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VIC · Selective entry high school preparation

Victoria Selective Entry High Schools (SEHS) preparation

Victorian Selective Entry High Schools (SEHS) preparation for Melbourne High, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School, Suzanne Cory and Nossal. ACER-administered entrance assessment across five timed sections, with application dates, school preferences and a staged preparation plan for Victorian families.

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4 SEHS schools · ACER administered · ~1,000 places annually

About the exam

The Victoria SEHS (ACER) test, in plain language.

Victoria's Selective Entry High Schools (SEHS) are four government high schools offering accelerated academic programs for high-achieving students in Years 9–12. Entry is decided by a single competitive examination administered by ACER, with places allocated across Melbourne High School, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School, Suzanne Cory High School and Nossal High School.

The SEHS exam assesses higher-order thinking rather than curriculum recall. Since ACER took over administration in 2023, the format has remained stable: five timed sections totalling approximately 2.5 hours of testing time, with short breaks between papers. Selection is competitive ranking — there is no published pass mark. Students rank all four schools in preference order during application, and the allocation algorithm places them at the highest-ranked school where their composite ranking is competitive.

Test dates

SEHS applications typically open in early March and close in late April each year. The exam is held in mid-June, results release in late August, and first-round offers are made in early September. The Victorian Department of Education announces exact dates in late February — confirm on the official portal for the year your child applies.

Scoring & cutoffs

SEHS operates on competitive ranking rather than fixed cutoff scores. Approximately 16–20% of applicants receive offers. Melbourne High and Mac.Robertson generally require the highest rankings; Suzanne Cory and Nossal may accept students from slightly lower percentiles. Places are allocated as 85% merit-based, 10% equity category and 5% principal discretion.

  • Reading Reasoning

    30 min~30

    Comprehension of complex texts, inference, vocabulary in context and critical analysis across fiction and non-fiction passages.

  • Mathematical Reasoning

    30 min~30

    Problem-solving with Year 8 curriculum concepts, multi-step reasoning and logical deduction rather than rote calculation.

  • Verbal General Ability

    30 min~30

    Vocabulary, word analogies, verbal classification and sentence completion using context clues.

  • Quantitative General Ability

    30 min~30

    Numerical patterns, sequences, matrix reasoning and abstract quantitative logic.

  • Writing

    30 min1

    One extended writing task — creative, persuasive or descriptive — assessing structure, grammar, vocabulary and ideas under timed conditions.

Mock test packs

Victoria SEHS (ACER) mock packs, currently on sale.

Self-paced practice papers, marked on the BrainTree LMS within 48 hours. Buy once, sit whenever — every pack ships with cohort percentiles and section-level feedback.

Victoria SEHS (ACER) results and parent testimonial

4

Victoria SEHS (ACER) placements since 2024

Audited annually. Methodology is public — see the journal for the breakdown by school.

“We started in Year 7 and worked steadily on the reasoning sections rather than cramming. By the sitting our daughter knew the timed format and could pace herself through the quantitative questions without rushing.”

Anika M.

Parent · Year 9 SEHS applicant

FAQ

Victoria SEHS (ACER), plainly answered.

Five questions our faculty fields most often about the Victoria SEHS (ACER) exam.

Victoria's Selective Entry High Schools (SEHS) are four government schools offering accelerated academic programs for high-achieving students in Years 9–12. The schools are Melbourne High School (boys only, South Yarra), Mac.Robertson Girls' High School (girls only, Melbourne CBD), Suzanne Cory High School (co-educational, Werribee) and Nossal High School (co-educational, Berwick). Entry is via a competitive ACER examination, with approximately 1,000 places available annually from 5,000–6,000 applicants.

The SEHS exam for 2026 entry is typically held in mid-June 2026. Applications usually open in early March and close in late April 2026. The Victorian Department of Education announces the exact date in late February. Results are released in late August, with first-round offers in early September. Students sit the exam in Year 8 for Year 9 entry the following January.

The SEHS test covers five areas: Reading Reasoning (comprehension and inference), Mathematical Reasoning (problem-solving with Year 8 concepts), Verbal General Ability (vocabulary, analogies and verbal logic), Quantitative General Ability (numerical patterns and abstract reasoning), and Writing (one extended response). The test assesses higher-order thinking rather than rote memorisation.

Register through the Victorian Department of Education online portal at education.vic.gov.au/sehs. Applications typically open in early March and close in late April. You will need student details, parent or guardian information, contact details and equity category documentation if applicable. There is no application fee. Your current school coordinates the application, so inform your Year 8 coordinator early.

Apply when your child is in Year 8 for Year 9 entry the following year. The exam is sat in June of Year 8, results release in August, and successful students commence Year 9 at their allocated selective school the following January. Students must be in Year 8 at the time of the exam.

SEHS operates on competitive ranking rather than fixed scores. A competitive performance typically places students in the top quartile (75th percentile or higher) across all sections. Melbourne High and Mac.Robertson generally require the highest rankings, while Suzanne Cory and Nossal may accept students from slightly lower percentiles. Balanced performance across all five sections matters more than excelling in one area alone.

Approximately 5,000–6,000 students apply to Victorian SEHS annually, competing for around 1,000 places across the four schools (roughly 250 per school). This represents an acceptance rate of 16–20%. Melbourne High and Mac.Robertson are particularly competitive due to their established reputations.

Yes. During application you rank all four SEHS schools in preference order. The allocation process attempts to place your child at the highest-ranked school where their ranking is competitive. Single-sex schools automatically exclude opposite-gender applicants. You list Melbourne High, Mac.Robertson, Suzanne Cory and Nossal in whatever order suits your family's preferences.

Most families benefit from 12–18 months of structured preparation, starting in Term 1 or 2 of Year 7 for the Year 8 exam. This allows time for foundation building (reasoning and vocabulary), intensive practice with mock exams, and final refinement of weaker areas. A minimum of 6–9 months can work for students with strong baseline skills who commit to daily practice.

SEHS results are typically released in late August, approximately 10–12 weeks after the June exam. Notifications are sent via email. Results indicate an offer of place (with allocated school), reserve list status, or unsuccessful outcome. First-round offers are made in early September with an acceptance deadline of approximately one week.

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