Enrol at Sydney Tech

Selective high schools cater for the specific needs of high potential and gifted students who may otherwise be without sufficient classmates at their own academic and social level.

Selective schools help high potential and gifted students to learn by grouping them with other high potential and gifted students, teaching them in specialised ways and providing educational materials at the appropriate level. Selective high schools are unzoned so parents can apply regardless of where they live.

The NSW Department of Education Selective High Schools administers Year 7 placement at Sydney Technical High School  Please also note that this is a separate process to that of specialist high schools such as performing arts or sports high schools.

Students must be Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens or permanent residents of Australia to attend a selective high school.

How to enrol at our school

Year 7

The application process for entry into an academically selective high school begins when the student is in  Year 5,  and is longer than the normal public high school enrolment process. Entrance to Year 7 is through an entrance test administered by the NSW Department of Education (DoE) Selective High Schools.

The application form is only available online. Please note that no late applications will be accepted. Applications are available for  Year 5  students from  October  and need to be completed and submitted online by  mid-November  (exact dates are listed on the DoE website each year). The test is held at various locations across the state in the following  May,  when the student is in Year 6 .  Sample questions from past papers can also be downloaded from the Selective High Schools website.

Students will be selected according to their position on the results list, which is confidential and available only to the Principal of the chosen high school. There is no other waiting list, and there are no sibling rights.

Each year 150 boys are selected from this list for entry into Sydney Technical High School. Students are offered places on the basis of a rank-ordered composite score.

Students who wish to attend Sydney Technical High School must:

• Be living in NSW at the beginning of the school year of entry
• Be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident of Australia or a New Zealand citizen to enrol in a Selective High School

For more information on the selection process, visit the DoE website https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-7

The Selective Education Unit can be contacted on 1300 880 367 or by email at ssu@det.nsw.edu.au

Years 8 to 11

BACKGROUND

Sydney Technical High School is an academically selective government school for boys, located in Bexley NSW.

Each year, applications are invited for new students to fill vacant places in Years 8-10 for the following academic year. The school also opens additional places for students in Year 11.

The number of vacant places for Years 8-10 varies depending on availability, as new students will be considered for enrolment ONLY if a current student leaves the school.

APPLYING FOR A SELECTIVE SCHOOL FOR YEARS 8-11 in 2027

Applications for Years 8-11 entry to Sydney Technical High School in 2026 opened on 17 June 2026. The application link is now live.

You must send a SEPARATE application to each of the selective high schools in which you are seeking enrolment. You may apply for entry to a maximum of three (3) Selective High Schools.

PLEASE NOTE THAT TESTING IS REQUIRED for 2027 entry into Years 8-11 at Sydney Technical High School. Applicants will sit a Higher Ability Selection Test (HAST) conducted by an external company, the Australian Council for Education Research (ACER).

For general application information for parents, regarding Years 8 to 11 entry to selective schools, please click on the following link:

Department of Education Selective Schools Application Process Years 8 to 11

Selection is based on the following criteria:

· Performance in the ACER Higher Ability Selection Test

· An assessment by the selection panel of your child’s two most recent school reports and the latest NAPLAN reports

· An interview will be conducted for those students for whom the offer of a place is being considered.

The entry test will be conducted on Saturday 8 August 2026. For administrative purposes, all candidates must be present at school by 9am. The test will commence at 9.30am in Sydney Technical High School's Auditorium. Applicants will receive further information regarding testing procedures in an email from the school. There is no alternative date and time for this test.

PAYMENT

• A $140 non-refundable application fee applies if Sydney Technical High School is your first preference from the list of schools below. The application fee pays for the setting and marking of the test by ACER and the supervision of the test by external invigilators on Saturday 8 August 2026.

OR

• A $50 non-refundable application fee if Sydney Technical High School is your second or third preference, and your first preference is one of the schools listed below, who are coordinating their entrance test procedures and results with Sydney Technical High School.
• Sydney Technical High School
• Caringbah High School
• Fort Street High School (Year 11 only)
• Girraween High School
• Gosford High School
• Hornsby Girls High School
• Hurlstone Agricultural High School
• NBSC Manly Campus
• Penrith High School
• St George Girls High School
• Macquarie Fields High School

If your first preference is not listed above, then you must pay the $140 non-refundable application fee and attend the test at Sydney Technical High School on Saturday 8 August 2026.

Please make direct contact with the individual selective high schools to find out about specific assessment requirements and selection criteria for entry to Years 8 - 11.

Australian citizenship and residency status

Students seeking to enrol in selective high schools must be Australian citizens or holders of a visa granting permanent resident status in Australia.

Visa Subclasses and Enrolment Conditions

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

1. You can apply either online (preferred option) via the google docs link further down this page or
2. In person, by picking up application documents from the school or downloading documents via the link further down this page.

Prior to completing your application, please note the following:

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

The following documents are required to be included in your application. Please do not include any other documents:

• Copy of Semester 1 2026 school report
• Copy of Semester 2 2025 school report
• Copy of most recent NAPLAN results (if not received yet upload a sheet stating Not Available Yet)
• Copy of students Birth Certificate (if born in Australia), or passport (if born outside of Australia)
• Copy of Permanent Residency documents, if applicable
• Selective High School Years 8-11 Application Form 2027 (PDF 1.5MB)

For ALL online applications, all uploaded documents must be in .pdf format only

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

All applications must be submitted by 3.00pm Friday 24 July 2026. Late applications will not be accepted. No applications will be accepted by email or post.

PARENTS (not students) are required to complete the application form.

