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Victoria SEHS · FAQ

Victoria SEHS FAQ: applications, test format and school choice

Frequently asked questions about the Victorian Selective Entry High School (SEHS) entrance exam — how the three ACER timed blocks work, application dates, school caps, results and how to choose between Melbourne High, Mac.Robertson, Nossal and Suzanne Cory.

By Braintree Editorial, Exam preparation editors, Braintree Coaching Australia

Reviewed by Braintree Academic Panel on

Last updated

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Quick Answer

The questions parents ask most are about the $175 ACER application fee, the 4% and 10% school caps, the application and test dates, how long to prepare, and how competitive selection works. The Victorian SEHS entrance exam is administered by ACER in three timed blocks — Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (60 minutes), Reading and Verbal Reasoning (55 minutes), and Writing (40 minutes, two tasks) — sat in Year 8 for Year 9 entry. Exam tasks take 2 hours 35 minutes; the full sitting takes about 4 hours including registration and breaks. Selection is competitive ranking with school preferences, not a fixed pass mark.

  • Timed blocks3 sittings
  • Exam tasks2h 35m
  • Full day~4 hours
  • SelectionCompetitive ranking

Read the full Victoria Selective Entry High Schools (SEHS) preparation guide.

These are the questions Victorian families most often ask Braintree Coaching Australia about the Victorian Selective Entry High School (SEHS) entrance exam. For the full picture, start with our Victoria SEHS preparation hub, which links to every guide below.

The answers above cover the test format, eligibility, preparation, school caps, results and test day. To go deeper on any topic, read our SEHS exam format guide, the SEHS preparation strategies, the SEHS practice resources, and the Victoria SEHS schools guide for a campus-by-campus comparison. For the sitting itself and what follows, see the SEHS test-day guide and the SEHS results guide. Confirm schools, eligibility and selection rules on the Victorian Government selective entry page; confirm block timings, fees and what to bring on ACER's Victorian SEHS exam-day page and the ACER apply portal.

At a glance

Key facts.

Schools
Melbourne High, Mac.Robertson, Nossal, Suzanne Cory
Test administrator
ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research)
Sitting year
Year 8 for Year 9 entry
School caps
4% per secondary school; 10% for Prep–Year 9 schools
Application fee
$175 AUD at submission (waivers available)
Results
Late July or early August
Keep going

More on this exam.

FAQ

Common questions, plainly answered.

33 questions our faculty fields most often about this exam.

General

The Selective Entry High School (SEHS) test is a standardised exam administered by ACER for entry into Victoria's four selective high schools: Melbourne High School, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School, Nossal High School and Suzanne Cory High School. Your child is assessed in five skill areas — Reading, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Writing — inside three timed blocks on exam day.

The SEHS test is typically held in mid-June each year. Your child sits the test in Year 8 for Year 9 entry. Registration usually opens in March and closes in late April. Exact dates vary annually — confirm the current cycle on the Victorian Government selective entry page and the ACER apply portal.

Exam tasks take 2 hours 35 minutes across three timed blocks: Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (60 minutes), Reading and Verbal Reasoning (55 minutes), and Writing (40 minutes, two tasks). ACER states the full sitting takes approximately 4 hours to administer, including registration and breaks. The five skill names appear inside those combined blocks; ACER does not run five separate 30-minute sittings.

No, calculators are not permitted in the SEHS test. Your child must perform all mathematical calculations mentally or on the provided working paper.

The SEHS test is paper-based. Your child answers in paper answer booklets using pens. There is no computer or typing component.

Eligibility

Your child must be in Year 8 (or equivalent) and an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or hold an eligible visa. They must be enrolled in a Victorian school at the time of application. Home-schooled and interstate children may also be eligible under certain conditions.

Your child can sit the SEHS test while living interstate, but they must be planning to relocate to Victoria and enrol in a Victorian school if offered a place. Proof of Victorian residency may be required during the application process.

The standard SEHS application fee is $175 AUD at submission through the ACER apply portal; fee waivers are listed on that page. Once your child is registered, there is no separate on-day charge to sit the exam. If your child is offered and accepts a place, school fees are set by each campus and published on that school's website.

Yes, your child can attempt the SEHS test annually. If unsuccessful in Year 8, they can reapply for Year 10 entry by sitting the test again in Year 9. However, Year 9 entry is the most common, with significantly fewer Year 10 positions available.

Preparation

Most successful candidates prepare for 9–12 months before the June sitting. High-performing children may need 6–8 months, while comprehensive preparation (12–18 months) benefits those starting early or needing significant skill development. Consistent daily practice of 45–60 minutes is more effective than last-minute cramming. In Braintree Coaching Australia mock reviews (sehs-mistake-bank), starting prep too late for the June sitting is one of the most common preparation mistakes.

Most children find Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning the most challenging sections, as they test skills not directly taught in regular school curriculum. These sections require pattern recognition, vocabulary knowledge, and abstract thinking that must be developed through targeted practice.

ACER provides limited sample questions on their website, but there are no official full-length SEHS practice tests publicly available. Braintree Coaching Australia offers ACER-style practice materials with full-length mock tests designed to match the SEHS test format.

