Year 10 → Year 11 Entry Specialist Program
Nearly 178 spots open up across James Ruse, Sydney Boys, Sydney Girls, Fort Street, Hornsby Girls, Normanhurst, Baulkham Hills, North Sydney Boys/Girls and more, every single year. Almost nobody talks about this.
across 12 schools
The Nomad Capitalist of School Entry
There’s an obvious play most parents miss. Year 7 selective entry has 17,000+ applicants chasing 4,248 spots across the whole state. It’s brutal.
Year 11 is the opposite. It’s a private, second window, a small parallel market where schools quietly expand their cohort, and the competition is a fraction of Year 6. James Ruse literally creates a new class. Fort Street bumps its cohort from 150 to 170. Hornsby Girls quietly takes around 20 new students because of the James Ruse drain.
This is the highest-leverage move a motivated Year 10 student can make, and it’s the last one available. No selective school accepts Year 12 entries. It is, quite literally, the last shot.
“The best way to transfer into Selective School is to apply in Year 10 for entry into Year 11 as most schools will have more spots open.”
— Selective Schools Parent Forum
“Intakes for Year 8 and 10 are low in number, so it is generally easier to apply for the Year 9 and 11 intake due to the larger number of vacancies.”
— Sydney Coaching College Guide
4,248 spots / ~17,000 applicants statewide
Dramatically smaller applicant pool
The Real Numbers
School by School.
These figures are drawn from official school enrolment pages, coaching colleges, and community sources. They vary year to year, but the pattern is consistent: Year 11 is structurally different.
| School | Year 11 Spots | Test | Fee (1st pref) | Data Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Ruse Agricultural HS#1 HSC | ~25–30 new class |
Edutest | $160 | Bored of Studies, parent forums |
| Baulkham Hills HS#2 | ~10 | No test (reports) | $160 | Official, “very small” |
| North Sydney Boys HS#1 ’25 | ~10–15 | Edutest | $160 | Coaching college guides |
| North Sydney Girls HS#3 | ~8–15 | Edutest new 2025 | $160 | Official NSG page |
| Sydney Girls HS | up to 25 | Edutest + interview | $160 | Official school website |
| Sydney Boys HS | ~6 | School’s own + science | ~$95 | Coaching college guide |
| Hornsby Girls HS | ~20 James Ruse drain |
HAST | $140 | HGHS staff (Bored of Studies) |
| Normanhurst Boys HS#4 | 10–15 | School’s own Lit & Num | $130 | Official school website |
| Fort Street HS | ~20 cohort bumps 150 to 170 |
HAST (Yr 11 only) | $120 | Official enrolment page |
| Northern Beaches SC (Manly) | ~10 | HAST | $140 | Limited places stated |
| Girraween HS | ~12 | HAST | $130 | Dep-driven (official) |
| St George Girls HS | up to 18 | HAST | $130 | Official school website |
| Total estimated Year 11 spots | ~155–200 places per year, midpoint ~178 | |||
Three Tests. One Roadmap.
to Prepare For.
The Year 11 entry ecosystem splits into three test families. The smartest students prepare for overlap, one preparation can unlock two or three pathways simultaneously.
