Victorian selective entry at Year 10 and 11: a different test, applied for school by school
The Victorian selective entry exam most families read about is the Year 9 one: one ACER exam in June, one central application, about 1,000 places. Year 10 and 11 entry works differently in almost every respect. The Department says only that a small number of places may come up and that entry at those levels is managed by the schools themselves.
In practice that means three things:
- The test is Edutest, not ACER. Different sections, different style.
- You apply to each school separately, and register with Edutest rather than through the Department.
- The exam is only part of it. School reports, achievements, a written statement and an interview all count.
The four schools
The same four schools as Year 9 entry: Melbourne High School, The Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School, Nossal High School and Suzanne Cory High School. One Edutest sitting covers all four, and your results go to each school you lodged an application with.
If you register for more than one school, the registration you submit first sets where you sit the test, and that can’t be changed after the cut-off in early June.
Key dates
Dates below are the 2027-entry cycle, which ran in 2026. The 2028 cycle should follow the same shape, roughly a year later, but each school publishes its own dates, and they differ a little. Check each school’s site before relying on any of this.
| Milestone | 2027-entry cycle | Expected for 2028 entry |
|---|---|---|
| Equity consideration closes | Friday 8 May 2026 (Nossal) | Early May 2027 |
| Registrations close | Friday 29 May 2026 (Melbourne High), Monday 1 June 2026 (Nossal) | Late May 2027 |
| Edutest exam | Monday 15 June 2026 (Melbourne High) | Mid June 2027 |
| Interviews | Shortlisted candidates only | — |
| Year 11 interviews and auditions | Week of 3–6 August 2026 (Melbourne High) | Early August 2027 |
Applying for Year 10 entry means sitting the test in the year before, while your child is in Year 9.
What the Edutest exam covers
Edutest’s selective entry test is built from two ability tests and three achievement tests:
| Section | Time | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 30 min | Multiple choice |
| Numerical Reasoning | 30 min | Multiple choice |
| Reading Comprehension | 30 min | Multiple choice |
| Mathematics | 30 min | Multiple choice |
| Written Expression | 5 min planning + 25 min | Written |
The ability tests measure reasoning without leaning on what has been taught. The achievement tests measure what a student has actually learned in English and maths.
This is not the Year 9 paper. ACER’s Year 9 exam runs two combined blocks, Mathematics with Quantitative Reasoning and Reading with Verbal Reasoning, plus two writing tasks in 40 minutes. Edutest splits the same ground into five separate 30-minute sections with one writing task. Practice material written for the Year 9 ACER exam is close in content but wrong in shape.
The exam is not the whole application
For Year 9 entry, about 85% of places go on exam results alone. At Year 10 the schools weigh a fuller picture. Melbourne High’s Year 10 process asks for:
- the application form, including a handwritten personal statement and responses to selection criteria
- recent school reports, mid-year and the end of the previous year
- evidence of co-curricular involvement and achievements
- an interview, for shortlisted candidates only
Schools also ask for NAPLAN results and supporting evidence for achievements you claim. A panel reads the lot alongside the test result.
Year 11 at Melbourne High has no test at all. It’s a small specialist intake for arts and humanities, decided on a written application, portfolios or auditions where relevant, and interviews in early August.
How many places
Few, and the number isn’t fixed. Places exist only where students leave, so schools describe Year 10 and 11 intakes as limited and dependent on vacancies. Melbourne High commits to selecting at least 26 students at Year 10. Nossal builds a waiting list from the exam and invites candidates to a principal’s interview if a vacancy opens.
Treat a Year 10 place as genuinely scarce, more so than Year 9.
Eligibility
Applicants must be Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens, or hold permanent residency or another visa that exempts them from international student fees. Evidence is checked at the test. Students in Year 9 apply for Year 10 entry, and students in Year 10 apply for Year 11.
What to do if you’re considering it
- Read each school’s enrolment page. This is the part families skip, and it’s the part that differs. Dates, forms and criteria are set school by school.
- Register with Edutest by late May, in the year before entry. One sitting covers all four schools, but each school needs its own application.
- Get the supporting documents together early. Reports, NAPLAN and evidence of achievements are a week’s work if left late, and a shortlisting panel notices a thin file.
- Prepare for Edutest’s shape, not ACER’s: five 30-minute sections, one writing task with five minutes to plan.
- Have a plan B. With places tied to vacancies, a strong application can still find no room. That’s not a reflection on your child.
Sources: vic.gov.au on how Year 10 and 11 entry is managed, the Melbourne High and Nossal enrolment pages for dates and process, and Edutest for the test sections. Dates are from the 2027-entry cycle; each school publishes its own, so confirm with the school before you apply.