Scholarship testsYear 7 entry
Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
ACER sets the scholarship paper for more independent schools than any other board, and runs a single shared test date that a candidate can sit once for several schools at a time. Its paper rewards reasoning over recall — the questions are not the ones a Year 6 classroom has been drilling.
The paper
What a ACER paper asks
Mathematics
34 questions in 40 minutes — about 70 seconds each. Four options, no calculator.
Humanities
42 questions in 40 minutes across five texts, one of them a poem.
Where it is used
Schools that test with ACER
Victoria
Academy of Mary Immaculate · Al Taqwa College · Bayside Christian College · Bialik College · Christway Christian College · Cornish College · Gilson College · Gippsland Grammar School · Girton Grammar School · Good News Lutheran College · Heritage College Knox · Huntingtower · Ilim College Boys Campus · Ilim College Girls Campus · Ilim College Kiewa Campus · Ivanhoe Grammar School · Kilvington Grammar School · Lighthouse Christian College · Mater Christi College · Mazenod College · Mentone Girls' Grammar School · Methodist Ladies' College · Mt Hira College · Nagle College · Nunawading Christian College · Oakleigh Grammar · Overnewton Anglican Community College · Peninsula Grammar · Penleigh and Essendon Grammar Level 1 · Penleigh and Essendon Grammar Levels 2 & 3 · Plenty Valley Christian College · Presbyterian Ladies' College · Saint Ignatius College Geelong · St Aloysius College · St Bernard's College · St John's College Preston · St Kevins College Level 1 Year 7 Entry · St Kevins College Level 2 Years 9 and 10 Entry · St Mary of the Angels College · St Mary's College · Truganina College · Victory Lutheran College · Wimmera Lutheran College - Horsham Campus · Xavier College
New South Wales
All Saints Grammar · Arndell Anglican College · Australian International Academy · Bishop Druitt College · Broughton Anglican College · Calrossy Anglican School · Emanuel School · Frensham · German International School Sydney · Hunter Valley Grammar School · Inaburra School · International Grammar School · International Maarif Schools of Australia · Irfan College · Kinross Wolaroi School · Korowal School · Macquarie Anglican Grammar School · Mamre Anglican School · Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College · Mount Annan Christian College · Mount St Benedict College · NEGS · Northholm Grammar School · Norwest Christian College · Nowra Anglican College · Oran Park Anglican College · Pacific Hills Christian School · Penrith Anglican College · Penrith Christian School · Pittwater House School · Presbyterian Ladies' College NSW · Reddam House · Redfield · Redlands · Rosebank College · Rouse Hill Anglican College · Santa Sabina College · SCEGGS Darlinghurst · Scone Grammar School · Scots All Saints College · Shellharbour Anglican College · Shore School · Snowy Mountains Grammar School · Southern Highlands Christian School · St Andrew's Cathedral School · St George Christian School (Level 1) · St George Christian School (Level 3) · St Joseph's College Hunters Hill · St Paul's Grammar School Penrith · St Paul's Walla Walla · St Peter's Anglican School · St Philip's Christian College - Port Stephens · St Philip's Christian College Newcastle · St Spyridon College · St Vincent's College · The Riverina Anglican College · The Scots College · The Scots School Albury · Thomas Hassall Anglican College · Wahroonga Adventist School · Waverley College · Wollondilly Anglican College
Queensland
A.B. Paterson College · All Saints Anglican School · All Souls St Gabriels School · Anglican Church Grammar School · Brigidine College · Brisbane Boys' College · Brisbane Girls Grammar School · Brisbane Grammar School · Bundaberg Christian College · Calvary Christian College · Chisholm Catholic College · Clayfield College · Concordia Lutheran College · Coomera Anglican · Fairholme College · Faith Lutheran College Plainland · Freshwater Christian College · Grace Lutheran College QLD · Iona College · Ipswich Girls' Grammar School · Ipswich Grammar School · Islamic College of Brisbane - Year 6 entry · Islamic College of Brisbane - Year 7 entry · John Paul College · Loreto College - Coorparoo · Lourdes Hill College · Mackillop Catholic College · Marist College · Moreton Bay College · Mount Alvernia College · Ormiston College · Our Lady's College · Padua College · Rockhampton Girls Grammar School · Saint Stephen's College · SCOTS PGC College, Warwick Qld · Sheldon College · Somerville House · Southern Cross Catholic College · St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School · St Andrew's Catholic College · St Augustine's College · St Benedict's College · St Joseph's College Coomera · St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace · St Joseph's College, Nudgee · St Margaret's Anglican Girls' School · St Rita's College, Clayfield · Stuartholme School · The Glennie School · The Rockhampton Grammar · Toowoomba Grammar School · Townsville Grammar School · Trinity Anglican School · Trinity College
Western Australia
Aquinas College · Carmel School · Chisholm Catholic College · Court Grammar School · Ellenbrook Christian College · Frederick Irwin Anglican School · Georgiana Molloy Anglican School · Geraldton Grammar School · Great Southern Grammar · Guildford Grammar School · Heritage College - Perth · Holy Cross College · Irene McCormack Catholic College · Kingsway Christian College · Kolbe Catholic College · Living Waters Lutheran College · Mater Dei College · Mundaring Christian College · Northshore Christian Grammar School · South Coast Baptist College · St Andrew's Grammar School · St Brigid's College · St Norbert College · Swan Christian College
South Australia
Blackfriars Priory School · Concordia College · Emmaus Christian College · Endeavour College · Immanuel College Year 10 and 11 · Immanuel College Year 7 · Kildare College · Loreto College · Loreto College Year 10 & 11 · Pedare Christian College · Pembroke School · Prescott College · Prescott College Southern · Prince Alfred College · Pulteney Grammar School · Saint Ignatius' College Year 10 & 11 · Saint Ignatius' College Year 7 · Scotch College Adelaide · Southern Vales Christian College · St Andrews School · St George College · St John's Grammar School · St Peter's College Primary · St Peter's College Year 7 · St Peter's Girls' School · Tatachilla Lutheran College · Temple Christian College · University Senior College · Walford Anglican School for Girls Primary Years 5 & 6 Secondary Years 9 & 10 · Walford Anglican School for Girls Years 7 & 8 · Westminster School · Wilderness School
Northern Territory
The Essington School Darwin
Taken from ACER's participating-schools list. Schools change boards, so confirm with the school before you register.
Go deeper
ACER Scholarship Test Practice: Full Format Guide (2026)
What's actually in the ACER Scholarship Test for Year 7 entry — Humanities, Maths, Written Expression — plus a free practice question to try today.
The other boards
A school tests with one board, and different schools on the same shortlist often use different ones. If your child is sitting for more than one, they are sitting more than one shape of paper.