Selective entry in Queensland, for Year 7.

Queensland does selective schooling differently from New South Wales or Victoria. There's no single statewide selective exam, and no network of selective high schools. Instead there are three Queensland Academies, only one of which takes students in Year 7, and a few state high schools that run their own selective programs.

The Queensland Academies

The Queensland Academies are state schools for highly capable students, teaching the International Baccalaureate.

QASMT runs from Year 7 to Year 12 and takes new students in Year 7 and Year 10.^[1][2] The other two academies teach Years 10 to 12.^[4][5] So for Year 7, QASMT is the academy to look at.

How QASMT chooses Year 7 students

There are four steps.^[1]

1. An application through the Queensland Academies Admissions Office.
2. Evidence of your child's results from their current school.
3. An entrance test. It's a general academic test designed by Edutest.^[3]
4. An interview.

Places go on merit. The school looks at the test, the interview and the school results together, so a strong test alone isn't enough.^[1]

In Years 7 to 9, students follow the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme.^[1] The school is selective and academically intense, and that suits some children far more than others. The open days are worth going to before you apply.

Brisbane State High School

Brisbane State High has a catchment like any state high school. On top of that it takes some students through selective entry, in three categories: academic, sporting and cultural. Students can apply in more than one category if they meet the requirements for each.^[6]

For academic selective entry, the test is what matters most. The school says test results are the primary selection criterion.^[6] It also strongly recommends that only students with at least straight As in English, Mathematics, Science and Humanities and Social Sciences apply.^[6]

Tests are held only on the dates the school sets, with no alternative sittings.^[6] The school has also offered a Year 5 route, a test called HAST-P with reading comprehension and mathematical reasoning sections, followed by transition activities and an interview.^[6] Check the school's academic selective entry page for the current dates, because they can fall as early as Year 5.

Dates: check early

We haven't listed application dates here on purpose. They change every year, and some close more than a year before Year 7 starts. Look at each school's enrolment page in Year 5, and note every deadline.^[2][7]

How to prepare, honestly

• Get the basics rock solid. Selective tests reward quick, accurate Year 5 and 6 maths and close reading. A child with gaps here gains far more from closing them than from piles of practice papers.
• Read widely and talk about it. Reading comprehension sections use passages a step harder than usual. Regular reading, and talking about what was read, builds that.
• Do a few practice tests, not hundreds. Knowing the format and timing helps a child stay calm. After a handful, extra tests mostly add stress.
• Think about fit, not just entry. A child who scrapes in after months of coaching may spend Year 7 struggling. A strong local school is a great option.
• Keep school results steady. QASMT weighs school results alongside the test, and Brisbane State High expects strong reports.