SELECTIVE SCHOOLS EXAM (VICTORIA)
What Are Selective Schools?
There are currently four selective entry high schools in Victoria for students in Years 9 to 12:
- MacRobertson Girls’ High School (South Yarra)
- Melbourne High School (South Yarra)
- Susan Cory High School (Werribee)
- Nossal High School (Berwick)
Selective entry academic schools provide an educationally enriched environment for academically gifted students who are also high achievers.
Students who attend these schools generally finish Year 12 amongst the top of the cohort
Am I Eligible?
Generally, eligible students are those who are usually in year 8 at school, who are either Australian citizens or who have permanent resident status or an appropriate visa. When enrolling, you need to indicate your choice of schools, in order of preference.
Who Are My Competition?
The evidence of past years is that between 2500 and 3000 students will sit the selective schools exam at the old Melbourne Exhibition centre in Carlton for places at one of the four schools.
What Is The Structure Of The Exam?
Students are given six papers to complete. These are
- A Creative or Persuasive writing paper (10 minutes to plan and 30 minutes to complete)
- Reading Comprehension paper (30 minutes for 50 questions)
- Mathematics paper (30 minutes for 60 questions)
- Verbal Reasoning paper (30 minutes for 60 questions)
- Numerical Reasoning paper (30 minutes for 50 questions)
How Are Students Selected?
The students’ aggregate scores are ranked amongst their peers. For each test, you will get a score
- The top 11% get superior
- The top 23% get above average
- The top 40% get high average
- The top 60% get average
Competition for these places is very fierce and it is not uncommon for students to begin preparing some years in advance so to even be considered for a place, students should score a high average for all of these tests.
Currently 85 per cent of the Year 9 enrolments are selected through the examination process described above with no further information or interview required.
10 per cent of places are allocated according to rank, score and equity considerations.
The remaining 5 per cent are selected through a Principal’s discretionary selection category. They are asked to write a letter and present a portfolio of achievements. Consequently, some are invited for an interview.
Do You Have Any Materials That Can Help?
We currently sell a number of resources designed specifically to prepare students for the Selective Schools exam. Check out our store for more information.
Selective High Schools (New South Wales)
Unlike in Victoria, where Selective Schools accept students from year 9, in New South Wales student sit their Selective Schools Exams in year 6 for year 7 entry.Selective entry academic schools provide an educationally enriched environment for academically gifted students who are also high achievers. Click here for a full list of all Selective Schools in New South Wales.
If you are interested in preparing your child for a New South Wales Selective Schools test, we recommend our Accelerated Selective Exam Pack. This pack is specifically geared towards students who are looking to practice all the exam components before the exam.
