Guides · Tutoring near you
Selective & OC coaching in Lidcombe: every tutoring centre compared
4 tutoring providers run a named NSW Selective Test program at a centre in Lidcombe — every one below with published prices where they exist, checked against the provider's own site.
Lidcombe is a rail node on the main western line with an Auburn–Lidcombe migrant supplementary-education base. No selective school sits in the suburb itself, so families here aim first at Girraween — fully selective, to the north-west — with the partially selective streams at Parramatta High and Sefton also within reach.
Four providers run a named selective program locally, listed below with published prices where they exist.
Whichever Lidcombe centre you choose, your child still needs hours on the real on-screen test — the timer, the flag button, the question grid. Our full-length papers mirror it exactly, and the first in each subject is free, no card.
Selective schools Lidcombe families target
| School | Selective status | Year 7 places | Distance from Lidcombe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Girraween High School | Fully selective, co-ed | 120 | To the north-west, the closest fully selective school |
| Parramatta High School | Partially selective, co-ed | 60 | A short trip west in Parramatta |
| Sefton High School | Partially selective, co-ed | 88 | To the south at Sefton |
| Fort Street High School | Fully selective, co-ed | — | Toward the inner west, at Petersham |
One honest note the coaching ads won't give you: the NSW Department of Education publishes no official entry cut-off for any of these schools. A per-school "score you need" quoted elsewhere is a coaching-centre estimate, not a DoE figure — the real threshold is simply the lowest score that earns a place each year, and it moves with demand.
OC coaching & opportunity classes in Lidcombe
An opportunity class (OC) is a Year 5–6 stream for high-potential students, entered through a separate placement test sat in Year 4 — a year earlier than the selective-high-school test. The nearest opportunity classes are Blaxcell Street Public School (The closest OC, at Granville); Greenacre Public School (Nearby, in Greenacre); Guildford West Public School (Nearby, at Guildford West).
Most of the centres listed below prepare children for the OC test as well as the selective test — the Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills skills overlap. Our full-length practice papers cover those OC sections too, and the first in each subject is free.
Which test, and when
| Test | Who sits it | When |
|---|---|---|
| Selective High School Placement Test | Year 6 students, for Year 7 entry | Early May each year — next sitting early May 2027, for 2028 entry |
| Opportunity Class (OC) Placement Test | Year 4 students, for Year 5 entry | Same early-May window, sat in Year 4 |
Both tests are fully computer-based. See the selective test dates guide for the confirmed timetable, or how the on-screen test works.
Good to know locally
- Lidcombe is a rail node on the main western line, with an Auburn/Lidcombe migrant supplementary-education base.
- There is no selective school in Lidcombe itself; Girraween, fully selective, is the nearest headline target.
- The nearest OC classes sit around Granville, Greenacre and Guildford West.
Selective coaching & tutoring centres in Lidcombe
| Provider | Selective program | Published pricing | Free trial / assessment | Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS Educationfull profile → | Computer-based Selective Trial Test Course (Years 5/7) | Norwest Year 5: $73/test, $730 per 10-week term; full 41-test course ~$2,993 (per-campus) | None found — paid trial-test course | Unit 3, 31 East Street, Lidcombe NSW 2141 |
| North Shore Coaching Collegefull profile → | Year 5 & 6 selective/scholarship: Fastrain Extended, High Achiever, SS Exam Prep (mock) | Chatswood Term 3 2026 (10 wk): Fastrain $920/term, High Achiever $920/term, SS Exam Prep $880/term | Free Assessment (sitewide) | Shop 7 / 52–56 John Street, Lidcombe NSW 2141 |
| Wisdom Education | "Selective School Test Course" for Year 5–6 students runs weekly (Fridays 4:00–7:30pm during school term) from mid-Year 5 through to the placement test in Year 6 … | Not published | "Free assessment test" for prospective students (Years 2–6) to determine class placement … | 3 John Street, Lidcombe NSW 2141 |
| Young's Academy | The academy advertises a distinctly named "Selective/OC Prep" offering — branded on the homepage title ("Selective/OC | Private Tutoring | Lidcombe") and listed as a separate … | Not published | None found. No free trial or free assessment is advertised for Selective/OC Prep (or any class). | 22-26 Ann St, Lidcombe NSW 2141 |
Prefer to prepare at home? Online options
These providers run selective preparation without a fixed centre — online classes, self-paced programs, or tutors who come to you — so they're worth comparing against a weekly commute to a Lidcombe classroom.
