Guides · Selective entry

How to prepare for the selective entry exam: a step-by-step plan

Strong preparation for a selective high school exam isn't about cramming — it's a steady cycle of practising, reviewing and re-testing. Here is a plan you can follow from a few months out, whichever state your child is sitting in.

1. Understand the format first

Each state runs a different test. Victoria, Queensland (HAST), South Australia and the ACT use ACER-style papers; New South Wales runs Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills and Writing; Western Australia uses the ASET. Before any practice, learn exactly which subjects appear, how many questions each has, the time limit, and whether a calculator is allowed (it usually isn't). Knowing the format stops your child from preparing for the wrong test.

2. Sit a full-length diagnostic

Begin with one complete, timed practice test under realistic conditions — quiet room, no help, clock running. The score matters far less than the breakdown: which subjects and question types were weakest, and where time ran out. That diagnostic becomes your map for everything that follows.

3. Build a weekly cycle, not a marathon

Short, regular sessions beat long, occasional ones. A workable week looks like:

• Two or three focused sessions of 30–45 minutes on the weakest subject.
• One mixed-skills session to keep the stronger subjects sharp.
• One timed mini-test to rehearse pacing.
• A short review of every mistake from the week.

4. Review mistakes properly

The biggest gains come from the questions your child got wrong. For each one, read the worked explanation, then redo the question a few days later from scratch. A mistake that is understood and re-attempted is worth more than ten new questions skimmed. Keep a simple list of recurring error types — careless arithmetic, misreading the question, running out of time — and target them directly.

5. Add time pressure gradually

Accuracy comes first, then speed. Once your child can answer a question type correctly without a clock, start timing it. Selective exams reward students who can stay accurate at pace, so the final month should include regular full-length, timed papers that mirror the real conditions.

6. The final two weeks

Taper the workload. Do a couple of full practice papers, revisit the error list, and prioritise sleep and routine over last-minute cramming. On exam day the goal is calm execution of skills already built — not new learning.

A note on expectations

No program can guarantee a place — these exams are competitive and selective. What good preparation does is make sure your child walks in familiar with the format, confident with the question types, and in control of their time. That is the part you can influence.

Related: selective exam time-management strategies.