Pennant Hills at a glance
- Area
- Pennant Hills, Upper North Shore
- 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
Pennant Hills is a leafy Upper North Shore suburb of established homes and bushland reserves, with a community that takes education seriously. Close to several strong selective schools, local families plan carefully for selective and Opportunity Class entry. They can attend in-person classes in Parramatta or follow the identical program fully online.
Which schools do Pennant Hills families aim for?
Students preparing for the Opportunity Class (OC) test from Pennant Hills and the wider Upper North Shore area commonly target Pennant Hills Public School and Thornleigh West Public School. There are no published cut-off scores, so think of these as the schools families shortlist rather than fixed marks to hit — fit, travel and your child’s strengths matter just as much as any ranking.
- Pennant Hills Public School
- Thornleigh West Public School
How Pennant Hills students prepare
There are two realistic paths for a Pennant Hills family. The first is in-person teaching — Test Academy runs small classes (capped at eight students) from its Parramatta centre, within easy reach of Upper North Shore. 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.
Pennant Hills is on the Northern Line with a busy road interchange, though many families choose online preparation to avoid adding to weeknight traffic.
Why Test Academy suits Pennant Hills 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 Pennant Hills family weighing the commute against results, being able to prepare to that standard from home is a genuine advantage.