HAST (Higher Ability Selection Test) Preparation for Australian Selective and Independent Schools

Quick answer: what is the HAST (Higher Ability Selection Test)?

The HAST (Higher Ability Selection Test) is a paper-based cognitive ability assessment developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and used by more than 100 selective and independent schools across Australia for entry into selective, scholarship and accelerated programs from Year 5 to Year 12. The test has four components — Reading Comprehension, Mathematical Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning and Written Expression — totals approximately 2 to 2.5 hours of testing time, and is scored against a high-ability reference cohort rather than the general population.

For the 2027 entry cycle, start with our HAST schools complete list by state, what is HAST parent guide, and HAST past papers and practice resources. Queensland families weighing HAST against EduTest should read HAST vs EduTest; for timed HAST mocks see HAST online mocks.

2027 HAST entry — what families should confirm now

Each school chooses its own HAST sitting date and registration window. There is no central national timetable. Use this checklist before you buy practice materials:

Step	What to confirm	Where to verify
1	Target schools and entry year (Year 5–12)	HAST schools list by state + each school's admissions page
2	HAST-P vs HAST Secondary package (3- or 4-component)	School admissions office; HAST format guide
3	Registration opens and test month for 2027 entry	School website or enrolment office (typically Nov–Feb registration; Mar–Aug sittings — Unconfirmed per school until published)
4	Whether the school uses HAST or EduTest (QLD Academies use EduTest)	HAST vs EduTest reference
5	Baseline practice material	Free HAST sample questions and HAST online mocks

What is HAST and which schools use it?

HAST is the standardised cognitive ability test ACER builds for selective entry, scholarship and accelerated programs. It is paper-based, administered by individual schools rather than by a central authority, and used across five Australian states: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. More than 100 schools currently use HAST as part of their selection process for entry into Years 5 through 12.

Representative HAST-using schools include:

• NSW (selective and independent): Fort Street High School, Chatswood High School, Penrith Selective High School, Hornsby Girls High School, Sydney Technical High School, Epping Boys High School, Hurlstone Agricultural High School, St George Girls High School, Sydney Catholic Schools' Newman Selective Gifted Education Program and Sydney Grammar Edgecliff Preparatory.
• Victoria (selective and independent): Balwyn High School, Box Hill High School, Dandenong High School, Brentwood Secondary College, Mill Park Secondary School, Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College, Wheelers Hill Secondary College, Parade College and Aquinas College.
• Queensland: Brisbane State High School, Indooroopilly State High School, Benowa State High School, Palm Beach Currumbin State High School, Robina State High School and The Southport School.
• South Australia (IGNITE-pathway schools): Glenunga International High School, Adelaide Botanic High School, The Heights School, Aberfoyle Park High School, Norwood International High School, Unley High School and Woodville High School.
• Western Australia: Churchlands Senior High School, Mount Lawley Senior High School, Carey Baptist College, Harrisdale Senior High School and Ocean Reef Senior High School.

Each school publishes its own entry year levels (most commonly Year 7, but ranging from Year 5 to Year 12), test fees and registration windows. There is no single HAST sitting; families targeting multiple schools must register at each independently.

What does the HAST test measure?

HAST is an ability test in the ACER tradition: it measures reasoning capacity across four domains rather than year-level curriculum recall. The four components are administered in a single sitting with short breaks between them.

Component	Format	Time	What it measures
Reading Comprehension	Multiple choice	30–45 min	Inference, vocabulary in context, main idea, author purpose; fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, diagrams, tables, charts and maps
Mathematical Reasoning	Multiple choice	30–40 min	Problem-solving across number, pattern, ratio, geometry and measurement; Secondary levels integrate scientific data interpretation
Abstract Reasoning	Multiple choice	30 min	Visual pattern recognition, sequences, matrices and logical relationships — language-independent
Written Expression	Extended response	25–30 min	One creative or discursive task assessed on thought, structure, expression and mechanics
Total testing time (with breaks)		~2 to 2.5 hours

Calculators are not permitted in Mathematical Reasoning. Abstract Reasoning is the shortest component but the densest in time pressure — roughly one item per minute — and is the component most commonly under-practised by students new to ability testing. For question-type drills (matrices, series, analogies, spatial tasks), see our abstract and non-verbal reasoning skills guide.

