Years 8 to 11 Entry to James Ruse Agricultural High School: The Three Stages Explained
James Ruse Agricultural High School runs its own three-stage entry process for Years 8 to 11, and every applicant starts with the EduTest. The school then invites some students to apply, and shortlists some of those for an interview. Selective Success Academy's EduTest tutoring prepares students for Stage 1, in live, small-group classes online on Microsoft Teams.
- The test
- EduTest, run by Edutest Pty Ltd
- Years of entry
- Years 8, 9, 10 and 11
- How to apply
- Register with Edutest first. Applications are by invitation only
- Interview
- Online, for shortlisted students
- Last cycle's registration (2027 entry)
- 17 June to 24 July 2026
- Last cycle's EduTest (2027 entry)
- Saturday 15 August 2026
- 2028 entry (exams in August 2027)
- No dates published yet
Last checked 1 October 2026, against James Ruse Agricultural High School's enrolment pathways page and its selection process for Years 8 to 11.
How Years 8 to 11 entry works at James Ruse Agricultural High School
Moving to a selective school after Year 7 is often called a selective school transfer. The NSW Department of Education says each selective school manages its own assessments and placement decisions, and our guide to selective school transfer covers the general process. James Ruse Agricultural High School says its own application process is different from other selective high schools. Two things stood out last cycle: the school did not need the NSW Department of Education's Years 8 to 11 application form, and no application went to the school itself until after the EduTest.
These were last cycle's steps (2027 entry):
- Register and pay with Edutest, through the school's own link (Stage 1). Each EduTest school has its own registration link, and payment is made on the Edutest website. Last cycle the fee was $180, and registration closed at 3.00 pm on Friday 24 July 2026. If your child is also applying to another EduTest school, register with each school separately. Last cycle, the school you registered with first was where your child sat the test, and it did not have to be your first preference.
- Sit the EduTest. Last cycle the school held it on Saturday 15 August 2026 and listed the J.C. Hoskin Auditorium or Gymnasium, Felton Road, Carlingford, as the venue. The school asked students to arrive at 8.45 am to register, for a 9.00 am start and a finish at about 12.30 pm. Students were asked to bring photo identification, such as a school photo card, library card or passport, two lead pencils and a black or blue pen. Calculators were not permitted.
- Watch your email. Up to four weeks after the test, the school emails parents to say whether their child has progressed to Stage 2. Your child's EduTest result follows by email shortly after.
- Apply, if invited (Stage 2). Invited families are emailed the school's application form, at the address used for the Edutest registration, so check the junk and spam folders as well. Send it back with the documents listed below within the time the email sets. The school says late submissions may not be accepted.
- Attend the interview, if shortlisted (Stage 3). After assessing the applications, the school invites shortlisted students to an online interview with the Principal, other senior staff or both.
- Hear the outcome. The school writes to each family by email. Your child may be offered a place, put on a reserve list, or told the application was not successful. A later offer can come by telephone, and a telephone offer needs an answer within 24 hours. A reserve list covers only the year applied for, and a student who misses out can apply again for a later year. To ask for a review, contact the school within 7 days of the outcome letter, with detailed reasons.
Steps 1 and 2 are from the school's enrolment pathways page. Steps 3 to 6 are from that page and the school's selection process document. Both read 1 October 2026.
What to send at Stage 2
Nothing is attached at Stage 1. Only invited students send documents, and last cycle the school asked for:
- school reports from the previous two years: for 2027 entry, the Semester 1 2025, Semester 2 2025 and Semester 1 2026 reports. The school puts particular emphasis on English, Mathematics and Science, and also reviews teacher comments, attendance and participation
- the school's Additional Information form, completed by your child in their own handwriting, in black pen
- the latest NAPLAN report, from Year 7 or Year 9
- co-curricular certificates from the last two years, such as chess, music, debating or sport
- external academic competition results from the past two years, such as ICAS, VALID science or AMT
- school prizes or awards from the last two years, such as dux of year, first in subject or a Principal's Award
- any other relevant documents, such as a creative writing sample, a letter of recommendation from a community member outside your child's current school, or overseas transcripts
Name each file with the year your child is applying for, then their name, then what the document is. Send only documents directly relevant to the selection criteria: the school says a large number of extra files may delay the assessment.
