ACER Selective Entry Sample Questions — What's in Them and How to Use Them

ACER publishes free official sample questions for Victoria’s selective entry exam on its preparation page, selectiveentry.acer.org/vic/prepare. The download is a short set of questions — a page or two each for Mathematics, Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning and Reading, with an answer key but no worked explanations. ACER says the questions show the style and format of the exam but “are not necessarily reflective of the difficulty of the exam.”

This guide covers what is in the samples, how to use them well, and what to do once your child has worked through them.

What Is ACER?

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) is an independent educational research organisation. It runs the application process and the exam for Year 9 entry to the four selective entry high schools on behalf of the Victorian Department of Education. Because ACER writes the real exam, its samples are the most reliable guide to question style.

What’s in the Official Sample Set

When we downloaded the sample file in September 2026, it contained four short PDFs. Question types we saw included:

• Mathematics — a multi-step problem set up in an unfamiliar context, where students have to form and use relationships rather than recall a formula.
• Quantitative reasoning — number sequences, short word problems with fractions of a total, and a visual “how does this rule rearrange the dots?” puzzle.
• Verbal reasoning — analogies, odd-one-out, and “which statement must be true?” logic questions.
• Reading — short texts such as a quotation or a set of comments from a discussion, with questions on meaning, implied judgement and assumptions.

The file dates from 2023, before the exam moved to its current three parts in 2026: Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (60 minutes), Reading and Verbal Reasoning (55 minutes) and Writing (two tasks, 40 minutes). The question styles still map onto the two multiple-choice parts. The set we downloaded had no Writing sample, so check ACER’s page for any writing guidance.

How to Use the ACER Samples

• Do them early, as a first look. They show a student what the questions feel like before any other practice.
• Time them loosely. The set is too small for strict exam timing, but a rough limit stops them becoming an open-ended puzzle session.
• Look at how the options are built. Notice which wrong answers are tempting and why — they are usually the result of a common slip.
• Note unfamiliar question types. A format your child has never seen, like a dot-rearrangement rule or a “must be true” logic question, is a sign to find more practice of that type.
• Work out every wrong answer. The key gives the letter only, so talk through the reasoning together.

What ACER Says About Preparation

ACER’s own guidance is that there is no need for students to practise or revise for the exam, and that the skills it tests develop over time through reading widely and engaging learning. That is worth taking seriously: broad reading and solid Year 8 maths matter more than any test-prep trick. ACER also says it is not unusual for candidates to answer only half the questions correctly, and many do not finish.

Many families still choose some timed practice so the format and pace are not a surprise on the day. If you do, keep it proportionate and focused on learning from mistakes.

Why the Samples Alone Aren’t Much Practice

The sample set is an introduction, not a practice bank. It is far too short to build pacing over a 60-minute or 55-minute part, and with an answer key only, a student who gets a question wrong has no worked explanation to learn from.

Where EduSpark Fits

EduSpark has more than 120 timed VIC papers across Mathematics, Numerical Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension, written to the ACER style and kept within the Year 8 curriculum. Each paper is marked instantly, with an explanation for every question. The Complete Bundle also includes full-length mocks in the current three-part format. We do not mark writing.

A sensible order is ACER’s samples first, then our 5-question sample (no signup), then the free Paper 1 in each subject to see where your child is.

Where to Find the Official Samples

The sample questions and exam-day information are on ACER’s selective entry preparation page. For eligibility, how places are offered and fees, the Victorian Government’s selective entry page is the authoritative source. For how the exam day runs, see our guide to the selective entry exam format.