Last updated 12 November 2026
Brisbane State High School Selective Entry Test: A Parent's Guide
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.
Brisbane State High School takes part of its Year 7 intake through Academic Selective Entry, and the school says that category is heavily oversubscribed. Applicants are ranked mainly on one test. This guide covers which test it is, when your child can sit it, what is on it, and how to get ready.
The test is ACER’s HAST
Brisbane State High does not write its own test. Its Academic Selective Entry page sends families to ACER’s Higher Ability Selection Test (HAST): the Junior Secondary level for Year 6 applicants and HAST Primary (HAST-P) for Year 5 applicants. HAST is used by many schools around Australia for selective and accelerated classes, so anything written about HAST applies here too.
The result is the main selection criterion, but not the only thing the school looks at. Applicants also send school reports and NAPLAN results, and the school expects excellence in work, effort and behaviour to continue after an offer.
Two ways in: the Year 6 and the Year 5 sitting
| Sitting | When (2026 cycle) | Leads to | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 6 | Late April (27 April) | Year 7 the next year | HAST Junior Secondary |
| Year 5 | Late July (29 July) | A conditional Year 7 place two years later | HAST Primary: Reading, Maths and Writing only |
Applications open a couple of months before each sitting: for the 2026 cycle, late February to 20 March for the Year 6 test, and 11 May to 15 June for the Year 5 test. Late applications are not considered, and the school offers no other test dates.
The Year 5 route has limited places. A child who sits it in Year 5 and does not receive an offer can still sit the Year 6 test the next year. A Year 5 offer is conditional: the child keeps up their results, attendance and behaviour through Years 5 and 6, takes part in transition activities, and attends an enrolment interview.
What is on the Year 6 test
ACER’s bulletin for HAST Junior Secondary lists four tests, sat in this order. A school can choose three of them, and Brisbane State High does not say on its page which it uses, so read the email the school sends in the week before the test.
| Test | Time | What is on it |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 45 min | 35 to 40 multiple-choice questions on written and visual texts: stories, poems, information and argument |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 40 min | 28 to 35 multiple-choice problems that test reasoning more than school maths |
| Abstract Reasoning | 30 min | 30 multiple-choice questions on picture sequences and patterns |
| Written Expression | 25 min | One piece of writing from a picture, a statement or both |
The multiple-choice tests have four answers, A to D, marked in pencil on an answer sheet. No calculator, ruler or dictionary is allowed.
What is on the Year 5 test
The school lists three tests for its Year 5 sitting, all from HAST Primary:
- Reading Comprehension, 35 minutes, multiple choice.
- Mathematical Reasoning, 35 minutes, multiple choice.
- Written Expression, 30 minutes.
ACER’s Primary bulletin gives 25 to 30 questions for each multiple-choice test, depending on the form used. There is no Abstract Reasoning at this sitting.
How the writing is marked
ACER’s markers look at three things: Thought and Content (what the child makes of the task), Structure and Organisation (the shape of the piece and how it holds together), and Expression, Style and Mechanics (word choice, fluency, spelling and punctuation). The prompt can lead to a story, a description, an explanation or an argument; the child chooses.
One rule matters more than the rest. ACER says the writing must grow from the prompt, and a rehearsed piece that does not is penalised. A memorised story bent to fit the topic is a risk, not a safe plan.
How to prepare
- Get used to the clock. Reading at Year 6 is close to a minute a question, including the time to read the texts. Timed practice is the only way to feel that pace before the day.
- Practise reasoning, not just school maths. ACER says the maths test measures mathematical ability rather than what has been taught, so its questions can look unfamiliar. Multi-step problems worked by hand are the best preparation.
- Meet abstract reasoning early if your child is sitting in Year 6. Picture sequences and grids are rarely taught in class, and a few practice sets make them far less strange.
- Write to fresh prompts. Twenty-five or thirty minutes, a new picture or statement each time, a plan of a minute or two, then a complete piece.
- Keep it in proportion. The school itself says the best preparation is being engaged in school, plus sleep, breakfast and a calm family. Practice should make the test familiar, not take over the year.
Practice in the HAST style
Our Brisbane State High practice follows both sittings. The Year 6 papers are HAST Junior Secondary-style Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning at full length and time, and the Year 5 papers are HAST Primary-style Reading and Maths, with no Abstract Reasoning, as the school’s Year 5 test has none. Written Expression prompts are marked against ACER’s three criteria, with your child’s own sentences quoted as the reason. Every paper is new when your child starts it, and every question is explained afterwards.
To be clear about what these are: tests we wrote, not real HAST questions, and we are not connected with ACER or Brisbane State High School. ACER does not publish exact lengths, so our question counts are our own choice inside its ranges. Our score is the number right, not a ranking or a predicted result. A free account includes 3 practice tests, and the HAST pack opens unlimited tests with the answers, worked solutions and marked writing.
What’s next
Start with the Brisbane State High practice page. Looking at other Queensland options too? The Queensland Academies page covers QASMT’s entrance test, and the HAST page covers every HAST level for other schools that use it.
Frequently asked questions
- What test does Brisbane State High School use for Year 7 entry?
- ACER's Higher Ability Selection Test (HAST). The school's Academic Selective Entry page points Year 6 applicants to the HAST Junior Secondary sample booklet and bulletin, and Year 5 applicants to the HAST Primary (HAST-P) bulletin. The test result is the main thing the school ranks applicants on.
- When is the Brisbane State High test sat?
- There are two sittings a year. Year 6 students sit it in late April for Year 7 the following year (27 April in 2026). Year 5 students can sit a shorter test in late July for conditional entry two years later (29 July in 2026). The school offers no other dates, so check its enrolment timeline each year.
- What is on the Year 5 test?
- Three tests, all from HAST Primary: Reading Comprehension (35 minutes, multiple choice), Mathematical Reasoning (35 minutes, multiple choice) and Written Expression (30 minutes). There is no Abstract Reasoning test at the Year 5 sitting.
- How much does it cost to apply?
- The school charges a non-refundable processing fee of $420 for an Academic Selective Entry application, paid through the Qkr! app. Families applying under more than one selective category in the same year pay it once.
- Are there past papers for the Brisbane State High test?
- No. The school says past papers are not available. ACER sells a HAST sample question booklet, and practice tests sold online are written by publishers. Ours are too: written by Scholar Tests in the HAST style, with no connection to ACER or Brisbane State High School.
- Is there a test for Years 8 to 11 entry?
- Not on the school's current page. Academic Selective Entry to Years 8 to 11 is decided on school reports, NAPLAN results, and any competitions or testing the student has done. There is no Year 12 entry.