Entrance exam changes force selective high schools to accept lower scores

James Ruse is still number one but several schools have dropped their minimum entry scores. See the full list of new cut-off scores.

A shake-up of the competitive selective school entrance exam to make it less coachable has forced numerous Sydney high schools to accept students with lower scores this year.

The minimum required entry score to get into some of Sydney’s most prized selective schools dropped following a Department of Education 2018 action plan to “reduce predictability and coachability” of the test by putting more weight placed on the exam’s writing section.

A shakeup of the test meant some Sydney schools were forced to accept students with lower minimum entry scores.

Other changes include reducing the predictability of the test to make the examination test for aptitude rather than how much time a student had spent studying or being coached for the test.

More changes introduced in March this year for students aspiring to go to selective school in 2022 are expected to further change the makeup of some of the state’s most academically elite schools.

The number of applicants increased slightly for this year’s entry with 15,355 students competing for 4226 selective school places this year. Almost three in four students were rejected and forced to enrol in a comprehensive public high school or enrol in the private system.

Further changes to the test may change the makeup of selective schools from next year.

The prestigious Sydney Girls High had one of the biggest drops in minimum entry after it went from a score of 219 out of 300 to 215 out of 300 this year.

North Sydney Boys saw its minimum entry score go from 231 to 228 while the much prized Baulkham Hills minimum entry score went from 234 to 233.

Hornsby Girls also dropped by 1 point while North Sydney Girls dropped by two points.

The jewel in the crown of the state’s selective schools — James Ruse Agricultural High — managed to increase its minimum entry score slightly from 246 last year to 248 this year.

Australian Tutoring Association chief Mohan Dhall said students who have spent years sitting in coaching colleges after school would have done worse compared to the previous year’s test.

He said further changes for students who sat the test this year for entry in 2022 are expected to make the exam even less predictable — while some changes already introduced had forced up minimum entry scores for schools outside of Sydney.

“Previously, a lot of the partially selective and fully selective rural schools, had scores which were way too low … it is a better test now,” he said.

“It is (more of a) psychometric test so it assesses how you think, not what you’ve learnt before.”

A Department of Education statement said the entry score required for each school varies from year to year depending on the score of the last student accepting placement in each selective high school in a given year.

“Parents should not use minimum entry scores as the only criterion on which to base their choice of selective high schools. They should also consider factors such as the curriculum offered at each school, travelling times, and transport options,” it said. 

Originally published as Entrance exam changes force selective high schools to accept lower scores