afterwards
Avoid sharing reconstructed questions. Placement communication follows the official timetable, and the Department—not a coaching provider—explains results and offers.