Gifted and Talented in WA: which test is your child's?

It depends on your child's school year. The PEAC test comes first, in Year 4 at school. The ASET comes later: in WA, selection starts in Year 5, testing in Year 6, placement from Year 7^{2WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}.

Count forward to your child's school year in 2027, the test year for the 2028 intake, and find the row.

To apply for Year 7 in 2028, your child must be in Year 6 at the time of testing in 2027^{4WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}. If that's your child, the ASET guide has every step.

The ASET is the Academic Selective Entrance Test, the test WA uses to choose students for Gifted and Talented programs. These programs run at 24^{2WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published} public secondary schools, and the programs are fully Government funded^{4WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}.

Academic programs need the ASET only^{6WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}. Most are one class of 32^{7WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published} students. The other programs choose children in their own way.

See which school hosts which program, with each program's Year 7 places.

The tests are sat on paper, with multiple-choice answers shaded in pencil. ^{10WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published} The writing can be in pen or pencil, in print or joined handwriting^{10WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published}. Read the full ASET guide, with the rules for the test morning.

Perth Modern is Western Australia's only fully academically selective co-educational senior high school^{11Perth Modern · 12 October 2026 · Published}. Entry is only by the Department's selective entrance test^{11Perth Modern · 12 October 2026 · Published}, through the same ASET as every other academic program.

It has no local catchment^{4WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}, so every student is selected. Regional students who gain a place can board at City Beach Residential College^{11Perth Modern · 12 October 2026 · Published}. Read about Perth Modern School entry.

Yes, with conditions: WA takes applications from families moving to WA for the intake year^{4WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published}. The family must hold, or expect to get, Australian citizenship, permanent residency or a temporary visa with local enrolment entitlement^{4WA Education · 14 October 2026 · Published}. Your child can travel to Perth, or sit at ACER offices in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney or Adelaide^{4WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published}.

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  Choose a test location by 9 February 2027^{1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published}.

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  Sitting at an ACER office interstate costs A$250^{4WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published} per student.

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  To accept an offer, you need evidence of a permanent move to WA^{4WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published}.

Moving the other way? The NSW Selective test is held only in NSW^{13NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}. Read about the NSW Selective test.

Does WA have selective schools?

Yes. Perth Modern is Western Australia's only fully academically selective co-educational senior high school^{11Perth Modern · 12 October 2026 · Published}. Gifted and Talented programs also run inside other public secondary schools, 24^{2WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published} schools in all.

Do the programs cost anything?

The programs are fully Government funded^{4WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}. Sitting the ASET interstate costs A$250^{4WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published} per student.

Does a PEAC place lead to a Gifted and Talented place?

No. PEAC is a part-time program for Year 5 and 6 students in public schools^{3WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}. Gifted and Talented places come from a separate online application and the ASET. ^{5WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}

Who can I ask about an application?

The Department's Gifted and Talented team answers questions at gtsu@education.wa.edu.au or 9264 4307^{1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published}. For PEAC, ask your child's school.

Do other states have selective tests?

Yes, most states run their own selective entry, with different tests, ages and dates. Compare selective tests in every state.