Exam formats compared: six selective and scholarship tests
How long each section runs, how the day goes and how it is marked, so nothing on the day is a surprise.
The short answer
NSW Selective has 4 sections on computer, including writing; NSW OC has 3, with no writing. Victorian, WA, Edutest and ACER tests all include writing, and the Victorian and WA ones are on paper.
Checked by the SelectiveReady team on 12 October 2026 · Updated 3 November 2026 · How we check facts
Independent. Not affiliated with the NSW, Victorian or WA education departments, ACER, Edutest or any school.
On this page
How do the six exams compare?
The exams aren't all sat in the same school year, and each sets its own parts. Read across a row to see one exam, or down a column to compare.
| Exam | When it's sat | Parts | How it's sat | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW Selective | in Year 6, for Year 7 | 4 sections: Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills and Writing | On computers provided by the Department | 1 task, 30 minutes |
| NSW OC | in Year 4, for Year 5 | 3 sections | On computers | None |
| Victorian Selective Entry | Year 8, for Year 9 | Reading and Verbal Reasoning; Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning; Writing | On paper: answers shaded in a supplied answer booklet | 2 tasks in 40 minutes |
| WA ASET | in Year 6 at the time of testing in 2027, for Year 7 | 4 tests | At a test centre: a paper and pencil test at an assigned testing centre, with no online option | One handwritten response, 25 minutes |
| Edutest scholarship | Children are tested at their current year level | Ability tests and Achievement tests | Children shade bubbles on a paper answer sheet | Written Expression, 15 minutes |
| ACER scholarship | Level 1 is for students entering Year 7 or 8 | Written Expression, Humanities and Mathematics, online or on paper | Online or on paper | Two topics, 25 minutes each |
What is in each NSW test?
The OC test's 3 sections are also in the Selective test, which adds Writing. Questions draw on concepts from the NSW curriculum up to Year 6 for Selective and concepts from the NSW curriculum up to Year 4 for OC.
| Section | Selective | OC |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 17 questions in 45 minutes | 14 questions in 40 minutes |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 35 questions in 40 minutes | 35 questions in 40 minutes |
| Thinking Skills | 40 questions in 40 minutes | 30 questions in 30 minutes |
| Writing | 1 task in 30 minutes | No writing test |
Some Reading questions have several parts, so there are more answers than questions: 38 for Selective and 33 for OC. Each Selective section is 25% of the result , and each OC section is 33.3%.
What is in Victoria's exam?
ACER runs the exam for the Department. It has three timed parts, and the knowledge needed is no more than the Year 8 curriculum.
| Part | Time | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Verbal Reasoning | 55 minutes | Reading: finding information in texts, and linking, interpreting, reflecting on and judging their ideas. Verbal Reasoning: thinking and reasoning with words, concepts and logic |
| Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning | 60 minutes | Mathematics: year-level maths knowledge and reasoning, and using maths in real-world contexts. Quantitative Reasoning: thinking and reasoning with numbers, patterns and shapes |
| Writing | 40 minutes, 2 tasks | conveying ideas in precise language, with the ideas organised coherently |
The working time adds up to 2 hours and 35 minutes. ACER doesn't publish how many questions each part has.
What is in WA's ASET?
The ASET is 4 tests, sat in a set order: Reading Comprehension, then writing, then Quantitative Reasoning, then Abstract Reasoning. Each multiple-choice question has 4 options.
| Test | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 35 | 35 minutes |
| Communicating Ideas in Writing | One handwritten response | 25 minutes |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 35 | 35 minutes |
| Abstract Reasoning | 35 | 20 minutes |
Abstract Reasoning has the least time per question. The handbook says it needs work done even more quickly than the other tests.
What is in the Edutest and ACER scholarship tests?
Both are set by a testing body and used by many schools. Edutest has Ability tests and Achievement tests: Ability tests check thinking, reasoning and problem solving, without necessarily relying on prior knowledge, and Achievement tests check actual achievement in Reading Comprehension, Mathematics and Written Expression.
| Exam | Test | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Edutest | Verbal Reasoning and Numerical Reasoning | 30 minutes each |
| Edutest | Reading Comprehension and Mathematics | 30 minutes each |
| Edutest | Written Expression | 15 minutes |
| ACER Level 1 | Humanities | 40–45 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes |
| ACER Level 1 | Mathematics | 32–36 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes |
| ACER Level 1 | Written Expression | Two topics, 25 minutes each |
Edutest's own practice tests are shorter than the real ones: 20 practice questions per test; real tests have 40 to 60. ACER says its tests are designed to be challenging, and Edutest says many students will not finish every question.
How are wrong answers marked?
Where the body says a wrong answer costs nothing, a guess beats a blank. ACER doesn't publish how Victoria's exam is marked.
| Exam | Wrong answers | Answer options |
|---|---|---|
| NSW Selective | no marks lost for incorrect answers | 5 in Mathematical Reasoning, 4 in Thinking Skills |
| NSW OC | no marks lost for incorrect answers | 5 in Mathematical Reasoning, 4 in Thinking Skills |
| Victorian Selective Entry | Not published | — |
| WA ASET | no marks taken off for wrong answers | 4 |
| Edutest scholarship | no marks lost for wrong or blank answers | — |
What should my child practise if they sit more than one?
Practise each test in its own format, because the parts and the clock differ from test to test.
Start with the test that comes first. The Almanac lists every test date in order, and each exam's guide explains its sections in depth: Selective test format, OC class and test format, ASET test format, Edutest and ACER scholarship test.
How do you cite this comparison?
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Preparing for another test too?
Sources and checks
- Selective high school practice tests
- Opportunity class practice tests
- Placement test
- Victorian Selective Entry High Schools exam: prepare
- ASET information for students (PDF)
- Edutest: scholarship and entrance testing
- ACER Scholarship Tests: secondary levels (1, 2 and 3)
- Selective high schools
- Opportunity classes (Year 5–6)
- Selective entry high schools
- Gifted and Talented application guidelines, Years 7, 9, 10 and 11 in 2028 (PDF)
- Edutest: frequently asked questions
- ACER Scholarships: parents
- ACER Scholarship Tests
- Edutest: parents and students overview
- Edutest: online practice tests
- Edutest: important information
- Selective High School Placement Test, Thinking Skills Question Paper, Practice Test 1 (2026 entry practice tests, PDF)
- Opportunity Class Placement Test, Thinking Skills Question Paper, Practice Test 1 (2026 entry practice tests, PDF)
- SelectiveReady