| Provider | Selective program | Published pricing | Free trial / assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| BrainTree Coaching | Self-paced Selective Test Preparation Packs (Super / Ultimate / Premium) + Writing Packs | One-off packs: $99–$399 | Free practice paper, no card |
| Scholarly | WEMT + Trial Test programs, Years 2–6 (Year 5 Selective, Year 6 Final Sprint) | Year 5 Selective $1,088 / 10-week term; Year 6 Final Sprint $909 | Free 30-min diagnostic test |
| Alchemy Tuition — Selective School Tutoring | One-on-one "Selective School Tutoring" for students from Year 3 through Year 10, preparing for the NSW Selective High School Placement Test (aimed at Year 6 students sitting for Year 7 entry… | $59 per hour (online lessons); $89 per hour (in-home lessons). Pay-as-you-go, no contract — card charged 24 hours after each lesson. | "First lesson covered by our 100% happiness guarantee – if you aren't happy after the first lesson it's on us" (effectiv… |
| Burwood TutoringSome details unconfirmed | Lists "Selective & OC exam preparation" as a core service within its Years 1-9 (some sections say 1-12) maths and English tutoring, delivered 1-on-1 or in small groups, online or in-centre … | Not published | Free assessment and trial lesson, claimed by direct-messaging promo code "Tutor 2026" … |
| Cluey Learning | Cluey Learning offers "Selective School Tutoring" — 1-to-1, live online tutoring in English and Mathematics (plus small-group options) aimed at Years 6–10 students preparing to sit the NSW S… | Not published — the pricing page states cost "depends on what the student needs and the individualised learning program that we design," with pay-as-you-go or session-pac… | A "Book a Trial Session" call-to-action is offered site-wide and the pricing FAQ says "you can start by committing only… |
| Erudite Tuition | One-on-one online or in-home tutoring for NSW Year 5 students preparing for the Selective High School Placement Test, covering reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning … | From $59/hour for online tutoring or $74/hour for in-home tutoring, pay-as-you-go with no long-term lock-in ("no lock-in or hidden fees... continue lesson by lesson"). | Not a free trial as such: a "satisfaction guarantee" on the first lesson. |
| Excel Academics | Online (and in-person) personalised 1:1 tutoring sold as "OC exam preparation (for NSW & Sydney students)" … | Online Lessons: "Prepaid 10-Hour Package at $750" or "Pay As You Go $80 per hour, billed after lesson". | "Free no-obligation 30-min trial" (also promoted as "Book a FREE Consultation, Expected response time: within 24hrs"). |
| Learnikx Education | "Selective Test Preparation Course" for the NSW Selective Test (Year 7 entry), run as small-group classes for Year 5 ("Selective Prep") and Year 6 ("16-Week Non-Stop Revision") … | Year 5: $121 per class (incl. GST) / $1,210 per term (10 classes, incl. GST). Year 6: $143 per class (incl. | None found. No free trial or free assessment offer is advertised. |
| NextStepAcademy | "Selective School Tutoring" is a one-on-one (no group sessions) tutoring programme for Year 4–6 students preparing for the NSW Selective High School Placement Test, covering Reading … | $65 per hour lesson (online); $85 per hour lesson (in-home); pay-as-you-go, charged per lesson (24 hours after each session), no upfront payment or contract | "First Lesson Guarantee" — the first lesson is risk-free; if the matched tutor isn't the right fit … |
| NL English Academy | Small-group online English tutoring (max 6 students/class) for Years 3–12, run as 10-week Term Programs and intensive Holiday Programs explicitly branded "OC … | Not published | None found — the site has an FAQ item titled "Why is there no free trial?" … |
| Olympus Learning | A dedicated "Selective School Tutoring" service preparing students for the NSW Selective High School Placement Test (reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning … | Not published | No free trial lesson or selective-specific assessment. Site-wide … |
| Primo Tutoring | A distinctly-priced "Test Prep" service line (separate tier from general Maths/English/ESL tutoring) that explicitly names OC and Selective High School Placement Test preparation alongside N… | Not published | "Free Intro Chat" — an introductory consultation (not described as a free lesson or diagnostic assessment). |
| Selective Success Academy | Small-group, live-online (Microsoft Teams) coaching for students in Years 8-11 seeking lateral entry into NSW selective high schools, preparing specifically for the EduTest, HAST … | Live Term Course: $800 (early bird) / $900 (normal) per term (2-hour weekly lessons), or $90 per individual lesson. | A "Free Trial Class" is advertised (dedicated /freetrial page titled "Trial Class | EduTest … |
