Surging demand for places comes as the NSW Education Department is set to move the selective school and opportunity class placement tests online next year,having signed a multimillion-dollar five-year deal with testing provider Janison and partner Cambridge Assessments.
A spokesperson for the department said the computer-based testing software used for the online entry tests will be the same as that used for NAPLAN and for online literacy and numeracy “check-in assessments” used by public primary and high schools.
“The student experience will be very similar to these assessments,” the spokesperson said. “In 2025,the test structure will largely be the same as the paper-based tests this year.”
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In an Australian Stock Exchange statement,Janison said its agreement with the NSW Education Department was expected to generate up to $45 million in revenue,with the company to work with Cambridge University Press and Assessment to deliver the design,test content,panelling,marking and scoring.
“The services will include providing placement tests,the computer-based test platform,managing test centres and invigilation,” the statement said.
The testing overhaul is expected to disrupt themultimillion-dollar unregulated coaching industry,which profited as hundreds of tutoring centres have promoted specialised OC and selective school courses that cost more than $1000 for a term of lessons.