The new selective test is designed to be harder than it was before. The exam administrator is now focusing more on reading and writing than mathematics. This change has specifically been troublesome news for girls and indigenous students as they fail to secure spots in high-achieving schools. However, the revamped exam, though harder than before, effectively segregates the highest performers. The newly designed selective test has challenged the coaching colleges as they fail to adapt to this change and their tutoring programs.

A review was conducted by the NSW Education Department, which mentioned gender imbalances. It was found that boys performed exceptionally well in the mathematical ability test. The new format, which is planned to go digital, will put more emphasis on writing. Despite making such changes, the outcome was not as extraordinary as initially thought.

  • The proportion of girls accepting offers from selective schools was found to be the lowest in the last 4 years. Only 43.7% of students accepted a place despite making huge efforts to bring a change to the test pattern.
  • The proportion of indigenous students also recorded the lowest in the last four years, with only 29 candidates accepting a selective school offer.
  • The number of candidates who are especially abled has doubled since 2018.

Also Read: Benefits of Going into Selective High Schools

One of the school authorities said that a significant number of changes had been introduced to evaluate why girls are less likely to apply for a selective school or are less willing to accept an offer. It has also been decided that fair access has to be given to students, which includes students from remote areas, disadvantaged backgrounds, girls, and other students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The thing is, students who are drawn toward getting into selective schools are engaging themselves in practice tests to score good marks. However, certain coaching centers and online mock test websites haven’t upgraded their question banks, so students lag behind. So, if you want to appear for the selective test, come and try your hands on Selectivetrial. We have got the best selective sample tests curated by subject experts. They are in accordance with the current question format, and you can be sure of scoring good marks with our practice papers.