Is the ACER Scholarship Test hard?

It's designed to spread out academically strong students, so it feels harder than school tests by design — the questions reward reasoning under time pressure more than memorised content.

Do I need to prepare Abstract Reasoning for ACER?

No. Abstract Reasoning appears on some other boards' tests (like AAS), not on ACER's Scholarship Test.

Is there a real, free ACER scholarship past-paper PDF?

Not for the real exam. ACER does not release the papers its schools have sat. It does offer practice tests for each level through its parent portal, and anything else sold as an official past paper should be treated with caution.

How should my child prepare for the ACER Scholarship Test?

ACER's own advice is to read widely and think critically, and it says short-term training is unlikely to change a result. Practice cannot replace that, but it removes surprises: the timing, the four-option format and unfamiliar passages.

What are the ACER Scholarship Test levels?

Primary is for Years 4 to 6, Level 1 for Years 7 and 8, Level 2 for Years 9 and 10, and Level 3 for Years 11 and 12. This guide covers Level 1, the Year 7 entry test.

Is this the same as ACER's other tests, like ICAS or OC testing?

No. ACER runs several different assessments; this guide covers specifically the ACER Scholarship Test, Level 1, used for Year 7 entry.

Which Melbourne schools use the ACER Scholarship Test?

It varies by school and can change year to year — check our school-by-school board lookup rather than relying on a static list.

Last updated 9 October 2026

ACER Scholarship Test: Format, Sections and Free Practice

A note from the parent who built this: I’m prepping my own son for the 2028 Year 7 round across three different boards, and everything on this site gets tested on him before it goes live.

If you’ve just been told your child needs to sit “the ACER Scholarship Test” for Year 7 entry, the honest first question is usually “what is it, actually?”— not “how do I ace it.” Here’s the format, section by section, plus a real sample question to try.

What’s actually in the ACER Scholarship Test (Level 1, Year 7 entry)

Section	What it tests	Format	Time
Written Expression	One creative piece, one persuasive piece, each from a short prompt	Handwritten or typed response	2 × 25 min
Humanities	Comprehension and interpretation of unfamiliar text passages — not “humanities” as a school subject	42 questions, 4-option multiple choice	40 min
Mathematics	Numeracy and problem-solving reasoning, not curriculum recall	34 questions, 4-option multiple choice	40 min

A few things that trip people up:

There’s no Abstract Reasoning section. That’s an AAS thing (Melbourne Grammar’s board), not ACER’s. If your child is only sitting ACER schools, you can skip abstract-reasoning practice entirely.
Every multiple-choice question has exactly 4 options, and there’s no “none of the above.” One of the four is always correct — that changes how you teach elimination strategy.
It’s delivered either online or on paper, depending on the school. Ask which format your child will actually sit, since pacing feels different on a screen.
Exact question counts can shift slightly year to year — this table reflects the current published format, but always check with the specific school or ACER directly (1300 768 952) before test day.

Try a real sample question (Mathematics)

Our practice engine generates fresh, ACER-style Mathematics questions — not reused, not from any official ACER paper. Here’s one to try right now:

Sample question — original practice item

A café sells coffee in two cup sizes: a small cup holds 200 mL and a large cup holds 350 mL. On Saturday, the café sold 24 small cups and 16 large cups.

How many litres of coffee did the café sell in total, to the nearest litre?

A) 9 L B) 10 L C) 11 L D) 12 L

Show answer

B) 10 L. 24 × 200 mL = 4,800 mL. 16 × 350 mL = 5,600 mL. Total = 10,400 mL = 10.4 L, which rounds to 10 L.

Practice is open for all three parts. Mathematics and Humanities are timed multiple-choice papers. Written Expression is one 25-minute piece from a stimulus, marked against ACER’s published criteria: Thought and Content, Structure and Organisation, and Expression, Style and Mechanics. The report quotes your child’s own sentences back. The bands are ours, not ACER’s, so it is not a predicted exam score.

How to prepare, according to ACER

ACER’s advice to families is plain: the best preparation is to read widely and think critically. It says short-term training is unlikely to change how a child performs, because these skills build over years. That matches the test itself, which rewards reasoning about unfamiliar text and problems rather than recall.

So what is practice for? It takes the surprise out of the day. A child who has already met the 40-minute clock, the four-option format and a passage they have never seen can spend their effort on the question instead of the setting.

Cooperative or alternative date?

Schools use ACER in one of two ways, and it changes how many times your child sits. In the cooperative program, many schools test on the same day. A child can register for up to six schools but sits the test once. In the alternative program, each school chooses its own date, and a child sits the test separately at each school. Ask each school which one it uses.

What’s next

If your child is also being considered for a school that uses a different board, see the AAS format guide or the EduTest format guide, or see how the three tests compare. You can also start with which test your school actually uses.

Ready to sit one? ACER scholarship test practice has the paper section by section, the schools that test with ACER, and the free papers to start on.

Frequently asked questions

Is the ACER Scholarship Test hard?: It's designed to spread out academically strong students, so it feels harder than school tests by design — the questions reward reasoning under time pressure more than memorised content.
Do I need to prepare Abstract Reasoning for ACER?: No. Abstract Reasoning appears on some other boards' tests (like AAS), not on ACER's Scholarship Test.
Is there a real, free ACER scholarship past-paper PDF?: Not for the real exam. ACER does not release the papers its schools have sat. It does offer practice tests for each level through its parent portal, and anything else sold as an official past paper should be treated with caution.
How should my child prepare for the ACER Scholarship Test?: ACER's own advice is to read widely and think critically, and it says short-term training is unlikely to change a result. Practice cannot replace that, but it removes surprises: the timing, the four-option format and unfamiliar passages.
What is the difference between the ACER cooperative and alternative programs?: In the cooperative program many schools test on the same day. A child can register for up to six schools but sits the test once. In the alternative program each school picks its own date, and a child sits the test separately at each school.
What are the ACER Scholarship Test levels?: Primary is for Years 4 to 6, Level 1 for Years 7 and 8, Level 2 for Years 9 and 10, and Level 3 for Years 11 and 12. This guide covers Level 1, the Year 7 entry test.
Is this the same as ACER's other tests, like ICAS or OC testing?: No. ACER runs several different assessments; this guide covers specifically the ACER Scholarship Test, Level 1, used for Year 7 entry.
Which Melbourne schools use the ACER Scholarship Test?: It varies by school and can change year to year — check our school-by-school board lookup rather than relying on a static list.