How to Get Into Selective Schools in Melbourne (2027 Exam)

Melbourne has four government selective entry high schools: Melbourne High School (boys), Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School (girls), Nossal High School (co-ed, Berwick) and Suzanne Cory High School (co-ed, Werribee). To get into one, a student sits the statewide selective entry exam in Year 8, lists up to three of the schools as preferences, and receives an offer for Year 9 based mainly on their exam rank. About 1,000 Year 9 places are available across the four schools.

This guide covers the schools, eligibility, the exam, how offers are made, the timeline for the 2027 exam, and how to decide whether the path suits your child.

How to Get Into Selective Schools in Melbourne

1. Check eligibility — the student must be in Year 8 and must not have sat the Year 9 entry exam before.
2. Apply through ACER when applications open (March in recent years) and list up to three school preferences.
3. Sit the exam in June. It has three parts: Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning, Reading and Verbal Reasoning, and Writing.
4. Receive an offer — offers are made in rounds from August.

The process is run by ACER (the Australian Council for Educational Research) for the Victorian Department of Education. For more detail on the exam and timed practice, see our VIC selective entry exam page.

The Four Selective Entry High Schools

All four are government schools for Years 9 to 12, and none is zoned — students can apply from anywhere in Victoria. The same exam is used for all four.

Melbourne High School

A boys’ school at Forrest Hill, South Yarra, founded in 1905. It is the most in-demand of the four: the school says about 1,500 exam candidates list it as their first preference. It also takes a small number of students at Year 10 (via EduTest and interview) and an Arts and Humanities intake at Year 11. See our guide to getting into Melbourne High.

Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School

The only girls’ school of the four, on Kings Way near the CBD, founded in 1934 with funding from confectioner Sir Macpherson Robertson. It takes about 300 students at Year 9 each year, plus a handful at Years 10 and 11 when vacancies occur. Families weighing the two single-sex schools can read Melbourne High vs Mac.Robertson.

Nossal High School

Opened in 2010 as Victoria’s first co-educational selective entry school, on Federation University’s Berwick campus in the south-east. It is named after immunologist Sir Gustav Nossal and takes 208 Year 9 students a year, with EduTest used for Years 10 and 11 entry.

Suzanne Cory High School

Opened in 2011 in Werribee, the newest of the four and the only one in Melbourne’s west. It is named after molecular biologist Professor Suzanne Cory and takes about 200 Year 9 students a year. It also offers an International Baccalaureate stream at Year 11. For the two co-ed schools side by side, see Nossal vs Suzanne Cory.

Eligibility Requirements

According to the Victorian Government, a student must:

• be in their second year of secondary school (Year 8) and not have sat the Year 9 entry exam before; and
• be an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen living in Australia, or hold a visa or ImmiCard that exempts them from international student fees (or meet these criteria by the time offers are made). Fee-paying international students are not eligible.

Up to three school preferences can be listed. Because Melbourne High is for boys and Mac.Rob for girls, three is the most any student can be eligible for. Only list schools you would genuinely accept.

Timeline for the 2027 Exam

The 2027 dates have not been announced. These are planning anchors based on the 2026 cycle; check the ACER selective entry website for confirmed dates.

• Now to early 2027: build skills with steady, timed practice.
• March 2027: applications open (in 2026 they ran from 2 March to 24 April). The deadline for special arrangements requests was the same as the application deadline.
• June 2027: exam day (the 2026 exam was on Saturday 20 June).
• August to October 2027: offers in rounds (in 2026 they ran from 3 August to 15 October). Results are not sent to families until after the final round.

The 2026 application fee was $175. Applications are free for families with a health care card or pensioner concession card, and for First Nations families; others facing financial hardship can request a reduction.

The Selective Entry Exam

From the June 2026 exam, ACER runs the exam in three parts, with 2 hours and 35 minutes of tasks (about four hours at the venue including registration and breaks):

• Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning — 60 minutes, multiple choice.
• Reading and Verbal Reasoning — 55 minutes, multiple choice.
• Writing — two tasks in 40 minutes.

ACER says the knowledge needed in any section will not go beyond the Year 8 curriculum, and that it is not unusual for candidates to answer only half the questions correctly or to not finish. The older format with separately timed Reading, Maths, Verbal and Quantitative tests no longer applies. See our exam format guide for more detail, or try 5 sample questions with no signup.

Exam Conditions

Students record answers in an answer booklet, and the administrator runs through practice examples first. ACER asks candidates to bring proof of identity, their admission ticket and two blue or black pens. Calculators, phones, smart watches, dictionaries and translation devices are not allowed.

Students with a disability or medical condition can request special arrangements; in 2026 these had to be requested by the application deadline.

How Offers Are Made

The Victorian Government sets out how places are offered:

• 85% of places by rank from exam performance;
• up to 10% on exam performance plus meeting the equity conditions;
• up to 5% at the discretion of each school’s principal.

No more than 4% of students from any one Year 8 school are offered standard and principal discretion places. If a student qualifies for more than one of their preferences, they are offered the highest. Most places are filled in the first round, with a small number offered in later rounds. Neither ACER nor the schools publish cut-off scores.

Is Selective Entry Right for Your Child?

• Motivation: these schools suit students who enjoy being challenged and want to be there for their own reasons.
• Social change: starting a new school in Year 9 means leaving established friendships. Think about how your child handles transitions.
• Commute: a long daily trip eats into sleep, study and activities for four years.
• Wellbeing: the environment is stimulating but can be intense. Talk openly about expectations.
• Alternatives: Victoria has many strong government and independent schools with accelerated and enrichment programs. Not getting a place says nothing final about a student’s ability.

Our guide to whether selective school is worth it goes further into this decision.

How Practice Fits In

Most students prepare steadily over months rather than cramming. Useful preparation includes knowing the question styles, sitting timed papers to learn pacing, using the results to target weak areas, and reviewing every mistake. Some writing practice matters too, because Writing is a full part of the exam. Our step-by-step preparation guide sets out a plan.

There is no separate “Suzanne Cory test” or “Nossal test” — one statewide exam covers all four schools. EduSpark’s timed papers in maths, numerical reasoning, reading and verbal reasoning stay within the Year 8 curriculum, with an explanation for every question and one free paper per subject. We do not mark writing.

If your family is in New South Wales, see our NSW Selective High School Placement Test guide for how that system compares.