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Selective & OC coaching in Strathfield: every tutoring centre compared
3 tutoring providers run a named NSW Selective Test program at a centre in Strathfield — every one below with published prices where they exist, checked against the provider's own site.
Strathfield is one of Sydney's great railway junctions — the main western line, the northern line and the inner-west and Bankstown services all converge here — which is why it works as a coaching stop even though it isn't the Inner West's busiest. Three providers run a named selective program in Strathfield itself, two of them major names: Matrix Education and Pre-Uni New College. That is fewer than nearby Burwood, but Burwood is a single stop west and adds eight more centres within a few minutes by train, so a Strathfield family is really choosing from a dozen-plus options once the immediate neighbours are counted.
The three Strathfield centres are Matrix Education, above Strathfield Plaza on The Boulevarde; Pre-Uni New College, whose head office sits at 5 The Crescent by the station; and JP English Specialist Tuition on Churchill Avenue. No fully selective school is in Strathfield, so families here prepare for schools elsewhere — Fort Street High in Petersham, and Sydney Boys and Sydney Girls closer to the city. The list below is every centre we could verify with a named selective program in Strathfield proper; North Strathfield and Strathfield South have their own campuses a short distance away.
Whichever Strathfield 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 Strathfield families target
| School | Selective status | Year 7 places | Distance from Strathfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Street High School | Fully selective, co-ed | — | A few stops east at Petersham |
| Sydney Boys High School | Fully selective, boys | — | In the city at Moore Park, a direct train from Strathfield |
| Sydney Girls High School | Fully selective, girls | — | In the city at Surry Hills, reachable by train |
| Sydney Technical High School | Fully selective, boys | 150 | South in Bexley |
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 Strathfield
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 Summer Hill Public School (The nearest OC, a short trip east on the inner-west line).
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. For a centre-by-centre look, see our guide to OC coaching in Strathfield.
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
- Strathfield's value is its rail interchange: quick trains to Fort Street (Petersham), Sydney Tech (Bexley) and the city selective schools make a wide set of schools realistic from one address.
- Strathfield and Burwood function as one inner-west tutoring market, so families compare centres across both suburbs.
- Strathfield's dense private-school market means many families sit scholarship (AAS / ACER) exams alongside the selective test.
Selective coaching & tutoring centres in Strathfield
| Provider | Selective program | Published pricing | Free trial / assessment | Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matrix Educationfull profile → | Year 5 & 6 Selective Test Prep — term, holiday intensive, or Matrix+ online | Term $528/term (9 lessons); Holiday $960 (4-day); Matrix+ $369/module | Free trial; first-lesson money-back guarantee | Level 9, Strathfield Plaza, 11 The Boulevarde, Strathfield NSW 2135 |
| Pre-Uni New Collegefull profile → | Selective Trial Test Course (Years 5/6), online variant; ASAT mock | Core STTC price not published (Intensive-tier STTC is: $160/week); ASAT mock $100 ($90 enrolled) | Free Assessment Test unconfirmed; paid ASAT mock $100 | 5 The Crescent, Strathfield NSW 2135 |
| JP English Specialist Tuition | Named "Selective Test Program" (also branded "Selective Trial Test") for Year 5–6, plus a "Headstart to Selective Test" pathway from Year 4 and a separate "OC Test Program" for Year 3–4 … | Not published | None found (no free trial lesson or free assessment offer is advertised for the Selective/OC programs … | Suite 6/7-9 Churchill Avenue, Strathfield |
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 Strathfield 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 Strathfield 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 Strathfield parents ask.
What is the closest selective high school to Strathfield?
Fort Street High School, a fully selective co-ed school at Petersham, a few stops east on the inner-west line. Worth knowing, because the name misleads people: Homebush Boys High School, one stop west, is a comprehensive school, not a selective one — it does not appear on the Department's selective high schools list.
What score do you need for the selective schools near Strathfield?
The Department no longer publishes per-school minimums on the out-of-120 scale. Each year's cut-off is the placement score of the lowest-ranked student who accepts an offer, so it moves with the applicant pool. Fort Street and the city schools are among the higher-demand options.
When do Strathfield children sit the selective test?
In Year 6, for Year 7 entry the following year. The test runs in early May each year — the next sitting is early May 2027 for 2028 entry — with applications opening the year before via the DoE portal.
Is there an opportunity class near Strathfield?
Summer Hill Public School, a short trip east on the inner-west line, runs the nearest OC. Entry is via a separate Year 4 test for Year 5 placement.
How much does selective coaching in Strathfield cost?
Of the Strathfield centres, only Matrix Education publishes its fees ($528 for a 9-lesson term course). Published prices around neighbouring Burwood run from about $360 per subject per 10-week term at the larger colleges to hourly group rates of $33–$50 at local centres; several providers require an enquiry first.
Why is Strathfield such a strong tutoring market?
Strathfield is a major rail interchange, giving fast access to Fort Street, Sydney Tech and the city selective schools, so it supports a dense cluster of coaching colleges alongside neighbouring Burwood.
Sources
The school, opportunity-class and test facts on this page were checked against:
- NSW DoE — selective test format + no published per-school cut-offs — checked 27 July 2026
- NSW DoE — selective high schools list (Homebush Boys not listed) — checked 27 July 2026
- TestRoom — OC schools by suburb (Summer Hill) — checked 27 July 2026