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Parent's Guide

Selective cut-off scores: what NSW actually publishes

Short version: there isn't an official cut-off. Here's how NSW placement really works — and why chasing a single magic number leads parents astray.

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There is no published cut-off score

The NSW Department of Education deliberately does not publish cut-off scores. Whether a child receives an offer depends on their placement score relative to everyone else who applied that year and the number of places a school has — both of which change annually. Any specific “cut-off” you find online is an unofficial estimate from a past year, not a threshold you can count on.

How placement actually works

1

A placement score out of 120

The placement score is out of 120: a scaled test score (out of 100) plus a moderated school assessment score (out of 20).

2

Ranked, then offered by preference

Students are ranked by placement score. Offers are made against each school’s available places and the preferences families nominated — so the effective threshold is set by who applied and how many places exist that year.

3

Reported in performance bands

Outcomes are reported as performance bands (a range), not a single raw mark or a published “cut-off”. This is deliberate — it discourages treating one number as the whole story.

Why chasing a number backfires

A fixed target turns preparation into anxiety and aims at the wrong thing. Because the threshold floats each year, the reliable strategy is steady improvement across all four components — Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills and Writing — not hitting one rumoured score. Strong, consistent performance is what moves a child into the higher bands.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the cut-off score for selective schools?
There isn’t an official one. NSW does not publish cut-off scores. A place depends on your child’s placement score relative to other applicants and the places available that year — so the effective threshold changes annually and differs by school.
How is the placement score calculated?
The placement score is out of 120: a scaled test score (out of 100) plus a moderated school assessment score (out of 20).
Why won’t anyone tell me the exact number my child needs?
Because there isn’t a fixed number. The threshold floats with each year’s applicant pool and available places. Any “cut-off” you see quoted online is an unofficial estimate from a previous year, not a guarantee.
So how do we know if my child is on track?
Focus on steady improvement across the four components rather than chasing a mythical number. A diagnostic and regular practice show whether your child is trending toward the stronger performance bands.

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Source: NSW Department of Education · education.nsw.gov.au