HAST Primary versus HAST Secondary

ACER offers HAST at two levels. HAST Primary is used for entry into Years 5, 6 and 7 and uses shorter, simpler items across the four components. HAST Secondary is used for entry into Years 8 to 12 and adds scientific data interpretation to Mathematical Reasoning, plus more demanding texts in Reading Comprehension. Schools also choose between three- and four-component packages: a Primary Option 2 or Secondary Option 2 package omits Abstract Reasoning, while a Secondary Option 3 package omits Written Expression. Families should confirm the exact package each target school uses before booking practice materials.

How is HAST scored — what is a good score?

Raw scores from each of the four components are converted by ACER into:

• Raw scores for each sub-test.
• Standardised scores that allow comparison across HAST cohorts.
• Percentiles relative to a high-ability reference group.
• Stanines (1–9) for each sub-test and overall.

The reference group is the critical distinction. HAST percentiles compare a student to others who recently sat HAST as part of a gifted-and-talented selection process — a cohort already above the general-population average. A student at the 70th HAST percentile is therefore performing strongly relative to a high-ability cohort, not against all Australian students their age.

ACER applies double-marking to Written Expression. Each script is independently assessed by two markers; where their raw-score totals differ by more than two points, a third marker resolves the discrepancy. This minimises individual marker variance on the only component that is not machine-scored.

Schools publish their own cut-offs and rarely release exact numbers. Competitive selective and scholarship programs commonly target the 85th percentile or above within the HAST reference cohort. Families preparing for the most contested programs (for example Brisbane State High School entry, Sydney Grammar scholarship rounds, or Year 7 entry into competitive NSW selective schools) typically practise toward the 90th–95th HAST percentile to leave a comfort margin.

When and where is HAST held, and how do families register?

HAST is administered directly by each school. Most schools run a single HAST sitting per year between March and August for entry the following year. Registration windows commonly open in November or February and close 6 to 12 months before the test date. Some schools — particularly competitive scholarship rounds — fill their HAST spots quickly, so families targeting multiple schools should write to admissions offices in October or November the year before to confirm timelines.

Practical implications:

• Test fees typically range $80–$150 per sitting; some schools bundle this into the broader application fee.
• Multiple schools may be applied to in the same year — each runs its own sitting independently, so test dates do not clash mechanically but logistical fatigue does compound.
• Missed sittings generally mean waiting another full year. Most schools do not run alternative or make-up sittings.
• Test-day materials the student is expected to bring: two HB or B pencils, an eraser and sharpener for multiple-choice components, two blue or black pens for Written Expression, water and a layer if the room is cold.

What does a strong HAST preparation look like?

HAST rewards a long, structured preparation rather than a short sprint. A 12-month plan typically runs in three phases.

1. Foundations (12 months out). Wide reading across fiction, non-fiction, poetry and visual texts to build vocabulary and inference. Daily mental math (~10 problems) to build calculator-free fluency. Introductory exposure to abstract-reasoning patterns and matrices. One short creative or discursive writing task per week.
2. Component practice (6–3 months out). Weekly timed sets in each of the four components. Worked solutions reviewed the same week — the goal is to understand why an incorrect answer was incorrect, not just to learn the right one. Writing tasks marked against HAST criteria, focusing on a plan-write-edit rhythm within 25–30 minutes.
3. Full mocks (final 8 weeks). Monthly full-length, ACER-format mock tests under exam timing — official ACER HAST Sample Booklets (2019, 2023) are the timing and content benchmark. Written Expression is marked each time. Use mocks to estimate percentile-equivalent performance against the HAST high-ability reference cohort.

