Edutest & HAST Preparation Program
Every year, around 178 spots open up at NSW’s top selective schools through Edutest and HAST, and hundreds more scholarship places open at Sydney’s best private schools through the ACER AAS. One specialist program covers all three tests.
across 12 top schools
across all three tests
Why Edutest and HAST
Most families only hear about the standard selective test. It runs once, has one narrow window, and leaves almost no second chances.
Edutest and HAST are different. They sit outside that main pathway and power a parallel market of selective entries that run on their own calendars, with their own formats, at their own test centres. For a prepared student, that means more shots at the same outcome.
A child who is sharp on Edutest can sit for James Ruse, Baulkham Hills, North Sydney Boys, North Sydney Girls and Sydney Girls. A child who is sharp on HAST can sit for Fort Street, Hornsby Girls, Normanhurst, Girraween and more. A child who is sharp on both has the full map.
“Edutest and HAST are the two tests that actually matter for selective entry outside the standard pathway. Almost no other tutoring college prepares for both properly.”
— Scholarly Training
“Preparation for Edutest transfers directly into HAST and ACER scholarship tests. The skills compound.”
— Scholarly Curriculum Team
Three Tests. One Roadmap.
The selective entry ecosystem splits into three test families: Edutest for the top public schools, HAST for another cluster of public schools, and ACER AAS for private school scholarships. The smartest preparation treats them as overlapping, not separate, so one year of work can unlock two or three pathways at once.
Elite Selective Entry
James Ruse • Baulkham Hills • North Sydney Boys • North Sydney Girls • Sydney Girls and other Edutest partner schools
- Verbal Reasoning, 30 min, analogies, odd-one-out, word codes, vocabulary at pace
- Numerical Reasoning, 30 min, sequences, pattern matrices, abstract number logic
- Reading Comprehension, 30 min, fiction, editorial and scientific passages
- Mathematics, 30 min, applied problem-solving grounded in the current syllabus
- Written Expression, 30 min, typed on the computer, creative or persuasive response
Selective + Partner Schools
Fort Street • Hornsby Girls • St George Girls • Normanhurst • Girraween • NBSC Manly and other HAST partner schools
- Reading Comprehension, 45 min, 35 to 40 questions across varied text types
- Maths + Science Reasoning, 40 min, data-driven problems, senior papers add science content
- Abstract Reasoning, 30 min, non-verbal pattern recognition, no syllabus knowledge required
- Written Expression, 25 min, handwritten response to two prompts, tight timing
Private School Scholarships
Knox • Pymble • Newington • Scots • Ravenswood • Kambala • Ascham • PLC Sydney • Kincoppal • MLC and 20+ more
- Written Expression 1, 25 min, creative or reflective
- Written Expression 2, 25 min, persuasive or analytical
- Humanities, 40 min, reading and interpretation
- Maths & Science (combined), 40 min, applied reasoning
The Overlap Play
Roughly 70 per cent of the skill set overlaps across Edutest, HAST and ACER AAS. Reading comprehension, written expression, mathematical reasoning and abstract reasoning all map onto each other. Our program builds the shared foundation first, then layers on test-specific strategy, so one preparation cycle unlocks all three pathways.
The Real Numbers
Most families only hear about Year 7 entry. They don’t realise that every single year after that, a steady trickle (and sometimes a flood) of new spots opens at the top selective schools. Here’s the pattern, year by year, school by school.
| School | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 | Year 11 | Source / note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Ruse Agricultural HS#1 HSC Edutest | 0-2 | ~20-30 | 1-5 | ~25-30 | Official: 120 cap Yrs 7-8, grows Yrs 9-11 |
| Baulkham Hills HSTop 3 Edutest | backfill | ~5-10 | varies | ~10 | Community reports, year to year |
| North Sydney Boys HS#1 ’25 Edutest | backfill | ~5-10 | backfill | ~10-15 | Coaching college guides |
| North Sydney Girls HSTop 5 Edutest | backfill | ~5-10 | backfill | ~8-15 | Official, Edutest used from 2025 |
| Sydney Girls HS Edutest + interview | backfill | ~10 | backfill | up to 25 | Official school website |
| Sydney Boys HS School’s own + science | backfill | ~5 | backfill | ~6 | Coaching college guide |
| Hornsby Girls HS HAST | backfill only | backfill only | backfill only | ~20 | Official: 120 cap Yrs 7-10, James Ruse drain lifts Yr 11 |
| Normanhurst Boys HSTop 5 School’s own Lit & Num | backfill | ~5-10 | ~3-5 | 10-15 | Official: 120 Yrs 7-8, 120-135 Yrs 9-12 |
| Fort Street HS HAST (Yr 11 only) | backfill | backfill | backfill | ~20 | Cohort grows 150 to 170 |
| NBSC Manly Campus HAST | limited | ~5-10 | limited | ~10 | Limited places stated per year |
| Girraween HS HAST | limited | ~5-10 | limited | ~12 | Department-driven, official |
| St George Girls HS HAST | backfill | ~8-12 | backfill | up to 18 | 18 offered for Yr 11 in 2018 (official case) |
| Rough totals across these 12 schools | under 10 | ~80-120 | under 25 | ~155-200 | midpoint totals, year to year variation |
The Quiet $50,000 Opportunity
Most families never realise their child can sit a scholarship test for a discounted or fully funded place at a top Sydney independent school. A 50 per cent scholarship at Knox, Newington or Pymble saves $20,000 to $26,000 per year. A full scholarship can save more than $250,000 across senior school alone.
Knox Grammar School
Senior tuition ~$45,000
Pymble Ladies’ College
Senior tuition ~$43,000
Newington College
Senior tuition ~$48,000
Ravenswood
Senior tuition ~$44,500
Kincoppal-Rose Bay
Senior tuition ~$45,500
Roseville College
Senior tuition ~$40,000
The Scots College
Senior tuition ~$47,000
PLC Sydney
Senior tuition ~$46,500
Kambala
Senior tuition ~$49,800
Ascham School
Means-tested % varies
MLC School
Senior tuition ~$44,900
St Catherine’s Waverley
Senior tuition ~$45,000
Plus: Queenwood • SCEGGS Darlinghurst • Abbotsleigh • Wenona • Redlands • Riverview • IGS • Loreto Kirribilli • St Andrew’s Cathedral • Tara. Enrol Now →
How Scholarly Prepares for All Three
Built on Scholarly’s Undulating Prioritisation method. One skill area is the priority at a time, not all four at once. We build mastery first, then layer speed, then layer test-specific strategy for whichever test your child is targeting.
Benchmark
Full-length mock Edutest and HAST papers to benchmark your child against published cohorts. We map a realistic target school list in the first week.
Foundation
The 70 per cent that overlaps across all three tests: reading comprehension, written expression, mathematical reasoning, abstract and verbal reasoning. Built once, used everywhere.
Specialisation
Track A (Edutest), Track B (HAST) or Track C (ACER AAS). Full test-specific strategy, timed mocks, vocabulary lists, writing rubrics, elite-level maths.
Final Sprint
Eight weeks out, every Saturday becomes a simulated test day. Handwritten essay coaching, pacing drills, interview prep. We walk your child to the exam door.
Start Preparation Now
Enrol in the Scholarly Selective Entry Program. We’ll benchmark your child, build the foundation that both tests share, then specialise into the exact test they need.