SEHS exam format: components, timing and structure

Entry to a Victorian Selective Entry High School (SEHS) is decided by a single ACER-administered entrance exam rather than a school-report ranking, so understanding the paper your child will sit is the first step before practice begins. Braintree Coaching Australia prepares Year 8 candidates for that assessment, and this page sets out the SEHS exam format at the centre of our Victoria SEHS preparation programme for entry into Melbourne High, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School, Nossal High School and Suzanne Cory High School. Our Victoria SEHS schools guide compares the four campuses; for Werribee co-ed pathway detail see the Suzanne Cory High School entry guide, and for girls-only Melbourne campus detail see the Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School entry guide. ACER administers the sitting; confirm current-cycle dates on the Victorian Government selective entry page. The test is ability-focused: it measures reasoning, comprehension and problem-solving rather than year-level curriculum recall.

Which components does the SEHS exam include?

The SEHS exam assesses five skill areas inside three timed blocks: Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (60 minutes), Reading and Verbal Reasoning (55 minutes), and Writing (40 minutes, two tasks). The skill names below still matter for prep, but the clock runs on the combined blocks published on ACER's Victorian SEHS exam-day page.

• Reading Comprehension measures how well your child understands, analyses and interprets written passages. Questions cover main idea, inference, vocabulary in context, author purpose and supporting details.
• Mathematics measures problem-solving, numerical reasoning and mathematical concepts. Questions cover number operations, fractions, decimals and percentages, algebra, geometry, measurement and data interpretation. No calculator is permitted.
• Verbal Reasoning (General Ability) measures vocabulary, word relationships and language-based reasoning. Questions include analogies, synonyms and antonyms, sentence completion, word classification and verbal logic puzzles.
• Quantitative Reasoning (General Ability) measures numerical patterns, sequences and logical problem-solving. Questions cover number sequences, pattern recognition, spatial reasoning, logical deduction and abstract problem-solving. In Braintree Coaching Australia mock reviews (sehs-mistake-bank), Quantitative Reasoning is one of the areas Year 8 candidates most often under-prepare for because school maths lessons rarely rehearse matrix and pattern work.
• Writing measures clear written expression under time pressure. Your child completes two extended responses inside the 40-minute Writing block (for example creative, persuasive or descriptive), marked on structure, grammar, ideas and organisation.

How do the three timed blocks fit together?

ACER publishes three timed blocks rather than five separate 30-minute sittings. Exam tasks take 2 hours 35 minutes; the full administration day is about 4 hours once registration and breaks are included. ACER does not publish how many multiple-choice questions sit in each block, so prepare for pace against the published minutes, not against an assumed count.

Timed block	Skills inside the block	Duration	Format
Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning	Mathematics; Quantitative Reasoning	60 minutes	Multiple choice, paper answer booklets
Break	—	20 minutes	Snacks and water permitted as advised
Reading and Verbal Reasoning	Reading Comprehension; Verbal Reasoning	55 minutes	Multiple choice, paper answer booklets
Short break	—	5 minutes	Short pause before Writing
Writing	Writing	40 minutes	Two written tasks
Exam tasks total		2h 35m	Full day ~4 hours including registration

Because the test is paper-based, your child reads each question in a test booklet and marks answers with pencil or pen. Familiarity with the paper format and pacing across the three blocks is part of preparation. For arrival, sign-in and venue logistics, see our SEHS test-day guide. Authoritative practice materials and how they map to these blocks are on our SEHS practice resources page.

What does a typical SEHS test day look like?

A typical SEHS sitting runs in the order ACER publishes for exam day: Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning first, a 20-minute break, Reading and Verbal Reasoning, a 5-minute short break, then Writing. Exact clock-face start times vary by venue; plan transport around the published ~4-hour administration window rather than a five-sitting morning timetable.

Stage	Activity
Registration	Arrival, check-in, seating, practice examples for answer booklets
Block 1	Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (60 minutes)
Break	20 minutes
Block 2	Reading and Verbal Reasoning (55 minutes)
Short break	5 minutes
Block 3	Writing (40 minutes, two tasks)
Finish	Collection after administration completes

Your child should bring proof of identity, a printed admission ticket, two blue or black pens, a bottle of water and snacks for the break. Calculators, phones, smart watches and other electronic devices are not permitted in the exam venue. Confirm the current checklist on ACER's exam-day page before the sitting.

How is the SEHS exam different from NSW Selective and Queensland Academies?

The SEHS exam is Victoria's statewide selective-entry assessment for four government high schools. It differs structurally from the NSW Selective High School placement test, which is computer-based and administered by the NSW Department of Education, from EduTest-style scholarship and selective exams used by several independent and state schools, and from the Brisbane State High School selective exam (ACER HAST) in Queensland. All three reward reasoning over curriculum recall, but the SEHS paper remains paper-based and combines Mathematics with Quantitative Reasoning, and Reading with Verbal Reasoning, before a two-task Writing block. For a side-by-side view of the NSW paper, see our NSW Selective test format guide.

What does the SEHS format mean for preparation?

The SEHS exam rewards reasoning that most Year 8 classrooms do not teach explicitly, so a child performing well in school still benefits from targeted, format-specific work. From Braintree Coaching Australia tutor marking records (sehs-mistake-bank), the two areas families under-prepare most often are Quantitative Reasoning, which depends on pattern and matrix practice rather than curriculum knowledge, and Writing, where two timed tasks must be planned, drafted and proofread inside a single 40-minute block. The Victorian Government publishes the authoritative description of SEHS entry at vic.gov.au/selective-entry-high-schools. To turn the format into a study plan, read our SEHS preparation strategies; for practice materials mapped to these blocks, see SEHS practice resources; and if questions about eligibility, applications or school choice remain, our Victoria SEHS FAQ answers what parents ask next.