Australia · Entry testRead the text, then answer the question. “The platypus is one of only a handful of mammals that lay eggs. It spends much of its time hunting in rivers and creeks, yet when it dives, it shuts its eyes, ears and nostrils. How, then, does it find food? The answer lies in its bill, which is covered in thousands of tiny sensors. These pick up the faint electrical signals given off by the muscles of shrimps, worms and insect larvae hiding in the mud. In murky water, the platypus relies on these sensors far more than on its eyes.” Why does the writer ask “How, then, does it find food?”
20 practice questions in the style of the test.
How to use these 20 questions
Questions 1 to 6 are Reading, on one non-fiction and one fiction text. Questions 7 to 13 are Mathematical Reasoning, with five options each, as the department says the real section has. Questions 14 to 20 are Thinking Skills, with four options each, again as in the real section.
Work without a calculator, since none is allowed in the test, and do your working out on paper. Aim for 15 right, which is 75%. That’s our own target: the test has no pass mark, and places go by performance and school choice.
Where can you find more selective test questions?
The NSW Department of Education has an online practice test in the same software as the real test, three PDF sample tests and a Student Resource Hub with practice items. ACER has sample questions for the Victorian exam. Those come from the people who run each test, and our 20 don’t. The department says practice results don’t show how a student will do.
Sources: NSW Department of Education and 1 more. Checked October 2026.
- NSW Department of Education: Placement test ↗
- NSW Department of Education: Selective high school practice tests ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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