This publication assists applicants for Year 5 entry to opportunity classes to

become more familiar with the Opportunity Class Placement Test.

Some of the items have not been included for copyright reasons. Items that
assess reading will be available at a later date.

In the actual Opportunity Class Placement Test there are 20 questions in

reading, 20 in mathematics and, until 2005, 20 in general ability. From 2006
there are 30 general ability questions.

The Opportunity Class Placement Test measures ability and is set to

discriminate at a very high level. Students who are accustomed to
answering most questions in tests correctly should not be discouraged if
they get a number of questions wrong. It is very rare for even the highest
scoring candidates to score full marks on all components of the
Opportunity Class Placement Test..

Opportunity class entry does not depend entirely on a student's

performance in the Opportunity Class Placement Test as school assessment
scores in English and mathematics are provided by the primary schools.It
is important to note that selection committees and appeals panels will not
accept students' performance in this past paper as evidence of academic
merit for the purposes of entry into an opportunity class in any future year.
 NSW DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

OC PLACEMENT TEST

2003

PART 2

INSTRUCTIONS

• You will have 30 minutes to complete Part 2 of the test. It contains

30 questions.
• With each question there are four possible answers A, B, C or D.
• Mark the one answer you think is best for each question on the separate
answer sheet.
• If you decide to change your answer rub out your first mark completely then
fill another oval to show your new answer.
• Do not spend too long on any question. If a question is too hard, go on to
the next question and come back later if you have time.
• You may do your working out on the test booklet, but remember to mark
your answer on the answer sheet.

This message is in the test. When you see it follow the steps.

ANSWERS CHECK (Example)

Look on your Answer Sheet — the last question you answered
should have been Question 15 –
If it was, keep going.
If it wasn’t, put your hand up for help.

This test contains security features to detect photocopying.

PLEASE DO NOT TURN THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD.

START OF PART 2

1 The word ALIEN is nearest in meaning to

A ENEMY.
B FRIEND.
C ANIMAL.
D FOREIGN.

2 Rearrange the words below to make the best sentence.

What is the last word in the sentence?

goods to used is buy money

A money
B goods
C used
D buy

3 Joe is 2 cm shorter than Helen and Helen is 4 cm taller than Jim.

If Jim is 140 cm tall, how tall is Joe?

A 136 cm
B 138 cm
C 142 cm
D 144 cm

4 What is the difference in length between the two pieces of ribbon?

ribbon
0 mm 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

A 10 millimetres
B 16 millimetres
C 26 millimetres
D 28 millimetres

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Part 2 page 2
5 In a certain code BALLOON is represented by ABKMNPM.

In the same code PARTY would be represented by

A OBQUX.
B OZQSX.
C QBSUZ.
D QZSSZ.

6 If your heart beats about 70 times each minute, which is the best estimate of how many
times it beats in a (24 hour) day?

A 1 000 times
B 2 000 times
C 10 000 times
D 100 000 times

Read the information below and answer questions 7 and 8

Georgina builds a stack of tennis balls.

She makes a first layer on flat ground.
Figure 1 shows the top view of her first layer.

She then builds the second layer, placing the

first three balls as shown in Figure 2.
Each ball rests in the hollow between
four balls in the layer below it. Figure 1 Figure 2

Georgina continues building the stack in the

same way, making as many layers as possible.

7 How many balls are needed to make the third layer?

A 6
B 9
C 16
D 20

8 How many balls are used altogether in the completed stack?

A 30
B 50
C 55
D 64

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Part 2 page 3
13 The passage suggests that the speaker is

A rigid in his dealings with others.

B grim and determined to do his best.
C surprised at his own adventurousness.
D inclined to boast about his adventures.

14 The word REPEL is most nearly the opposite in meaning to

A FRIGHTEN.
B ATTRACT.
C DISGUST.
D SOOTHE.

15

is to

as is to ?

A B C D

ANSWERS CHECK No. 4

Look on your Answer Sheet — the last question you answered
should have been Question 15 –
If it was, keep going.
If it wasn’t, put your hand up for help.

This booklet contains security features to detect photocopying.

Part 2 page 5
16 The store has flour in 600 gram packs for $2.40 each and in 900 gram packs for $3.20
each.

How much can Len save by buying 1800 grams of flour in 900 gram packs rather than
in 600 gram packs?

A $0.80
B $1.20
C $1.60
D $2.40

17 Which letter is missing in this series?

Z X U ___ L

A P
B Q
C R
D S

18 Here is a rectangle. 6 cm
If a square has the same total
distance around the edge as this 2 cm
rectangle, what would be the area
of the square?

A 3 square centimetres
B 4 square centimetres
C 8 square centimetres
D 16 square centimetres

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Part 2 page 6
19 AUTOMOBILE is to MOTORIST as BICYCLE is to

A WHEEL
B PEDLAR
C CYCLIST
D BIKE PATH

20 Which letters are missing in this series?

PR RP ___ VL XJ

A SM
B SO
C TN
D TO

21 The shape stands for one of the numbers 4, 5 or 9.

The shape stands for another one of the numbers 4, 5 or 9.

The shape stands for another one of the numbers 4, 5 or 9.

Which one of these statements is correct?

A is 4

B is 5

C is 4

D is 9

ANSWERS CHECK No. 5

Look on your Answer Sheet — the last question
you answered should have been Question 21 –
If it was, keep going.
If it wasn’t, put your hand up for help.

This booklet contains security features to detect photocopying.

Part 2 page 7
27 Susy draws a large rectangle as shown. 12 cm
How many rectangles of length 4 cm
and width 2 cm will just cover this large
6 cm
rectangle, without overlapping?

A six
B eight
C nine
D twelve

28 Pati has bought a computer desk. He notices a problem in the instructions for
assembling it.

Step 10 reads: ‘Tighten fasteners F1 to F8 before placing bracket B1 in position.’

Step 12 reads: ‘Make sure that bracket B1 is correctly positioned before tightening
fasteners F1 to F8.’

The problem with the instructions is that

A a step has been left out.

B step 12 ought to go before step 10.
C steps 10 and 12 must both be incorrect.
D if step 10 is correct then step 12 must be incorrect.

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Part 2 page 10
29 Jan takes 45 paces to cross the courtyard. Karl takes 42 paces to cross, while Leon
takes 45 paces.

Using this information, which one of the following statements can you be certain is true?

A Karl has a longer pace than Jan.

B Karl has a shorter pace than Leon.
C Jan and Leon are the same height.
D The distance across the courtyard is about 45 metres.

30 Goran says that when he adds two whole numbers he gets 10 and that when he
subtracts one of the numbers from the other he gets 6.

One of the numbers is

A 1
B 3
C 4
D 8

ANSWERS CHECK No. 6

Look on your Answer Sheet — the last question you
answered should have been Question 30 –
If it wasn’t, put your hand up for help.

END OF PART 2
LOOK BACK OVER YOUR WORK IN PART 2
DO NOT TURN BACK TO PART 1

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Susan Cooper, Over Sea, Under Stone, Puffin, London, pp. 37-8.
Morris Gleitzman, Water Wings, Pan MacMillan Australia, Sydney, 1996.
Thor Heyerdahl, The Kon-Tiki Expedition, translated by P.H. Lyon, George Allen & Unwin
Ltd, London, 1950.
L.C. Rodd, A Gentle Shipwreck, Melbourne: Thomas Nelson (Australia) Limited, 1975.

This booklet contains security features to detect photocopying.

Part 2 page 11