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 22022 · New set of questions →

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Section 1: Maths reasoning (15 questions)

Question 1
Maths reasoning · Pythagoras

A rectangular paddock is 40 m long and 30 m wide. A farmer wants to fence along the diagonal to divide it into two triangular sections. Fencing costs $12 per metre. What is the total cost of the diagonal fence?

Question 2
Maths reasoning · Area, volume & angles

A square tile has a side length of 30 cm. A circular design is painted on the tile so that the circle fits exactly inside the square, touching all four sides. The area of the square that is NOT covered by the circle is closest to which value? (Use π ≈ 3.14)

Question 3
Maths reasoning · Percentages & rates

A shop marks up all goods by 40% above cost price, then offers a 'members' discount' of 20% off the marked price. A member buys a pair of headphones. The member's price, as a percentage of the original cost price, is:

Question 4
Maths reasoning · Fractions, decimals & percentages

In a class, 60% of students play sport and 3/4 of those who play sport also play a musical instrument. What fraction of the whole class plays both sport and a musical instrument?

Question 5
Maths reasoning · Algebraic thinking

A garden bed is built using square tiles. The total number of tiles T follows the rule T = 4n + 8, where n is the pattern number. Riley says: 'The first pattern that needs more than 40 tiles is pattern number 8.' Is Riley correct, and what is the value of T for that pattern?

Question 6
Maths reasoning · Algebraic expressions

Two students simplify the expression 12x² + 8x. Ada says the fully factorised form is 4(3x² + 2x). Ben says the fully factorised form is 4x(3x + 2). Who is correct, and why?

Question 7
Maths reasoning · Fraction & decimal operations

Which of the following is exactly halfway between 3/8 and 3/4 on a number line?

Question 8
Maths reasoning · Pythagoras

A right-angled triangle has a hypotenuse of 17 cm and one leg of 8 cm. A student says the other leg is √(17² + 8²) = √353 ≈ 18.8 cm. What mistake did the student make, and what is the correct length of the missing leg?

Question 9
Maths reasoning · Equations

Aisha and Ben each have a collection of cards. Aisha has 3 times as many cards as Ben. If Aisha gives Ben 20 cards, they will have exactly the same number. Which equation correctly represents this situation, and how many cards does Ben start with?

Question 10
Maths reasoning · Area & volume

A circle has an area of 154 cm². Using π ≈ 22/7, what is the circumference of this circle?

Question 11
Maths reasoning · Algebraic expressions

Two expressions are written on the board: Expression A = 2(3x + 4) − (x − 2) and Expression B = 5x + 10. A student says these two expressions are equivalent because when she substitutes x = 0 she gets the same value from both. Which statement is correct?

Question 12
Maths reasoning · Fraction & decimal operations

A ribbon is 7.2 metres long. It is cut into pieces that are each 0.8 metres long. The pieces are shared equally among 3 friends. How many pieces does each friend get?

Question 13
Maths reasoning · Indices

Simplify: (2⁴ × 8) ÷ 4³, giving your answer as a power of 2.

Question 14
Maths reasoning · Integers

Liam says: 'The product of two negative integers is always less than either of the two integers.' Is Liam correct?

Question 15
Maths reasoning · Geometry

A triangle has angles in the ratio 2 : 3 : 7. A student claims the triangle is obtuse. Another student claims the largest angle is more than three times the smallest angle. Which of the following is correct?

Section 2: Reading & language (15 questions)

Question 16
Reading & language · Text response & analysis

A student writes: "The old lighthouse stood alone on the cliff, its light long dead, its windows like hollow eyes watching the empty sea." Which two techniques are working together in this sentence, and what combined effect do they create?

Question 17
Reading & language · Speaking & listening

At the end of a debate, the judge says both teams used good evidence but Team A was more persuasive because their speakers 'made the audience feel the issue mattered personally'. Team B's speakers presented the same facts but sounded detached. What speaking technique did Team A use more effectively?

Question 18
Reading & language · Comprehension

Read this passage, then answer the question. "Two newspapers reported the same local election result. The Herald wrote: 'Incumbent mayor Sandra Pearce retained her seat, defeating challenger Tom Ruiz by a margin of 4.2 per cent in a largely uneventful contest.' The Tribune wrote: 'In a closer-than-expected race, newcomer Tom Ruiz came within 4.2 per cent of unseating Sandra Pearce, suggesting growing dissatisfaction with her leadership.'" Which statement best explains how the two reports construct different impressions of the same result?

Question 19
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 20
Reading & language · Text response & analysis

A narrator in a short story repeatedly describes a character called Mr Holt as 'generous' and 'kind', but every scene shows him demanding favours in return for help and ignoring people who cannot benefit him. What technique is the author using, and what is its most likely purpose?

Question 21
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 22
Reading & language · Speaking & listening

A student gives a speech opposing homework. She uses only personal anecdotes and no facts or statistics. Her classmate gives a rebuttal using three published studies. Which explanation best describes why the rebuttal is more persuasive in a formal speaking context?

Question 23
Reading & language · Reading & comprehension

A student reading a novel writes: 'The theme of this book is loyalty because a character called Loyalty appears.' What is wrong with the student's reasoning?

Question 24
Reading & language · Comprehension

Read this passage, then answer the question. "The review of the school play read: 'The set design was inventive and the lighting created a genuinely eerie atmosphere in Act Two. The lead performances were energetic, if occasionally rushed. The script, however, relied too heavily on familiar jokes and offered few surprises. Audiences who enjoy community theatre will find much to appreciate, though those seeking originality may leave wanting more.'" Which sentence from the review best shows that the reviewer is giving a balanced evaluation rather than a purely positive or negative one?

Question 25
Reading & language · Writing & grammar

A student writes: 'After finishing her homework, the television was turned on by Maya.' A classmate says the sentence has two problems, not one. Which answer correctly identifies BOTH problems?

Question 26
Reading & language · Vocabulary & grammar

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

Question 27
Reading & language · Vocabulary & grammar

Read this sentence: 'The scientist, whose findings challenged decades of research, was quietly discredited by the institution.' Which grammatical feature most shapes how the reader responds to the scientist?

Question 28
Reading & language · Persuasive & creative writing

A student writes a short story with this final paragraph: 'She handed the trophy to her little sister without a word, then walked back out into the rain.' Her teacher says this ending is effective because it 'trusts the reader'. A classmate suggests adding: 'She felt a warm glow inside, knowing she had done the right thing.' Why would adding the classmate's sentence WEAKEN the ending?

Question 29
Reading & language · Speaking & listening

During a class fishbowl discussion, four students sit in the inner circle and debate, while the rest observe. After ten minutes, the teacher asks the observers: 'What did you notice about how the inner group managed disagreement?' One observer says, 'They kept talking over each other when they disagreed.' Another says, 'They only built on ideas they already agreed with.' A third says, 'They never summarised what had been decided before moving to a new point.' Which observation identifies the most significant barrier to productive group discussion?

Question 30
Reading & language · Vocabulary & grammar

Read these two versions of the same sentence: Version 1: 'The factory released toxic chemicals into the river.' Version 2: 'Toxic chemicals were released into the river.' A student says Version 2 is weaker because passive voice is always a grammatical mistake. Which response BEST evaluates the student's claim using grammatical and rhetorical reasoning?

Your result

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Maths reasoning0 / 15
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 →