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Partially selective · Co-educational

Sydney Sec. Balmain

Sydney Sec. Balmain is a partially selective co-educational high school in Rozelle, NSW, offering 60 Year 7 places each year.

Selective type
Partially selective
Enrolment
Co-educational
Location
Rozelle, NSW
Year 7 places / year
60

How competitive is Sydney Sec. Balmain?

Entry is moderate — Sydney Sec. Balmain is less contested than the fully-selective schools while still offering a selective stream. With around 60 places offered each year, places are allocated by placement score, not a fixed mark. There is no published cut-off: the effective threshold floats each year with the strength of the applicant pool and the number of places. How selective scores really work →

The Selective Placement Test for Sydney Sec. Balmain

Entry to Sydney Sec. Balmain is decided by the one statewide NSW Selective High School Placement Test (sat in Year 6), made up of four equally-weighted components:

Reading — 45 minutes — comprehension and interpretation across several text types.
Mathematical Reasoning — 40 minutes — applied problem-solving, not curriculum recall.
Thinking Skills — 40 minutes — logic, deduction and critical reasoning.
Writing — 30 minutes — one typed response, assessed on ideas and control of language.

The Thinking Skills section is the least familiar to most students — see how to prepare for it. Key dates are on the placement timeline.

Preparing for Sydney Sec. Balmain

See where your child stands against the Sydney Sec. Balmain test format with a free, scored readiness check — then practise the exact question types with adaptive daily sets.

Free readiness checkSee practice plans

Other partially selective schools

Chatswood HSParramatta HSMacquarie Fields HSSefton HSRose Bay Sec. CollegeAll selective schools →

Frequently asked questions

Is Sydney Sec. Balmain fully or partially selective?
Sydney Sec. Balmain is a partially selective school. It runs a selective stream alongside its local intake, so only some Year 7 places are offered through the placement test.
How many selective places does Sydney Sec. Balmain offer?
Sydney Sec. Balmain offers approximately 60 Year 7 places each year through the placement process.
Does Sydney Sec. Balmain have a published cut-off score?
No. NSW does not publish cut-off scores for any selective school, including Sydney Sec. Balmain. Whether a child receives an offer depends on their placement score relative to other applicants and the places available that year.
Is Sydney Sec. Balmain co-educational?
Sydney Sec. Balmain is co-educational (open to boys and girls).