What the Additional Information form asks
The school's Additional Information form is two pages, and your child fills it in by hand, in black pen. The form says not to type responses. Last cycle it asked your child to write about:
- their greatest strength
- one co-curricular activity, and how it helped them grow
- a time they experienced disappointment, and how they coped
- one of the school's ASPIRE values
- how they would add value to the school
It also asked for your child's school history, any siblings who are current or former students of the school, and how your child would travel to school and how long the journey would take.
How the school decides
The school's selection process document says a Selection Committee chaired by the Principal oversees selection. At least two independent teacher assessors review each application against the school's published selection criteria. The school also weighs practical considerations, including how close your family lives and whether your child can travel to and from the school.
Seeing the school first
James Ruse Agricultural High School describes itself as a Year 7 to 12 co-educational agricultural secondary school in Carlingford. It runs campus tours for prospective families during school hours. Student ambassadors from Years 8 to 10 lead each tour, which runs for about an hour, and an information session with the Principal or Deputy Principal follows. Tours are booked through the school's enrol page.
Key dates
James Ruse Agricultural High School published its own dates for last cycle: 2027 entry, with the EduTest in August 2026. Applications for that round have closed. Read the table as a guide to how the year runs, not as dates for 2028 entry.
| Last cycle, 2027 entry | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Edutest registration opened (the school's "applications open") | Wednesday 17 June 2026 | School's enrolment pathways page |
| Edutest registration and payment closed | Friday 24 July 2026, 3.00 pm AEST | School's enrolment pathways page |
| EduTest at James Ruse Agricultural High School | Saturday 15 August 2026, 9.00 am to about 12.30 pm | School's enrolment pathways page |
| Families told whether their child goes on to Stage 2 | Up to four weeks after the test | School's enrolment pathways page |
| Stage 2 application due | Set in each invitation email, not published | School's selection process document |
| Interviews | No dates published | School's selection process document |
| Outcomes released, a Department-wide window, not a date set by the school | September to October 2026 | NSW Department of Education |
| New students start, Department-wide | Late January 2027 | NSW Department of Education |
| Latest an accepted enrolment could be deferred to | The first day of Term 2, 2027 | School's selection process document |
As at 1 October 2026: the school's own dates and the Department's.
2028 entry (exams in August 2027)
No date has been published. As at 1 October 2026, nothing on James Ruse Agricultural High School's enrolment pages or in its two enrolment documents mentions 2028 entry. The NSW Department of Education's Years 8 to 11 page lists only last cycle's dates, and Edutest's testing dates page shows no test for the school. We will not guess a date. Dates can change, the Department warns, so keep an eye on the school's enrolment pathways page.
The test
James Ruse Agricultural High School uses the EduTest, which the school says is conducted and supervised by Edutest, an external provider that specialises in designing examinations for selective schools. The school lists five sections, Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics and Written Expression, and says each runs for 30 minutes. Last cycle it named four other schools using the same examination, Baulkham Hills High School, North Sydney Boys High School, North Sydney Girls High School and Sydney Girls High School, and a child applying to several of them sat it only once.
Our EduTest guide explains each section, the timing and how the test is marked.
How we prepare students for James Ruse Agricultural High School
Only students invited after the EduTest go on to Stage 2, so the test is where our tutoring and preparation begin. Our EduTest course is small-group coaching, taught live online on Microsoft Teams. Each term includes a full-length mock exam with a comprehensive review, so the real test is not your child's first full sitting. Weekly homework and the mock both come back with marking feedback.
Two details from the school's own page are worth building into practice: no calculator, and the 30 minutes the school gives each section.
Parts of Stages 2 and 3 are for your child to do alone. The school wants the Additional Information form in your child's own handwriting, and says parents and carers should not be present or help at the interview. If you would like to talk through what the school asks for at those stages, book a call.
Free practice and guides
- Free practice: our EduTest practice test, with worked answers.
- The application: what each school asks for, and how to make each part strong.
- The interview: selective school interview questions and how to prepare.
- By entry year: Year 8, Year 9, Year 10 and Year 11 entry, every school compared.
What EduTest tutoring costs
| What you get | Price |
|---|---|
| Term course, live: 10 weekly lessons of 2 hours each, on Microsoft Teams | $900 a term, which is $90 a lesson |
| The same live course, booked at the early bird price | $800 a term |
| Term course, recordings only | $600 |
| Two term courses | $1,400 |
Prices as at 1 October 2026.
