A fully selective public high school in Gosford, on the Central Coast, for boys and girls in Years 7 to 12. Fully selective means every student was chosen for a selective place. Here’s how to get in, how its students do in the HSC (the exams at the end of Year 12), and what the school is like.
Bing’s Academy is independent of the school. Every figure here is from a public source, named under each section.
start here
Most Gosford students start in Year 7. Year 8 has historically had only a few places, Years 9 and 10 usually up to 5 each, and Year 11 up to 20.
What the school says: “For Year 9, and 10 there are usually up to 5 vacancies in each year that may be offered, subject to applicants satisfying the selection criteria. For Year 11, up to 20 places and vacancies, if any, may be offered, subject to applicants satisfying the selection criteria.” The school’s Years 8 to 11 enrolment policy, read 28 October 2026
Year 7 places go through the Department’s Selective test. Places in Years 8 to 11 go through the school’s own application and HAST (the Higher Ability Selection Test), a test several selective schools share (our HAST guide).
The Year 7 application and test dates are official. The other dates are typical, based on the 2026 round: the school hasn’t announced its own dates for 2028 entry yet.
Inside Gosford · once your child is in
Every student here already has a selective place. These are the classes and courses the school chooses students for once they’re in, and any that every student takes.
A class chosen on Year 8 results and teacher feedback takes Year 11 Mathematics Advanced in Year 10 and reaches HSC Extension 2 in Year 12. Students not chosen can still reach Extension 2 the usual way.
The 100-hour Japanese electiveWith A grades expected. It leads to Japanese Continuers as the accelerated course in Year 10.
Every Year 9 student can choose one Year 11 course to start in Year 10 and carry to the HSC. Students are expected to hold an A or B in that subject, A students get priority, and a senior staff panel confirms entry. 15 courses were offered for 2027, each running only with enough interest. Last round: selections closed on Thursday 20 August 2026.
The HSC.
Source: NSW Department of Education (Year 7; who can apply); Gosford High School’s website and its Years 8 to 11 enrolment policy, and Gosford’s pages on other classes, read 28 October 2026.
The HSC is the set of exams at the end of Year 12. Each HSC subject is marked out of 100. The school’s yearly report lists the average mark of its Year 12 students in each subject, next to the NSW average. Subjects with fewer than 10 students are not listed. Selective schools choose their students by test, so their averages usually sit above the NSW average: the useful part is which subjects are strongest.
Source: the school’s 2025 annual report, NSW Department of Education (CC BY 4.0). These results are shown on their own. We don’t rank or compare schools by results.
A Band 6 is the top result in an HSC subject. Here is what the count tells you, and what it doesn’t.
Source: NESA’s HSC merit lists, 2021 to 2025, counted by Bing’s Academy. These counts are shown on their own. We don’t rank or compare schools by results.
Source: the school’s 2025 annual report; NSW Department of Education school data, 2 October 2026 (CC BY 4.0); Google Maps and Transport for NSW.
Yes, for Years 8 to 11. HAST is the Higher Ability Selection Test. The schools that use it hold it on one shared day in August, and your child sits it once. For Year 7, children sit the Selective test instead.
180: 90 for boys and 90 for girls, from the Department’s list (read 28 October 2026).
Yes. In 2025 it had 600 boys and 459 girls.
The Department doesn’t publish one. It changes every year, depending on who applies.
Of the 22 students we taught who sat the Selective test in 2026, 17 received an offer of a selective place (not always at this school). We will never promise a place: the Department marks the exam and the cut-offs move every year. What we can promise is that you will know where your child stands, for Year 7 or for HAST.
