Victoria SEHS Year 9 sample questions with worked solutions

The Victorian SEHS entrance exam for Year 9 entry has five ACER components, each timed at 30 minutes: reading comprehension, mathematics, verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and writing. Students typically sit the exam in Year 8. The items in the printable pack mirror those 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: Tomas slipped the envelope into his backpack without opening it. At dinner, when his father asked about the SEHS information night, Tomas talked about tomorrow's basketball training instead.

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

Look for actions that suggest intent. Putting the envelope away unopened and changing the topic both point to avoidance. The worked solution in the PDF explains why “Tomas is avoiding discussing the SEHS information night with his father” is the best answer.

Sample question — mathematics

Question: A bookstore reduces the price of a $48 book by 25%. What is the sale price?

Find 25% of $48, then subtract from the original price. Twenty-five percent is one quarter: $12 off, so the sale price is $36. The PDF includes the full worked solution and common traps.

Sample question — verbal reasoning

Question: Chapter is to book as scene is to ___

Verbal reasoning items test word relationships and analogies. The PDF walks through the method: identify how the first pair relates, then find the matching relationship for the second pair.

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 Victoria SEHS preparation strategies and the Victoria SEHS course outline. The downloadable PDF includes sample items across all five SEHS components with full worked solutions.