If you're looking at selective state schools or private school scholarships for Year 7 entry in Brisbane, you'll run into two exam names very quickly: EduTest and ACER. Parents often assume they're interchangeable. They're not.
This post covers what each exam actually tests, which schools use which, and what that means for how your child should prepare.
The short version
Both exams test the same four skills: verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, reading comprehension, and written expression. The content areas are similar. What differs is the question style, the time pressure, and the emphasis.
Which Brisbane schools use which
This changes year to year and by campus, so always confirm with the school. As of early 2026:
| Exam | Typical schools |
|---|---|
| EduTest | Brisbane Grammar School, Somerville House, many private scholarship programs |
| ACER | Queensland Academies (QASMT, QAHS, QACI), Brisbane State High School, some private schools |
Some schools accept either, or run their own variant. The admissions office of each school is the source of truth.
How the two exams differ
EduTest: speed and coverage
EduTest tends to use shorter questions with more of them. The pacing is relentless, and students often report running out of time. Reading passages are shorter. Numerical reasoning leans toward pattern recognition and quick arithmetic rather than deep problem solving. Written expression usually gives one short prompt under tight time.
The strategy that wins EduTest: move fast, skip what slows you down, come back if time allows. Students who agonise over individual questions burn out before the end.
ACER: depth and sustained reasoning
ACER questions tend to be longer and require more deliberate reasoning. Reading comprehension uses denser passages. Numerical reasoning leans toward multi-step problems. Written expression often gives two prompts with more room to develop ideas.
The strategy that wins ACER: read carefully, plan before you write, and use the full time per section. Students who rush ACER often misread questions and lose easy marks.
What this means for preparation
A one-size-fits-all scholarship course will under-serve most students. In practice, preparation falls into three phases:
- Foundation (Year 4-5, or early Year 6): build the underlying skills. Vocabulary breadth for verbal reasoning. Pattern recognition for numerical. Fluent reading comprehension. Clear written paragraph structure.
- Format familiarity (mid Year 6): once skills are in place, practice the specific question styles of the exam your child will sit. This is where EduTest and ACER paths diverge.
- Test conditions (final 2-3 months): timed mock exams under real conditions. Stamina, pacing, and nerves under the clock.
Students who skip straight to phase 2 or 3 without the foundation work usually plateau. Students who spend all their time on foundation without ever sitting a timed mock exam tend to freeze on the day.
Written expression: the highest-leverage skill
If your child has limited preparation time, written expression is where focused work pays off the most. Here's why:
- Most students are weaker at writing than at the other three sections
- Written expression is marked by a human, so improvement is directly visible
- A good paragraph structure can be learned in weeks, not years
- Both EduTest and ACER weight written expression heavily in final scoring
The structures worth learning: PEEL paragraphs (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link) for persuasive writing, and a simple five-sentence narrative arc for creative writing. Consistency matters more than creativity at this age.
Common preparation mistakes
Realistic timelines
Most families who achieve scholarship offers begin structured preparation 18-24 months before the exam. That sounds long, but the goal isn't to cram content. The goal is to build fluency. A student who can read, reason, and write fluently will outperform a student who has memorised ten past papers in the final term.
If you're starting later, the priority shifts: focus on written expression (highest leverage), then format familiarity for the specific exam. Accept that you're optimising for a realistic score, not a top score.
Where we come in
Our Scholarship Exam Preparation program runs weekly across Year 4 to Year 6 and splits preparation into these three phases. Students preparing for EduTest and ACER train in the same class on shared foundation skills, then diverge during format practice based on their target schools.
If you'd like to talk through whether the program fits your child's situation, get in touch. We're happy to discuss the options before you commit.
Written by the tutors and teachers who run our scholarship classes. Questions, corrections, or topic requests? Email us.