Exam Types

Selective Entry / Scholarship Exam Preparation

Competition for places at selective entry schools such as Melbourne High School, Mac. Robertson Girl’s High School, Nossal High School and Suzanne Cory High School, and into those offering Select Entry Accelerated Learning (SEAL) programs has never been more fierce. One of the most attractive draw cards of these schools is their consistently high VCE and NAPLAN results.

EduTest, Acer, and Academic Assessment Services Tests

In Australia there are three main bodies that write and administer Selective Entry and Scholarship tests. These are:
  • Australian Council of Educational Research (ACER)
  • EduTest
  • Academic Assessment Services (formerly Robert Allwell & Associates)
Some schools may wish to write their own exam or follow the Independent Scholarship Testing Procedure. In either case students will be informed of the topics that they will be tested on.
It is essential that you register your child and pay the admittance fee before the application closing dates. Failure to do so may result in your child being unable to sit the examination. To register please contact the school you are applying to and they will inform you of what you need to do.
Traditionally Melbourne High and Mac.Rob High School examinations are conducted by EduTest and are held in the month of June. Applications are available on their website. It is important to note that only 5% of students enrolled in Year 8 at a particular school can gain admittance into both of these schools, hence the competitive nature of the exam.
Below is an outline of the components of the test, time limits and approximate number of questions.

EduTest

The EduTest based exams are used at schools such as Melbourne High, Mac.Rob, Nossal, etc. Includes testing in the following areas:
  • Numerical Reasoning – 50 questions in 30 minutes
  • Verbal Reasoning – 60 questions in 30 minutes
  • Reading Comprehension – 50 questions in 30 minutes
  • Mathematics – 60 questions in 30 minutes
  • Creative Expression (Essay) – 15 minutes
  • Analytical Expression (Essay) – 15 minutes

ACER

Includes testing in the following areas:
  • Mathematics
  • Humanities (Comprehension)
  • Science (Year 8 only)
  • Two written Expression pieces (Essays) – 25 minutes for each
  • Academic Assessment Services

Schools such as Melbourne Girls Grammar, Berwick Grammar and Lauriston Girls School currently use exams designed by Academic Assessment Services.

Includes testing in the following areas:
  • Mathematics
  • English
  • Verbal Reasoning
  • Numerical Reasoning
  • English Essay

John Monash Science School & Elizabeth Blackburn School of Science

These science schools use a modified version of the EduTest based exam:
  • Mathematics – 60 questions in 30 minutes
  • Numerical Reasoning – 40 questions in 30 minutes
  • Scientific Reasoning – 40 questions in 30 minutes
  • Science Expression (essay) -25 minutes
  • Science Writing (essay) – 25 minutes
Depending on the age of the student and the type of exam they sit for they will be tested in different areas.