SEHS exam format: components, timing and structure

Entry to a Victorian Selective Entry High School (SEHS) is decided by a single ACER-administered entrance exam rather than a school-report ranking, so understanding the paper your child will actually sit is the first step before any practice begins. Braintree Coaching Australia prepares Year 8 students for the five-component SEHS assessment, and this page sets out the format at the centre of our Victoria SEHS preparation programme for entry into Melbourne High, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School, Nossal High School and Suzanne Cory High School. ACER has administered the SEHS since 2023, replacing the previous format. The test is ability-focused: it measures reasoning, comprehension and problem-solving rather than year-level curriculum recall.

Which components does the SEHS exam include?

The SEHS exam includes five components — Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning (General Ability), Quantitative Reasoning (General Ability) and Writing. Each component is timed separately at 30 minutes. The reasoning sections sit above standard year-level work because the test is designed to measure ability rather than taught content.

• Reading Comprehension measures how well a student understands, analyses and interprets written passages. Questions cover main idea, inference, vocabulary in context, author purpose and supporting details.
• Mathematics measures problem-solving, numerical reasoning and mathematical concepts. Questions cover number operations, fractions, decimals and percentages, algebra, geometry, measurement and data interpretation. No calculator is permitted.
• Verbal Reasoning (General Ability) measures vocabulary, word relationships and language-based reasoning. Questions include analogies, synonyms and antonyms, sentence completion, word classification and verbal logic puzzles.
• Quantitative Reasoning (General Ability) measures numerical patterns, sequences and logical problem-solving. Questions cover number sequences, pattern recognition, spatial reasoning, logical deduction and abstract problem-solving — the component most often new to students.
• Writing measures clear written expression under time pressure. Students complete one extended response — creative narrative, persuasive or descriptive writing — marked on structure, grammar, ideas and organisation.

How does each component fit together?

Each component runs 30 minutes, and the five together make up approximately 2.5 hours of testing time plus short breaks between sections. The table below sets out indicative timing and focus; exact order and break lengths are confirmed by ACER in the candidate instructions for each sitting.

Component	Format	Timing · questions	What it measures
Reading Comprehension	Multiple choice	30 min · ~30 questions	Comprehension, inference, vocabulary in context and author purpose.
Mathematics	Multiple choice	30 min · ~30 questions	Problem-solving across number, algebra, geometry and data — calculator-free.
Verbal Reasoning	Multiple choice	30 min · ~30 questions	Vocabulary, analogies, word relationships and verbal logic.
Quantitative Reasoning	Multiple choice	30 min · ~30 questions	Number and visual patterns, sequences, matrices and logical deduction.
Writing	Extended response	30 min · 1 task	Creative or persuasive writing — structure, grammar, ideas and expression.
Total testing time		~2.5 hours

Because the test is paper-based, your child reads each question in a test booklet and marks answers with pencil or pen. Familiarity with the paper format and pacing across five back-to-back sections is part of preparation rather than an afterthought. For a chronological walk-through of the sitting itself — arrival, sign-in and what the test centre is like — see our SEHS test-day guide.

What does a typical SEHS test day look like?

A typical SEHS sitting runs from morning arrival through to late-morning completion, with short breaks between component blocks. The indicative timeline below shows how the five sections are usually sequenced; exact times vary by venue and year.

Time	Activity
~8:00 AM	Arrival, check-in and seating
~8:30 AM	Reading Comprehension (30 minutes)
~9:00 AM	Mathematics (30 minutes)
~9:30 AM	Short break (10–15 minutes)
~9:45 AM	Verbal Reasoning (30 minutes)
~10:15 AM	Quantitative Reasoning (30 minutes)
~10:45 AM	Short break (10–15 minutes)
~11:00 AM	Writing (30 minutes)
~11:30 AM	Test complete — collection by parents

Students should bring photo identification, several pencils, a blue or black pen for writing, and a water bottle. Calculators, phones and other electronic devices are not permitted in the test room.

How is the SEHS exam different from NSW Selective and Queensland Academies?

The SEHS exam is Victoria's statewide selective-entry assessment for four government high schools. It differs structurally from the NSW Selective High School placement test, which is computer-based and administered by the NSW Department of Education, from EduTest-style scholarship and selective exams used by several independent and state schools, and from the Brisbane State High School selective exam (ACER HAST) in Queensland. All three reward reasoning over curriculum recall, but the SEHS paper is the only one of the three that remains paper-based and includes separate Verbal and Quantitative General Ability sections alongside Reading, Mathematics and Writing. For a side-by-side view of the NSW paper, see our NSW Selective test format guide.

What does the SEHS format mean for preparation?

The SEHS exam rewards reasoning that most Year 8 classrooms do not teach explicitly, so a child performing well in school still benefits from targeted, format-specific work. The two areas families most often underestimate are Quantitative Reasoning, which depends on pattern and matrix practice rather than curriculum knowledge, and Writing, where one timed task must be planned, drafted and proofread within 30 minutes. The Victorian Department of Education publishes the authoritative description of SEHS entry at education.vic.gov.au. To turn the format into a study plan, read our SEHS preparation strategies, and if questions about eligibility, applications or school choice remain, our SEHS FAQ answers what parents ask most often.