The live term course is 20 hours of teaching, so $900 works out at $45 an hour. It includes small group classes, lesson recordings, a full-length mock exam with a comprehensive review, marking feedback on weekly homework and the mock, lesson and homework booklets, and online messaging support.
A question bank gives your child practice. It does not contain any teaching hours, and it cannot tell you which school to apply to, what the school report needs to show, or when the application closes.
See EduTest class times for your child's year level on the timetable, or compare every course on courses and prices.
Our students at James Ruse Agricultural High School
Selective Success Academy students have received offers to James Ruse Agricultural High School for Years 8 to 11 entry.
Who teaches this
Ilia founded Selective Success Academy and is its head tutor. He has been through this himself: he missed out on selective school at first, then entered North Sydney Boys High School by lateral transfer. He became a North Sydney Boys High School Dux, finished school with a 99.90 ATAR and now studies Medicine at UNSW. His story was featured in The Sydney Morning Herald in April 2026.
What families say
Thank you to Selective Success Academy for the quality teaching and support provided throughout the year. We especially appreciate Ilia’s dedication, clear explanations, and positive approach to learning. His guidance has helped our child build both confidence and academic skills.
It was a good engagement with Selective Success Academy since last term. Ilia explains concepts clearly and to the level of difficulty required. The mock exams and feedback were helpful. A well-run program.
Ilia has been a truly supportive mentor at Selective Success Academy. His patient and well‑structured approach has helped make even the most challenging topics feel manageable and clear.
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Questions parents ask about James Ruse Agricultural High School entry
Do we need the Department of Education's Years 8 to 11 application form?
Not last cycle. For 2027 entry, James Ruse Agricultural High School said the NSW Department of Education's Years 8 to 11 application form was not required. The first step was registering for the EduTest through the school's own Edutest link. The school then invited some students to apply on its own form, once it had reviewed the results. It has not yet said how 2028 entry will work.
Can my child join James Ruse Agricultural High School in Year 9?
Yes, Year 9 is one of its entry years. The school's three-stage process covers entry to Years 8, 9, 10 and 11, so a child in Year 8 applies for Year 9 entry. It does not accept enrolments in Year 12. Year 7 entry is separate and goes through the NSW Department of Education's selective test, sat in May of Year 6. The school also says new students cannot always join an existing accelerated course.
What does the school look at besides the EduTest?
Last cycle, Stage 2 was a written application, for invited students only. In school reports from the last two years, the school put particular emphasis on English, Mathematics and Science. It also asked for NAPLAN, co-curricular certificates, competition results, prizes and the handwritten Additional Information form, and it interviewed shortlisted students. At least two independent teacher assessors reviewed each application, and the school also considered how close the family lived and whether the child could travel to and from the school.
What is the James Ruse Agricultural High School interview like?
Last cycle, interviews were held online, with the Principal, other senior staff or both, and only shortlisted students were invited. Students attended on their own: the school says parents or carers should not be present or provide assistance. It describes the interview as informal and relaxed, and says its purpose is to understand the student's motivation for seeking enrolment. No interview dates were published.
How many places are there?
Places at James Ruse Agricultural High School vary by year level and from year to year, because they depend on how many students leave. The school manages its own, as each selective school does, and the NSW Department of Education asks families to contact each school about vacancies. We do not quote a number. Book a short call to talk through where James Ruse Agricultural High School fits among your child's choices.
When do applications open for 2028 entry?
No date has been published. As at 1 October 2026, James Ruse Agricultural High School had published nothing about 2028 entry (exams in August 2027). Last cycle, Edutest registration through the school opened on Wednesday 17 June 2026 and closed on Friday 24 July 2026. The school has not said whether 2028 entry will follow the same pattern, so check its enrolment pathways page regularly.
Sources
Each of these was read on 1 October 2026.
- James Ruse Agricultural High School: enrolment pathways, enrol, Selection Process for Enrolment, Years 8 to 11, Additional Information form, home page
- NSW Department of Education: Years 8 to 11 applications
- Edutest: testing dates
Not sure which test or school suits your child? Book a short call with Ilia, or let your child try a lesson first.