The AAS scholarship test is run by Academic Assessment Services, an Australian testing company that has written school assessments for more than 50 years and is now part of Janison. Many independent schools use it to award academic scholarships, including Pymble Ladies' College, Moriah College, Churchie, Christ Church Grammar School and Pembroke School.
It covers four subjects: writing, reading comprehension, mathematics and general reasoning. Tests are available for students in Years 3 to 11. Each school sets its own test date, so there's no single national sitting.
The format at a glance
| Run by | Academic Assessment Services (AAS) |
| Year levels | Years 3 to 11 |
| Subjects | Writing, reading comprehension, mathematics, general reasoning |
| Question type | Multiple choice with 4 or 5 options (writing is a long-form response) |
| Wrong answers | No marks deducted, so answer every question |
| Timing | Two sessions of 40 to 50 minutes, with a 20-minute break. Writing is 25 to 30 minutes |
| Delivery | Paper at the school, or online at home. The school chooses |
| Difficulty | Questions get harder as each test goes on |
| Calculator | Not allowed |
| Dates | Set by each school |
AAS says plainly that nobody is expected to answer every question. The tests are built to separate the very top students, so finding them hard is normal.
What each section tests
General reasoning
AAS splits reasoning into:
- Verbal reasoning: understanding passages of writing and working out what the author is really saying, plus logic in words
- Mathematical reasoning: problem-solving with numbers and patterns
- Figural reasoning: patterns in shapes and diagrams
- Spatial reasoning: picturing shapes in 3D, rotating and folding them
Reading comprehension
Questions ask students to remember information, locate details, analyse the text, evaluate it, draw conclusions and combine information from different parts of the passage.
Mathematics
Broad maths with an emphasis on problem-solving and "everyday" maths: number, measurement, space and geometry, data, and patterns and algebra.
Writing
One long-form piece, usually persuasive or narrative. It's marked on criteria including structure, cohesion, punctuation and spelling.
Which schools use AAS?
AAS doesn't publish a list of schools for parents, because each school runs its own program. These schools name AAS on their own scholarship pages:
| School | State | Most recent published test date |
|---|---|---|
| Pymble Ladies' College | NSW | Sunday 10 August 2025 (Year 7 and Year 11 scholarships for 2027 entry). All-Rounder test 22 February 2026 |
| Moriah College | NSW | Sunday 15 February 2026 (Year 7 and Year 9, 2027 entry). Year 5 scholarships tested in June |
| St Luke's Grammar School | NSW | Saturday 13 February 2027 (Years 7, 10 and 11, 2028 entry) |
| Central Coast Grammar School | NSW | Sunday 22 February 2026, online at home (2027 entry) |
| Newcastle Grammar School | NSW | Thursday 5 March 2026 (2027 entry) |
| Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie) | QLD | Saturday 13 February 2027 (Years 7 to 11, 2028 entry, and Year 7, 2029 entry). Online sitting for interstate and overseas students on 17 February 2027. See our Churchie scholarships guide |
| Melbourne Girls Grammar | VIC | Set by school |
| Christ Church Grammar School | WA | Saturday 21 February 2026 (2027 entry) |
| St Mark's Anglican Community School | WA | Saturday 28 February 2026 (Year 6 entry, 2027) |
| Pembroke School | SA | Saturday 15 November 2025 (Year 7, 2027 entry) |
| Scotch College Adelaide | SA | Set by school |
Schools sometimes change provider, so always check the school's current scholarship page before you prepare.
Note the timing. Some AAS schools test much earlier than you might expect. Pymble and Pembroke test for Year 7 scholarships in Year 5, about 15 to 18 months before entry. Others, like Moriah and St Luke's, test in February of Year 6.
Fees are paid to AAS and are typically about $120 to $150, with late fees at some schools.
How registration and results work
- Register through the school's website. Each school's link takes you to its own AAS registration page.
- Withdrawing: if you withdraw before registrations close, AAS keeps 20% of the fee and refunds the rest. After the closing date, or if your child doesn't attend, there's no refund.
- Reminders: an exam reminder is emailed to the main registered parent about five days before the test.
- Results: each school decides when and how to share results, and the school alone decides who gets a scholarship. Test results are usually one factor alongside reports and an interview.
- More than one school? Results can't be shared between schools unless they're in a scholarship co-operative. Your child sits a separate exam for each school.
What to bring on the day
- Two blue or black pens. Writing must be in pen so the scanner can read it, although students without a pen licence may use a pencil.
- The test invoice and ID, if the school asks for them
- Food and water for the 20-minute break
Not allowed: phones, smart watches (analogue watches are fine), bags, pencil cases, rulers, calculators, compasses and notes.
Arrive 30 minutes early for a test at school. For an online test at home, log in 15 minutes before it starts.
