When is the ACER Primary scholarship test held?

Each school sets its own closing date and test date. For 2028 entry, ACER's main test day is Saturday 27 February 2027, and Saturday 6 February 2027 in South Australia. The school list on this page shows the dates ACER publishes.

🏅 Australia-wide · Entry into Years 4 to 6

ACER Primary Scholarship Test Practice

Q: Is it the same as the Opportunity Class or Selective test?

No. The OC and Selective tests are NSW government tests for public schools. The ACER scholarship test is used by independent and private schools, in several states.

Calm, exam-style practice for the ACER Primary scholarship test, for entry into Years 4, 5 and 6. Choose your child’s entry year to see its guide, its Free Test and its plans.

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Year 4 Entrysat in Year 3 Year 5 Entrysat in Year 4 Year 6 Entrysat in Year 5

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The parent guide

What is the ACER Primary scholarship test?

Many independent and private schools offer scholarships for primary entry — a place in Year 4, 5 or 6 with part or all of the fees covered. Most of them use the ACER Primary scholarship test (ACER calls it Level P) to choose. Your child sits it in Year 3, 4 or 5, the year before entry.

Before you apply. You register with ACER: on ACER’s website you register and pay for each school you apply to. Each school sets its own closing date, test date and fee, and some also want their own application form. Test Magic is not affiliated with ACER.

At a glance

Run byACER

For entry intoYears 4, 5 and 6

Sat inYear 3, 4 or 5, the year before entry

PapersReading and Viewing · Mathematics · Writing

FormatPaper based (ACER)

WhenSet by each school, many in February

Find your school

Participating schools, closing dates and test dates

Search the schools that use the ACER scholarship test. Tick "Primary only" for Year 4 to 6 entry. The dates come from ACER's own list, which we check every night.

Primary only

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Source: ACER, participating schools. School names link to the school's own website. Always confirm the closing date, the test date and the fee with the school before you apply.

What's tested

The three papers

ACER lists three tests at the primary level. They are pitched above the everyday classroom, and they reward careful reading, clear thinking and pace.

Reading and Viewing — understanding and interpreting written texts and visual material under time.
Mathematics — problem solving and reasoning with numbers, shapes and data, not just sums.
Writing — a written task that shows ideas, organisation and control of language.

How our practice sets are built

Three packagesYear 4, Year 5 and Year 6 entry · 20 sets each

Your child's reportcompared only with children going for the same entry year

Reading and Viewing25 questions · 30 min · prose and visual texts

Mathematics25 questions · 30 min

Writing1 task · 20 min · marked by a teacher

Our papers are exam-style practice, designed to reflect the style of the test. They are practice papers, not the real thing, and our sets differ in size from ACER’s: ACER lists Reading and Viewing as 25 questions in 30 minutes, Mathematics as 20 questions in 30 minutes, and Writing as two tasks of 20 minutes each. Timings and question counts are set by ACER and can change; confirm them with the school and ACER.

How selection works

From test to offer

You register on ACER’s website before the school’s closing date, and pay each school’s fee there. Some schools also want their own application form.
ACER marks the papers. After ACER’s main test day, ACER emails you and the results are in your ACER parent account. A school with its own test date decides how it tells you. Scholarship offers come from the school.
The school decides. The test result is weighed with the school report and often an interview. There is no universal cut-off score.
One sitting on ACER’s main test day covers up to six schools. A school with its own test date needs your child to sit the test at that school.

Dates & cost

When and how much

For 2028 entry, ACER’s main test day is Saturday 27 February 2027 for schools in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, WA and the NT. Applications opened on 21 September 2026 and close at midnight AEDT on Sunday 7 February 2027. In South Australia the test is on Saturday 6 February 2027 and applications close on Friday 22 January 2027. Many schools, including most in Victoria, set their own date instead. Each school charges its own application fee. Use the school finder above for the dates ACER publishes, and confirm with the school. ACER sells its own practice test (there are no past papers), and the school's website tells you what to bring on the day.

How to prepare

Preparing the right way

ACER's own advice is that the best preparation is to read widely and think critically. Familiarity with the paper format, timed practice and honest feedback on writing all help a child show what they can do on the day.

Start with the first practice paper to see the strong and weak areas.
Practise under timed conditions, then read every answer guide.
Build reading and writing over months, a little each week.
Check the school's closing date early. Late applications are not accepted.

Free Test

Reading and Maths, 15 minutes each, no sign-up. The score shows at once and the full report comes by email.

Try the free test for your child’s entry year:

Year 4 Entry Year 5 Entry Year 6 Entry

Common questions

Primary scholarship test FAQ

Who sits the ACER Primary scholarship test?

Children in Years 3 to 5 who are applying for a scholarship place in Year 4, 5 or 6 at a participating school. The school tells you which year levels it offers.

Which package do I choose?

Go by the year your child will enter. The test is sat the year before: Year 4 entry in Year 3, Year 5 entry in Year 4, and Year 6 entry in Year 5. Each package holds 20 practice sets, and the report compares your child only with children going for the same entry year.

What is in the test?

Three papers: Reading and Viewing, Mathematics, and Writing. ACER describes the primary test as paper based.

When is it held, and when do applications close?

Each school sets its own dates. For 2028 entry, ACER’s main test day is Saturday 27 February 2027 (applications close 7 February 2027); in South Australia it is Saturday 6 February 2027 (applications close 22 January 2027). Many schools use their own date. The school finder on this page shows the dates ACER publishes for each school.

Is it the same as the OC or Selective test?

No. The Opportunity Class and Selective tests are NSW government tests for public schools. The ACER scholarship test is used by independent and private schools, in several states.

What score do you need?

There is no universal cut-off. Each school decides, and it also looks at the school report and often an interview.

Can a child prepare for it?

Yes. Reading widely, timed practice in the three paper types and honest feedback on writing all help. Our package has exam-style practice papers with an instant skills report after each one.

Is Test Magic connected to ACER?

No. Test Magic is an independent practice provider. The school list on this page is read from ACER's public list and checked every night; the dates and fees are the school's and ACER's, not ours.