Victoria SEHS · Directory · 2027–28
Selective schools Melbourne — SEHS guide
Quick answer
Selective schools in Melbourne are the four Victorian government selective entry high schools (SEHS): Melbourne High, Mac.Robertson Girls', Nossal and Suzanne Cory. Your child sits one ACER exam in Year 8 for Year 9 entry. Braintree Coaching Australia publishes this campus comparison for families in the 2027 offer round (exam sat Saturday 20 June 2026; applications closed Friday 24 April 2026) and for Year 7 families watching 2028 dates. Start with our Victoria SEHS preparation hub, then use the verified 2027 key dates table below.
By Braintree Editorial, Exam preparation editors, Braintree Coaching Australia
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Last updated
When are the 2027 Victorian SEHS key dates?
The 2027 Victorian SEHS cycle (Year 9 entry in 2027) is the ACER-administered sitting whose exam was Saturday 20 June 2026. Applications for that cycle are closed. Each milestone below is sourced from the ACER Victorian SEHS apply and hub pages (checked 13 August 2026).
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications open | Monday 2 March 2026, 10:00am |
| Applications close (late applications not accepted) | Friday 24 April 2026, 11:59pm |
| Application fee (standard) | $175 AUD at submission (waivers on ACER apply page) |
| SEHS entrance exam | Saturday 20 June 2026 |
| Last day to change school preferences | Friday 26 June 2026 |
| Exam outcome reports to parents/carers | August 2026 (month published on ACER hub; exact report clock not listed there) |
| Round 1 offers | Monday 3 August 2026, 10:00am |
Source: ACER — Victorian Selective Entry High Schools apply; exam day details on ACER exam day. Confirm any updates before you lock in a practice schedule.
Have 2028 SEHS application dates been published?
The Victorian Department of Education and ACER have not yet published key dates for the 2028 SEHS entry cycle. We will update this section when the official ACER key-dates page and Victorian Government SEHS page release the next cycle timeline. Until then, treat any third-party 2028 dates as predictions only. See the exam calendar when ACER publishes the next cycle.
What are the four selective schools in Melbourne?
All four campuses are Victorian government selective entry high schools and share the same ACER entrance examination. The table below compares location and gender intake so you can list preferences in genuine order. Confirm programmes and levies on each school site.
| School | Location | Gender | Established | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne High School | South Yarra, Melbourne | Boys | 1905 | Boys campus; inner-south. Confirm current senior programmes on the school site. |
| Mac.Robertson Girls' High School | Melbourne CBD | Girls | 1934 | Girls campus; CBD. STEM and humanities programmes. Confirm current details on the school site. |
| Nossal High School | Berwick, south-east Melbourne | Co-educational | 2010 | Co-educational campus serving the south-east. Confirm current programmes on the school site. |
| Suzanne Cory High School | Werribee, west Melbourne | Co-educational | 2011 | Co-educational campus serving the west. IB Diploma is a senior-year pathway, not Year 9 entry. |
What should south-east Melbourne families know about Nossal High School?
Nossal High School is the co-educational SEHS campus in Berwick. For families in Glen Waverley, Wheelers Hill or the south-east, daily commute often decides whether Nossal is realistic compared with inner-city Melbourne High or Mac.Robertson. It uses the same ACER exam and source-school cap as the other three campuses. List it only if your child would genuinely attend.
What should parents know about Suzanne Cory High School?
Suzanne Cory High School is a co-educational SEHS campus in Werribee, serving families across Melbourne's west. An International Baccalaureate Diploma pathway is available in senior years; Year 9 entry is still the ACER SEHS exam. Confirm current senior options on the school site before you treat IB as a default.
How does Mac.Robertson Girls' High School differ from the co-ed campuses?
Mac.Robertson Girls' High School (Mac.Rob) is the girls-only SEHS campus in Melbourne's CBD, established 1934. Families weighing Mac.Rob against Nossal or Suzanne Cory should prioritise daily commute, single-sex versus co-ed fit and genuine preference order on the ACER application. Offers are not transferable between SEHS campuses.
What should families know about Melbourne High School?
Melbourne High School is the boys-only SEHS campus in South Yarra. It shares the same ACER Year 8 sitting and source-school cap as Mac.Robertson, Nossal and Suzanne Cory. Confirm subjects, levies and open-day details on the school site rather than from third-party ranking tables.
What mistake patterns show up most often on SEHS mock tests?
