HAST test format: components, levels, timing and scoring

The Higher Ability Selection Test (HAST) is a paper-based cognitive ability test from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), used by more than 100 selective and independent schools across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia to identify academically able applicants from Year 5 through Year 12. At Braintree Coaching Australia we prepare students for the paper they will actually sit, which is why understanding the format matters before any practice begins — and it sits at the centre of our HAST exam preparation programme. The HAST is made up of as many as four components, but each school selects its own three- or four-component package and administers the test directly rather than through a central authority, so the exact combination your child sits depends on the school they are applying to.

Which components does the HAST include?

The HAST includes up to four components: Reading Comprehension, Mathematical Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning and Written Expression. The three reasoning and reading components are multiple-choice; Written Expression is a timed writing task. Schools build a package from these components — most commonly a four-component package (all four) or a three-component package that drops one section — so not every candidate sits every component.

• Reading Comprehension measures how well a student understands and interprets ideas in language, working across written and visual material that can include fiction, poetry, non-fiction prose, diagrams, tables, charts and maps.
• Mathematical Reasoning measures mathematical ability rather than school achievement in mathematics. Questions are drawn from a wide variety of sources and can differ from standard classroom material, testing logical thinking, number concepts, measurement and spatial reasoning.
• Abstract Reasoning assesses the ability to recognise relationships and perceive ideas at an abstract level through pattern recognition, hypothesising and the evaluation of evidence — skills associated with successful academic outcomes across the curriculum.
• Written Expression assesses a student's ability to express thoughts and feelings in written English, marked on the quality of thought and the quality of language. It provides a measure of generative and creative thinking alongside language competency.

What are the HAST levels and packages?

The HAST is offered at several levels matched to the year of entry. Primary HAST (HAST-P) is for Year 5 and Year 6 entry; Secondary HAST is split into Junior (Year 7 entry), Middle (Year 9 entry) and Senior (Year 11 entry). Within each level a school selects either a four-component package or a three-component package, and at secondary level a multiple-choice-only package (which omits Written Expression) is also available.

Package	Level	Components
Four-component	Primary or Secondary	Reading Comprehension, Mathematical Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Written Expression
Three-component	Primary or Secondary	Reading Comprehension, Mathematical Reasoning, Written Expression
Multiple-choice only	Secondary	Reading Comprehension, Mathematical Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning

Because the package is set by the school, the first step in preparation is confirming which components and which level your child will sit. A Year 7 applicant sitting a four-component Junior package faces a different paper from a Year 9 applicant sitting a three-component Middle package.

How is each HAST section timed and what does it measure?

Each HAST section is individually timed, with the secondary-level sections generally running longer and carrying more questions than their primary-level equivalents. The table below sets out the indicative timing, question count and focus of each component; exact figures are confirmed by the administering school in its candidate instructions.

Component	Level	Indicative timing · questions	What it measures
Reading Comprehension	Primary	30–40 min · 25–30 questions	Text and visual interpretation across fiction, poetry, prose and data — literal, inferential and critical reading.
Reading Comprehension	Secondary	~45 min · 35–40 questions	Complex text analysis, theme identification, logical relations and inference across a wider range of texts.
Mathematical Reasoning	Primary	30–40 min · 25–30 questions	Logical thinking, number concepts, measurement, spatial reasoning and time concepts — no calculator.
Mathematical Reasoning	Secondary	~40 min · 28–35 questions	Comprehension and analysis of mathematical information (and science at middle and senior levels).
Abstract Reasoning	Primary or Secondary	~30 min · 30 questions	Pattern recognition, abstract thinking, logical reasoning and visual analysis.
Written Expression	Primary	30 min · 1 task	Creative or discursive writing marked on quality of thought and quality of language.
Written Expression	Secondary	~25 min · 1 task	Thought and content, structure and organisation, expression, style and mechanics.

Across a full package the total testing time is roughly two to two-and-a-half hours. Allowing for instructions, transitions and a break, families should plan for a session of approximately three to three-and-a-half hours from arrival to dismissal. For a chronological walk-through of the sitting itself, see our HAST test day guidelines.

How is the HAST marked and scored?

The HAST is marked in two ways depending on the component: the multiple-choice sections are machine scored for accurate and consistent results, while Written Expression is assessed by two independent markers, with a third marker resolving any difference of more than two raw-score points between them. This combination of objective and rubric-based marking is why HAST results report both reasoning scores and a separately judged writing result.

Schools receive a detailed report for each candidate that includes:

• Raw scores for each sub-test.
• Standardised scores.
• Percentiles.
• Stanines for each sub-test and overall.
• Summary statistics for the cohort and a score-frequency table.
• Notes for interpreting the results.

The individual report charts each student's performance as standardised scores and ranks the candidate within percentage levels of performance against the students who sat the test.

What does a HAST score mean?

A HAST score is a standardised result that ranks a candidate against a high-ability reference cohort rather than against the general student population. ACER reports HAST results relative to a reference group of Australian students who recently sat the tests as part of gifted-and-talented selection, so a candidate is being measured against above-average peers — a percentile of 50 on the HAST is not the same as being average among all students of that age. This matters when reading results: a solid score can still place a child in the middle of an already strong field.

Results are typically released to families and schools around nine to ten weeks after the test date. Because the score compares a child to an able cohort, preparation should focus less on chasing a single number and more on the reasoning skills the test rewards. Our HAST test preparation strategies set out how to build those skills across each component.

What does the HAST format mean for preparation?

The HAST format rewards reasoning ability that most state-curriculum classrooms do not teach explicitly, so a child who is performing well in school maths and English still benefits from targeted work. The two areas families most often underestimate are the timed Abstract Reasoning section, which depends on pattern, rotation and matrix practice rather than curriculum knowledge, and the Written Expression task, which is judged on quality of thought and language under tight time pressure.

Knowing the precise package and level your child will sit lets you concentrate practice where it counts — and avoids preparing for a component the school has not included. For primary sources on the test, ACER publishes the authoritative description of the HAST and its components at the Australian Council for Educational Research. If you still have questions about eligibility, packages or results, our HAST exam FAQ answers the questions parents ask most often.