ACER Scholarship Tests

Check whether the schools you have applied for are 'Cooperative' or 'Alternative date' in the Participating Schools list.

Alternative date program tests

Applicants who have applied for alternative date schools should sit the test at each school on their nominated test dates. If more than one school is testing on a particular date, you will need to choose one school to register with and sit for. Schools who do not use the cooperative program are 'stand-alone' schools and do not share results with other schools. Schools will advertise their scholarship test dates on their websites, or you can check the Participating Schools list.

Cooperative program tests

Applicants who have applied to cooperative program schools can apply to up to six schools and sit the test once at their first preference school on the relevant date below. Results will be shared with all the cooperative program schools applied to.

ACEP DATES FOR 2026 ENTRY (SA schools only):
Test date: Saturday the 01st of February 2025
Applications open: September 23rd, 2024
Applications close: 11:30pm ACDT Thursday the 16th of January 2025

COOPERATIVE DATES FOR 2026 ENTRY (Qld, NSW, NT, WA, Vic schools):
Test date: Saturday the 22nd of February 2025
Applications open: September 23rd, 2024
Applications close: midnight AEDT Sunday the 2nd of February 2025

*Please note: most Victorian schools use the alternative date program. Please check the Participating Schools list for further information.

Fees

Each school sets its own application fee. You must complete a separate application and pay a separate fee for each school that you apply to. Details are available on the schools’ websites.

On the day

Online and downloadable practice tests are available for purchase via the Practice Materials tab in your Parent account. There are no past papers available for purchase. The materials are not designed to be part of an intensive drill before the test, but instead to familiarise students with the kinds of question in the test. The tests students will take are designed to reveal their thinking skills and abilities not their detailed knowledge of subjects. The questions ask them to analyse, interpret, comprehend or draw conclusions from information presented.

In the Written Expression tests students respond to the topic however they feel is most appropriate – perhaps with a story or a persuasive piece. They need to organise their ideas and express themselves clearly and succinctly. The amount they write is less important than the thoughts they express and how they express them. Students should take a couple of minutes to plan their piece carefully before starting to write.

These skills are learned over a lifetime, both in and out of school, so short-term training for the tests is unlikely to improve performance. Their best preparation is to read widely and think critically.

Which practice materials should I purchase?

Primary (students entering Year 4, 5 or 6):

ACER Primary Scholarship Practice Test: available in online format or as a downloadable PDF.

Level 1 (students entering Year 7 or 8):

There are two different practice tests available, with different content in each.

Online Practice Test: Level 1: available in online format only.

Scholarship and Select Entry Tests Practice Questions: available in online format or as a PDF booklet that you can download and print.

Level 2 (students entering Year 9 or 10):

There are two different practice tests available, with different content in each.

Online Practice Test: Level 2: available in online format only.

Scholarship and Select Entry Tests Practice Questions for entry in Years 9 and 10: available as a PDF booklet that you can download and print.*

Level 3 (students entering Year 11 or 12):

There are two different practice tests available, with different content in each.

Online Practice Test: Level 3: available in online format only.

Scholarship and Select Entry Tests Practice Questions for entry in Years 11 and 12: available as a PDF booklet that you can download and print.*

*The content is the same between formats so only purchase one format.

What is the difference between the practice materials?

The materials are similar in content, but the questions in each practice test are different. The format of the questions and the subtests covered are the same.

How to access practice materials:

Online practice tests: Log in to your Parent account. Click on the green Practice Materials tab and then the View Test link on the right hand side of the screen. Note that the online practice tests cannot be downloaded and must be completed onscreen.

Downloadable PDF practice tests: Log in to your Parent account. Click on the green Practice Materials tab and then the Download link on the right-hand side of the screen. You can then print this booklet.

My child has an injury or disability. How can I request special arrangements for sitting the test?

Under certain circumstances, and with supporting medical evidence (that is within 12 months old), modified testing conditions may be arranged for applicants with injuries or disabilities. For example, test material can be provided for applicants with sight disabilities and, for applicants with arm or hand injuries, a scribe or computer may be permitted. Please first contact the school you have applied to (or, for cooperative testing, the school where your child will be sitting the test) to alert them to the relevant issues and requirements. The school should then contact ACER for guidelines about the provision of modified testing conditions for applicants with disabilities. Parents must email requests and submit supporting medical evidence (that is within 12 months old) to ACER AT LEAST 4 WEEKS prior (where possible) to the scheduled test date. Late submissions may not be accommodated. If approved, arrangements will be made between the school and ACER to provide the necessary accommodations for your child.

