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Queensland Academies · FAQ

Queensland Academies FAQ: applications, test format and campus choice

Frequently asked questions about the Queensland Academies — how the EduTest-style entrance assessment works, application dates and fees, how results are reported, and how to choose between QASMT, QACI and QAHS.

By Braintree Editorial, Exam preparation editors, Braintree Coaching Australia

Reviewed by Braintree Academic Panel on

Last updated

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Quick Answer

The most common questions are about the test format, application dates and fees, how results are reported, and how to choose between the three campuses. The Queensland Academies (QASMT, QACI and QAHS) use an EduTest-style, computer-based Entrance Test covering Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics and Written Expression, published as approximately 3 hours in duration. There is no published cutoff score. Selection weighs the Entrance Test alongside academic records (school reports and NAPLAN results), an engagement activity or interview, and any additional relevant information supplied with the application. Applications for Year 7 entry in 2028 close at 4pm on Friday 21 August 2026.

  • Test styleEduTest-style, computer-based
  • Entry pointsYear 7 (QASMT) and Year 10
  • Application fee$270.00 (Year 7, 2028), non-refundable
  • ScoringHolistic, no published cutoff

Read the full Queensland Academies Preparation (QASMT, QACI, QAHS) guide.

These are the questions Queensland families most often ask Braintree Coaching Australia about the Queensland Academies — QASMT, QACI and QAHS. For the full picture, start with our Queensland Academies preparation hub, which links to every guide below.

Two of the answers above change every cycle, so read them first. Applications for Year 7 entry at QASMT in 2028 close at 4pm on Friday 21 August 2026, and the published application fee is $270.00, final and non-refundable. Both figures come from the Queensland Academies Year 7 enrolments page and Year 10 enrolments page, both checked on 15 August 2026. The Year 10 pages carry their own fees and closing dates, including a $300.00 late application fee, so check the page for the entry point you are applying to rather than assuming the Year 7 figures carry across.

If you are starting now, the most useful first step is a timed practice section rather than more reading: work through one 30-minute component under exam conditions, then review every wrong answer with your child before attempting another. Our Queensland Academies practice resources sets out which material to use and in what order.

The answers above cover applications, the EduTest-style test format, fees, results and campus choice. To go deeper on any topic, read our Queensland Academies test format guide and the four-phase Queensland Academies preparation strategies. For the sitting itself and what follows, see the Queensland Academies test-day guide and the Queensland Academies results guide. The Queensland Government publishes the authoritative entry information at the official Queensland Academies website; confirm dates and fees there each year.

At a glance

Key facts.

Campuses
QASMT (Toowong), QACI (Kelvin Grove), QAHS (Gold Coast)
Components
Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Reading, Mathematics, Written Expression
Entry points
Year 7 at QASMT; Year 10 at all three campuses
Application fee
$270.00 (Year 7, 2028), non-refundable
Year 7 2028 applications close
4pm, Friday 21 August 2026
Results
Late Term 4; no individual scores released
Keep going

More on this exam.

FAQ

Common questions, plainly answered.

30 questions our faculty fields most often about this exam.

About

Queensland Academies is a network of three state selective-entry high schools offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. The three campuses are QASMT (Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology) in Toowong, Brisbane; QACI (Queensland Academy for Creative Industries) in Kelvin Grove, Brisbane; and QAHS (Queensland Academy for Health Sciences) on the Gold Coast. Each academy specialises in a different field while all deliver the IB curriculum in the senior years.

QASMT (Toowong) specialises in Science, Mathematics and Technology and offers both Year 7 and Year 10 entry. QACI (Kelvin Grove) focuses on Creative Industries — visual arts, design and media — with Year 10 entry only. QAHS (Gold Coast) specialises in Health Sciences with Year 10 entry only. All three deliver the IB Diploma Programme in Years 11 and 12.

There are three Queensland Academies. QASMT is in Toowong, Brisbane; QACI is in Kelvin Grove, Brisbane; and QAHS is on the Gold Coast. Each academy partners with a host university to extend learning opportunities for its students.

