ASET Test WA 2027: Complete Guide to the Academic Selective Entrance Test

The Academic Selective Entrance Test (ASET) is the one test WA students sit to get into a Gifted and Talented (GATE) program, including Perth Modern School. For Year 7 entry in 2028, Year 6 students sit the ASET on Saturday 6 March 2027. Applications close at 6 pm on Friday 5 February 2027.

This guide covers who sits the test, what is in it, how it is scored and how to prepare.

Who sits the ASET?

Every student applying for a WA Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective Entrance program must sit the ASET. Most applicants are in Year 6 and are applying for Year 7 entry. There are also smaller intakes for Years 9, 10 and 11.

Eligibility is based on the student's WA school year at the time of testing. To enter Year 7 in 2028, your child must be in Year 6 in 2027. A student can sit the ASET only once per intake, and cannot repeat a year to become eligible.

What is in the ASET?

The ASET has four tests, sat in one session of about 2 hours and 50 minutes.

Every multiple-choice question has four options (A to D), and wrong answers are not penalised. That means your child should answer every question, even with a guess.

The WA Department of Education says the ASET measures a student's potential, not what they have learnt in the WA Curriculum. In practice, it rewards reasoning speed, careful reading and the ability to write well under a tight time limit.

Reading Comprehension

Thirty-five questions in 35 minutes, so about a minute per question, including time to read the passages. Steady pacing matters more than speed-reading.

Communicating Ideas in Writing

One prompt, which can be an image, a piece of text or both. Students have 25 minutes in total, including planning and editing. At least two trained markers score each response on relevance to the prompt, quality of ideas, form and style, organisation, voice and language. The handbook says spelling and grammar count for little as long as the writing can be read.

From Jon: A student who has trained a structure ahead of time is basically using muscle memory. They don't need as much thinking under pressure, so they perform better. A student who has to work it out on the day often spends the first five minutes trying to figure out the prompt, or drifts into thoughts that have nothing to do with the test.

Quantitative Reasoning

Thirty-five questions in 35 minutes. Questions test mathematical thinking with numbers, patterns and data, rather than recall of school methods.

Abstract Reasoning

Thirty-five questions in only 20 minutes, about 34 seconds each. This is the section most students find hardest, because the shapes and patterns are unfamiliar and the pace is fast. It is also the section that improves most with practice.

How is the ASET scored?

Each of the four test scores is standardised, and the four are added together into a Total Standard Score (TSS). Academic programs place students on TSS alone. Catchment, school reports and interviews play no part.

For Year 7 in 2027, the lowest TSS that received a Round 2 offer ranged from 200.0 (Albany SHS) to 247.09 (Perth Modern School). Most schools also set a minimum TSS to go on their reserve list. See our full table in WA GATE Schools and ASET Cut-Off Scores.

Arts and languages programs also use the ASET, but weight it differently:

• Arts: TSS is 20% of the total. Auditions or workshops make up 60-65% and interviews 15-20%.
• Languages: students must reach a yearly TSS benchmark to be invited to interview. The final score is 80% ASET and 20% interview.

Key dates for Year 7 entry in 2028

Full timeline, including regional and interstate testing: ASET Key Dates for Year 7 Entry in 2028.

How to prepare for the ASET

The official practice ASET and ASET Handbook are free from the WA Department of Education. There are no public past papers, so most families use the official practice test first and then commercial mocks.

A good order of work:

1. Baseline first. One timed set of all four tests, so you know where your child actually stands.
2. Untimed skill-building. Work on the weakest section, especially Abstract Reasoning, without time pressure until accuracy is high.
3. Timed mocks. Full papers in the real order and timing, in the last six to eight weeks.

From Jon: Resources are finite, so you need to know where your child is starting. A baseline shows their weaknesses and strengths, so you can work on the right things. Skip it and you can spend months on the wrong areas.

More detail: ASET Practice Tests and Past Papers.

Frequently asked questions

What does ASET stand for? Academic Selective Entrance Test. It is the entrance test for WA's Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective Entrance programs.

Is the ASET the same as the GATE test? Yes. Parents often call it the "GATE test" or "GATE exam". GATE is the program and the ASET is the test that gets students into it. See GATE Program WA Explained.

How long is the ASET? About 2 hours and 50 minutes from start to finish, including a 10-minute break. The four tests total 115 minutes of working time.

Is there a penalty for wrong answers? No. Wrong answers do not lose marks, so students should answer every multiple-choice question.

Can my child sit the ASET twice? Not for the same intake. Students can sit once per intake.

Are there ASET past papers? No public past papers are released. The Department provides one full practice ASET with an answer key and the ASET Handbook.

Sources

• Academic Selective Entrance Test, WA Department of Education
• Key dates and applicant guidelines, WA Department of Education
• Applicant guidelines for entry in 2028 (PDF)
• ASET Handbook (PDF)
• Academic and languages program cut-off scores

Facts checked against official sources on 31 October 2026. Dates and cut-offs change each year.