What is the process if I live a long way from the school and would like to sit the test at a closer test centre?

On the cooperative test date, if you live more than 200kms from your first preference school, your child can sit at another participating school. Parents should select the appropriate school centre during the online application process.

If you live more than 200kms from a participating school, you can organise a Non-ACER Test Centre. Parents should select 'Non-ACER Test Centre' during the online application process. Parents will need to source a supervisor (must be a registered teacher, experienced exam invigilator or church minister) as well as an appropriate venue (local school, library, hall, and so on) for the test. ACER will email you with further details shortly after receiving your application.

For alternative date schools, you must sit the test at each school you have registered with. However, most schools offer the option to sit at a Non-ACER Test Centre if you live more than 200kms from the school parents should check with the school.

A surcharge applies for candidates sitting at a Non-ACER Test Centre within Australia ($150), and for all sittings overseas ($200).

Please note that requests for Non-ACER Test Centres must be made AT LEAST 4 weeks prior to the test date for all schools.

My family is living overseas. Can my child sit the test in our current location?

Your child can sit the test at a Non-ACER Test Centre (see information above). Parents should select the appropriate Non-ACER Test Centre during the online application process. A surcharge applies for overseas test centres ($200).

For most alternative date schools you can organise a Non-ACER Test Centre (you will need to check with the individual school). Parents should select 'Non-ACER Test Centre' in the Testing Venue field during the online application process. Parents will need to source a supervisor (must be a registered teacher, experienced exam invigilator or church minister) as well as an appropriate venue (local school, library, hall, and so on) for the test. ACER will email you further details upon receipt of your application. A surcharge applies for candidates sitting at a Non-ACER Test Centre within Australia ($150) or overseas ($200).

Please note that requests for Non-ACER Test Centres must be made AT LEAST 4 weeks prior to the test date for all schools.

How to find out about your results

ACER will provide your results to the school/s you've applied to. For alternative date schools the individual schools decide if and how they release to parents their child's results report. Some schools will post the result reports to parents in the mail. Other schools have opted for parents to be able to access results online; in this case you will receive a notification email from ACER with information about how to access your report.

For cooperative schools, results will be available online in early April 2023. On the day results are available, you will be sent a notification email from ACER and you will able to access the results online in your Parent Account.

How to find out if your child has been awarded a scholarship

The school/s will contact parents of students they would like to offer a scholarship to. If you have not been contacted by the school/s, you can still access your child's results online as stated above.

Are non-Australian residents/passport holders eligible to apply for a scholarship?

Each school decides which candidates are eligible to apply for their test. Please check with the individual school prior to applying if you are a non-Australian resident/passport holder.

If I apply to more than one school will I need to sit more than one test?

If all schools that you are applying for are testing on the cooperative date, then your child will only need to sit the test at one school on the cooperative program test date, and the results will be sent to all schools applied for. However, if your chosen schools have different test dates then each of these schools will be using a different test, and your child will need to sit the test at each school on their nominated date. Results cannot be shared among schools when they are not part of a cooperative program. See the Participating Schools list to check if a school is using the cooperative program or testing on an alternative date.

What if two schools have tests on the same non-cooperative date? Can I sit for both schools?

No, you will need to choose one school only to apply to. Schools who do not use the cooperative program are 'stand-alone' schools and do not share results with other schools.

Will the cooperative schools I apply to know about my other cooperative school applications?

Yes, all the cooperative schools you apply to will have information about your other cooperative school applications and your preference order. If you have applied to multiple alternative date schools then those schools will not be aware of any other applications you have made.

ACER Scholarship Tests

Your child’s scholarship application

Test dates and school preferences

Results

Important information

Alternative date program tests

Cooperative program tests

Fees

Which practice materials should I purchase?

Primary (students entering Year 4, 5 or 6):

Level 1 (students entering Year 7 or 8):

Level 2 (students entering Year 9 or 10):

Level 3 (students entering Year 11 or 12):

What is the difference between the practice materials?

How to access practice materials:

My child has an injury or disability. How can I request special arrangements for sitting the test?

What is the process if I live a long way from the school and would like to sit the test at a closer test centre?

My family is living overseas. Can my child sit the test in our current location?

How to find out about your results

How to find out if your child has been awarded a scholarship

Are non-Australian residents/passport holders eligible to apply for a scholarship?

If I apply to more than one school will I need to sit more than one test?

What if two schools have tests on the same non-cooperative date? Can I sit for both schools?

Will the cooperative schools I apply to know about my other cooperative school applications?

Before completing a registration for a school, please check the following: