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Parent's Guide

How to prepare for the Thinking Skills test

It's the component parents understand least — and the one that rewards the right kind of practice most. Here's what it covers and how to help your child get ready.

Free 8-minute readiness check

What it is

In the NSW Selective High School Placement Test, Thinking Skills is 40 questions in 40 min — one of four equally-weighted components (25% each), delivered on a computer. It measures logical reasoning and critical thinking: can your child follow an argument, tell what must be true from what merely could be, and avoid the answer that's designed to look right?

The question types

Drawing a conclusion

Given a few facts, work out what must logically be true — and what only might be true.

Finding the assumption

Spot the unstated idea an argument depends on. If it were false, the argument would fall apart.

Identifying a flaw

Explain why a piece of reasoning does not hold up — the classic “obvious but wrong” trap.

Logical puzzles

Order, match or arrange items from a set of clues (who finished first, who sits where).

Numerical & data reasoning

Read patterns, tables and short scenarios to reach a conclusion — reasoning, not arithmetic drills.

Four ways to prepare

1

Read the question before the options

Most wrong answers are “true, but not what was asked”. Knowing the exact question first stops your child taking the bait.

2

Separate “must be true” from “could be true”

Thinking Skills loves answers that are plausible but not guaranteed. Practise asking: does this have to follow?

3

Name the trap

After each practice question, have your child say why the tempting wrong answer is wrong. Spotting traps is the skill being tested.

4

Practise to the clock — occasionally

With 40 questions in 40 minutes, pace matters. Build timing gradually so test day feels familiar, not stressful.

Keep going

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are in the Thinking Skills test?
In the NSW Selective High School Placement Test, Thinking Skills is 40 questions in 40 min. It is one of four equally-weighted components (25% each).
What does the Thinking Skills test actually measure?
Logical reasoning and critical thinking — drawing valid conclusions, identifying assumptions, spotting flawed arguments, and solving structured puzzles. It is not a maths or vocabulary test.
Can you study for Thinking Skills?
You can’t cram facts, but the question types are learnable. Regular practice with worked explanations builds the habit of reading carefully and avoiding the obvious-but-wrong answer.
Is the Thinking Skills test the same for OC and Selective?
Both include a Thinking Skills component, but the format differs: in the OC Placement Test it is 30 questions in 30 minutes, and in the Selective High School Placement Test it is 40 questions in 40 minutes. The figures on this page are for the Selective test.

See how your child handles Thinking Skills

The free check includes Thinking Skills questions with worked explanations — so you see exactly where the gaps are.

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