Test Academy Reviews

OC scores

What score do you need to pass the OC test?

There's no fixed pass mark for the NSW Opportunity Class test. Selection is competitive and relative, built on a merit list, and no cut-off scores are published.

Parents naturally want a number to aim at, but for the OC test there honestly isn’t one. There is no fixed pass mark. Anyone quoting an exact cut-off is guessing.

Why there’s no pass mark

The OC test isn’t pass/fail in the ordinary sense. A child’s result reflects how they performed compared with every other applicant, and that standing is used to build a merit list. Offers are then made by merit and the order of your preferences. Because the threshold for any school depends on demand that year, it effectively moves every year — there’s nothing fixed to “pass”.

The Department of Education does not publish cut-offs, so treat any site advertising a specific OC score with healthy scepticism. We explain the mechanics in how OC placement works.

It’s very competitive

To set expectations: across the state, roughly one in eight applicants is offered a place. That’s intensely competitive — even tighter, proportionally, than the Selective test. With each of the three sections weighted roughly equally, a weak spot in one area can pull an otherwise strong result down.

Aim for this instead

Rather than chasing a number, aim for balanced, reliable performance across Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills. Consistency under timed, on-screen conditions — and not losing easy marks to careless errors — is what carries through.

How to gauge where your child stands

Since there’s no public benchmark, the most useful gauge is realistic practice that shows relative standing. Test Academy’s platform offers exam-realistic testing with percentile ranking, so you can see roughly where your child sits against a comparable cohort — far more meaningful than a number nobody can confirm. Build that around regular OC practice tests, and review every mistake to understand the why. That’s how scores actually improve.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a pass mark for the OC test?

No. The OC test isn't pass/fail in the usual sense. A child's result reflects their standing relative to other applicants and is used to build a merit list. The Department of Education does not publish a cut-off, so be wary of any site claiming a specific number.

How many marks do you need to get into an Opportunity Class?

There's no set number. Because selection is relative and competitive — roughly one in eight applicants is placed — the effective threshold changes every year with demand and the strength of the field. Aim for balanced performance across all three sections rather than a target score.