EduTest exam format, section by section

The EduTest scholarship exam is a five-section sitting that screens for academic scholarship and selective entry places at independent Australian schools, including the cohorts Braintree Coaching Australia prepares each year through our EduTest selective and scholarship exam preparation programme. Each section is timed independently, and the paper is sat in one continuous block with short breaks between sections.

What sections does the EduTest exam include?

The EduTest exam includes five sections: verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, reading comprehension, mathematics, and written expression. The first four are multiple-choice and computer-administered; written expression is a timed writing task (creative or persuasive) marked by trained markers against a rubric.

Section	Duration	Questions	What it measures
Verbal reasoning	30 minutes	40–50	Vocabulary, analogies, classifications and word relationships.
Numerical reasoning	30 minutes	30–45	Number patterns, sequences, properties and logical number problems beyond standard arithmetic.
Reading comprehension	30 minutes	25–35	Literal, inferential and critical reading across literary, informational and persuasive passages.
Mathematics	30 minutes	25–35	Number and algebra, measurement and geometry, statistics and probability. No calculators.
Written expression	15 minutes	1 task	Creative or persuasive writing, marked on ideas, structure, language and conventions.

Sections are timed independently and sat in one continuous sitting with short breaks between sections. The four multiple-choice sections each run 30 minutes; written expression is a shorter 15-minute task. A small number of independent schools sit slightly longer mathematics or reading components.

How long is the EduTest exam in total?

The EduTest exam is approximately two and a half to three hours of test time, plus short breaks between sections. A typical sitting runs from 8:30am to 12:30pm, including arrival, room assignment, a practice tutorial and dismissal.

How is the EduTest scored?

EduTest scoring is a four-step process: raw scores are calculated section by section, converted to standardised scores, weighted equally across the five sections, and averaged into a single overall result. Written expression is marked by trained markers against a four-criterion rubric (ideas and content, organisation, language and vocabulary, conventions).

1. Raw scores. Each multiple-choice section is scored on correct answers. Written expression is marked on a rubric of 0–4 per criterion.
2. Standardisation. Raw scores are converted to a standardised score for each section with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, so results are comparable across sittings and year cohorts.
3. Equal weighting. All five sections contribute equally to the overall score; no section is double-counted.
4. Overall result. The five standardised scores are averaged into a single EduTest score on a scale of roughly 60 to 140.

Each school sets its own cut-off score. Schools with high demand publish higher cut-offs in their information packs; cut-offs vary by year and by the number of available places. Several schools also use a combined score that weights the EduTest result alongside an interview, portfolio or school-report grade.

Which schools use the EduTest?

The EduTest is administered by Edutest (Educational Assessment Australia) and is used by many independent schools across Australia for academic scholarship entry, as well as by a number of state selective schools in New South Wales for lateral entry into Years 8–11. Confirm the exact format and scoring with the individual school — some schools weight sections differently or add an interview round.

Test-day timeline

Time	Stage	Detail
8:00–8:30 am	Arrival and registration	Students sign in with photo ID. Parents wait in a designated area.
8:30–8:45 am	Room and seat assignment	Students are directed to a testing room and computer station.
8:45–9:00 am	Practice tutorial	Brief on-screen tutorial covering navigation and timing.
9:00–9:30 am	Verbal reasoning	First timed section.
9:40–10:10 am	Numerical reasoning	Second timed section.
10:20–10:50 am	Reading comprehension	Third timed section.
11:00–11:30 am	Mathematics	Fourth timed section.
11:40 am–11:55 am	Written expression	Final section (15 minutes, 1 response).
11:55 am–12:15 pm	Completion and dismissal	Students submit and are released to parents.

What does this mean for preparation?

A child who is comfortable with primary-school maths and reading at a year-above level still needs targeted work on (a) the timed verbal and numerical reasoning sections, which most state-curriculum schools do not teach explicitly, and (b) the written expression task, which is marked under tight time pressure. See our EduTest preparation strategies for a four-stage practice plan.