Free · Timed · 25 minutes · Years 6–8

Free Scholarship Practice Test — 30 Questions, 25 Minutes, Instant Results

A free, timed sample in the style of the ACER and Edutest scholarship papers: 30 multiple-choice questions across mathematics and reading and language, drawn from our Year 6, 7 and 8 banks at the stretch and challenge tiers, 25 minutes on the clock, marked instantly with a section breakdown. Part of RHZ Tutoring's 3,261 free practice questions. No sign-up.

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⏱ 25-minute countdown, auto-marked📊 Section breakdown: maths reasoning · reading & language📚 3,261 free practice questions

Free practice quizzes › Scholarship practice test · Selective Entry practice test

The practice test: 30 questions in 25 minutes

Two sections. Press Start the timer, answer every question you can, and press Mark my test before the clock runs out, or it will be marked automatically. Set 15987 · New set of questions →

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Section 1: Maths reasoning (15 questions)

Question 1
Maths reasoning · Area, volume & angles

A triangular prism has a right-angled triangular face with legs 6 cm and 8 cm. The prism is 12 cm long. A rectangular prism 4 cm × 3 cm × 12 cm is cut away from inside the solid. What is the volume of the remaining solid?

Question 2
Maths reasoning · Probability

A drawer has 5 black socks and 3 white socks. Two socks are drawn one at a time WITHOUT replacement. What is the probability that both socks are the same colour?

Question 3
Maths reasoning · Fractions, decimals & percentages

Three friends share a pizza. Tom eats 1/3, Erin eats 30%, and Sam eats 0.25 of the pizza. What fraction of the pizza is left over? Give your answer as a fraction in simplest form.

Question 4
Maths reasoning · Algebraic expressions

A phone plan charges a $15 monthly fee plus $0.10 per minute of calls. A second plan charges no monthly fee but $0.25 per minute. For how many minutes of calls per month do both plans cost the same amount?

Question 5
Maths reasoning · Area, volume & angles

A triangular prism has a triangular face with base 6 cm and height 4 cm. The prism is 10 cm long. What is the volume of the prism?

Question 6
Maths reasoning · Algebra & linear equations

A mobile phone plan charges a $30 monthly fee plus $0.10 per minute of calls. A second plan charges a $10 monthly fee plus $0.20 per minute of calls. A student uses the two plans equally when the total cost is the same, then switches to Plan 1 for the following month and makes 250 minutes of calls. How much does the student pay in that following month?

Question 7
Maths reasoning · Algebraic thinking

A pattern of squares is built using tiles. The rule is T = 5n − 1, where n is the pattern number and T is the total number of tiles. Sofia says: 'Pattern number 10 is the first pattern that needs more than 48 tiles.' Is Sofia correct, and what is the value of T for that pattern?

Question 8
Maths reasoning · Probability

A bag contains only red and blue marbles. The probability of drawing a red marble is 2/5. Three marbles are drawn one at a time WITH replacement. What is the probability of getting exactly 2 blue marbles?

Question 9
Maths reasoning · Area & volume

A rectangular prism has a length of 10 cm, width of 5 cm, and height of 8 cm. Its length and width are each increased by 20%, but its height stays the same. By what percentage does the volume increase?

Question 10
Maths reasoning · Integers & operations

An integer m satisfies all three conditions: • m is negative • m² + m is greater than 0 • m is greater than −5 What is the sum of ALL possible values of m?

Question 11
Maths reasoning · Indices

What is the value of (2³ × 5²) ÷ 10²?

Question 12
Maths reasoning · Integers

A submarine is at −240 metres. It rises at 30 metres per minute. After how many minutes will the submarine first be above −60 metres?

Question 13
Maths reasoning · Algebraic thinking

Aiden thinks of a number. He multiplies it by 5 and then subtracts 8. His friend doubles the same number and adds 7. They get the same result. Which equation correctly models this situation, and what is Aiden's number?

Question 14
Maths reasoning · Ratios & rates

Paint is mixed in the ratio red : white : blue = 1 : 4 : 5. A painter has exactly 600 mL of white paint and uses all of it. How many millilitres of blue paint are needed to keep the ratio correct?

Question 15
Maths reasoning · Ratios & rates

A fruit drink is made by mixing cordial and water. Brand X: 1 part cordial to 6 parts water. Brand Y: 2 parts cordial to 11 parts water. Which brand has a stronger cordial flavour, and what fraction of Brand X is cordial?

Section 2: Reading & language (15 questions)

Question 16
Reading & language · Writing & grammar

A student writes: 'Running quickly to catch the bus, her bag fell off her shoulder.' A classmate says the sentence is wrong because of the opening phrase. The student argues it is fine because 'running' clearly refers to a person. Who is correct, and why?

