Free · Timed · 25 minutes · Years 6–8

Free Selective Entry Practice Test — 30 Questions, 25 Minutes, Instant Results

A free, timed sample of the kind of multiple-choice questions the Victorian Selective Entry exam asks: 30 questions across maths reasoning 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

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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 44868 · New set of questions →

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Section 1: Maths reasoning (15 questions)

Question 1
Maths reasoning · Geometry

Two parallel lines are cut by a transversal. One co-interior angle is (3x + 15)° and the other is (x + 25)°. A student says x = 35. Is the student correct?

Question 2
Maths reasoning · Fraction & decimal operations

Which fraction is exactly halfway between 1/3 and 5/6 on a number line?

Question 3
Maths reasoning · Statistics & probability

Four numbers have a mean of 9. Three are 7, 11, 8. The fourth is:

Question 4
Maths reasoning · Pythagoras

A right-angled triangle has legs of length (2x) cm and (x + 3) cm, and a hypotenuse of √113 cm. What is the value of x?

Question 5
Maths reasoning · Ratios & rates

The ratio of red to blue marbles in a bag is 3 : 5. Eight more red marbles are added and the ratio becomes 1 : 1. How many blue marbles are in the bag?

Question 6
Maths reasoning · Percentages & rates

A jacket is discounted by 30%, then the sale price is increased by 30%. Compared to the original price, the final price is:

Question 7
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 8
Maths reasoning · Integers & operations

Which of the following is true for ALL integer values of n? (i) n² ≥ 0 (ii) −n < n (iii) n + (−n) = 0 (iv) n² > n

Question 9
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 10
Maths reasoning · Area, volume & angles

The angles inside a quadrilateral are (2x)°, (2x)°, (x + 20)°, and (x + 40)°. What is the value of x?

Question 11
Maths reasoning · Algebraic thinking

A sequence starts: 3, 7, 11, 15, … The rule is 'add 4 each time'. Layla says term 20 is 79. Ben says term 20 is 75. Who is correct, and what is the value?

Question 12
Maths reasoning · Area & volume

A rectangular swimming pool is 12 m long and 5 m wide. It is filled with water to a depth of 1.5 m. Water costs $2.40 per kilolitre (1 kL = 1 m³). How much does it cost to fill the pool?

Question 13
Maths reasoning · Percentages & rates

A swimming pool holds 45 000 litres when full. Due to evaporation, the volume decreases by 2% each day. Which expression gives the volume (in litres) remaining after 5 days, without any refilling?

Question 14
Maths reasoning · Fraction & decimal operations

A recipe uses 2/3 cup of sugar per batch. Theo wants to make 3 1/2 batches. How many cups of sugar does he need?

Question 15
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?

Section 2: Reading & language (15 questions)

Question 16
Reading & language · Vocabulary & grammar

Which sentence uses the word 'disinterested' correctly according to its precise meaning?

Question 17
Reading & language · Speaking & listening

A Year 6 student is asked to chair a class discussion about whether social media should be banned for under-13s. Three students keep interrupting each other, two students have said nothing, and the discussion has moved away from the topic. What should the chair do first, and why?

Question 18
Reading & language · Writing & grammar

Read these two versions of the same sentence: Version 1: 'The cyclist was awarded the gold medal by the judges.' Version 2: 'The judges awarded the cyclist the gold medal.' A student claims both versions mean the same thing and have the same effect. Which statement about this claim is MOST accurate?

Question 19
Reading & language · Comprehension

Read this passage, then answer the question. "Zara had trained for the debating competition every day for a month. On the morning of the final, her partner sent a message: 'Can't make it — sorry.' Zara stared at her phone for a full minute. Then she typed back: 'No problem. Good luck with everything.' She put the phone face-down on the table and went to make breakfast she didn't eat." The passage does not directly state how Zara feels after reading her partner's message. What does the sequence of her actions most strongly imply?

Question 20
Reading & language · Comprehension

Read this passage, then answer the question. "Thomas had always been the fastest swimmer on the team. At last year's carnival he had broken two records. But this season, a new student — quiet, barely noticeable in the corridors — had been edging closer at every training session. Thomas watched her from the corner of his eye and trained an extra hour each evening. He told everyone he was not worried." A student reading this passage claims: 'The text tells us directly that Thomas is worried about the new swimmer.' Is this claim accurate?

Question 21
Reading & language · Phonics & spelling

A student wants to spell the word for 'the quality of being responsible'. She knows the base word is 'responsible'. She removes '-ible' and adds '-ibility', making 'responsibilty'. Which statement correctly identifies her error AND explains the rule she broke?

Question 22
Reading & language · Reading & comprehension

A student is comparing two texts about drought. Text A is a government water management report. Text B is a poem by a farmer watching a dry creek bed. The student says: 'Text B is useless for research because it is just feelings.' Which response best evaluates this claim?

Question 23
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 24
Reading & language · Text response & analysis

A student is writing a text response about the novel 'The One and Only Ivan'. She writes this conclusion: "In conclusion, this essay has discussed Ivan's loneliness, his friendship with Ruby, and the theme of freedom. These are all important parts of the book." What is the main weakness of this conclusion?

Question 25
Reading & language · Persuasive & creative writing

Two students write opening paragraphs for a persuasive speech about whether Australia should introduce a four-day school week. Student A: 'Did you know that students in countries with shorter school weeks often outperform their peers? It is time Australia considered this option too.' Student B: 'Imagine arriving at school on Monday knowing that by Thursday afternoon, you are free — not exhausted, not burnt out, but actually ready to learn again next week. The four-day school week is not a fantasy. In dozens of countries, it is simply Tuesday.' Which analysis most precisely explains why Student B's opening is more effective as a persuasive speech introduction?

Question 26
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 27
Reading & language · Vocabulary & grammar

A student writes: 'Having finished her homework, the television was turned on by Maya.' A teacher marks this as containing two errors. Which pair of errors is correct?

Question 28
Reading & language · Vocabulary & grammar

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

Question 29
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 30
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?

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Reading & language0 / 15
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What this Selective Entry 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 7 or 8 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 Selective Entry 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 Selective Entry exam runs for several hours with reasoning sections and two writing tasks. 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 →