Selective School Entry for Year 9 in NSW
To start at a NSW selective high school in Year 9, your child applies while in Year 8. Each school decides for itself: HAST schools use ACER's Middle Secondary level, where science joins the maths test, and six schools shared one EduTest sitting last cycle. How many students a school takes varies from year to year.
Selective Success Academy prepares Year 8 students for Year 9 entry, in live online small-group classes on Microsoft Teams. This page sets out the schools, the tests and the timing for Year 9 alone, from each school's own page.
- Your child applies in
- Year 8
- HAST level
- Middle Secondary, maths and science
- EduTest
- Year 8 level
- Schools in the table
- 22
- 2028 entry (exams in August 2027)
- Dates not yet published
Schools that take Year 9 entry
Every school in this table accepted Year 9 applicants in the last round, for 2027 entry. Each link goes to our guide to that school; the source column is the school's own page.
| School | Test | What else it asks for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normanhurst Boys High School | Its own entry test in literacy and numeracy, at the school | Copies of the last two school reports, the last NAPLAN results and any awards. An interview may be required before a final offer | Enrolment page, 1 October 2026 |
| Sydney Boys High School | Its own literacy and numeracy tests, for applicants it short-lists | Its own expanded application form and the last two school reports. An interview for some | Enrolment information, 1 October 2026 |
| Baulkham Hills High School | EduTest | Its own Supplementary Application Form, handwritten by the student | Enrolment page, 1 October 2026 |
| Chatswood High School (selective stream) | EduTest | Its own application form, for students it short-lists after the test | Selective stream page, 3 October 2026 |
| James Ruse Agricultural High School | EduTest | Its own application, by invitation after the test, then an interview for those it short-lists | Enrolment pathways, 1 October 2026 |
| North Sydney Boys High School | EduTest | The school publishes no extra requirement of its own | Enrolment page, 1 October 2026 |
| North Sydney Girls High School | EduTest | The Department's form with school reports, NAPLAN and activities | Enrolment page, 3 October 2026 |
| Sydney Girls High School | EduTest | Its own Student Questionnaire and a portfolio. An interview for short-listed candidates | Enrolment page, 3 October 2026 |
| Blacktown Girls High School | HAST, for its selective stream | The school publishes no extra requirement of its own | Selective enrolment page, 3 October 2026 |
| Caringbah High School | HAST | An interview for applicants being considered for an offer | Enrolment page, 3 October 2026 |
| Girraween High School | HAST | A portfolio of school achievements. An interview at the enrolment afternoon, after a place is accepted | Enrolment page, 1 October 2026 |
| Gosford High School | HAST | A covering letter. An interview for the applicants the committee invites | Enrolment page, 3 October 2026 |
| Hornsby Girls High School | HAST | The application form only, with no supporting documents. An interview may follow if a vacancy arises | Enrolment page, 3 October 2026 |
| Hurlstone Agricultural High School | HAST | Reports, NAPLAN and evidence of activities. An interview by invitation, which is not an offer | Quick guide (PDF), 3 October 2026 |
| Macquarie Fields High School | HAST | A portfolio of photocopies. A possible interview, which is not an offer | HAST information (PDF), 3 October 2026 |
| Manly Selective Campus | HAST | Reports, NAPLAN and external achievements with the Department's form | Application page, 3 October 2026 |
| Penrith Selective High School | HAST | The Department's form and one PDF of supporting documents. Interviews may be part of selection | Enrolment page, 1 October 2026 |
| St George Girls High School | HAST | A possible interview, with a handwritten Personal Reflection Statement first | Enrolment page, 3 October 2026 |
| Sydney Technical High School | HAST, on ACER's list | The school publishes no extra requirement of its own | ACER's HAST schools, 3 October 2026 |
| Fort Street High School | No entrance test for Years 8 to 10 | A selection panel reviews applications. Short-listed candidates are interviewed when a place becomes available | Enrolment page, 3 October 2026 |
| Merewether High School | No placement test | A covering letter, the last two years of reports, NAPLAN and recent awards | Enrolment page, 3 October 2026 |
| Smith's Hill High School | An eligibility test, sat online at the school | An interview with the Principal, with parents, for students who meet the benchmarks | Enrolment page, 3 October 2026 |
Which test, and at what level
HAST schools. ACER's Middle Secondary level is for entry into Years 9 and 10, and at this level the Mathematical Reasoning test covers mathematics and science. ACER says the science can draw on astronomy, geology, geography, chemistry, physics and biology, but no special knowledge of those subjects is needed (ACER's HAST program and Student Information Bulletin, read 1 October 2026). In practice that means reading graphs, tables and experiments.
