Help your Year 8 child grab hold of their dream school. Full ACER-style practice across Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Verbal & Quantitative General Ability, plus marked Writing — now upgraded to 10 full sets per subject.
Victoria's Selective Entry High Schools offer an outstanding education for academically high-achieving students from Year 9 to Year 12. Students apply in Year 8 by sitting a centralised entrance exam.
Entry is highly competitive — every year around 4,000–5,000 students compete for roughly 1,000 places. The exam is administered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on behalf of the Victorian Department of Education, which sets the question style and the secure, fair delivery of the test.
Importantly, the exam tests ability rather than achievement and focuses on higher-order thinking. The knowledge required does not exceed the Year 8 curriculum — so success comes from applying existing knowledge skilfully under timed conditions.
Successful candidates may gain entry into one of Victoria's leading selective entry high schools.
The written assessment spans approximately three hours with short breaks, covering five key areas across combined sittings. Calculators are not permitted in the mathematical reasoning test.
| Section | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning | 60 min | Combined into one sitting |
| Break | 20 min | – |
| Reading & Verbal Reasoning | 55 min | Combined into one sitting |
| Short break | 5 min | – |
| Writing | 40 min | 2 written tasks |
| Total exam time | 2 hrs 35 min | ~4 hrs including registration & breaks |
Mathematical reasoning and quantitative general ability in one sitting. Multiple choice, no calculators — apply knowledge and skills to the tasks provided.
Reading comprehension and verbal general ability together. Diverse texts assessing a range of reading and higher-order verbal thinking skills.
Two written tasks (analytical and creative). Assessed on theme, structure, creativity, vocabulary, grammar and clear organisation of ideas.
Students are ranked according to their aggregate score across all sections. Places are allocated using three categories:
The 4% rule: no more than 4% of students from any single source school can be offered a standard or principal-discretion place — even if they outperform students elsewhere (a 10% cap applies for P–9 schools). Equity places are exempt from this cap.
| Aggregate band | Proportion |
|---|---|
| Superior | Top 11% |
| Above Average | 12% |
| High Average | 17% |
| Average | 20% |
| Low Average | 17% |
| Below Average | Bottom 23% |
Students must reach an acceptable standard across all sections. Aggregate scores are ranked into the bands above.
Indicative timeline for the 2027 Victorian Selective Entry High School process (Year 9 entry in 2028). Confirm exact dates on the official ACER website.
We're growing every package. From December 2026 through to the 2027 exam, we're rolling out 2 additional fresh sets in every subject — taking each subject to a full 10 sets. New questions keep arriving as the exam approaches, so your child always trains on the latest ACER-style material.
Challenging coursework, specialised programs and advanced classes that motivate students to excel.
A motivated, high-achieving cohort creates an intellectually stimulating environment.
Selective schools consistently produce some of the highest ATARs in the state.
Experienced staff, strong funding, facilities and extracurricular opportunities.
Sport, arts, debating and community service build leadership and broaden interests.
Values like discipline, integrity and responsibility support genuine personal growth.
Every test is timed, and after each attempt students review and revise all questions with worked solutions and clear explanations.
Train on any device — laptop, tablet or phone — at home or on the go.
A clean, student-friendly interface that mirrors the real exam layout.
Visual performance reports by question type, topic and peer comparison.
Revisit every question with step-by-step worked solutions and explanations.
Optional one-to-one tutoring to clear concepts where students struggle.
Re-sit every time-scored paper as often as needed to build exam stamina.
▶️ Platform Walkthrough — Quizzes & Writing
▶️ Exam Mastery — Victoria Selective
Writing is assessed by experienced Australian English tutors against the criteria that matter in the real exam:
Choose 4 Marked Writing or 8 Marked Writing packs. Each submission is marked within 3–5 working days, covering narrative, persuasive, reports, articles, discussion, diary and situational styles. Writing review is included with Plus and Power Pack.
Every paid subscriber receives a free handy English Grammar e-book. All packages include the upgraded 8 sets per subject, with new 2 sets added from Dec 2026 right up to the exam.
Online one-to-one personalised tutoring available on request (extra cost). No card details needed to start a free trial.