Test format

The Entrance Test is an EduTest-style, computer-based assessment with five timed components. Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension and Mathematics each run 30 minutes, and Written Expression runs 15 minutes. The Queensland Academies publish the Entrance Test as approximately 3 hours in duration, so allow longer again for check-in and breaks on the day.

The Queensland Academies publish the Entrance Test as approximately 3 hours. The four 30-minute components and the 15-minute Written Expression task account for 165 minutes of testing between them, and check-in and breaks sit on top of that, so plan for most of a morning. The test is sat on screen at a designated test centre.

No. EduTest lists calculators among the items that may not be brought to any EduTest test, alongside rulers, dictionaries, working-out paper, mobile phones and smart watches. Every multi-step problem has to be worked by hand under time pressure, so mental-maths fluency and calculator-free practice are an important part of preparation.

Both entry points sit the same five components with the same published timings, including Written Expression — the Year 10 enrolments page lists the same 165 minutes of testing as Year 7. What differs is the year level the material is pitched at, since Year 10 candidates are two to three years further through school than Year 7 candidates. Prepare for the same structure, at your child's own year level.

It is demanding, and it is built to separate a strong field. EduTest does not publish how many questions each section contains, so there is no reliable "expected completion rate" to measure your child against — treat any figure you see quoted for that as unsourced. What matters in the room is pacing. Work accurately, and move on rather than sink three minutes into one question. The test measures reasoning and problem-solving beyond curriculum recall, which is why it can feel unfamiliar even to a child who does well at school.

Scoring

The Queensland Academies do not publish cutoff scores or percentile requirements for any campus or entry point. Selection is holistic, considering entrance-test performance, school reports, NAPLAN results and, for shortlisted applicants, an interview or portfolio. Focus on a balanced result across every component rather than a single score target.

Places are limited, and the Queensland Academies state only that the number of highly capable candidates seeking enrolment typically exceeds the number of places available. No applicant counts, offer rates or score ranges are published for any campus, so there is no published measure of how competitive a given year was. What that means for your child is that steady work across every component matters more than a single strong section.

Four elements are assessed — the Entrance Test, academic records (school reports and NAPLAN results), an engagement activity or interview, and any additional relevant information supplied with the application. No weighting is published for any of them, and no percentile band or rank is published for successful applicants either. The practical consequence is that there is no number to aim at — a consistent profile across all four elements is what the process is built to reward.

Applications

Applications are submitted through the Queensland Academies online portal. You will typically need a recent photograph, birth-certificate or citizenship details, the two most recent semester school reports, all available NAPLAN results, and any giftedness or medical documentation. The published application fee for Year 7 entry in 2028 is $270.00, and the Queensland Academies state that all application fees are final and non-refundable.

Timelines differ by entry point. Applications for Year 7 entry at QASMT in 2028 are open now and close at 4pm on Friday 21 August 2026. For Year 10 entry in 2028, on-time applications are open and the Queensland Academies list the closing date as to be confirmed; late applications for Year 10 in 2027 are still being accepted. Confirm the exact dates on the official Queensland Academies enrolments pages before you plan around them, because the dates move each cycle.

The application fee published for Year 7 entry in 2028 is $270.00, and the Year 10 enrolments page publishes a late application fee of $300.00. All application fees are final and non-refundable, whatever the outcome. Once enrolled, the Queensland Academies are Queensland state schools with no tuition fees for domestic students, though international students pay tuition and some materials and excursions carry costs.

Apply in Year 5 for QASMT Year 7 entry, about two years before starting. Apply in Year 8 for Year 10 entry at any campus, about one year before starting. Working from the current round, the applications closing on 21 August 2026 are for Year 7 entry in 2028, so the child applying now is in Year 5 this year.

No. A student can only submit one application for enrolment to Queensland Academies in a given year, so you have to choose QASMT, QACI or QAHS on your child's interests rather than spreading applications. Because the limit applies per year, an unsuccessful Year 7 application does not use up a Year 10 application in a later year. The Queensland Academies also state there is no transfer process from the end of the Middle School programme (Year 9) at QASMT into Year 10 at QACI or QAHS.

