A paper-based aptitude test used by 90+ schools across five states — for Year 7 selective entry, Year 8–11 selective school transfers, and gifted & talented entry at non-selective schools.
Years 5–11 · HandwrittenThe state government's official Year 7 entry exam for 47 NSW selective high schools — one test date, sat on computer, for Year 6 students only.
Year 6 only · Computer-typedTwo different exams, two different pathways into Australia's top academic schools. Here's exactly how they differ — and which one your child actually needs to sit.
Both tests open the door to academically selective education in Australia — but they're built, run and scored by entirely different organisations.
Developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and used for over 50 years, the HAST measures innate aptitude and reasoning rather than taught curriculum content. It's administered directly by each participating school — not by ACER or any state department — so dates, fees and registration are set school by school.
Run by the NSW Department of Education with Cambridge Assessment, this is the single official pathway into Year 7 at the state's 47 government selective high schools. Every applicant sits the same computer-based test on the same centralised date, and results arrive months later with school placement offers attached.
Because the centralised NSW Selective Test only covers Year 7 entry, HAST quietly fills three other gaps in the system — and many parents only discover this once their child has missed Year 7 selective entry.
The NSW Selective Test is only sat once, for Year 7 entry. If a vacancy opens at a selective school in Year 8, 9, 10 or 11 — through a place becoming available — that school runs its own assessment, and for most selective high schools, that assessment is the HAST. This applies to fully selective schools as well as partially selective ones, not just independent schools.
HAST · school-run transfer testMany comprehensive (non-selective) NSW government Non Selective high schools also use the HAST — either to offer places to high-ability students, or to select students into an in-school gifted & talented or accelerated learning class. This is most common at Year 7 or Year 8 entry.
HAST · G&T & enrichment streamsThe use covered earlier in this guide: many partially selective NSW high schools use the HAST instead of the state Selective Test to fill their Year 7 selective-stream classes.
HAST · Year 7 selective streamA small number of the highest-ranked NSW selective schools use EduTest rather than HAST for their Years 8–11 transfer assessment. Requirements, available vacancies and test choice are set by each school individually — always confirm directly with the school's enrolment office before applying.
The clearest way to see how these exams diverge — feature by feature.
| Feature | HAST | NSW Selective Test |
|---|---|---|
| Administered by | Individual schools (ACER format) | NSW Dept of Education + Cambridge Assessment |
| Test format | Paper-based, handwritten | Computer-based, typed |
| Components | Reading, Maths/Scientific Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Written Expression | Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills, Writing |
| Writing task | Two handwritten essays (~25 min) | One typed task (30 min) |
| Year levels | Entry Years 5–11 (Primary to Senior Secondary) | Year 7 entry only (sat in Year 6) |
| Schools using it | 90+ across NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA | 47 NSW government selective schools |
| Test dates | Set independently by each school | One centralised state-wide date |
| Registration | Directly with each school | Centralised online via the Dept of Education |
| Results timeline | ~10 working days | Term 3 of the testing year |
| Test philosophy | Pure aptitude — not tied to curriculum | Reasoning-focused, some curriculum alignment |
Each test runs four components — but the names, timing and skills tested are genuinely different.
Inference, vocabulary in context, complex texts.
~45 minData interpretation; science added from middle secondary.
~40 minNon-verbal pattern recognition across shapes & symbols.
~30 minTwo essays, hand-marked twice for accuracy.
~25 min~35–40 multiple-choice questions.
~45 minReasoning & problem-solving over rote calculation.
~40 minVisual pattern & sequence recognition.
~30 minTwo short essays, by hand.
~25 minSome HAST-P schools (e.g. Brisbane State High) run a shorter, three-section version — Reading, Maths Reasoning and Written Expression — in around 100 minutes total. Always confirm the exact format with the school your child is applying to.
16–17 questions incl. multi-part items, several text types.
40–45 min35 multiple-choice questions, problem-solving emphasis.
40 min40 questions covering logical, spatial & abstract reasoning.
40 minOne typed task; 30–35 WPM recommended.
30 minEach component is weighted equally at 25% of the final score, for a total test time of around 155 minutes.
It comes down to which schools are on your list — not which test "sounds" right.
Sydney Boys, Sydney Girls, James Ruse, North Sydney Boys, Baulkham Hills and the other 25 fully selective NSW government schools accept entry only through the official state exam — there's no alternate pathway.
Sit the Selective TestSchools like Chatswood, Hornsby Girls, Gosford and Sydney Technical High run their selective stream admissions on the HAST instead of the state test — as do most independent and interstate selective schools.
Sit the HASTCommon for NSW families. Since the two tests are run by different bodies on different dates, your child can register for and sit both for getting into NSW Selective and Non Selective Schools ( Gifted and Talented) — most of the underlying reasoning skills overlap.
Prepare for bothThe Selective Test isn't offered again after Year 7. To move into a selective school at Year 8, 9, 10 or 11, you'll need to contact each school about its own vacancy process — most use the HAST as their assessment.
Sit the school's HASTA sample from each pathway — including the selective high schools that fall back on HAST once a Year 8–11 vacancy opens. See our full HAST schools directory for the complete state-by-state list.
See the complete state-by-state directory: HAST Participating Schools in Australia →
These schools use the state-run Selective Test exclusively for Year 7 entry — there is no HAST pathway in at Year 7.
Even fully selective schools fall back on the HAST (or, at a handful of top-ranked schools, EduTest) once a Year 8–11 vacancy opens — contact each school directly to confirm.
Good news: the core reasoning skills transfer almost entirely between the two tests.
Reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning and abstract/logical thinking are assessed by both tests — just in different question formats.
Selectivetrial offers ACER-format HAST mock tests and NSW Selective Test practice papers — built to mirror the real exam, with expert-marked writing for both.
