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 43334 · New set of questions →

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Section 1: Maths reasoning (15 questions)

Question 1
Maths reasoning · Percentages

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

Question 2
Maths reasoning · Algebra & linear equations

Jamie thinks of a number. If you triple the number and subtract 10, you get the same answer as doubling the number and adding 4. Jamie then doubles his original number and adds 3. What is the final result?

Question 3
Maths reasoning · Pythagoras

A square has side length 7 cm. A smaller square is drawn inside it so that each vertex of the smaller square lies on a side of the outer square, exactly 3 cm from one corner. What is the side length of the inner square?

Question 4
Maths reasoning · Fraction & decimal operations

Anika ran 2.45 km on Monday and 1.8 km on Tuesday. On Wednesday she wants to run enough so her three-day total is exactly 6 km. How far must she run on Wednesday?

Question 5
Maths reasoning · Integers & operations

A diver is at a depth of −18 m. She swims up at a constant rate and after 3 minutes she is at −6 m. If she continues at exactly the same rate, how many seconds after she started will she first reach a depth of 0 m (the surface)?

Question 6
Maths reasoning · Statistics & probability

Adding the value 0 to the set 4, 6, 8 changes the mean to:

Question 7
Maths reasoning · Indices

Two students simplify 4³ × 2⁵. Student A gets 8⁸ and Student B gets 2¹¹. Who is correct, and why?

Question 8
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 9
Maths reasoning · Percentages

Three friends each start with a different amount of pocket money. Ava's amount increases by 20%. Ben's amount increases by 50% and then decreases by 20%. Charlie's amount decreases by 10% and then increases by 30%. Which statement about their overall percentage change is correct?

Question 10
Maths reasoning · Indices

A bacteria culture doubles every hour. At 9 am there are 2⁵ bacteria. How many bacteria are there at 1 pm the same day, expressed as a power of 2?

Question 11
Maths reasoning · Geometry

A right-angled triangle is removed from a rectangle. The rectangle is 10 cm long and 6 cm wide. The triangle occupies one corner and has legs of 4 cm (along the length) and 6 cm (along the width — the full width). A second right-angled triangle of the same size is then added onto the opposite short end of the rectangle. What is the area of the new shape?

Question 12
Maths reasoning · Percentages & rates

Bought for $50, sold for $65. Percentage profit?

Question 13
Maths reasoning · Integers

The temperature in a city changes by the same amount each hour. At 6 am the temperature is −10°C. At 10 am it is 6°C. What is the temperature at noon?

Question 14
Maths reasoning · Geometry

A composite shape is made of a rectangle 12 cm long and 5 cm wide, with a right-angled triangle removed from one corner. The triangle has legs of 3 cm (along the width) and 4 cm (along the length). What is the area of the remaining shape?

Question 15
Maths reasoning · Equations

A plumber charges a $45 call-out fee plus $60 per hour. An electrician charges a $75 call-out fee plus $50 per hour. For how many hours of work do they charge exactly the same total amount?

Section 2: Reading & language (15 questions)

Question 16
Reading & language · Reading & comprehension

A persuasive letter about protecting a local park ends with this paragraph: 'Parks do not need defending. The people who built this suburb without a single tree — they need defending. Let them explain to the children who will grow up here why cement was worth more than shade.' What makes this ending persuasive, and how does it work?

Question 17
Reading & language · Persuasive & creative writing

Two students write about the same issue — plastic pollution — for a school newspaper. Student A writes: 'Plastic waste is a growing environmental problem that scientists and governments must address urgently.' Student B writes: 'Our oceans are drowning in plastic while governments fiddle and scientists debate. Who will speak for the fish?' Which statement BEST explains how the second text reveals a stronger bias?

Question 18
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 19
Reading & language · Text response & analysis

Two reviews are written about the same film. Review 1 says: 'The film bravely tackles difficult questions about identity.' Review 2 says: 'The film recklessly sensationalises issues of identity for box-office gain.' Both reviewers describe the same creative choice by the director. Which statement BEST explains how the two reviews differ in their use of language?

Question 20
Reading & language · Comprehension

Read this passage, then answer the question. "Two articles reported on the same school's decision to ban mobile phones. The first read: 'Westfield Secondary has taken a bold step to improve student focus, joining a growing number of schools committed to distraction-free learning.' The second read: 'Westfield Secondary this week banned students from carrying mobile phones during school hours, a policy that has divided opinion among parents and staff.'" Which statement best explains how the two articles construct different impressions of the same event?

Question 21
Reading & language · Phonics & spelling

Read this sentence: 'The principal complemented the students on their patients during the long ceremony.' How many words are used incorrectly because a homophone or near-homophone has been chosen instead of the correct word?

Question 22
Reading & language · Vocabulary & grammar

Read this sentence: 'The council's decision to close the park was met with fierce opposition from residents, who argued it was their only green space.' Which grammatical feature most contributes to the persuasive force of the residents' argument?

Question 23
Reading & language · Reading & comprehension

A story narrator says: 'I told Jess it was a great idea.' Later the narrator thinks: 'I had said what she needed to hear.' What does the second sentence reveal about the narrator that the first sentence hides?

Question 24
Reading & language · Phonics & spelling

A student is learning about words derived from the Latin root 'scrib'/'script' (meaning 'to write'). She writes these four sentences and underlines a word in each: 1. The doctor gave her a 'prescription' for the medicine. 2. The journalist wrote a 'manuscript' by hand. 3. The teacher asked them to 'transcribe' the passage. 4. The ancient carvings were an 'inscription' on the stone. She claims: 'Because the root means to write, the silent letters in these words all come from the same Latin root and must always be spelled -scr-.' A classmate challenges her, saying that 'manuscript' is different because its meaning comes from TWO Latin roots, and so the spelling rule she stated does not fully apply. Which option CORRECTLY evaluates both claims?

Question 25
Reading & language · Phonics & spelling

How many syllables in 'responsibility'?

Question 26
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 27
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 28
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 29
Reading & language · Vocabulary & grammar

A student is revising this sentence: 'The reason why the match was cancelled was because of the rain.' The teacher says it contains a grammatical redundancy. Which revised version BEST fixes the redundancy while keeping the meaning?

Question 30
Reading & language · Text response & analysis

Read this extract from a short story: 'Every morning, Grandma set two cups on the table — one for herself and one that sat untouched, waiting, as it had for three years now. She hummed while she made the tea, the same song she had always hummed, and smiled at the window the way she used to smile at the door.' A student says the extract is simply about a woman's morning routine. Which statement BEST explains why this reading is insufficient, and what technique supports a deeper interpretation?

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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 →