Preparation

Start early rather than long. Families aiming at QASMT Year 7 entry usually begin in Year 5, roughly 18 to 24 months out; for Year 10 entry, 12 to 18 months is more typical. On weekly load, our academic panel's recommended maximum for scholarship and EduTest-focused preparation is six to seven hours a week including class time, with the largest share of that going to the weakest section, and adjusted down if sleep, mood or family time suffer. That is coaching guidance, not a medical prescription or an outcome guarantee.

Coaching is not mandatory, but structured preparation helps because the EduTest-style format differs from regular school tests and competition is strong. The most useful preparation is diagnostic — identifying the specific section a child is weakest in — and gives the child regular timed practice with substantive feedback rather than generic worksheets.

Numerical Reasoning rewards pattern recognition rather than taught arithmetic, so practise number sequences, shape and symbol patterns, matrix reasoning and logical deduction regularly. Short, frequent drills work better than occasional long sessions. Pair this with calculator-free Mathematics practice, since both are the components families most often underestimate.

No. The Queensland Academies do not release past Entrance Test papers. EduTest publishes its own practice tests, which are the closest official match to the question types your child will meet. Our Queensland Academies practice resources guide sets out what to use, in what order, and how to review a completed paper so the practice actually changes something.

Regular timed writing practice is the most effective approach. Practise planning an essay quickly (two to three minutes), writing with clear structure (introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion), and editing for errors. Varied topics build the flexibility needed for an unseen writing prompt at QASMT Year 7 entry.

Results

No. The Queensland Academies do not distribute individual test results or diagnostic reports to families. Results are considered alongside school reports, NAPLAN results and interview or portfolio evidence as part of a holistic assessment, so no per-section breakdown is provided.

Outcomes are typically released in late Term 4. Interview invitations are generally issued earlier in the term, followed by offers. Outcomes are communicated by email to the address provided in the application. Some applicants are held in a merit pool and may receive offers later if places become available.

The merit pool is a waiting list of capable applicants who narrowly missed an initial offer because places were full. Merit-pool applicants remain eligible for an offer if a place becomes available later — for example when another applicant declines. Being placed in the merit pool reflects a strong application.

If your child does not receive an offer, they may apply again in a subsequent year. Use the experience to identify which components need more preparation and confirm whether the chosen campus still matches your child's interests. Merit-pool applicants remain eligible if a place becomes available later in the cycle.

Comparisons

No. The Queensland Academies use an EduTest-style Entrance Test, while Brisbane State High School uses the ACER HAST. The two have different section structures and timings. This is the mistake we see most often in tutor intake. Families targeting both pathways underestimate that the tests, fees and timelines differ, and try to blend one preparation programme across both. Split the preparation by pathway instead. Our Brisbane State High School selective entry preparation hub covers the HAST in detail.

The Entrance Test is demanding in a different way to NAPLAN. NAPLAN tests year-level curriculum knowledge, whereas the EduTest-style assessment measures reasoning and problem-solving beyond the regular curriculum. A child who sits in the top NAPLAN bands still benefits from dedicated practice on the reasoning components, because those question types are rarely taught at school.

Eligibility

International students can apply for Years 10 to 12 only, not Years 7 to 9 — the Queensland Academies are accredited to enrol international students into the Years 10 to 12 IB Diploma Programme. They must first apply through Education Queensland International (EQI) and meet EQI criteria, and confirm those criteria are met before applying to the Queensland Academies. Different and earlier timelines apply, and international tuition fees are payable.

Yes. Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (AARA) are available for applicants with verified disabilities, learning differences or medical conditions. Provisions must be requested during the application with supporting documentation. The Queensland Academies state that students with approved AARA sit an alternative sitting of the Entrance Test, which may fall on a different date, so ask about the date as soon as the adjustment is approved.

The Queensland Academies are Queensland government schools. Check the current eligibility requirements on the official Queensland Academies website each year, as residency and enrolment criteria may apply.

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