EduTest schools. Baulkham Hills, Chatswood (selective stream), James Ruse Agricultural, North Sydney Boys, North Sydney Girls and Sydney Girls High Schools shared one EduTest sitting last cycle. A Year 8 student sits Mathematics at Year 8 level, because Edutest tests students at their current year.
Normanhurst Boys High School and Sydney Boys High School. Both set their own literacy and numeracy tests. Normanhurst Boys holds its entry test at the school; Sydney Boys first short-lists from the written application. Our Normanhurst Boys and Sydney Boys guides explain each.
No test. At Fort Street High School a selection panel reviews Year 9 applications without a test, and Merewether High School selects on the written application.
When to apply
A child in Year 7 now, in 2026, is the one applying for Year 9 entry in 2028, during Year 8. The 2028-entry dates are not out yet. Two schools have said when they open: Sydney Boys High School's forms from mid-June 2027, and Penrith Selective High School's applications mid June 2027.
| Last cycle, for 2027 entry | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications opened and closed (the Department's window) | 17 June to 24 July 2026 |
| Normanhurst Boys High School test | Sunday 2 August 2026 |
| HAST, at the schools that coordinate their sitting | Saturday 8 August 2026 |
| Sydney Boys High School tests, short-listed applicants only | Monday 10 August 2026 |
| EduTest, one shared sitting for the six schools | Saturday 15 August 2026 |
| Outcomes | September to October 2026 |
From the NSW Department of Education and the schools' own pages, read 1 October 2026. Last cycle's dates are a guide only, not the next round's.
How to prepare in Year 8
- Get used to scientific data. The HAST at this level puts science into the maths test, so practise reading a graph or a results table and saying what it does and does not show.
- Build algebra fluency. From our experience, the Normanhurst Boys and Sydney Boys papers lean on algebra: index laws, expanding brackets and equations with fractions.
- Keep Year 8 maths quick and accurate. EduTest Mathematics is set at your child's year, multiple choice and timed, so speed with ratios, percentages and fractions matters.
- Write one developed idea, not a list. In a 25 or 30 minute task, a single idea explored well reads better than five points made briefly.
Free practice test
Find the right free test for Year 9 entry. Our HAST practice test is written at the Middle Secondary level, the level for Year 9 entry. There is also an EduTest practice test and a Normanhurst Boys and Sydney Boys practice test, each marked on the spot.
Questions parents ask
Can my child sit a selective test for Year 9 entry?
Yes. Your child applies in Year 8, and every school in the table took Year 9 applicants last round. Whether there is a test depends on the school: most use the HAST or the EduTest, a few set their own, and Fort Street High School and Merewether High School set none.
Does my child need to know science for the HAST?
Science appears in the Middle Secondary maths test, but ACER says no special knowledge is required. The questions test reading and reasoning about scientific information.
What does a Year 9 application need besides the test?
It depends on the school. Most want recent school reports and NAPLAN results, and some add their own form, a portfolio or an interview, as the table shows. Our application guide lists each school's requirements.
How many places are there?
There is no set number. Each school takes Year 9 students only as places come free, and that changes every year. Rather than guess, book a short call and we can look at the schools that fit your child.
How we help
Our Year 8 classes prepare students for Year 9 entry, for the HAST at the Middle Secondary level, the EduTest, and the Normanhurst Boys High School and Sydney Boys High School exams. See the Year 8 class times, or book a short call with Ilia.
Previous: selective school Year 8 entry. Next: selective school Year 10 entry. The full picture is in our guide to selective school transfer.
Applying for Year 9? Book a short call with Ilia, or let your child try a class first.