Elite Selective (Yr 11)
James Ruse • Baulkham Hills • North Sydney Boys • North Sydney Girls • Sydney Girls
- Verbal Reasoning, 30 min, analogies, odd-one-out, word codes
- Numerical Reasoning, 30 min, sequences, pattern matrices
- Reading Comprehension, 30 min, fiction, editorial, scientific
- Mathematics, 30 min, Stage 5 syllabus application
- Written Expression, 30 min, typed, creative or persuasive
Selective + Some Private (Yr 11)
Fort Street • Hornsby Girls • St George Girls • Normanhurst • Girraween • NBSC Manly
- Reading Comprehension, 45 min, 35–40 Qs
- Maths + Science Reasoning, 40 min (Senior Sec. adds science)
- Abstract Reasoning, 30 min, non-verbal pattern recognition
- Written Expression, 25 min, handwritten, 2 prompts
Private School Scholarships (Yr 11)
Knox • Pymble • Newington • Scots • Ravenswood • Kambala • Ascham • PLC Sydney • Kincoppal • Riverview + more
- Written Expression 1, 25 min
- Written Expression 2, 25 min
- Humanities, 40 min, reading + interpretation
- Maths & Science (combined), 40 min
The Overlap Play
Roughly 70% of the skill set overlaps across Edutest, HAST, and ACER AAS. Reading comprehension, written expression, mathematical reasoning, and abstract/verbal reasoning all map onto each other. Our program builds the shared foundation first, then layers on the test-specific strategy, so one Year 10 year of prep unlocks three pathways.
The Quiet $50,000 Opportunity
Most Year 10 parents don’t realise their child can sit a scholarship test in February of Year 10 for a discounted or fully funded Year 11 place at a top Sydney independent school. A 50% scholarship at Knox, Newington, or Pymble saves $20,000–$26,000 per year.
Knox Grammar School
Year 11 tuition ~$45,120
Pymble Ladies’ College
Year 11 tuition $42,763
Newington College
Year 11 tuition $48,141
Ravenswood
Year 11 tuition ~$44,580
Kincoppal-Rose Bay
Year 11 tuition ~$45,660
Roseville College
Year 11 tuition $40,260
The Scots College
Year 11 tuition ~$46,920
PLC Sydney
Year 11 tuition ~$46,860
Kambala
Year 11 tuition ~$49,800
Ascham School
Means-tested % varies
MLC School
Year 11 tuition $44,904
St Catherine’s Waverley
Year 11 tuition ~$44k–$47k
Plus: Queenwood • SCEGGS Darlinghurst • Abbotsleigh • Wenona • Redlands • Riverview • IGS • Loreto Kirribilli • St Andrew’s Cathedral • Tara. Enrol Now →
Built for Year 10 → Year 11 Entry
A specialist program running across Year 10, the only year that matters for Year 11 entry. Built on Scholarly’s Undulating Prioritisation method: one subject is the priority each term, not all four at once.
Benchmark
Full-length mock Edutest + HAST to benchmark your child against published cut-offs. We map a realistic target school list in the first session.
Foundation Term
The 70% that overlaps across all three tests: reading comprehension, written expression, mathematical reasoning, abstract/verbal reasoning. Built once, used everywhere.
Specialisation Term
Track A (Edutest) or Track B (HAST) or Track C (AAS), full test-specific strategy, timed mocks, vocab lists, writing rubrics, James Ruse-level maths.
Final Sprint
8 weeks out: every Saturday is a full simulated test day. Portfolio review, handwritten essay coaching, interview prep. We walk you to the exam door.
Year 11 Entry Timeline
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Early Year 10Feb 2026, ACER AAS scholarship tests at most Sydney private schools. Knox (22 Feb), Newington (3 Feb), Roseville (21 Feb), St Catherine’s (31 Jan). Prep must start 6+ months earlier.
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Mid Year 1018 June 2026, selective school Year 11 applications open. Apply to up to 3 schools with the same preference order.
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Late Year 1025 July 2026, applications close. No exceptions. Post, courier, or in person only at most schools, no email.
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Year 10 holidaysEarly August 2026, Normanhurst Boys entrance exam • HAST cluster test day (~9 Aug) • Edutest cluster test day (~16 Aug).
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Term 4 Year 10Sept–Oct 2026, placement outcomes released. Some schools conduct interviews. Waitlists remain open through Term 1.
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Year 11Late January 2027, successful students start at their new school. New class opens. HSC pathway begins.
This Window Closes in 2026
Secure your place in the Year 11 Entry Accelerator. We’ll benchmark your child, show you exactly which of the 12 schools they’re realistic for, and map out a Year 10 plan to hit the August test window.