Private School Scholarship Exams in Australia — AAS, ACER & EduTest

Private-school scholarship exams in Australia are school-chosen assessments used to award academic (and sometimes all-rounder) fee remissions at independent and Catholic schools. Braintree Coaching Australia sees three provider names on admissions packs more than any others: Academic Assessment Services (AAS), ACER Scholarship Tests, and EduTest. This page explains how those formats differ, how registration usually works, and how to prepare without mixing papers.

Which scholarship exam providers do private schools use?

Some schools also use HAST for scholarship or selective entry, or run an internal paper. Always treat the school’s published provider name as the source of truth for the current cycle.

How do AAS scholarship tests work?

Academic Assessment Services designs and manages scholarship testing for participating schools. Published skill areas include writing, reading comprehension, mathematics and reasoning (verbal, mathematical, figural and spatial). Sessions are commonly about 40–50 minutes with a short recess between papers; written expression is shorter (about 25–30 minutes). Delivery can be paper or online, on site or (for some online sittings) at home under AAS’s supervised arrangements.

Parents do not buy a generic “AAS national sitting” — the school opens registration, sets dates and decides which components to include. Results typically return to the school within about ten days of the last testing day; the school then decides scholarship awards.

How do ACER Scholarship Tests differ?

ACER’s scholarship product is separate from AAS. Primary Level P (Years 4–6 entry) covers Reading and Viewing, Mathematics and Writing on paper. Secondary Levels 1–3 (Years 7–12 entry) cover Written Expression, Humanities and Mathematics, online or on paper. Parents register through each participating school; ACER marks papers and reports to the school. Full structure and prep guidance sit on our ACER Scholarship Test preparation hub and practice resources page.

How does EduTest fit private scholarships?

EduTest’s parent information describes scholarship and entrance sittings as Ability tests (Verbal Reasoning and Numerical Reasoning, each 30 minutes multiple-choice) plus Achievement tests (Reading Comprehension and Mathematics, each 30 minutes multiple-choice, and Written Expression, 15 minutes). Schools book EduTest sittings for their own scholarship or entrance programmes — see the EduTest selective and scholarship exam hub. Families targeting both EduTest and ACER or AAS schools in the same year need separate timed-paper tracks.

How should families prepare when schools use different papers?

1. Map the list. For every target school, write down the named provider, entry year, sitting date and delivery mode from that school’s scholarship page (or the provider portal the school links to).
2. Shared foundations. Wide reading, calculator-free maths fluency, and regular timed writing transfer across providers.
3. Provider-specific drills. Match practice packs to the named paper — AAS reasoning and writing, ACER Level P or Levels 1–3, or EduTest Ability/Achievement sections.
4. Full mocks. Complete sittings under each school’s published timing. Review mistakes before the next paper.

Prep length depends on entry year and how many different providers are on your list; many Braintree families plan several terms once the provider is confirmed. That is coaching guidance, not a published exam rule.

For visual pattern work that appears in AAS reasoning and in HAST Abstract Reasoning, use the abstract and non-verbal reasoning skills guide. For free timed familiarisation, start with free mock tests.

Verified school examples (check each cycle)

Provider choice is school-specific and can change. These examples are checked against the school’s own pages as of July 2026:

• Brisbane Grammar School — Trustees’ Scholarships require the ACER Scholarship Examination (held at the school, typically in February). Candidates sit in Year 6 or Year 9 for Year 7 or Year 10 entry the following year.
• Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie) — Academic Scholarships are awarded on scholarship testing, reports and interview. Churchie’s published FAQ states the school prefers AAS and also regularly awards scholarships to boys who have sat only the ACER exam.

Do not assume every Queensland grammar or Victorian independent school uses the same paper. Confirm the named provider on each school’s current scholarship page. Broader Queensland context: Queensland grammar school scholarships guide.

Government selective pathways remain separate: NSW Selective, OC, Victoria SEHS and Queensland Academies are not private scholarship papers.

Related scholarship resources

• ACER Scholarship Test preparation
• EduTest selective and scholarship exam
• HAST exam preparation
• Queensland grammar school scholarships guide
• Australian exam calendar

Last updated: 2026-07-09. Reviewed by the Braintree Academic Panel. Provider facts checked against ACER Scholarship Tests, AAS scholarship tests, and EduTest parent testing information. School examples checked against Brisbane Grammar and Churchie Academic Scholarships.