Dural at a glance
- Area
- Dural, The Hills
- Exam
- Opportunity Class (OC) Placement Test
- Sat in
- Year 4 (for Year 5 entry)
- How to prepare
- Online anywhere in NSW, or in person in Parramatta
Dural is a spacious, semi-rural suburb on the northern edge of the Hills where families weigh up both Baulkham Hills and Hornsby Girls for selective entry. Because it sits some distance from the major centres, online preparation is particularly well suited to Dural students, while those wanting in-person teaching can make the trip to the Parramatta campus.
How Dural students prepare
There are two realistic paths for a Dural family. The first is in-person teaching — Test Academy runs small classes (capped at eight students) from its Parramatta centre, within easy reach of The Hills. The second, and increasingly the most popular, is to prepare online: your child sits exam-realistic, computer-based practice tests at home, gets every answer marked instantly with a worked explanation, and you see exactly where the gaps are.
Dural's rural setting and limited rail access make the online program an appealing alternative to the longer drive into Parramatta.
Why Test Academy suits Dural families
Test Academy is, in our assessment, the strongest option in Sydney for OC preparation — largely because of its technology. Its platform mirrors the real Janison-style on-screen test, marks instantly, and gives criterion-by-criterion feedback on writing that few other centres match. For a Dural family weighing the commute against results, being able to prepare to that standard from home is a genuine advantage.