AAS vs ACER vs EduTest
| AAS | ACER Scholarship | EduTest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | Verbal, mathematical, figural, spatial | Built into humanities and maths | Verbal and numerical reasoning |
| Reading | Separate test | Part of humanities (secondary) or reading and viewing (primary) | Separate test |
| Maths | Everyday maths and problem-solving | Mathematics (with science at higher levels) | Separate test |
| Writing | Persuasive or narrative | Written expression | Written expression |
| Dates | Set by each school | Mostly February, with some school-set dates | Set by each school |
| Official practice | Paid online practice sets, no writing | Limited sample questions | Limited sample material |
The tests share core skills: close reading, reasoning through unfamiliar problems and writing well under time. A child well prepared for one is well on the way for the others. The main AAS difference is figural and spatial reasoning, which ACER doesn't test as a separate area. See EduTest vs ACER and the ACER scholarship test explained.
Sample questions
These are our own questions in the style of each AAS area, at about Year 6 level. Answers are below.
1. Reading. The council had promised the new playground would open "by summer". On the first day of the holidays, Ari pressed his face to the fence and counted the swings, still wrapped in plastic. Behind him, his little sister asked, for the fourth time, whether summer had started yet. What can you infer? A. Ari's sister doesn't like playgrounds. B. The playground wasn't ready when promised. C. The council opened the playground early. D. Ari is waiting for his friends.
2. Mathematics. A recipe uses 250 g of flour to make 10 biscuits. How much flour is needed for 24 biscuits? A. 500 g B. 550 g C. 600 g D. 625 g E. 650 g
3. Verbal reasoning. Only students who finish their homework can go on the excursion. Priya went on the excursion. Which must be true? A. Priya enjoys homework. B. Priya finished her homework. C. Everyone who finished their homework went on the excursion. D. Priya's friends went on the excursion.
4. Mathematical reasoning. What comes next? 4, 7, 13, 25, 49, ... A. 73 B. 89 C. 97 D. 98
5. Figural reasoning. What comes next? ◐ ◓ ◑ ◒ ? A. ◐ B. ◓ C. ◑ D. ◒
6. Spatial reasoning. A large cube is painted red on every face, then cut into 27 equal small cubes. How many small cubes have paint on exactly two faces? A. 6 B. 8 C. 12 D. 24
| Q | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | Summer has started and the swings are still wrapped, so the promise wasn't kept. |
| 2 | C | 250 g ÷ 10 = 25 g per biscuit. 25 × 24 = 600 g. |
| 3 | B | Only students who finished their homework could go, so Priya must have finished hers. C reverses the rule. |
| 4 | C | Double, then subtract 1: 49 × 2 − 1 = 97. |
| 5 | A | The dark half turns a quarter-turn clockwise each time: left, top, right, bottom, then left again. |
| 6 | C | Cubes with two painted faces sit on the edges, but not the corners. A cube has 12 edges, each with one middle cube. |
More practice by skill: verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning and abstract reasoning.
An eight-week preparation plan
Weeks 1 to 2: find the gaps. Sit one timed practice in each area. Note the two weakest.
Weeks 3 to 6: build skills.
- Four or five sessions a week, 20 to 30 minutes each
- Extra time on figural and spatial reasoning if they're new. Drawing and folding paper shapes helps more than you'd expect.
- One timed writing piece a week, alternating persuasive and narrative
- Daily reading, including non-fiction
Weeks 7 to 8: test conditions.
- Full sessions of 40 to 50 minutes, with a 20-minute break in between
- Practise moving on from hard questions. The tests get harder as they go, so the later questions are worth reaching but not worth getting stuck on.
Last few days: light review, early nights and a good breakfast.
Practice resources
From AAS: AAS sells online practice tests written by the same team that writes the real exams:
- Three practice sets, each with 75 questions, for students in Years 2 to 10 ($70 each)
- A full-length practice exam with 178 questions for Years 4 to 7 ($100)
They're untimed, can be sat once each, and don't include writing. AAS recommends choosing the test for your child's current year level.
From us:
- EduTest practice tests: full timed papers in reading, maths and verbal and numerical reasoning, the skills AAS tests most heavily
- Writing packs: 10 or 20 timed writing tasks with human marking. Writing is the area AAS doesn't offer practice for.
- Try a free sample test, with optional $15 human marking for writing
These are independent practice materials, not AAS papers, and don't predict scholarship outcomes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the AAS scholarship test? A scholarship exam written and run by Academic Assessment Services for independent schools. It covers writing, reading comprehension, mathematics and general reasoning.
How long is the AAS scholarship test? Two sessions of 40 to 50 minutes with a 20-minute break, plus a 25 to 30 minute writing test.
Are there AAS past papers? No. AAS sells online practice tests written by the same team, but doesn't release past papers.
Can AAS results be used for more than one school? Only if the schools are in a scholarship co-operative. Otherwise your child sits a separate test for each school.
Is the AAS test online or on paper? Either. Each school chooses. Paper tests are usually sat at the school, and online tests at home.
Are wrong answers penalised? No. AAS doesn't deduct marks for incorrect answers.
Sources: Academic Assessment Services, scholarship testing guide for parents, scholarship tests page and online practice tests page (checked 1 November 2026); school scholarship pages for Pymble Ladies' College, Moriah College, St Luke's Grammar, Central Coast Grammar, Newcastle Grammar, Churchie, Melbourne Girls Grammar, Christ Church Grammar, St Mark's Anglican, Pembroke School and Scotch College Adelaide. Practice Tests & Exams is independent and not affiliated with Academic Assessment Services or Janison. Confirm dates and arrangements with each school.