How Much Does the Melbourne High School Entrance Exam Cost?

How much does the Melbourne High School entrance exam cost? For the last cycle (Year 9 entry in 2027, exam in June 2026) the fee was $175, and it was free for families with a health care or pensioner concession card and for First Nations families. There is no separate Melbourne High exam fee: Year 9 entry uses the statewide Victorian selective entry exam run by ACER, and you pay one application fee whether Melbourne High is your first preference or you also list Mac.Rob, Nossal or Suzanne Cory.

Official fee (verify each cycle)

ACER’s apply page for Year 9 entry in 2027 says: an application fee of $175 is payable at the time of application. The fee for the next cycle (2028 entry, applications expected to open around March 2027) had not been published when we checked in September 2026, so re-check before you budget:

• ACER Victorian SEHS — Apply
• vic.gov.au — Selective entry high schools
• Melbourne High enrolment overview: mhs.vic.edu.au/enrol

Waivers and reductions

From the same ACER page (2027 entry cycle):

• Applications are free for families with a valid health care card or pensioner concession card, and for First Nations families.
• Families who do not meet those criteria but face financial barriers can apply for a fee reduction based on financial hardship through the portal process.
• If eligibility for a waiver/reduction cannot be confirmed, the full application fee is required.

Other money rules parents miss

• Withdrawal: for the 2027 entry cycle, ACER kept $52 as an administration amount if an application was withdrawn before applications closed. Read the apply page for the rule that applies when you submit.
• Remote sitting: if approved to sit interstate or overseas, ACER listed a $215 remote sitting fee on top of the application fee for the 2027 entry cycle.
• Listing Melbourne High does not add a second government exam fee per school preference inside this ACER process.

Not the same as EduTest school fees

Private scholarship / entrance sittings via EduTest are priced per school and are separate from Melbourne High’s ACER pathway — EduTest / OC / NSW fees overview.

Budget prep, not just the sitting fee

The application fee is usually the smallest cost; tutoring can cost more in a single month (see tutoring cost ranges). For the full pathway, read how to get into Melbourne High. You can also try 5 VIC sample questions free with no signup; EduSpark has 1 free paper per subject, and paid access is a one-off $59 per subject or $149 for the Complete Bundle.