Free OC thinking skills practice test
The Opportunity Class Placement Test is taken on computer in Year 4. This practice test is half the length of the real Thinking Skills section at the same pace: 15 critical thinking and problem solving questions in 15 minutes, four options each. Every answer comes with a short explanation you can go through together.
OC Thinking Skills practice test
- Questions
- 15
- Time
- 15 min
- Calculator
- No
- ✓ 15 questions in 15 minutes: one minute each, the same pace as the real section (30 questions in 30 minutes).
- ✓ Every question has four options and one correct answer.
- ✓ Use only the information in the question. Paper and a pencil help with ordering and puzzle questions.
- ✓ No calculator, as in the real test.
Free, no account needed. Your answers stay in your browser; we only save your score.
The real test
- Format
- Computer-based, on devices provided by the NSW Department of Education
- Thinking Skills
- 30 multiple-choice questions, four options each, 30 minutes
- Other sections
- Reading (14 questions, 40 minutes) and Mathematical Reasoning (35 questions, five options each, 40 minutes)
- Calculators
- Not allowed in any section; the questions draw on the NSW curriculum up to Year 4
Sources: NSW Department of Education: Opportunity class practice tests · NSW Department of Education: Placement test. Practice questions written by EagleTeach tutors; not affiliated with any exam board.
What OC thinking skills questions look like
The department says Thinking Skills tests general critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. For Year 4 children that usually means two kinds of question, mixed together:
- ✓ Critical thinking: what must be true, what supports or weakens a point, and spotting a mistake in someone's reasoning
- ✓ Problem solving: ordering from clues, patterns, money and time puzzles, folding and counting shapes
Helping your child prepare
Go through the explanations together, especially for critical thinking questions: children often pick the answer that sounds sensible rather than the one that must be true, and talking it through is the quickest fix. For puzzles, encourage drawing a line or a small table instead of holding everything in their head.
Use the department's free online practice tests too, which run on the same kind of on-screen system as the real test, so the format isn't a surprise on the day.
FAQs
Is this an official OC practice test?＋
No. The questions were written by EagleTeach tutors in the style of the OC Thinking Skills section. The NSW Department of Education publishes free official online practice tests, which are the best place to start.
How many questions are in the OC thinking skills test?＋
30 multiple-choice questions with four possible answers, in 30 minutes, according to the department's OC practice test page. This practice test is half that length at the same pace.
When do children sit the OC test?＋
In Year 4, for a place in an opportunity class in Years 5 and 6. Check the department's website for the current year's test dates.
Is the OC test on paper or computer?＋
On computer. Students answer on devices provided by the department, and can use paper for working out.
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