Frequently Asked Questions

Excela is an online preparation platform designed specifically for the NSW Selective High School Placement Test. We provide an extensive question bank with 2,500+ questions, adaptive practice, AI-powered tutoring, mock exams, and detailed analytics to help Year 5 and 6 students build confidence and master every section of the exam.

Excela is built for students in Year 5 and Year 6 who are preparing for the NSW Selective High School entrance exam. Our platform is designed for any family in Sydney looking to give their child the best possible preparation.

Simply visit excela.com.au and click 'Get Started'. You'll need to provide a parent/guardian email address to create a student account. You can explore a 7-day free trial before committing to a subscription plan.

We offer four tiers with flat weekly pricing: Starter (free — generous allowances to try everything, no card required), Credit at $19/week (unlimited practice questions, mock exams and writing drills), Distinction at $29/week (adds unlimited Smart Review targeting your child's exact knowledge gaps and unlimited AI-marked writing coaching), and High Distinction at $39/week (adds a full invigilated trial exam every month across all three subjects plus writing, human-marked writing, and a test-morning simulation).

Better — the Starter tier is free forever, with no card required. Your child can attempt 250 practice questions, 100 Smart Review questions, 3 full mock exams and 3 AI-marked writing tests — plus the weekly ESAT (Excela Selective Aptitude Test), our own free weekend practice test with cohort rankings, open to every account.

Yes, anytime. Upgrades take effect immediately (we pro-rate the difference); downgrades take effect at the end of your current billing week. Cancel anytime — you keep access until the end of the period you've paid for.

We offer a full refund within the first 14 days of a paid subscription if you're not satisfied. After 14 days, refunds are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us at support@excela.com.au for assistance.

Excela covers all four sections of the NSW Selective test: Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills, Reading Comprehension, and Writing. Every section includes an extensive question bank, full-length timed mock exams, an AI-powered adaptive trainer that zeroes in on weak areas, and interactive concept guides to build understanding from the ground up.

Our AI Tutor only activates after a student has submitted their answer — it never gives away solutions upfront. Once an attempt is made, it provides instant, personalised step-by-step explanations tailored to your child's level of understanding. Our system also detects if a student is rushing through questions too quickly, so they can't skip ahead just to access the explanation. It's designed to teach, not to shortcut — and it's available 24/7.

Our analytics dashboard tracks accuracy by topic and subtopic, shows cohort percentile rankings, monitors engagement patterns, and pinpoints exactly where your child is excelling and where they need more work. Parents also receive a detailed weekly analytics report via email — covering questions attempted that week, mock exams completed, accuracy trends across subjects, percentile rankings, and a clear breakdown of strengths and weak areas. You always know exactly where your child stands without having to log in.

Yes, Excela is fully responsive and works on desktops, tablets, and smartphones. We recommend a tablet or larger screen for the best experience, especially for diagram-heavy questions.

Try resetting your password via the login page. If the issue persists, clear your browser cache or try a different browser. You can also reach us at support@excela.com.au and we'll help you get back in.

Excela works best on the latest versions of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge. We recommend keeping your browser up to date for the best experience.