What Does OC and Selective Test Coaching Cost in NSW (2026)?

OC and selective test coaching in NSW can cost anything from a free practice test to more than A$4,000 a year for a weekly group class. The price you see depends on what you are buying: a group class per term, a private tutor per hour, or a monthly one-to-one plan. This guide puts them in one table.

The Opportunity Class (OC) test is for entry to Year 5 and the selective high school test is for entry to Year 7. The Department of Education says both are computer-based and held in May, so check its site for the exact dates for your child's year. Placement is competitive, and no provider can promise a place.

How much does OC and selective test coaching cost in NSW?

As of October 2026, these are the published fees. We assume ten-week terms, as Test Academy and North Shore state, and show four terms as a rough year.

For the Matrix rows, per week is the term price divided by nine lessons. For TaleemSquare, A$130 a month is about A$30 a week (A$130 divided by 4.33), and 40 weeks at A$30 is A$1,200; keeping the plan for all twelve months would be A$1,560.

Group classes cost less per hour of teaching: Test Academy states A$35 an hour, and Matrix works out at about A$40 (OC) to A$43 (selective). Your child shares the teacher, though. One-to-one starts at A$59 an hour.

What do coaching colleges charge per term?

Matrix Education runs term courses on campus with classes capped at 15. The OC course is A$540 a term, or A$180 a month for three months, and Matrix says it teaches one term ahead of school; the OC modules start in Year 3. The selective course is A$585 a term. On-campus courses carry a full refund if the first lesson is not the right fit, and Matrix+ Online is the self-paced alternative at A$380 to A$408 a module.

Test Academy teaches classes of up to eight for 3.5 hours a week, in Parramatta or live online, at A$122.50 a week billed per term (A$1,225). Multi-term discounts are 5% for two terms, 10% for three and 15% for four, and there is a free trial class. Its pages differ on whether printed materials cost extra, so ask before you enrol.

North Shore Coaching College published Surry Hills fees for Term 2 2026: A$520 for a one-hour Year 3 OC exam preparation class, and A$880 for a 2.5-hour Year 5 selective exam preparation class. Fees can differ by campus, and the schedule says full-term payment is required with no refund for absences.

We could not find published OC or selective fees for Dymocks Tutoring or Talent 100, so ask them for a written quote.

What do private tutors charge per hour?

Private tutoring is the most flexible option, because you can aim every minute at one weak section. Erudite Tuition charges from A$59 an hour online including GST, with no term contract, and lists OC and selective preparation. Tutero charges from A$65 an hour for a private tutor and A$75 for a qualified teacher, paid after each lesson.

North Shore Coaching College lists private coaching at A$130 an hour, or A$110 an hour each for two students. Test Academy prices one-to-one tutoring per tutor, with one rate for OC and selective and another for general subjects, and the same price online or in person. Our maths tutor cost guide covers typical hourly rates.

What does online one-to-one tutoring cost?

TaleemSquare offers live 45-minute one-to-one lessons in maths and, if you want, reading and writing. Plans are A$130 a month for two lessons a week, A$179 for three and A$229 for four, which is about A$21.67 an hour at two lessons a week. There is a free 45-minute assessment first, no registration fee and no long contract.

We teach the mathematical reasoning content for the OC test and selective test, and where a thinking skills question is mathematical problem solving, tutors practise it as part of maths. We do not run separate thinking skills, verbal reasoning or abstract reasoning courses. If your child needs those, or timed practice alongside other children, a group college may fit better.

What do practice test packs cost?

The Department describes its selective practice tests as free resources. We did not confirm a Department OC set, so check its site for what applies to your child. Per test, SelectiveTrial's A$69 pack works out at A$2.30, Test Academy's A$359 plan at about A$2.39 and its A$259 plan at about A$2.88. A larger pack is only better value if your child will use it.

When do families usually start?

The Department says families apply for the OC test at the end of Year 3 or the beginning of Year 4, and apply for the selective test at the end of Year 5 or the beginning of Year 6. Students usually sit the selective test in Year 6.

Providers advise starting earlier. Matrix recommends beginning 12 to 18 months before the selective test, and its OC term sequence starts in Year 3, with a final module in Year 4. Erudite suggests light preparation in Year 3 and more focused preparation in Year 4. Many children need less than a full program if they are already strong, so a short, targeted block can work.

How can you spend less?

• Start with free practice. Do the Department's practice tests (and, for OC, Test Academy's six free tests) first, so you know which section is weakest.
• Pay for the gap, not the whole program. If maths reasoning is the weak spot, one-to-one maths lessons (about A$1,200 over 40 weeks at TaleemSquare, or A$2,360 to A$3,000 with an hourly tutor) can cost less than a four-term group course.
• Take multi-term discounts only when sure. Test Academy's 5%, 10% and 15% discounts apply to terms you commit to upfront.
• Use trials. Test Academy offers a free trial class, Erudite does not charge for an unsuitable first lesson, and TaleemSquare's first assessment is free.
• Add up the whole year. Include practice packs and materials, not just the term fee.

What to do next

1. 1Decide whether your child needs group practice with other children or one-to-one help with maths.
2. 2Do a free Department practice test and note which section is slowest.
3. 3Book a free 45-minute assessment with TaleemSquare, or see our Australian families page for plans in Australian dollars.