Which scholarship test has abstract reasoning?

Of these three, only AAS. Its Reasoning section includes shape and pattern questions alongside verbal and numerical ones. ACER and EduTest have no equivalent section.

Do all three tests include writing?

Yes. ACER sets two 25-minute pieces at Level 1, EduTest sets one 15-minute task with no planning time, and AAS sets one timed task from a prompt.

Can my child sit more than one board's test?

Yes. If the schools you apply to use different boards, your child sits each board's test separately. They are different tests with different formats.

Last updated 9 October 2026

ACER vs EduTest vs AAS: How the Three Scholarship Tests Differ

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.

ACER, EduTest and AAS all test reasoning and reading more than school content, but each one is built differently. Your child’s school chooses the board, so the first job is to find out which one it uses. Then you can practise for that test and skip the rest. This guide sets the three side by side.

The three tests side by side

	ACER (Level 1)	EduTest	AAS
Sections	Written Expression, Humanities, Mathematics	Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Written Expression	Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, Mathematics, Written Expression
Answer options	Always 4. No “none of the above”.	Up to 5, and 4 in Reading. “None of these” can be right in Numerical Reasoning.	Up to 5. “None of the above” can be a correct answer.
Abstract (shape) reasoning	No	No	Yes, inside Reasoning
Writing	Two 25-minute pieces, one creative and one persuasive	One 15-minute task, with no planning time	One timed task from a prompt
Section clocks	Different for each section	The same 30 minutes for each multiple-choice section	Vary between sittings

Some counts and timings are estimates from sample papers, not figures the boards publish. The format guides below say which. Always confirm details with the school before test day.

Is ACER or EduTest harder?

Honestly, nobody can say. The boards do not publish difficulty ratings, and each one scores its own test, so there is no fair way to rank one above the other. What does differ is the shape.

ACER gives longer clocks and puts more weight on writing. It is the only one of the three with two writing pieces at Level 1.
EduTest keeps every multiple-choice clock at the same 30 minutes. On the counts in our guide, which are estimates, that means faster work per question, and a child needs a steady rhythm.
AASis the one with abstract reasoning, and the one where “none of the above” can be correct. Teach elimination with that in mind.

How to find out which test your school uses

Check the scholarship page on the school’s own website, or ask the admissions office. Boards change from year to year, so do not rely on an old list. As examples from our other guides, Melbourne Grammar has used AAS and Caulfield Grammar has used EduTest. Our scholarship page helps you work out which board applies to your child.

Does my child need to prepare for all three?

No. Prepare for the boards your target schools use. ACER also runs a cooperative program, where many schools test on the same day. A child can register for up to six schools but sits the test once. In its alternative program, each school picks its own date and a child sits separately at each school.

Where to go next

Pick the guide for the board you need:

Ready to sit one? Each board has free timed practice: ACER, EduTest and AAS. Written Expression practice is open for ACER and EduTest. For AAS it is not open yet.

Frequently asked questions

Is ACER or EduTest harder?: No one can say fairly. The boards publish no difficulty ratings and score their tests separately, so a result on one cannot be turned into a result on the other. What differs is the shape: ACER gives longer clocks and more writing, EduTest gives faster, flatter sections, and AAS adds abstract reasoning.
Which scholarship test has abstract reasoning?: Of these three, only AAS. Its Reasoning section includes shape and pattern questions alongside verbal and numerical ones. ACER and EduTest have no equivalent section.
Do all three tests include writing?: Yes. ACER sets two 25-minute pieces at Level 1, EduTest sets one 15-minute task with no planning time, and AAS sets one timed task from a prompt.
Does my child need to prepare for all three?: No. Prepare for the board that each target school uses. If every school on your list uses the same board, one board is enough.
Can my child sit more than one board's test?: Yes. If the schools you apply to use different boards, your child sits each board's test separately. They are different tests with different formats.