ACER scholarship past papers: what's real
What ACER really offers, what the papers sold online are, and how to use practice well at home.
Practice test 1 is free. No card needed.
The short answer
No: ACER sells practice tests to parents, but no past papers. Anything sold as an ACER past paper didn't come from ACER, so treat it as practice, not as the real test.
Checked by the SelectiveReady team on 24 October 2026 · Updated 3 November 2026 · How we check facts
Independent. Not affiliated with ACER or any school named here.
On this page
Are there real ACER scholarship past papers?
No. ACER sells practice tests to parents, and its parents page says no past papers are available for purchase. So a pack sold as an ACER past paper, or as a recent ACER test, didn't come from ACER.
That doesn't make it useless. It can still be fair practice, as long as you treat it as practice and check it against the real format first.
What does ACER offer instead?
Its own practice material, bought through the parent account you register with. For Level 1, ACER sells two practice tests with different content: an online-only Level 1 practice test, and practice questions online or as a printable PDF booklet.
ACER says the material isn't meant for intensive drill, but to make children familiar with the kinds of question. So it's best used close to the test, sat on the clock, rather than worked through early. More on choosing it is on our ACER practice test page.
What does the Level 1 test look like?
Level 1 is for students entering Year 7 or 8, and has Written Expression, Humanities and Mathematics, online or on paper. The tests are used across Australia to rank scholarship applicants, so they are built to separate the strongest candidates. Any paper your child practises should match this shape.
| Test | Questions and time | What it asks |
|---|---|---|
| Written Expression | Two topics, 25 minutes each | Extended writing; the two topics invite different styles |
| Humanities | 40–45 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes | fiction, non-fiction, poetry, cartoons, diagrams and maps |
| Mathematics | 32–36 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes | mathematical ability rather than school achievement |
Are the papers sold online worth buying?
Only as practice, and only after a quick check. ACER says short-term training is unlikely to improve performance, so how a paper is used matters more than how many you buy.
The tests, counts and times match Level 1, in the table above.
Humanities uses more than stories: ACER draws on fiction, non-fiction, poetry, cartoons, diagrams and maps.
Mathematics may not look like school maths: ACER's questions are drawn from many sources and may differ from school curriculum materials.
It says who wrote it, and doesn't claim to be a released ACER test or promise a scholarship.
Where can your child see Level 1-style questions?
On our public sample-question pages. We wrote every question to match ACER's Level 1 style, and none is taken from ACER. The Humanities and Maths questions have worked answers.
- ACER Humanities sample questions: a history article, a poem and a cartoon.
- ACER Maths sample questions: school maths in unfamiliar situations.
- ACER writing topics: open topics in pairs, each with a plan and an opening.
For a full sitting on the clock, our ACER practice test runs the whole Level 1 format. Practice test 1 is free. No card needed.
How should your child use practice papers?
As rehearsals, one at a time. ACER's advice is to practise as if it were the real test, to learn the timing.
Sit it like the day
Use the real times. Bring what ACER asks for: two blue or black pens, two HB or B pencils and an eraser. Leave out what it bans: rulers, books or papers, calculators, watches or mobile phones.
Plan each writing topic
ACER says ideas matter more than length; plan for a couple of minutes.
Mark it together
Talk through each wrong answer, and note which kind of question cost the most.
Keep reading widely
ACER's own advice for the long run: read widely and think critically.
The cooperative test for 2028 entry is on 27 February 2027. Spread practice over the months before it, and keep ACER's own material for the last few weeks.
Questions parents ask about ACER past papers
Are there ACER sample papers for Year 7?
Level 1 is the test for students entering Year 7 or 8. ACER sells its own Level 1 practice material. Our sample-question pages and Practice test 1 follow the same format.
Is there a free ACER past paper PDF?
No. ACER says there are no past papers available for purchase. Its practice questions do come as a PDF booklet you can print, but you buy them through your parent account.
Can a practice paper predict a scholarship?
A practice score is a guide to what to practise next, not a forecast. ACER's tests are designed to rank applicants, and schools contact parents directly to offer scholarships.
See where your child stands
Practice test 1 marks every answer and shows results by skill: what your child already does well and the three skills to work on next.
Practise for the real test
Practice test 1 is free. Then packs from A$109 for 12 months, or A$9 a week, per exam.