Question 17
Reading & language · Writing & grammar

A student writes: 'The reason the experiment failed was because the temperature was not controlled.' A teacher underlines the phrase 'The reason…was because' and asks the student to correct it. The student changes it to: 'The reason the experiment failed was due to the temperature not being controlled.' Has the student fixed the problem? Why or why not?

Question 18
Reading & language · Vocabulary & grammar

Read this paragraph from a student essay: 'Solar energy is clean and renewable. Furthermore, it reduces electricity bills. However, installation costs are high. Nevertheless, many households have made the switch.' The teacher says the connective 'Nevertheless' in the final sentence is doing a different job from 'However' in the previous sentence, even though both signal contrast. Which explanation is MOST accurate?

Question 19
Reading & language · Text response & analysis

Read this passage: 'The trophy sat on the shelf for twenty years, gathering dust. Marcus never spoke about the race. Visitors sometimes pointed to it and he would change the subject, offer tea, move to another room.' A student interprets this passage as follows: 'The author uses repetition of Marcus's avoidance to suggest the trophy represents guilt rather than pride.' Another student says: 'This interpretation is wrong because the text never uses the word guilt, so you cannot say that.' Which response best evaluates whether the first student's interpretation is valid?

Question 20
Reading & language · Comprehension

Read this passage, then answer the question. "The documentary about urban wildlife opened with slow footage of a fox picking its way through rubbish bins at midnight, set to melancholy piano music. The narrator said: 'These animals have adapted — but at what cost?' Later, when showing community volunteers cleaning a local park, the soundtrack switched to bright, upbeat strings." What is the most likely purpose of the contrasting soundtracks in the documentary?

Question 21
Reading & language · Persuasive & creative writing

A writer is describing a bushfire from the perspective of a child watching from a car window. She writes: 'The sky had swallowed the sun. Orange pushed against orange and nothing was where it should be.' What is the most precise explanation of how this description creates unease?

Question 22
Reading & language · Text response & analysis

Read this student essay extract: 'Shakespeare makes Romeo seem impulsive through his actions. For example, Romeo quickly falls in love with Juliet even though he was in love with Rosaline only the day before. This shows he is impulsive.' Which is the MOST accurate analysis of why this response is weak?

Question 23
Reading & language · Persuasive & creative writing

A student wants to persuade readers that school uniforms should be abolished. She writes: 'Uniforms crush creativity and make students miserable.' Which revision would make this argument MOST persuasive, and why?

Question 24
Reading & language · Persuasive & creative writing

A student writes this paragraph in a persuasive essay about fast fashion: 'Fast fashion is destroying the planet. Young people especially need to stop buying cheap clothes. We all know this is true, and anyone who shops at fast fashion stores is just being selfish.' A teacher comments: 'Your evidence is missing and your appeal to your audience is likely to backfire.' Which revision strategy best addresses BOTH problems the teacher has identified?

Question 25
Reading & language · Speaking & listening

During a student debate, Aisha uses a calm, measured tone even while making very strong claims. Her opponent uses an increasingly urgent, passionate tone as the debate continues. Which analysis of their vocal choices is most accurate?

Question 26
Reading & language · Writing & grammar

Read the following two versions of a paragraph opening from a narrative: Version A: 'The old house was silent. A door creaked. Something moved in the hallway. She waited.' Version B: 'The old house was silent, and then a door creaked and something moved in the hallway, so she waited.' A student claims Version B is better because it joins the ideas using connectives, showing their relationship more clearly. Which statement BEST explains why this claim is inaccurate?

Question 27
Reading & language · Text response & analysis

Read this extract from a student's argument essay: "Teenagers are clearly the most responsible group in society. They manage social media, schoolwork, and part-time jobs simultaneously. If they can handle all of this, they should definitely be allowed to vote at 16." Which is the most significant weakness in this argument?

Question 28
Reading & language · Comprehension

Read this passage, then answer the question. "Nadia had not spoken to her best friend in three weeks. She told herself it did not matter. She rearranged her bookshelf twice that afternoon, reorganised her pencil case, and made a list of things she needed to do — none of which were urgent." What do Nadia's actions in the second and third sentences most strongly suggest?

Question 29
Reading & language · Comprehension

Read this passage. "The documentary followed three teenagers preparing for their first solo bushwalk. One had completed first-aid training. One had researched native plants. The third had spent weeks studying trail maps. The narrator closed with: 'In the end, only one of the three made it back before dark.'" What is the most likely effect of the narrator's closing line on the reader?

