HAST results explained: scaled scores, percentiles and stanines

A HAST result is only useful once you can read it — the raw score, the standardised score, the percentile and the stanine each say something different, and all of them are referenced to a high-ability cohort rather than to the general school population. This page from Braintree Coaching Australia sets out how the Higher Ability Selection Test (HAST) is scored, what each band of scores typically signals, how participating schools set their cut-offs, when results are released, and the steps to take in the weeks after a result arrives. It pairs with our HAST exam preparation hub and our HAST test format guide for the component-by-component detail. The figures below reference the 2025 sitting cycle — see the HAST exam FAQ for current-year administrative notes.

How are HAST results scored?

HAST results are produced in four steps — raw marking, standardisation against a high-ability reference group, conversion to percentiles and stanines, and a per-component report sent to the receiving school. The HAST is built, marked and reported by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), and the reporting structure is consistent across sittings so a 2025 result can be read against the same scale used in earlier years.

1. Raw marking. Each multiple-choice component — Reading Comprehension, Mathematical Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning — is marked on the number of correct answers, with no penalty for incorrect answers. The Written Expression task is marked by trained ACER markers against a structured rubric.
2. Standardisation. Raw scores are converted to standardised scores for each component, calibrated against a high-ability reference cohort drawn from the students who sit the HAST — not the general year-level population. This is the single most important fact when reading a HAST result: the comparison group is already selective, so a mid-range result still reflects a strong performance against all children of the same age.
3. Percentile rank. Each standardised score maps to a percentile — the percentage of the high-ability reference group a candidate scored above. A 75th percentile means the child outperformed 75% of an already strong cohort.
4. Stanine. Percentiles are also reported as stanines, a 1-to-9 scale that groups results into nine bands. Many schools use stanines for shortlisting; stanines 7 to 9 are generally read as well above average for the reference group.

There is no single composite "HAST score" that all schools read the same way. ACER reports a per-component profile, and each school decides how to weight the components for its own selection process.

What does each band of scores signal against the high-ability cohort?

The table below maps stanines to their approximate percentile ranges and the signal each typically sends against the HAST high-ability reference group. The bands follow ACER's standardisation methodology; because the reference cohort is selective, every band sits above the general-population average for the year level.

Stanine	Approx. percentile	What the result signals	Typical selective-school outcome
9	96th percentile and above	Exceptional within an already strong cohort.	Highly competitive at most participating selective and independent schools.
8	89th–95th percentile	Very strong, with no clearly weak component.	Competitive at the majority of schools; strong chance of an offer.
7	77th–88th percentile	Above average for the high-ability group.	Around the competitive line at many schools; outcome depends on the cohort that year.
5–6	40th–76th percentile	Mid-range within the reference cohort, but still above the general-population average.	Competitive at some schools with broader entry criteria; varies by school.
1–4	Below 40th percentile	Lower within the high-ability group, though not a measure against the general population.	Less likely to meet the cut-off at the most competitive schools; alternative pathways apply.

These bands are guidance, not a guarantee. A child who scores stanine 9 for Abstract Reasoning but stanine 5 for Written Expression may rank below a consistent candidate — most schools value a balanced profile over a single peak. Read the full per-component report rather than fixing on one number.

How do schools set HAST cut-offs?

There is no single national HAST pass mark — each participating school sets and applies its own cut-off and selection process. The HAST is administered directly by each school rather than by a central authority, so a standardised score that wins a place at one school may sit just below the line at another, and the line moves year on year with the strength of the applicant pool. For preparation that targets the components most schools weight heavily, see our HAST test preparation strategies.

Three patterns are consistent across the 2025 cycle and the years before it:

• Relative ranking, not a fixed score. Most schools rank all applicants against each other and offer the limited places to the highest-ranked candidates, so the effective cut-off shifts each year with cohort size and strength.
• Component weighting varies. Some schools use the full four-component HAST; others use a three-component package and may weight Mathematical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension differently. Confirm the weighting with each target school.
• The HAST is one input, not the whole decision. Schools commonly read the HAST profile alongside the primary school report, an interview, and supporting documentation. A strong result is the largest single piece of evidence at most schools, but it rarely stands alone.

