Thinking Skills Mock Test 18: 2026 NSW Selective Format

Master the new Janison-style Thinking Skills exam with our comprehensive 40-question mock test. Designed specifically for students targeting top-tier NSW Selective High Schools.

Duration

40 Minutes

Format

2026 NSW Format

Questions

40 multiple-choice

Level

Official Selective Test Level

Skills Covered in this Test

This mock test mirrors the official weightings of the NSW Department of Education exam.

The breakdown

  • Finding Procedures: Identifying the correct sequence or steps to reach an outcome.
  • Spatial Reasoning: Visualising and manipulating shapes, positions, and arrangements.
  • Seating Arrangements: Deducing who sits where from ordering and constraint clues.
  • Detecting Reasoning Errors: Identifying flaws, assumptions, and gaps in arguments.
  • Relevant Selections: Choosing the option that best supports or completes an argument.
  • Matching Arguments: Recognising argument structures that are parallel or equivalent.

Sample Questions from Test 18

The first two questions of this mock test (same order and wording as the timed exam).

Thinking Skills

Ari, Bo and Cal each have 24 beads. They take turns: even means give that many to each of the other two; odd …

Question 1 · Multiple choice

Question

Ari, Bo and Cal each have 24 beads. They take turns: even means give that many to each of the other two; odd means receive that many from each. Ari spins 2. Bo spins 3. If they end with 19, 34 and 19, what did Cal spin?

Options

  • A. 1
  • B. 2
  • C. 3
  • D. 4

Correct answer

B. 2

Explanation

Everyone starts with 24 beads. Ari spins 2. Since 2 is even, Ari gives 2 beads to Bo and 2 beads to Cal. So Ari loses 4 altogether. New totals: Ari 20, Bo 26, Cal 26 Bo spins 3. Since 3 is odd, Bo receives 3 beads from Ari and 3 from Cal. So Bo gains 6 altogether. New totals: Ari 17, Bo 32, Cal 23 Now test Cal's possible spin. To finish on 19, 34 and 19, Cal must lose 4 altogether, while Ari and Bo each gain 2. That happens when Cal spins 2, because 2 is even and he gives 2 to each of the other two. Check: Ari 17 + 2 = 19 Bo 32 + 2 = 34 Cal 23 - 4 = 19 So Cal spun 2.

Thinking Skills

A councillor argued that adding bike racks would increase cycling because people would have somewhere to park…

Question 2 · Multiple choice

Question

A councillor argued that adding bike racks would increase cycling because people would have somewhere to park. Which one of these, if true, most strengthens the argument?

Options

  • A. Racks need maintenance.
  • B. Places with racks elsewhere saw cycling rise.
  • C. Some prefer to lock elsewhere.
  • D. Racks take space.

Correct answer

B. Places with racks elsewhere saw cycling rise.

Explanation

The councillor's idea is that adding bike racks will increase cycling because people will have somewhere safe and easy to leave their bikes. To strengthen this argument, we want evidence that adding bike racks has already increased cycling somewhere else. If places with racks elsewhere saw cycling rise, that strongly supports the claim. It shows that the same type of change can really encourage more people to ride. The other options are weaker: racks needing maintenance does not show whether they work, some people preferring to lock elsewhere does not support the idea, and racks taking space is a possible cost, not evidence about the effect. So the strongest answer is the evidence from places where cycling rose after racks were added.

Core Competencies

Additional EvidenceData SufficiencyDetecting Reasoning ErrorsDrawing a ConclusionEvaluating HypothesesFinding ProceduresIdentifying SimilarityLogical DeductionMatching ArgumentsRelevant SelectionsSeating ArrangementsSpatial ReasoningSyllogismsTruth/Liar Puzzles

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