Our e-book builds essential English grammar foundations for school-level students. It covers a wide range of topics with clear examples and exercises, so students can strengthen the grammar skills that underpin reading, verbal reasoning and writing.
Get it with any package →Download free ACER-style sample questions to see the format and difficulty before you start.
Verified Google reviews from families preparing for selective and OC exams.
We have been using the Selectivetrial platform for the last few months and my daughter has improved her results drastically. Highly recommended to anyone preparing for competitive exams like OC and selective. Worth every penny. Cheers ✌🏼
Last year we signed up for the OC package, and it really helped my daughter practise and get a better grasp of the format. She felt more confident going into her real exam. Highly recommend it.
Great practice for my boy! The Selective Victoria Plus package has tough but useful questions. The writing review was detailed and very helpful!
My son secured a place at Melbourne High School, and it wouldn't have been possible without Selectivetrial. Their practice materials and trial questions were instrumental in his preparation. A heartfelt thank you to the team.
When we moved from Hong Kong to Melbourne, the Victorian system was all new. A friend suggested SelectiveTrial for practice tests — my daughter worked hard and got an offer from Suzanne Cory High School! So grateful for the help at the right time.
I highly recommend Selectivetrial for anyone preparing for selective exams. Two years ago I purchased a course for my elder child, and now another for my younger one. The consistent quality and positive outcomes make it a go-to.
Fantastic platform with excellent navigation. I also recommended it to my friends for the OC practice test.
Yeppyy!!! We got an outcome letter for OC, and my little one got his preferred school. Selectivetrial practice materials are beneficial.
A complete guide to the ACER-format Victorian Selective Entry High School exam — and how SelectiveTrial's practice tests help your child prepare for Year 9 entry in 2028.
The Victorian Selective Entry High School exam is a centralised, competitive assessment administered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on behalf of the Victorian Department of Education. Year 8 students sit the exam to compete for a place in Year 9 at one of Victoria's four government selective schools. Each year roughly 4,000–5,000 students apply for approximately 1,000 places, making focused, ACER-style preparation essential.
Successful candidates may receive an offer from Melbourne High School (boys, South Yarra), Mac.Robertson Girls' High School (girls, Melbourne), Suzanne Cory High School (Werribee) and Nossal High School (Berwick). These schools consistently produce some of the highest ATAR results in the state and offer challenging coursework, motivated peers and excellent university pathways.
The 2027 ACER exam runs for about three hours with short breaks. Sections are delivered in combined sittings: Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning (60 minutes), a 20-minute break, Reading & Verbal Reasoning (55 minutes), a 5-minute short break, and Writing (40 minutes, two written tasks). Reasoning sections are multiple choice and calculators are not permitted. The exam tests ability rather than achievement, with content that does not exceed the Year 8 curriculum but rewards higher-order thinking and strong time management.
Students are ranked by aggregate score. Places are allocated on examination results (85%), equity consideration (10%) and principal's discretion (5%). A source-school cap (the "4% rule") limits how many standard or discretion places any single school can receive. Reaching the Superior or Above Average band across all sections gives students the strongest chance of an offer.
Effective preparation combines content mastery with realistic, timed practice. SelectiveTrial's Victoria selective entry practice tests follow the new ACER format and cover Reading–Reasoning, Mathematical Reasoning, General Ability – Verbal, General Ability – Quantitative and Written Expression. With 10 full sets per subject (40 sets and 1,800+ questions), unlimited time-scored attempts, worked solutions, performance graphs and tutor-marked writing, students build the familiarity, accuracy and exam stamina the real test demands. Two additional fresh sets per subject are added from December 2026 through to exam day, so practice material stays current.
SelectiveTrial is a trusted Australian online exam preparation platform. Our papers are built by high-scoring ATAR tutors and ex-selective students, mirror the official ACER style, and include detailed feedback so parents can track progress by question type and topic. Start with a free 3-day trial (no card details required), then choose the Standard, Plus or Power Pack to suit your child's needs. SelectiveTrial also prepares students for the NSW Selective, NSW OC, NAPLAN, HAST, ACER Scholarship and Edu Test exams.
Give your child the practice, confidence and timing they need to grab hold of their dream school. Start free today — no card details required.