Question 30
Reading & language · Reading & comprehension

Read this paragraph from a feature article about an Australian mountain rescue: 'The searchers fanned out across the ridge as the temperature dropped another two degrees. By nightfall, twelve volunteers had covered fourteen kilometres of rocky ground, their torches blinking like hesitant stars. The mountain, as always, gave nothing away.' The writer ends the paragraph with 'The mountain, as always, gave nothing away.' What is the most likely reason for this sentence, and how does it work?

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Reading & language0 / 15
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What this scholarship practice test contains

Thirty multiple-choice questions in two timed sections. Section 1, Maths reasoning, has fifteen questions drawn from our Year 6, Year 7 and Year 8 maths banks: number and algebra, ratio and rates, measurement, geometry, statistics and probability, with the stretch and challenge tiers preferred so most items sit above the year level a Year 6 student is used to. Section 2, Reading & language, has fifteen questions from the same three years of our English banks: comprehension of short literary and informative passages, inference, vocabulary in context, spelling, grammar and punctuation. Every set is seeded, so the link you are on shows the same questions each time and a new seed gives a fresh set. The clock is 25 minutes for the lot, which is deliberately tight: roughly fifty seconds a question, which is close to the pace of the real scholarship papers.

The answer key is not in the page. When you press Mark my test, or when the timer reaches zero, the browser asks our server for the key for this exact set, marks every question, shows the correct answer and an explanation with the year level of each item, and breaks the score down by section and by topic. Unanswered questions count as wrong, as they do in the real exam, so it is worth answering everything before the time runs out.

About the Victorian Selective Entry exam

Victoria has four selective-entry high schools: Melbourne High School (boys), Mac.Robertson Girls' High School (girls), Nossal High School in Berwick (co-educational) and Suzanne Cory High School in Werribee (co-educational). Entry is by a single competitive examination sat in Year 8 for Year 9 entry, usually in June, with a smaller number of places sometimes offered for later year levels. Students nominate their preferred schools on one application, and places are offered on the basis of exam results, with a proportion of places set aside under equity provisions. Suzanne Cory, in Werribee, draws heavily from Melbourne's west and is the school most families we work with are aiming for.

For students in Year 8 in 2027, school communications give the exam date as 20 June 2027, with applications typically opening early in the year and closing well before the exam. Dates, fees, eligibility rules and the exact test format are set by the Department of Education and can change from year to year, so confirm every detail on the VSEHS website before you plan around it. What has been consistent is the shape of the test: reading comprehension, mathematics, verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning and two short writing tasks (one creative, one persuasive or analytical), all under strict time limits and pitched above the Year 8 curriculum. The reasoning sections are the ones school programs rarely teach, and the writing tasks are marked for ideas, structure and control of language in a very short time, which is why students who are strong in class can still struggle on the day.

The multiple-choice sections of the real exam reward three things: secure knowledge a year or so ahead of the classroom, the habit of reading a question exactly, and pace. This practice test checks the first and the third. It does not check writing, and it does not include the pattern-based verbal and numerical reasoning puzzles, both of which need their own practice.

ACER and Edutest scholarship tests

Independent and Catholic schools in Melbourne offer academic scholarships through external testing agencies rather than their own papers. The two you will meet most often are ACER and Edutest, and they feel quite different. ACER's Cooperative Scholarship Testing Program (CSTP) is run at set levels: Level 1 for Year 7 entry (sat in Year 6), Level 2 for Year 9 entry and Level 3 for Year 11 entry. The papers are long and demanding: two written expression tasks, a humanities paper of reading comprehension and interpretation that includes poems, cartoons, tables and extracts, and a mathematics paper that leans on reasoning rather than recall. ACER tests are usually held on a single day in February or March, and one sitting can be used for several participating schools.

Edutest papers are shorter and broken into five sections, typically of about thirty minutes each: verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, reading comprehension, mathematics and written expression. Most sections are multiple choice and the pace is brisk. Schools using Edutest often run the test on their own campus at their own date, so a family may sit two or three across a season. Because the sections are short, a student who loses a minute panicking on a hard question pays for it immediately, which is why timed practice matters so much for Edutest in particular.

This practice test is closer to the multiple-choice mathematics and reading sections of both formats than to the reasoning puzzles or the writing. If your child is preparing for a Year 7 scholarship, treat the Year 7 and Year 8 items here as the stretch they are; a Year 6 student who handles them comfortably is well placed.

