VIC Selective Entry

The exam assesses aptitude for higher order thinking, problem-solving, reasoning, creative thinking, comprehension, interpretation, and the ability to apply known concepts to situations. It is not a test of Year 9 content: the required knowledge in any section will not exceed that found in the Year 8 curriculum.

Candidates must be in their second year of secondary schooling (Year 8), must not have previously sat the examination for Year 9 entry, and must be an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen residing in Australia, a visa or ImmiCard holder exempt from International Student Fees, or able to meet those criteria by the time offers are made. Fee-paying international students in Victorian schools are not eligible.

The examination takes place in June each year across multiple venues, and applicants are assigned a centre by email once applications close. Sitting remotely or on an alternative date is only available in limited circumstances, such as religious or cultural reasons, living interstate or overseas, an overseas exchange, official representation, or a parent's work posting. Requests need suitable evidence and must use the special arrangements form in the application portal.

No. Eligibility requires that a candidate has not previously sat the examination for Year 9 entry. Entry at Years 10 and 11 is a separate matter: a small number of places may become available at those levels and are managed directly by the schools rather than through the centralised Year 9 process.

The content ceiling is Year 8, so difficulty comes from the reasoning demand rather than advanced content. Build broad reading comprehension, practise multi-step problem-solving and interpretation tasks under time, and get used to explaining your thinking. Do not spend your preparation racing through Year 9 or 10 material.

Standard merit accounts for 85% of places, based on rank from exam performance. Equity consideration accounts for up to 10%, based on exam performance plus meeting the equity conditions. Principal discretion accounts for up to 5%, at the discretion of the individual school's principal. A cap also applies to offers from any single source school.

After the examination, principals may invite selected students who received strong results to apply under principal discretion. An invitation is not an offer of a place. Applicants complete a form, shortlisted candidates attend an interview with a selection panel, and criteria can include exam results, recent school reports, co-curricular participation, stated reasons for wanting to attend, preferred school, and sibling connections.

Two recurring problems are preparing beyond the Year 8 ceiling instead of sharpening reasoning and comprehension, and missing administrative deadlines. Special arrangement requests, equity documentation with both Customer Reference Numbers, and any principal discretion paperwork all have fixed dates. Late or incomplete submissions are the easiest way to lose an opportunity you had earned.

Applications are free for families with a valid health care card or pensioner concession card, and for First Nations families. Families who do not meet those criteria but face financial barriers can apply for a fee reduction based on financial hardship. If eligibility for a waiver or reduction cannot be confirmed, the application fee must be paid.

For concerns about the administration of the examination and the standard or equity offers process, contact the ACER team. Concerns about the principal discretion process follow a separate path: first the school principal within the published timeline, and only then, if concerns continue, the department's South Eastern or South Western regional office in writing.