Perth Scholarship Exams Explained
Perth and Western Australian independent schools award academic scholarships through external sit-down exams — commonly set by ACER or Edutest, with some schools running their own paper — testing reading, mathematics, reasoning and written expression rather than the WA school curriculum. The provider a school uses, the entry year levels, the sitting date and the cut-off score all vary from school to school, so the school’s own scholarship page is always the place to confirm the details.
Key facts at a glance
- Providers used: ACER and Edutest are common across Perth; some schools use AAS or an internal test. Varies by school — check the school’s page.
- Common entry points: Year 5, Year 7 and Year 9 (some schools also offer Year 11).
- What is tested: reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning, abstract/verbal reasoning and a timed writing task.
- No prescribed syllabus: reasoning under time pressure, not curriculum recall.
- Dates and cut-offs vary by school — confirm directly with each school.
Last verified: June 2026 against official sources (nap.edu.au, education.nsw.gov.au, ACER). Individual school dates, fees and cut-off scores change every year and vary by school — always confirm with the specific school or official body before you rely on a date.
How Perth scholarship exams work
Western Australian schools generally buy a standardised scholarship test from a specialist provider rather than writing their own. Every applicant sits the test on a set date, is ranked on the result, and scholarships are offered from the top of the ranking. Because applicant numbers are large and scholarships are few, the standard is high: being near the top of a class is not the same as being near the top of a state-wide reasoning test sat under tight time limits.
The providers you are most likely to encounter in Perth are ACER and Edutest, with AAS also used by some schools. They assess similar skills in different styles, so the first task is to confirm which provider your target school uses.
| Provider | Typical components | Style |
|---|---|---|
| ACER | Reading comprehension, mathematics, written expression, abstract reasoning | Fewer questions, more thinking time, harder reasoning |
| Edutest | Verbal & numerical reasoning plus reading, mathematics and written expression | More questions, faster pace |
| AAS | Reasoning & problem solving, mathematics, reading comprehension, writing | Mixes curriculum tasks with problem solving; harder questions earn more |
For a side-by-side breakdown, see our AAS vs ACER vs Edutest guide.
The ACER Cooperative program
Some Perth schools join ACER’s Cooperative Scholarship Testing Program, where a student sits one test on a single Saturday and nominates several participating schools that share the result. The national cooperative sitting for the following year’s entry is commonly held in late February. If every school on your shortlist uses the cooperative program, one sitting may cover them all; a school using Edutest or its own paper will need a separate sitting on its own date.
Which year should we target?
Year 7 is the most common entry point because it aligns with the start of secondary school, and Year 5 and Year 9 are also widely offered. The choice matters: an earlier entry means a gentler reasoning test but a longer commitment, while a later entry means a harder paper against more practised applicants. Work through it with our scholarship test Year 5 vs Year 7 guide.
How to prepare
Preparation has two stages. First, confirm the provider, entry year and date directly from the school. Second, build the four core skills — reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning, abstract or verbal reasoning, and timed writing — under realistic timing. The most common avoidable loss is poor time management, so practise with the clock running and teach a simple skip-and-return rule.
- Confirm provider, entry year and date first.
- Practise all four skill areas, not just maths.
- Train timing with full timed sections.
- Don’t neglect the writing task — it often decides close cases.
- Start a few months out and use a diagnostic to focus practice.
For the wider context, read our national scholarship test preparation guide, and if a public selective place is also on the table, see selective school vs private scholarship.
Frequently asked questions
Which test provider do Perth scholarship exams use?
It varies by school. Western Australian independent schools commonly use ACER or Edutest for scholarship testing, while some run their own assessment. Confirm the provider on the specific school’s scholarship page before preparing.
When are Perth scholarship exams held?
Dates vary by school. Schools in the ACER Cooperative program commonly test in late February the year before entry; Edutest and internal-test schools set their own dates, often between February and June. Always check the school’s scholarship page.
What year levels can sit scholarship exams in Perth?
The most common entry points are Year 5, Year 7 and Year 9, with some schools also offering Year 11. The test level is matched to the entry year.
Do Perth scholarship exams test the WA curriculum?
No. Scholarship tests measure reasoning and problem-solving with unfamiliar questions rather than recall of the WA syllabus, so broad reasoning practice is more useful than memorising school content.
Can one test cover several Perth schools?
Sometimes. Schools using the ACER Cooperative Scholarship Testing Program let a student sit once and share the result with several schools. Schools using Edutest or their own paper usually need a separate sitting. Confirm with each school.