A preparation timeline

  1. Twelve to nine months out (for Selective Entry 2027: Term 3 and 4 of Year 7). Diagnose first. Sit this test and the free Skills Check, and find out whether the gaps are knowledge (Year 8 maths not yet met), technique (never seen a reasoning question) or speed. Close the maths gaps with the Year 7 and Year 8 topic quizzes and start reading widely: non-fiction, opinion pieces and short fiction, not just novels.
  2. Nine to six months out (Term 1 of Year 8). Learn the question types. Work through each section of the exam separately with short timed sets, and begin a weekly timed writing task with feedback. Confirm the application window on the VSEHS website and lodge the application early.
  3. Six to three months out (Term 1 to 2). Full-length practice papers under exam conditions every fortnight, marked and reviewed by section. The review is where the marks come from: every error goes into a list and gets re-attempted a week later.
  4. The last eight weeks. Taper. One full paper a week, timed sets on the weakest section between them, and writing practice to a fixed plan. In the final week, sleep, a light set each day and nothing new.

For a Year 6 scholarship, compress the same sequence into the second half of Year 5 and the first term of Year 6, because ACER and most Edutest sittings fall between February and May of Year 6.

How to read your result

We do not report percentiles, because a thirty-question free sample cannot be normed against the real candidate pool and any percentile we invented would mislead you. What we can say is this. Selective-entry and scholarship tests are competitive, and the students who win places are typically answering above-level questions quickly and accurately. A score of 80% or more here, inside the time limit, suggests your child is ready for full-length timed practice papers and should move to those. A score between 50% and 80% usually means the content is mostly there and the work is in the hardest third of the questions and the clock; look at which section is weaker and drill it with timed sets. A score of 50% or less means the Year 6 and Year 7 foundations need attention before exam-style practice will pay off, which is common and fixable: start with the Year 6 and Year 7 topic quizzes, secure the weakest topics and come back to this test in a term.

Watch the time as well as the score. A high score with the clock expired is a pace problem; a low score with minutes to spare is a content problem. They need different fixes, and the results panel shows both.

What to do next

1. Free Skills Check

Fifteen minutes, every Year 7 topic at every tier including stretch and challenge, with a same-day topic-by-topic report and a tutor call to walk through it. It is the diagnostic we use to start every selective and scholarship program.

Start the free Skills Check →

2. Selective Entry 2027 program

Two sessions a week, maths and English with reasoning drills, a full timed practice test every fortnight, at our Truganina centre or online. First session free.

Selective Entry 2027 → Selective entry and scholarship tutoring →

3. Printable practice packs

Full-length selective and scholarship practice papers with worked answers, so a student can practise on paper under the clock the way the real test is sat.

Browse selective and scholarship packs →

Questions? Call 03 9509 3293 or book a free consultation. RHZ Tutoring, 17/47 Apex Drive, Truganina VIC 3029.

Frequently asked questions

When is the 2027 Victorian Selective Entry exam?

School communications give the date as 20 June 2027 for Year 8 students seeking Year 9 entry in 2028. Dates and application windows can move, so confirm on the Victorian Selective Entry High Schools (VSEHS) website before planning around it.

Which schools does the Selective Entry exam cover?

Melbourne High School (boys, South Yarra), Mac.Robertson Girls' High School (girls, Melbourne), Nossal High School (co-educational, Berwick) and Suzanne Cory High School (co-educational, Werribee). Students sit one exam and list the schools in order of preference.

Is this practice test the same as the real exam?

No. It is a 30-question, 25-minute multiple-choice sample drawn from our Year 6, 7 and 8 maths and English banks at the stretch and challenge tiers. The real ACER and Edutest scholarship tests include writing tasks and, for Edutest, separate verbal and numerical reasoning sections. Use this page to check readiness and pace, not to predict a result.

What score should my child be getting?

There is no official pass mark and we do not publish percentiles for a free sample. As a rule of thumb, 80% or more here suggests a student is ready for full-length timed practice; 50% or less suggests starting with the Year 6 and Year 7 topic quizzes to secure the foundations first.

Does the timer matter?

Yes. Both selective-entry and scholarship tests are speed tests as much as knowledge tests, and most students lose more marks to the clock than to the content. If the score is good but the time ran out, practise timed sets; if there was time to spare but the score was low, work on the content.

What is the difference between ACER and Edutest scholarship tests?

Both are used by independent schools for Year 7 entry (sat in Year 6) and some for Year 9 or Year 11 entry. ACER's Cooperative Scholarship Testing Program has longer papers in written expression, humanities (reading and interpretation) and mathematics. Edutest papers are shorter and include five sections: verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, reading comprehension, mathematics and written expression. Check which test each school uses.

Is this free, and is anything collected?

It is free and there is no sign-up. Marking happens on our server and only an anonymous score event is recorded. The free Skills Check, which produces a full report, asks for a parent email so we can send it.

Build the foundations first

If the result points to a content gap, these free topic quizzes cover the ground the test draws on:

All 3,261 free practice questions, Prep to Year 12 →