These error types recur when timed SEHS mocks are reviewed question by question. They are the patterns tutors flag first because they cost marks across the three timed blocks, not isolated knowledge gaps. Cited from sehs-mistake-bank tutor marking records.
| Mistake type | What it looks like | Fix before the next mock |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Reasoning time underestimated | Strong Reading pace but unfinished QR items inside the 60-minute Maths+QR block | Name the pattern type first; cap per-question time in weekly QR drills inside a 60-minute block |
| Writing time underestimated | One unplanned essay that uses the whole 40 minutes and leaves the second task thin | The ACER Writing block is 40 minutes with two tasks. Plan both before drafting and leave time to check both. |
| Skipping post-mock mistake review | Another full paper scheduled without logging wrong answers | Review every mock question-by-question before sitting the next paper |
| Single-block over-focus | Extra hours on one timed block while the other two slip | Equal weekly time across the three timed blocks until diagnostics show a clear gap |
| Starting prep too late for the June sitting | Final-month sprint with reasoning gaps still open | Begin timed block work at least nine months before the June exam date |
How should Melbourne families compare SEHS campuses in the 2027–28 cycle?
Use this numbered checklist to compare campuses, follow 2027 offer rounds if your child already sat, or start a 2028 prep runway while official dates are unpublished.
- Compare the four campuses on location, gender and commute. Use the comparison table below to see how Melbourne High, Mac.Robertson, Nossal and Suzanne Cory differ on campus and intake. Visit open days where possible and nominate only schools your family would genuinely accept. Offers are not transferable between campuses.
- If your child sat 2027 entry, follow published offer rounds. Applications for Year 9 entry in 2027 are closed. Round 1 offers opened Monday 3 August 2026 at 10:00am (ACER Victorian SEHS hub). Watch the ACER site for later rounds and principal-discretion invitations. Do not treat third-party offer rumours as official.
- If you are planning 2028 entry, watch official dates and practise the three timed blocks. 2028 application dates are not yet published. Watch ACER and the Victorian Government SEHS page from Term 4 of Year 7. Practise the current ACER day: Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (60 minutes), Reading and Verbal Reasoning (55 minutes), and Writing (40 minutes, two tasks). The standard application fee for the last cycle was $175 AUD, with waivers published on the ACER apply page.
Selective schools Melbourne — frequently asked questions
- What are the selective schools in Melbourne?
- Victoria has four government selective entry high schools (SEHS): Melbourne High School (boys, South Yarra), Mac.Robertson Girls' High School (girls, Melbourne CBD), Nossal High School (co-educational, Berwick) and Suzanne Cory High School (co-educational, Werribee). Your child sits one ACER-administered entrance exam in Year 8 for Year 9 entry.
- When is the SEHS exam for 2027 entry?
- The Victorian Selective Entry High Schools entrance exam for Year 9 entry in 2027 was held on Saturday 20 June 2026. Applications opened Monday 2 March 2026 and closed Friday 24 April 2026. Applications for that cycle are now closed. Confirm later offer rounds on the ACER Victorian SEHS site.
- What is the 4% admission cap rule for SEHS?
- No more than 4% of students from a single Year 8 source school (excluding prep-to-Year 9 schools) may receive standard and principal-discretion SEHS offers. Prep-to-Year 9 schools use a 10% cap. Equity-consideration offers are not subject to the cap. Confirm the current wording on the Victorian Government Selective Entry High Schools page.
- How do I choose between the four Melbourne SEHS campuses?
- There is no single best campus. The right choice depends on your child's interests, daily commute and whether a single-sex or co-educational environment suits them. List only schools your family would genuinely accept. Offers are not transferable between SEHS campuses.
- How competitive is SEHS entry?
- The Victorian Department of Education states that about 1,000 Year 9 places are available across the four SEHS campuses. Selection is competitive ranking with school preferences, not a published statewide pass mark. Confirm current place numbers on the Victorian Government SEHS page.
- Has Victoria published 2028 SEHS application dates yet?
- No. The Victorian Department of Education and ACER have not yet published key dates for the 2028 SEHS entry cycle. Treat any third-party 2028 dates as predictions only until the official ACER key-dates page and Victorian Government SEHS page release the next cycle timeline.
- What should parents know about Suzanne Cory High School?
- Suzanne Cory High School is a co-educational SEHS campus in Werribee (west Melbourne). It shares the same ACER entrance exam as the other three SEHS schools. An International Baccalaureate Diploma pathway is a senior-year option, not the Year 9 entry test. Compare location, daily commute and programme fit before you list preferences.
- How competitive is Mac.Robertson Girls' High School entry?
- Mac.Robertson Girls' High School (Melbourne CBD) is the girls-only SEHS campus, established 1934. Entry is via the same ACER exam as the other three campuses. Selection is statewide ranking with the source-school cap. Visit open days where possible and list genuine preferences rather than prestige order alone.
Structured prep for the ACER SEHS day
Victoria SEHS Ultimate Pack — mocks, drills and tutor support
The Victoria SEHS Ultimate Pack bundles timed mocks, component drills and tutor-written worked solutions for Year 8 families preparing for the ACER SEHS exam (three timed blocks, including a 40-minute Writing sitting with two tasks).
See the Victoria SEHS Ultimate Pack outline