What subjects are in the selective entry test?

Are you or your child aspiring to attend a selective school in Victoria? Understanding the subjects covered in the selective school entrance tests is crucial for effective preparation. We have collected feedback from the real exam for over 30 years and have a few insights and tips to share about each of the subjects assessed in the select entry school exam.

For Year 9 Entry into Select Entry High Schools, the exam in 2024 will be administered by ACER. The exam assesses students' abilities across various subjects and aptitudes and aims to identify students with strong academic potential and readiness for the challenging curriculum offered by selective schools.

What subjects are tested in the ACER SEHS exam?

The selective school entrance exam typically includes the following subjects:

Mathematics:

Content: The mathematics section assesses problem-solving skills, mathematical reasoning, and the application of mathematical concepts. This paper assesses curriculum-based concepts up to Level 8 in the Victorian Curriculum (students are expected to achieve Level 8 at the end of Year 8, so some concepts assessed may not yet have been taught in schools).

Topics: Students can expect questions on key strands covered in the curriculum, including: Number, Algebra, Measurement, Space,  Statistics and Probability.

Key skills: The exam evaluates students' ability to analyse problems, determine and apply mathematical formulas, and solve complex equations.

Writing (Creative AND Persuasive):

Content: Students are required to write two pieces in 40 minutes (one is creative and the other is persuasive)

Topics (creative): Prompts for creative writing can include pictures, quotes, dialogue, text or combinations of these.

Topics (persuasive): Prompts for this part of the exam are usually based on contemporary issues or topics relevant to teens.

Assessment: The writing component evaluates students' ability to construct coherent and well-structured responses based on the topic provided.

Reading:

Content: Students are presented with passages (of varying length) and other texts and must answer questions to demonstrate their understanding. Texts often include prose, poetry, cartoons, graphs and tables.

Key skills: Inference skills are critical in reading comprehension exams - this is the ability to combine information provided with prior knowledge and understanding to reach conclusions. It's important to have a good vocabulary and knowledge of grammatical rules (such as apostrophes and commas) to help interpret and analyse texts.

Verbal Reasoning:

Content: Verbal reasoning tests assess students' ability to understand, interpret, analyse and manipulate language.

Types of Questions: This section may include verbal analogies, syllogisms, synonyms, antonyms, codes, translations, and logical reasoning.

Key skills: Students must demonstrate a strong vocabulary, as well as their capacity to think critically and efficiently to solve word-based problems.

Numerical Reasoning:

Content: The numerical reasoning paper in the exam focuses on logical thinking and problem-solving using numerical data.

Types of Questions: Questions may include number sequences, missing figures, number patterns, matrices, probability-type questions and more.

Key skills: The exam assesses students' ability to identify patterns, similarities, and differences, spatial reasoning skills and the ability to quickly and effectively respond. 

Preparation with Hendersons Educational Services

Hendersons' specialised Programs include workshops, practice exams and related services that help students excel in each subject covered in the selective school exam. Workshops, capped at a maximum of 8 students per class, provide comprehensive instruction, practice materials, and expert guidance to enhance students' performance in each section. Students learn key content and exam strategies that will help them maximise their chances of success.

For more information on our selective school preparation services and Programs, reach out to Hendersons today: info@hendersons.com.au, (03) 9813 0277.