Three patterns consistently move HAST scores most:

• Abstract Reasoning daily drills — students new to ability testing routinely lose marks in the opening 5 items of a 30-minute set while they orient. Familiarity with question types removes that early-set drop almost entirely.
• Written Expression with human feedback — the only component not machine-marked benefits from rubric-based marking that automated tools cannot reliably replicate.
• Error analysis, not score-chasing — students who keep a log of misread instructions, pacing errors and content gaps improve faster than students who only count correct answers.

Reading widely, doing puzzles, journalling daily and rotating focus across the four components (multiple-choice on Monday–Thursday, writing on Friday, a mini-mock late in the week) is the most common rhythm we see among HAST candidates who improve materially.

What are the most common HAST mistakes to avoid?

• Misreading the instructions at the top of each component. HAST instructions vary by year and by school package; reading them carefully takes 30 seconds and prevents whole-section format errors.
• Practising strengths instead of weaknesses. The HAST percentile is a composite signal; lifting a 50th-percentile component to the 70th moves the overall score far more than lifting a 90th-percentile component to the 95th.
• Leaving items blank under time pressure. HAST carries no guessing penalty — every unanswered item is a guaranteed missed mark.
• Under-preparing Written Expression. Many families assume creative writing cannot be drilled. The HAST writing rubric assesses structure, idea quality, language control and mechanics — all of which respond directly to weekly practice with feedback.
• Last-minute cramming. HAST measures reasoning capacity built over months. The last 48 hours should prioritise sleep, balanced food and one or two short orientation drills, not new content.

How HAST compares to other Australian selective tests

Families across multiple states often weigh HAST against neighbouring tests their child might also sit. The headline differences:

• EduTest — used by independent and Catholic schools nationally and by the Queensland Academies for Year 7 entry. Five components rather than HAST's four, and a different timing structure.
• NSW Selective High Schools Test — Year 6 entry for NSW fully selective schools. Computer-based, separate writing component, different reporting framework.
• Opportunity Class (OC) test — NSW Year 4 entry for Year 5 OC placements. Computer-based, shorter test, narrower content range.
• ASET (Academic Selective Entrance Test) — Western Australia Year 6 entry for Perth Modern School and GATE programs. ACER-built but WA-specific, with a single Total Scaled Score (TSS) used for ranking.
• BSHS HAST round — Brisbane State High School uses HAST itself for Year 7 entry, so families targeting BSHS are already preparing in the HAST framework.

Families applying across states must prepare for each format separately. The most common avoidable error is treating HAST practice as interchangeable with NSW Selective or OC practice — the formats, timing and reporting all differ. WA families weighing GATE should read ASET results interpretation alongside HAST prep.

What support do HAST families typically use?

Effective HAST preparation usually combines four elements:

1. The student's own reading and practice habits — built over 12 months, not the last term.
2. Official ACER HAST Sample Booklets as the source-of-truth timing and content benchmark.
3. Targeted coaching that is diagnostic — identifying the student's weakest of the four components and giving regular timed practice with substantive feedback.
4. Rubric-based marking on Written Expression so the student gets a calibrated view of where their writing sits against ACER's expectations.

Marketing-led "tutoring packs" without rubric-based feedback rarely move the dial on Written Expression specifically, because that component is the most sensitive to human marker insight. Diagnostic-led coaching, however focused, is the most leveraged element in HAST programs we see succeed.

Related HAST resources

• HAST vs EduTest — who sits which paper
• Australian scholarship exams compared — ACER vs EduTest vs HAST
• HAST test format and four components guide
• HAST preparation strategies and study planning
• HAST practice tests and resources
• HAST online mocks — free samples and paid course options
• HAST results and percentile interpretation
• HAST test-day guidelines
• Full HAST exam FAQ
• HAST schools complete list by state (2027)
• What is HAST? parent guide
• HAST past papers and practice resources
• WA gifted and talented program — complete parent guide
• Historical 2026 Australian exam dates and registration deadlines

Last updated: 2026-07-15. Reviewed by the Braintree Coaching Academic Team.