Scholarship Preparation
Private School Scholarship Tests
Guides for ACER, Edutest and AAS-style scholarship exams used by many Australian private schools.
Australian private schools use scholarship tests — most commonly from ACER, Edutest, or AAS — to award fee-relief and academic scholarships at Year 5, 7, or 9 entry. Each provider uses its own structure and timing, but scholarship exams commonly assess reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning, reasoning skills, problem solving, and written communication under timed conditions.
Who sits this test: Students applying for academic scholarships or fee-relief scholarships at Australian private schools, commonly for entry into Years 5, 7, or 9.
What's tested
| Section | Questions | Time | Format | Typical coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 30 | 35 min | Multiple choice | Common |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 30 | 35 min | Multiple choice | Common |
| Reasoning | 25 | 30 min | Multiple choice | Common |
| Writing | 1 | 25 min | Written response | Common in many scholarship exams |
- Scholarship exams vary by provider and school.
- Question formats and timing may differ between ACER, Edutest and AAS.
- Some schools include writing tasks while others place greater emphasis on reasoning.
- Strong reading comprehension and reasoning skills are important across most scholarship pathways.
- Always confirm requirements with your target school before preparing.
Key dates
- Test windowsMost scholarship test sittings occur between February and May for entry the following year
- ApplicationsOpen and close on each school's own timeline — usually 6–12 weeks before the sitting
- ResultsTypically released within 6–10 weeks of sitting
- Offer acceptanceEach school sets its own acceptance window — usually 2–4 weeks from the offer date
Dates are indicative for a typical year. Always confirm against the official source below before registering.
How it's scored
Scoring varies by provider and school. Most scholarship tests report performance across timed reasoning, reading, mathematics, and sometimes writing tasks, then schools decide how results fit their own scholarship selection process. iClass prepares students across the common scholarship skill set while keeping provider and school differences visible.
- Schools, not providers, decide who is awarded a scholarship — the same score may win an offer at one school and miss at another.
- Scholarships are often limited to a small number per year level.
- Some schools weight the writing task more heavily than the provider does in its standard report.
What good preparation looks like
Strong scholarship preparation does two jobs: it builds the core skills tested across providers, and it helps students become familiar with the specific exam format used by their target school.
Foundation — 6 to 9 months out
Build the underlying skills first — wide reading, mental arithmetic, comfort with multi-step word problems, pattern reasoning, and problem solving. These transfer across common scholarship exam formats.
Provider-specific format — 3 to 6 months out
Once the target school is known, identify which provider it uses (ACER, Edutest, or AAS) and switch to that provider's section structure and timing. Some providers use longer section timings, while others feel faster-paced. Students should practise in the format used by their target school.
Full simulation — last 4 to 6 weeks
Run full provider-style mock tests in test-day conditions, including the writing task. Reviewing each mock with a clear rubric — not just a tally of right answers — is what turns late-stage practice into measurable improvement.
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Start Your Child’s Study PlanSample questions
Illustrative examples written by iClass to show the style and reasoning level of each section. They are not past papers.
The principal praised the new timetable as "flexible", but several teachers noticed that the flexibility seemed to benefit only the busiest subjects. Music and art lessons were moved to less convenient times, while the core academic subjects kept their usual places.
The sentence most strongly suggests that the timetable was:
- A.designed equally for all subjects.
- B.presented positively, but not equally fair in practice.
- C.unpopular because students disliked music and art.
- D.changed mainly to shorten the school day.
A jacket is discounted by 20%, then a further 10% is taken off the sale price. What single percentage discount is equivalent to these two reductions combined?
- A.28%
- B.29%
- C.30%
- D.32%
Five students — Ava, Ben, Chloe, Daniel and Ella — finished a race.
- Ava finished before Ben. - Chloe finished after Daniel. - Ella finished before Ava. - Daniel finished before Ella.
Who must have finished first?
- A.Ava
- B.Ben
- C.Daniel
- D.Ella
Write a persuasive response to the following prompt:
Some people believe students should have more choice in what they study. Others believe a structured curriculum is more effective.
Which view is closer to your own? Give clear reasons and examples.
You have 25 minutes.
Common questions
Ready to build a plan around this exam?
iClass turns this exam profile into a goal-driven study plan tailored to your child's current skill level and target school. We track every practice session and surface evidence-based progress for parents.