Yes, parents can significantly help by establishing a consistent 45–60 minute daily study routine, encouraging 30+ minutes of daily reading above grade level, building vocabulary with 15–20 new words weekly, providing emotional support without pressure, and using quality practice resources aligned with the ACER format.

Test components

SEHS Reading Comprehension includes main idea identification, inference and interpretation, vocabulary in context, author's purpose and tone, and supporting details. ACER does not publish passage lengths or per-section question counts; prepare your child for varied genres and inference-heavy items inside the 55-minute Reading and Verbal Reasoning block.

SEHS Mathematics covers number operations, fractions/decimals/percentages, algebra and equations, geometry and measurement, data interpretation, and problem-solving. Questions go beyond Year 8 curriculum, testing logical thinking and multi-step problem-solving without a calculator.

Verbal Reasoning tests vocabulary knowledge and word relationships through analogies, synonyms and antonyms, sentence completion, word classification, and verbal logic puzzles. Success requires a strong vocabulary and understanding of word relationship patterns.

Quantitative Reasoning assesses numerical pattern recognition and logical problem-solving through number sequences, pattern recognition, spatial reasoning, logical deduction, and abstract problem-solving. These questions test thinking skills rather than mathematical knowledge alone.

SEHS Writing prompts include creative narrative, persuasive/argumentative, descriptive, or opinion pieces. Your child completes two extended responses inside the 40-minute Writing block — plan, draft and proofread both within that time. Strong responses demonstrate creative thinking, varied sentence structure, proper grammar and punctuation, and organised structure with clear introduction, body, and conclusion.

Schools

Melbourne High School does not publish a fixed cut-off score. Offers are decided by competitive ranking against the sitting cohort, your child's school preferences, and available places. Melbourne High and Mac.Robertson Girls' High School are typically the most competitive preferences. For how offers work after results, read our SEHS results guide.

Nossal High School and Suzanne Cory High School are still highly competitive selective schools — no campus publishes a guaranteed entry score. Demand varies by year and preference order. These schools are co-educational and located in outer Melbourne suburbs, which may affect application numbers. Compare campuses in our Victoria SEHS schools guide.

Admission caps

The 4% cap rule means that a maximum of 4% of students from any single secondary or senior secondary school may be accepted into a selective entry school. For example, if your child's school has 200 Year 8 students, only 8 students maximum (4% of 200) can receive offers. This cap applies to standard offers and principal discretion seats.

The 10% cap rule applies to schools offering Prep to Year 9. No more than 10% of prospective students from these schools may be accepted into selective entry high schools. For example, a Prep–Year 9 school with 150 Year 8 students can have up to 15 students receive offers (10% of 150).

The 4% and 10% caps exist to ensure fair representation from multiple schools across Victoria. These caps prevent any single school from dominating the enrolments in a given year at Melbourne High, Mac.Robertson, Nossal, or Suzanne Cory. Your child competes not only against all Victorian students, but specifically against students from their own school cohort.

No, the 4% and 10% caps do not apply to equity and consideration students. Equity offers are reserved for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students or those whose parents have a pensioner or healthcare card. Fee-paying international students are subject to different caps than domestic students.

Results

SEHS test results are typically released in late July or early August, approximately 6–7 weeks after the test date. Parents receive results via email and mail, including component scores, percentile rankings, and information about the preference submission process.

SEHS offers are based on test scores and percentile rankings, school preferences submitted by families (in order), and available places at each school. Children with higher scores receive priority for their first-preference school. If not selected, they are considered for their second preference, and so on.

There is no formal appeal process for SEHS selection decisions based on test scores. However, your child can reapply for Year 10 entry by sitting the SEHS test again in Year 9. Additional preparation during the year can significantly improve second-attempt results.

ACER and the Victorian Government do not publish fixed cut-off scores or campus-specific percentile requirements. Selection is competitive ranking with school preferences — the effective threshold shifts each year with cohort strength and the number of applicants. Read our SEHS results guide for how to interpret percentile ranks after results arrive.

Test day

Bring proof of identity, a printed admission ticket, two blue or black pens, a bottle of water and snacks for the break. Electronic admission tickets are not accepted. Calculators, smart watches and extra paper are prohibited. Confirm the current checklist on ACER's Victorian SEHS exam-day page before you leave home.

No, parents cannot stay in the test venue during the SEHS exam. Parents should drop off children at the designated time and return for pickup approximately 4 hours later. Your child will be supervised by test administrators throughout.

If your child is genuinely unwell on SEHS test day, contact the test administrator immediately. In some cases, special consideration or alternative testing arrangements may be possible, but this is not guaranteed. Prevention through good health habits leading up to the test is important.

Resources

Yes, Braintree Coaching Australia offers SEHS preparation including the SEHS Super Pack with ACER-style questions, full-length mock tests, detailed answer explanations, progress tracking, and access until exam date. Component-specific packs are also available for targeted practice.

Yes, Braintree Coaching Australia offers free resources including a 20-question SEHS sample test (all five components), an essential vocabulary list, and ACER-style writing prompts with rubrics. Download these from our SEHS practice resources page to get started.

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