IGNITE Year 7–8 sample questions with worked solutions

South Australian IGNITE programme entry is decided by an ACER ability test. Glenunga International High School and Aberfoyle Park High School use the ACER HAST; The Heights School uses the dedicated ACER IGNITE assessment. Year 6 students sit the paper for Year 7 entry. The items in the printable pack mirror the four timed section types.

How to use these questions

Ask your child to attempt each question first, then read the worked solution together and discuss where their reasoning matched or differed. One or two questions per session is enough — the goal is to practise explaining method under time pressure.

Sample question — reading inference

Passage: Priya slid the Glenunga IGNITE information sheet under a pile of school notices and asked her mother whether they could visit the Adelaide Central Market instead of talking about practice tests that afternoon.

Question: Which statement is most strongly supported by the passage?

Look for actions that suggest intent. Hiding the information sheet and redirecting to the market both suggest avoidance of the exam topic. The worked solution in the PDF explains why “Priya is avoiding discussing exam preparation with her mother” is the best answer.

Sample question — vocabulary in context

Passage: The coordinator described the IGNITE assessment-day timetable as provisional — families would receive a confirmed schedule after ACER finalised the venue details.

Question: What does provisional most nearly mean in this passage?

Use the surrounding context. A confirmed schedule will come later, so the current timetable is not fixed. The PDF includes the full worked solution and common traps.

Sample question — mathematical reasoning

Question: A school fundraiser sells fruit juice and sparkling water in the ratio 5 : 2. If 750 mL of fruit juice is poured, how much sparkling water is needed?

Scale the ratio: 750 mL is 5 parts, so 1 part = 150 mL and 2 parts = 300 mL. The PDF walks through the method and explains common ratio traps.

How your child can check their own work

Before reading the solutions, ask: “Which option did you eliminate first, and why?” For numerical items, estimate whether the answer should be larger or smaller than the starting numbers. For reading, point to the exact phrase that supports the chosen answer.

Next step

For a wider view of preparation, see our Ignite preparation strategies and the Ignite course outline. The downloadable PDF includes sample items across all four sections with full worked solutions.