Select only ONE of the following options to submit your application:

ONLINE SUBMISSION STEPS

1. Download the Selective High School Years 8-11 Application Form 2027 (PDF 1.5MB) - complete the form and save it as a .pdf
2. Make your payment via the online link – put your son’s name in the comment section
3. Submit your application information using the Google Doc

Complete every section of the Google form, including uploading the required documents and stating your payment receipt number (starting with an R).

Don’t forget – if you are applying online, please ensure you have all your documents in .pdf format ready to upload.

IN-PERSON SUBMISSION STEPS (for those NOT applying online)

1. Download and print the Selective High School Years 8-11 Application Form 2027 (PDF 1.5MB) Complete ALL SECTIONS of the form.
2. Download and print the Years 8-11 Sydney Technical High School Application Form 2027 (PDF 190KB)
   Complete ALL SECTIONS of the form. This is an additional form for in-person applicants only.
3. Attach these two completed forms together with copies of the Required Documents
4. Make your payment online and attach a copy of the receipt to your application - put your sons FULL NAME (not your name) in the comment section.
5. Visit the school between 8:30am and 3pm Monday to Friday to submit your in-person application. If you have not already paid online prior to visiting the school you must come before 1.30pm.

All applications must be submitted by 3.00pm Friday 24 July 2026. In-person applications must be handed to the school reception desk in a sealed envelope between the hours of 8.30am – 3.00pm Monday to Friday at 686 Forest Road Bexley (there is no parking on school grounds – park in Anderson Street and walk around to Forest Road gate). Applications are unable to be dropped off during the school holiday period of Monday 6 July – Friday 17 July 2026. Payment can be made in person at the time of submission but must be made prior to 1.30pm.

PLEASE NOTE – POSTAL and EMAILED APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF APPLICATION

Receipt of your application and payment will be acknowledged at the completion of the online Google form. We will also send an email to PARENTS acknowledging receipt of the application and the detailed testing information and instructions.

Applicants will be assessed by the enrolment panel and those who are shortlisted for an interview will be contacted by the school.

Students who are offered placement will be notified by an email to the parent as places become available.

Students who are unsuccessful in their application will be notified in writing to the parent BY EMAIL.

HIGHER ABILITY SELECTION TEST (HAST)

If your first preference is Sydney Technical High School, or your first preference is NOT one of the schools coordinating their tests, (as listed in the PAYMENTS section) students will sit the HAST at Sydney Technical High School on Saturday 8 August 2026 at 9.30am (all candidates must arrive no later than 9.00am).

The test will be conducted in the school auditorium. Please park in Anderson Street and walk around to the Forest Road gate to enter the school. There is no parking on school grounds due to safety issues. The auditorium is accessible after you have entered the Forest Road gate. Students should arrive 30 minutes prior to the test (9.00am) and bring with them:

1. two HB or B pencils for the multiple-choice tests
2. a good quality eraser
3. a pencil sharpener
4. two blue or black pens for the Written Expression test
5. a water bottle

For further information regarding the HAST, please refer to the following website:

ACER Student Support

Please note that students will undertake the 4 test package.

It is expected that the test will take approximately 3 hours 20 minutes.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Am I eligible to apply for a place at Sydney Technical High School?

To be eligible to apply for Sydney Technical High School, there are a number of criteria you must meet:

ACADEMIC MERIT

In determining academic merit for an offer of placement, the selection panel will consider the following criteria:

• Applicants’ performance in the HAST which assesses reading comprehension, written expression, mathematical reasoning, and abstract reasoning.
• Academic achievement as demonstrated in the two most recent school reports.
• Possible student interview based on performance in the HAST.

Australian Citizenship and Residency Status

• Candidates must be Australian citizens or holders of a visa granting permanent resident status in Australia.
• Citizens of New Zealand are eligible for selective high school entry. Permanent residents of New Zealand are considered in the same manner as temporary residents of Australia and are not normally eligible.
• If you do not meet these residency requirements at the time of applying but expect to meet them by the time offers are made, you are allowed to apply provided you are already living in Australia.
• If your application is successful, you must show original documentation, such as a Certificate of Evidence of Australian Citizenship, birth certificates or visas, before the school can enrol your child. Your child’s offer may be cancelled if it is based on false or misleading information.

RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

Your family must be living in NSW by the beginning of the 2027 school year. If your family normally lives in NSW but you are temporarily out of the state, you should expect to return before the student is enrolled in a selective high school. If you continue to live outside NSW after the 2027 school year begins your application will be considered only if there are vacancies remaining after all suitable applicants from NSW have been placed.

Q. How many students gained entry to Sydney Technical High School for Years 8-11 in 2026?

In 2026 at Sydney Technical High School there were 3 positions offered for Year 8, 12 positions were offered in Year 9, 2 positions were offered in Year 10, and 13 new positions were offered in Year 11.

This varies each year depending on availability, as new students will be considered for enrolment ONLY if a current student leaves the school.

This information is provided to parents and students so that they can make an informed choice about whether to proceed with the enrolment application. A further consideration is the distance your son may have to travel should he be successful.

Q. What if my student is unable to sit the HAST on Saturday 8 August 2026?

If your student misses the HAST at Sydney Technical High School, there is no refund available for your application fee. Unfortunately, there are no alternate dates for the test.

For more information please contact our enrolments officer who will answer all of your questions.

School contributions

In NSW public schools, all financial contributions are voluntary. Every student has full access to the curriculum, regardless of whether contributions are made.

For more information, see Voluntary school contributions on the Department of Education's website.

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