| Selective Test Prep | An AI-powered online practice-test platform wholly dedicated to the NSW Selective High School Placement Test, offering mock tests across Reading, Mathematical Reasoning … | Not published | Paid "Trial" tier at $10 for 12 months giving one mock test per subject (Reading, Maths, Thinking Skills … |
| Selectivetrial | Online exam-prep platform with a named "NSW Selective High School Practice Test" course (plus a separate OC/Year 4 practice course) offering timed, computer-based mock tests across Reading … | Varies by package: NSW Selective course – Pack 1/Pack 2 $69 each (3/6/9-month access), Elite 2027 $159 (valid until exam) … | "3 Days Free Trial" — instant access, no credit card required. |
| Shoreline Tutoring | A named "Selective High School Exam" preparation offering for Year 6 entry (plus a parallel "Opportunity Classes Exam" offering for Year 4 entry) … | One-on-one: $90/hr (Years 1–6, incl. Selective High School/OC Prep), or 20-lesson bundle $1,600 total ($80/hr). | Free complimentary first/trial lesson, "no obligation," described as "Experience our approach risk-free before committin… |
| Sprouts Academy | Sprouts Academy runs dedicated Selective School / OC Test and Thinking Skills selective-test tutoring (covering the writing task plus the mathematical reasoning … | Not published | Free trial class offered ("Book Your Free Trial Class Today!" … |
| Thrive Coaching College | The "Booster Program Plus+" is an online, subscription-based OC (Year 4) and NSW Selective High School Placement Test (Year 6) preparation program combining weekly trial tests … | "$39/week" via direct debit (site states "PRICE GOING UP TO $59/WEEK SOON – DUE TO HIGH DEMAND"); cancel anytime. No fixed-term/one-off price published. | None found — no free trial or free assessment offer is advertised … |
| Tutoring4All | A distinct "NAPLAN, Opportunity Classes & Selective High School" service line offering intensive one-on-one tutoring to prepare primary students for the OC placement test and the NSW Selecti… | Not published | A trial lesson is offered, bookable via the contact form; no length, price or free/paid terms specified on the site. |
The preparation a Lidcombe classroom can't cover
Every centre above teaches content — that's what you'd be paying for. What no weekly class gives your child is hours on the real on-screen format — the timer, the flag button, the question grid they'll actually face on test day. Our practice papers are full-length, matched to the real question counts and timing, and sat in a player built to mirror that screen.
The arithmetic is hard to argue with: the centres above charge roughly $35 to $95 for a single class. A Day Pass to every one of our papers is $12 — less than half of one coaching hour — and one paper in each subject is free, no card required. Whichever centre you choose, or if you prepare at home, it's the piece of preparation a classroom can't cover.
Frequently asked
Questions Lidcombe parents ask.
Which selective schools do Lidcombe families usually aim for?
Girraween High School to the north-west is the closest fully selective school, with Parramatta High and Sefton High running partially selective streams nearby and Fort Street High (Petersham) reachable toward the inner west. Entry to all of them is through the same computer-based Selective High School Placement Test.
Is there selective tutoring near me in Lidcombe?
Yes — four verified providers run a named selective program in Lidcombe, with more in neighbouring Auburn, Parramatta and Merrylands, plus online-only options that serve all of Western Sydney.
Are there Opportunity Class schools near Lidcombe?
Yes — Blaxcell Street Public School (Granville) is the closest OC class, with Greenacre Public School and Guildford West Public School also within reach for Year 5 entry.
How much does selective coaching cost in Lidcombe?
Western Sydney centres tend to price competitively: group classes commonly start around $30–$40 an hour, with term courses a few hundred dollars per subject. Some publish fees, others ask you to enquire — confirm before enrolling.
When is the next selective and OC test?
The Selective High School Placement Test is sat in Year 6, in early May — the next sitting is early May 2027 for 2028 entry. The Opportunity Class test, for Year 5 entry, is sat in Year 4 in the same window.
Sources
The school, opportunity-class and test facts on this page were checked against:
- NSW DoE — selective high schools — checked 27 July 2026
- Wikipedia — list of selective high schools in NSW — checked 27 July 2026
- AcePath — OC schools full list with suburbs — checked 27 July 2026