Last updated 15 September 2026
ICAS Paper C, D and E: Year Levels 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 the school letter says your child is sitting “ICAS”, the first honest question is usually what is that, actually?— not how to ace it. It is not a scholarship test, and it is not NAPLAN. It is a set of subject competitions entered through the school, with a paper letter that maps to a year level.
Paper letters, not year numbers on the cover
ICAS labels papers with letters. For the years most families ask about:
| Paper | Australian year | Mathematics | English | Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Year 5 | 40 questions · 45 minutes | 50 questions · 50 minutes | 40 questions · 55 minutes |
| D | Year 6 | 40 questions · 60 minutes | 50 questions · 50 minutes | 40 questions · 55 minutes |
| E | Year 7 | 40 questions · 60 minutes | 50 questions · 55 minutes | 40 questions · 60 minutes |
Those counts and times are the official ICAS table for those papers — not a guess from a past paper that ran long.
What you can practise today
Mathematics, English and Science are all open for Papers Intro–H (Years 2 to 10), in the same exam-style runner as the scholarship boards: a timer, a question palette, and worked explanations after the paper is marked. Mathematics is generated fresh for every sitting. English and Science are banks of original questions. The English texts run from fiction and poems to how-it-works pieces and documents, with multi-select questions where the real paper uses them. We do not put ICAS past papers into either bank.
Writing, Spelling Bee and Digital Technologies are not built.
How it differs from a scholarship paper
A scholarship board (ACER, AAS, EduTest) is usually one sitting that decides a place. ICAS is subject by subject, often on different days, and the school handles entry. Practice still matters, because the papers are timed and the mix of skills is deliberate. But the question is different: you practise the subjects your child is entered for, not one board’s entrance paper.
On Scholar Tests every ICAS paper is free to sit. A plan unlocks the answers, worked solutions and revision, and ICAS has a plan of its own.
Where to start
The ICAS page lists what is covered by year and opens practice for Mathematics, English and Science. If you are still sorting scholarship boards for Year 7 entry, the scholarship guide is the other door.
Frequently asked questions
- Is ICAS the same as a scholarship test?
- No. Scholarship tests decide a place at a school. ICAS is a subject competition entered through the school — a benchmark against other students sitting the same paper, not an entrance exam.
- Which ICAS papers match Years 5, 6 and 7?
- Paper C is Year 5, Paper D is Year 6, and Paper E is Year 7. That mapping is published by ICAS Assessments; the letters do not change year to year.
- Does Scholar Tests have ICAS Science?
- Yes. Science is open for Papers Intro–H (Years 2–10), alongside Mathematics and English for the same papers.
- Are these the real ICAS past papers?
- No. Practice papers are written independently to the published format. We never reproduce ICAS or Janison wording or figures.
- How do I get ICAS practice on Scholar Tests?
- Start from the ICAS page. Every ICAS paper is free to sit. A plan unlocks the answers and worked solutions, and ICAS has a plan of its own.