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Two pathways, two years apart.
Victoria is unusual: the SEAL accelerated stream tests in Year 6, then the state's flagship Selective Entry High Schools test in Year 8 for Year 9 entry. Miss the distinction and you prepare for the wrong exam — SmartPrep keeps both in view.
The VIC Academic Journey
Navigate key milestones from primary school through to the VCE with our integrated preparation program.
Primary School — Years 3 to 6
Year 3
NAPLAN
Foundation assessment and baseline establishment
FoundationYear 5
NAPLAN
Continued skill development and benchmarking
AdvancementYear 6
SEAL Exam
Accelerated-entry (SEAL) testing for Year 7 programs — per-school EduTest-style assessments
Intensive PrepHigh School — Years 7 to 12
Year 7
NAPLAN
First high-school benchmark — the runway to the selective window begins
ExcellenceYear 8
Selective Entry Exam
Victoria's ACER exam for Year 9 entry to the four Selective Entry High Schools
Intensive PrepYear 9
NAPLAN
Final NAPLAN benchmark
ExcellenceYear 10–12
VCE
Senior secondary mastery
MasteryVictoria's Selective Entry High Schools
Melbourne High, Mac.Robertson Girls', Nossal and Suzanne Cory. Entry is at Year 9 — the exam is sat in Year 8, not Year 6. This is the single biggest surprise for families relocating from NSW.
Test format
| Verbal Reasoning | Multiple choice |
|---|---|
| Numerical Reasoning | Multiple choice |
| Reading | Comprehension, multiple choice |
| Mathematics | Multiple choice |
| Writing | Extended written response |
Key dates
Verified 5 July 2026. Dates shift annually and late applications are not accepted — always confirm with the Victorian Department of Education before you rely on them.
How SmartPrep prepares
- Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Writing map directly to three of the five VIC exam components.
- Our Thinking Skills modules build the logical foundations behind Verbal and Numerical Reasoning.
- Timed practice under exam conditions builds the ~4-hour stamina the June sitting demands.
Customised Victorian Selective Entry practice is live: AI-generated items styled to this test's real components, adapting to your child. Free during the 2026 beta.
Start free practiceFree during beta. Sign in to start a diagnostic and adaptive practice for Victorian Selective Entry.
What a practice score means here
Your mock score band, read against the competitiveness tier of the schools you actually rank — the same matrix our mock runner reports. Never a pass/fail.
| Score band | Most competitive | Highly competitive | Competitive | Moderately competitive | Accessible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ≥80 | High probability | Very high probability | Very high probability | Very high probability | Very high probability |
| 75–79 | Medium probability | High probability | Very high probability | Very high probability | Very high probability |
| 70–74 | Low probability | Medium probability | High probability | Very high probability | Very high probability |
| 65–69 | Unlikely at this tier | Low probability | Medium probability | High probability | Very high probability |
| 60–64 | Unlikely at this tier | Unlikely at this tier | Low probability | Medium probability | High probability |
| <60 | Unlikely at this tier | Unlikely at this tier | Unlikely at this tier | Low probability | Medium probability |
- Most competitive: State's very hardest — 20:1+ demand, top HSC/ATAR outcomes. A place needs an elite rank.
- Highly competitive: Sought-after metro schools; strong demand and high historical cut-offs.
- Competitive: Solid demand; a strong-but-not-elite performance is typically in contention.
- Moderately competitive: More accessible historical ranges; realistic for consistent mid-band performers.
- Accessible: Lowest historical cut-offs (often regional/newer programs); widest access.
School tiers reflect COMPETITIVENESS (how high a rank a place typically requires), NOT school quality — every selective school offers an excellent education. Cut-offs are the score of the lowest-ranked student who accepted a place that year; they are not published in advance and can move 5–10 points year to year. Tiers are SmartPrepAI's competitiveness bands, informed by community-sourced historical data — not official figures. Re-verify annually. Verified 2026-07-05.
Based on SmartPrep's calibrated practice cohort and published information — an indication for preparation, not an official prediction. Selection is run by the department or school, not SmartPrep.
SEAL / SEALP accelerated learning streams
About 40 Victorian government schools run Select Entry Accelerated Learning streams from Year 7 — the closest VIC equivalent to a NSW partially selective intake.
Test format
| 4 × multiple-choice tests | ~30 minutes each |
|---|---|
| Writing | 15-minute written task |
| Interview | Shortlisted applicants |
Key dates
Verified 5 July 2026. Dates shift annually and late applications are not accepted — always confirm with each SEAL school (dates and providers vary by school) before you rely on them.
How SmartPrep prepares
- The NSW Selective curriculum covers the same core ground — reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning and timed writing — that EduTest® SEAL exams reward.
- Short, timed multiple-choice practice mirrors the 4×30-minute SEAL test structure.
- A strong way to get underway in Years 5–6 before the July–November testing window.
Customised Victorian SEAL practice is live: AI-generated items styled to this test's real components, adapting to your child. Free during the 2026 beta.
Start free practiceFree during beta. Sign in to start a diagnostic and adaptive practice for Victorian SEAL.
What a practice score means here
Your mock score band, read against the competitiveness tier of the schools you actually rank — the same matrix our mock runner reports. Never a pass/fail.
| Score band | Most competitive | Highly competitive | Competitive | Moderately competitive | Accessible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ≥80 | High probability | Very high probability | Very high probability | Very high probability | Very high probability |
| 75–79 | Medium probability | High probability | Very high probability | Very high probability | Very high probability |
| 70–74 | Low probability | Medium probability | High probability | Very high probability | Very high probability |
| 65–69 | Unlikely at this tier | Low probability | Medium probability | High probability | Very high probability |
| 60–64 | Unlikely at this tier | Unlikely at this tier | Low probability | Medium probability | High probability |
| <60 | Unlikely at this tier | Unlikely at this tier | Unlikely at this tier | Low probability | Medium probability |
- Most competitive: State's very hardest — 20:1+ demand, top HSC/ATAR outcomes. A place needs an elite rank.
- Highly competitive: Sought-after metro schools; strong demand and high historical cut-offs.
- Competitive: Solid demand; a strong-but-not-elite performance is typically in contention.
- Moderately competitive: More accessible historical ranges; realistic for consistent mid-band performers.
- Accessible: Lowest historical cut-offs (often regional/newer programs); widest access.
School tiers reflect COMPETITIVENESS (how high a rank a place typically requires), NOT school quality — every selective school offers an excellent education. Cut-offs are the score of the lowest-ranked student who accepted a place that year; they are not published in advance and can move 5–10 points year to year. Tiers are SmartPrepAI's competitiveness bands, informed by community-sourced historical data — not official figures. Re-verify annually. Verified 2026-07-05.
Based on SmartPrep's calibrated practice cohort and published information — an indication for preparation, not an official prediction. Selection is run by the department or school, not SmartPrep.
SmartPrepAI is an independent study platform and is not affiliated with, authorised by or endorsed by any government education department, ACER®, EduTest®, Cambridge Assessment, or any school named on this page. Test names and trademarks are used nominatively for identification only. Exam details are provided for general guidance — always confirm current requirements with the official provider.