Apply for the Exam

Before you apply, find out everything you need to know about eligibility requirements, application dates and more.

Applications for 2023 have now closed.

When do applications open for 2024?

Applications to sit the entrance examination to commence in Year 9, 2024 will open early in 2023. The entrance examination will be held in mid-2023

Who is eligible to apply?

To be eligible to apply for and attend a Selective Entry High School, students must be in their second year of secondary schooling or its equivalent (usually Year 8), have not previously sat the examination for Year 9 entry, and be:

• an Australian citizen, or
• a New Zealand citizen residing in Australia, or
• holders of a visa or ImmiCard, which would exempt them from paying International Student Fees to attend a Victorian government school (for further information, refer to International Student Visa Fee Table at: www.study.vic.gov.au/en/Pages/school-accreditation.aspx and the ImmiCard section of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s website at: www.border.gov.au/Trav/Refu/Immi, or
• able meet the above criteria by the time the offers process commences.

Students attending government and non-government schools, as well as home-schooled students, are eligible to apply.

The above eligibility criteria apply to students living in Victoria, as well as those living and studying interstate or overseas. More information for students living interstate/overseas can be found in section 5.

Fee-paying international students enrolled in Victorian schools are not eligible to apply.

Verification of eligibility

Applicants who are offered a place must provide original documents, such as a Certificate of Evidence of Australian Citizenship, visa and/or birth certificate, to the Selective Entry High School in order to complete enrolment.

Victorian students who are home-schooled will need to email their home-school registration letter provided by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority to the Selective Entry Unit at sehs@acer.org.

Offers will be withdrawn if all eligibility requirements for enrolment are not met.

An administration fee will be retained if an application is submitted and the student is ineligible to apply.

How much is the application fee?

An application fee is payable at the time of registration. Payment is made online using a credit card. There is no application fee for students who are eligible for Equity Consideration. An administration fee will be kept if an application is submitted and the student is ineligible to apply. Application fees are currently under review and will be updated when they become available.

Can my child sit the exam remotely?

Students are able to sit the examination interstate or overseas if they are:

• Australian citizens or permanent residents living and studying interstate or overseas
• Enrolled in a Victorian school but, during the time of the exam, studying in an overseas exchange program, representing Australia for an official duty (sporting, academic, military or cultural) or have a parent/caregiver who is required to work overseas.

Is there any special consideration for parents who qualify for income support?

Parents who have either a Commonwealth Health Care Card or a Pension Card, and who qualify for income support benefits, are eligible to apply for equity consideration for their child. Students who are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders are also eligible to apply for equity consideration.

Eligibility will be confirmed using:

• the primary cardholder’s Centrelink Customer Reference Number
• your child’s Centrelink Customer Reference Number

Applying for equity consideration does not reduce your chance of being offered a place at a selective entry high school.