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 28961 · New set of questions →

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Section 1: Maths reasoning (15 questions)

Question 1
Maths reasoning · Algebraic thinking

Two rules connect position number (n) to a term value (T). Rule A: T = 3n + 7 Rule B: T = 5n − 1 For which value of n do both rules give exactly the same value of T?

Question 2
Maths reasoning · Percentages

Luca says: 'Increasing a price by 10% and then decreasing it by 10% gives you the original price.' Is Luca correct?

Question 3
Maths reasoning · Statistics & probability

A bag contains red, blue, and yellow counters only. The probability of picking a red counter is 3/8 and the probability of picking a blue counter is 1/4. A student claims: 'The smallest possible number of yellow counters in the bag is 3.' Is the student correct, and why?

Question 4
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 5
Maths reasoning · Percentages & rates

At the start of 2023, Mia's investment was worth $P. By mid-year, its value had fallen by 20%. By the end of 2023, the mid-year value had risen by 35%. At the start of 2024, that end-of-year value then fell by 10%. Which expression correctly gives the investment's value at the start of 2024, and is the overall change a gain or a loss?

Question 6
Maths reasoning · Equations

Jake has some money. He spends $12 on lunch and then spends half of what is left on a book. He now has $9. How much money did Jake start with?

Question 7
Maths reasoning · Equations

A teacher writes this number puzzle: 'I think of a number, add 6, then multiply the result by the number I first thought of. I get 40.' Which equation correctly represents this puzzle, and what positive whole number is the solution?

Question 8
Maths reasoning · Ratio & rates

A farmer plants wheat and canola in the ratio 5 : 3. The wheat paddock covers 40 hectares more than the canola paddock. What is the total area planted?

Question 9
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 10
Maths reasoning · Geometry

An L-shape is a 6×4 rectangle with a 2×2 square removed. Its area is:

Question 11
Maths reasoning · Pythagoras

On a coordinate grid, point P is at (1, 2) and point Q is at (7, 10). Point R is at (7, 2). Which statement about triangle PQR is correct?

Question 12
Maths reasoning · Pythagoras

A circle has its centre at the origin (0, 0). Point A is at (5, 0) and point B is at (0, 5). Point C is at (3, 4). A student claims that C lies ON the circle that passes through A and B, because 3 + 4 = 5 + 0 = 0 + 5. Is the student correct, and what is the actual reason?

Question 13
Maths reasoning · Algebra & linear equations

The length of a rectangle is (2w + 3) cm and its width is w cm. Its perimeter is 54 cm. A student claims the area of the rectangle is 171 cm². Is the student correct?

Question 14
Maths reasoning · Percentages

A $40 price rises by 25%. The new price is?

Question 15
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?

Section 2: Reading & language (15 questions)

Question 16
Reading & language · Phonics & spelling

Add 'ion' to 'decide'. It becomes?

Question 17
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?

Question 18
Reading & language · Comprehension

Read these two passages. Passage A: "The new stadium will bring thousands of jobs and inject millions of dollars into our local economy. It is exactly what this city needs." Passage B: "Construction of the proposed stadium is projected to create approximately 1,200 permanent positions and generate an estimated $40 million annually in economic activity, according to an independent economic report." Which statement best explains how the two passages differ in the way they present information?

Question 19
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 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 · Reading & comprehension

A persuasive article about renewable energy uses these two sentences close together: 'Some critics argue solar panels are too expensive. These critics have never seen an electricity bill rise by forty per cent in a single year.' What persuasive strategy does the second sentence use?

Question 22
Reading & language · Comprehension

Read this passage, then answer the question. "Two journalists covered the same factory fire. The first wrote: 'Firefighters battled through the night to contain the blaze, saving dozens of jobs and preventing further damage.' The second wrote: 'A fire last night destroyed a portion of the Millvale factory, raising questions about whether safety standards were adequate.'" Which statement best explains how the two reports reveal different perspectives?

Question 23
Reading & language · Writing & grammar

Read this sentence: 'Exhausted after the long journey, the hotel finally came into view.' What grammatical problem does this sentence contain?

Question 24
Reading & language · Persuasive & creative writing

A student writes a short story where the main character, Jonah, loses a race he has trained for all year. The final line is: 'Jonah laced up his shoes again.' The teacher says this ending is 'more powerful than explaining how Jonah felt'. Why is the ending MORE effective WITHOUT explicit explanation?

Question 25
Reading & language · Persuasive & creative writing

A student is writing a horror story and wants to build tension in a scene where the main character hears a noise downstairs. She has written: 'There was a noise. Jake went to look. He was scared.' She revises it to: 'Something shifted in the kitchen — a soft drag, then silence. Jake's hand found the banister before he knew he was moving.' What does the revision do to build tension that the original does not?

Question 26
Reading & language · Vocabulary & grammar

Read these two sentences from different editorials about the same school policy: Editorial 1: 'Students will be required to wear uniforms.' Editorial 2: 'Students will be forced into uniforms.' Which analysis most precisely explains the difference in effect?

Question 27
Reading & language · Persuasive & creative writing

A student revises the conclusion of her persuasive essay on compulsory sport in schools. Original: 'In conclusion, compulsory sport is good for students and schools should keep it.' Revision: 'The choice is simple: we either invest in students' physical and mental wellbeing now, or we pay a far greater price later. Compulsory sport is not a burden — it is a foundation.' Her teacher says the revision is 'significantly more persuasive'. Which analysis BEST explains why the revision is stronger, and identifies a potential weakness?

Question 28
Reading & language · Phonics & spelling

Which sentence contains a word where the suffix has been added INCORRECTLY, changing the meaning from what was intended?

Question 29
Reading & language · Comprehension

Read this passage, then answer the question. "The council's media release stated: 'The park upgrade project has been completed on schedule and within budget, delivering new seating, lighting and pathways for the community. A small section near the northern entrance remains temporarily closed for finishing works.'" What is the effect of describing the closed section as 'temporarily closed for finishing works'?

Question 30
Reading & language · Writing & grammar

Which is correct?

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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 →