Boys’ school · South Yarra
Melbourne High School Entrance Exam 2027
Melbourne High School is a government selective entry school for boys in Years 9 to 12. Most students join in Year 9, after sitting the Victorian selective entry exam in Year 8. Here is how the exam works, when it is, and how to practise for it.
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How entry to Melbourne High works
- Most students enter Melbourne High School in Year 9. Students are selected on their results in the Year 9 entrance exam, held in the year before enrolment.[1]
- The school says approximately 1,500 students sitting the exam list Melbourne High School as their first preference.[1]
- Year 10: the school selects a minimum of 26 students. Applicants sit the EduTest Academic Assessment Test and apply directly to the school; selection uses the application, test results, school reports and interviews with shortlisted candidates. In 2026 the test was on Monday 15 June.[1]
- Year 11: a limited number of places in an Arts and Humanities intake, for a two-year VCE arts and humanities course, selected by application and interview.[1]
- Eligibility: Australian or New Zealand citizens, or holders of a visa or ImmiCard that exempts them from international student fees.[1]
Year 9 entry: the same process for every selective entry high school
- Year 9 entry to all four selective entry high schools is decided by one centralised selection process that includes an entrance exam. ACER runs the application and the exam for the Victorian Department of Education.[2]
- Students sit the exam in Year 8, the year before they would start. They must not have sat the Year 9 entry exam before.[2]
- 85% of places are offered by rank from exam performance. Up to 10% are offered on exam performance plus the equity conditions, and up to 5% at the discretion of each school’s principal.[2]
- No more than 4% of students from a single source school (the Year 8 school) are offered standard and principal discretion places.[2]
- Offers are made in rounds. Most places are filled in the first round.[2]
- Applications are free for families with a valid health care card or pensioner concession card, and for First Nations families.[2]
The Year 9 entrance exam format
Melbourne High uses the Victorian selective entry exam, sat in Year 8.
| Part | Time |
|---|---|
| Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning | 60 min |
| Break | 20 min |
| Reading and Verbal Reasoning | 55 min |
| Short break | 5 min |
| Writing | 40 min |
- The exam tasks take 2 hours and 35 minutes. With registration and breaks, ACER says the exam takes about four hours to administer.[3]
- Multiple-choice questions plus written tasks. The knowledge needed in any section does not go beyond the Year 8 curriculum.[3]
- ACER publishes a set of sample questions to download, and notes they are not necessarily as difficult as the exam.[3]
Key dates
Official dates for the next round are not all published yet. Estimates are marked.
How to practise for the Melbourne High entrance exam
Timed practice papers, marked instantly, with an explanation for every question. There are 120 VIC Selective Entry papers in all, including one free paper in every subject.
| In the exam | Practise with |
|---|---|
| Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning | Mathematics papers and Numerical Reasoning papers |
| Reading and Verbal Reasoning | Reading Comprehension papers and Verbal Reasoning papers |
| Writing | Not covered: we do not mark writing |
Each subject has its own timed papers, so a student can work on one skill at a time. To build stamina for the 60- and 55-minute parts, sit two papers back to back: Mathematics then Numerical Reasoning, or Reading then Verbal Reasoning. Our papers stay within the Year 8 curriculum; harder papers add reasoning steps, not later-year topics.
More about Melbourne High
Other schools that use the same Year 9 test
Questions about the Melbourne High entrance exam
What exam do you sit to get into Melbourne High School?
For Year 9 entry, the Victorian selective entry high schools exam, run by ACER for the Department of Education. It has three parts: Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (60 minutes), Reading and Verbal Reasoning (55 minutes) and Writing (40 minutes). The same exam is used for all four selective entry high schools.
When is the Melbourne High School entrance exam in 2027?
The 2027 date has not been announced. The 2026 exam was held on Saturday 20 June 2026, so we expect June 2027. Melbourne High says applications for Year 9 entry in 2028 open in March 2027.
What score do you need to get into Melbourne High School?
Neither the school nor the Department of Education publishes a cut-off score. 85% of places are offered by rank from exam performance, up to 10% through the equity category and up to 5% at the principal’s discretion.
Can you get into Melbourne High School in Year 10 or 11?
Yes, in small numbers. The school selects a minimum of 26 students for Year 10, using the EduTest Academic Assessment Test, an application and interviews. It also offers a limited Arts and Humanities intake at Year 11.
How can I practise for the Melbourne High School entrance exam?
ACER publishes sample questions. EduSpark has timed practice papers in maths, numerical reasoning, reading and verbal reasoning at Year 8 level, with an explanation for every question. There is one free paper in each subject and a 5-question sample with no signup.
Sources
Official pages only, checked 30 September 2026. EduSpark is not connected with Melbourne High School, ACER, EduTest or the Department of Education. Check the official pages before applying.
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