NSW Selective Test 2026 New Updates: What’s Changed in the Reading Test Format?

The NSW Selective High School Placement Test has evolved for the 2026 intake, with changes designed to assess a student’s comprehension, reasoning and critical thinking skills better. If your child is preparing for the NSW Selective School Test 2026 (intake for Year 7 in 2027), they are stepping into a Digital First era. While the shift to computer-based testing began recently, the 2026 cycle refines several key aspects of the Reading Test.

📚 What’s new in the NSW Selective School Reading Test 2026?

In previous years, the Reading section often consisted of shorter passages with straightforward multiple-choice questions. For 2026, the Reading Test has been redesigned. Therefore, it is important for students and parents to understand precisely what’s different and how to approach it.

The Reading Test has evolved into a high-speed endurance event. For the 2026 intake, the updated details are:

• Time: 45 minutes
• Quantity: 17 questions in total (Instead of isolated questions based on short passages, students will now face 14 questions total, but 3 of these have multiple parts — meaning students must engage deeply with a text and answer several linked questions.)
• The Twist: Three of these questions are multi-part, meaning the total number of individual answers a student needs to provide is actually 38. This averages out to just over one minute per answer, including the time needed to read the passages.

What does this update in the 2026 NSW Selective Reading test translate to for students?

This means a single passage may lead to more than one question, each testing a different comprehension skill. Students must understand not just individual sentences, but how different parts of the passage relate.

Here’s how the NSW Selective Reading Test 2026 is structured:

The 2026 Reading Test moves away from simple “fact-finding” and toward inference and intent.

• Diverse Genres: Expect to see 19th-century classic literature, modern scientific reports, poetry, and persuasive opinion pieces all in one sitting.
• Authorial Purpose: Instead of asking “What happened?”questions will now ask: “What made the author use this specific word?” or “What is the underlying tone of this paragraph?”
• Digital Stamina: Reading long-form, complex text on a screen is more tiring than on paper. Students must practice “active scrolling”—keeping track of information while moving through the document.

📖 What skills are put to test in the updated 2026 NSW SelectiveReading test?

The updated Reading Test measures more than just surface-level understanding. Students are expected to demonstrate:

• 🧠 Deep Comprehension

Questions may ask students to: Identify main ideas and supporting details, interpret implied meaning and analyse how a writer uses language

• 📊 Multiple Interpretations

Because some questions are multi-part, students may need to: Connect ideas across a passage, compare different sections and recall information from earlier in the text

• 🔍 Critical Thinking

Rather than simple recall, students must: Evaluate arguments, infer meaning from context, justify their answers based on evidence in the text

A summary table for 2026 NSW Selective Reading Test

With the big change the first question that pops in a student’s, parent’s or caregiver’s mind is, how to prepare as per the latest updates for the upcoming test?

Well, putting an end to all your worries, Selectivetrial has got you covered!

Yes, that’s right! Selectivetrial, has redesigned, restructured and updated all its 2026 NSW Selective Reading Test resources  as per the latest changes. From the practice tests to question banks all Selectivetrial 2026 NSW Selective resources are updated. 

Give your child the leverage of first-move for NSW Selective Test 2026 preparation only with Selectivetrial!

Access all our updated test resources at the NSW Selective School Test 2026 page.