Because more than 100 selective and independent schools across NSW, VIC, QLD, SA and WA use the HAST, the only reliable cut-off figure is the one each school publishes for the current year. Confirm the criteria with each school directly before applying.

When are HAST results released?

HAST results from the 2025 cycle were typically released about nine to ten weeks after the test date. ACER marks and standardises the paper and reports the per-component profile to the receiving school, which then notifies families directly — there is no centralised results portal because each school runs its own sitting.

Stage	Timing	What happens
Test sitting	Test day	Child sits the paper-based HAST at the school or booked venue.
Marking and standardisation	4–6 weeks after the test	ACER marks the paper and standardises scores against the high-ability reference group.
Report to school	~7–8 weeks after the test	ACER sends the per-component profile to the participating school.
Family notification	~9–10 weeks after the test	The school emails the result and its admission decision to the family.
Acceptance and enrolment	1–2 weeks after notification	Family confirms acceptance inside the school's deadline; enrolment follows.

The exact timeline shifts from school to school and year to year — confirm the dates in each school's application pack for the current sitting. The 2025 timeline above is representative.

What should we do after the result arrives?

The right next step depends on whether an offer is in hand, but two principles apply either way: read the full per-component report rather than a single percentile, and act inside the school's published deadlines.

If an offer is received. Accept inside the deadline — schools commonly allow one to two weeks, and a missed deadline is usually treated as a decline. If competing offers are held, declining the ones you will not take frees places for waitlisted families. Ask the school whether component-level feedback is available; a HAST profile is useful diagnostic information for the first year at the new school.

If no offer is received. Read the per-component report carefully first. A near-miss often reflects one weak component rather than a broad academic gap:

• Identify the limiting component. The standardised profile usually points to a single addressable cause — a pacing issue, a vocabulary gap in Reading Comprehension, or unfamiliarity with the Abstract Reasoning question types — rather than a general weakness.
• Keep any reserve-list application open. Many schools release reserve offers as accepted families decline. Movement is uncommon but happens each cycle, and staying on the list costs nothing.
• Consider a later entry point. The HAST runs at several entry levels — Primary HAST for Year 5–6 entry, and Secondary HAST at Junior (Year 7), Middle (Year 9) and Senior (Year 11) entry. A child who narrowly missed one round can prepare for the next level, working from the HAST test format guide to target the limiting components.

Whether or not an offer arrives, the result is a snapshot against an already strong cohort, not a verdict on the child. Hold the decision against the cohort context of the year sat, confirm each school's policy directly, and use the per-component profile to plan the next step.

Can we appeal or request a re-mark?

Appeals and re-marks are uncommon and rarely change the outcome, but narrow pathways are usually available through the school that administered the test. Because each school runs its own sitting, any appeal is lodged with that school rather than with ACER directly, and the deadline is short — often one to two weeks after results are released.

• Clerical check. Confirms the raw answers were transcribed and totalled correctly. It rarely finds an error but is worth requesting if the per-component pattern is inconsistent with practice results.
• Special consideration. Where a documented circumstance affected performance — illness, a family emergency, or a venue issue — the school may consider formal documentation, usually lodged within a few days of the sitting.
• Re-marking of the writing task. Multiple-choice components are very rarely re-marked; ACER may re-mark the Written Expression task on request through the school, though this changes the result in only a small fraction of cases.

A successful appeal almost always rests on documented evidence rather than on disagreement with the score.

What does this mean for preparation?

Read the HAST result across all components, remember that the percentile is against a high-ability cohort rather than the general population, and act inside each school's published deadlines. If a child sat the 2025 HAST and is planning a reapplication at a later entry level, return to the HAST test format guide for the component-by-component structure and the HAST exam FAQ for current administrative notes. The corresponding classroom programme is available through our HAST exam preparation hub.