Mac.Robertson Girls' High School Entry Guide

The Mac.Robertson Girls' High School, known as Mac.Rob, is Victoria's selective entry government school for girls in Years 9 to 12. Most students enter at Year 9 by sitting the state's selective entry exam in June of Year 8. A small number join at Year 10 or 11 through a separate EduTest exam.

About Mac.Rob

• Who: girls in Years 9 to 12.
• Where: Kings Way, Melbourne, next to Albert Park and close to the CBD.
• Zoning: none. Mac.Rob takes students from anywhere in Victoria who sit the entrance exam.
• History: the school traces its origins to 1905 and took the Mac.Robertson name in 1934.

Most Mac.Rob students go to another high school for Years 7 and 8, then move at Year 9.

Year 9 entry: the selective entry exam

Year 9 entry is through the shared exam for all four Victorian selective entry high schools, run by ACER.

1. Apply through ACER when applications open (March 2027 is expected, for entry in 2028).
2. List Mac.Rob as one of up to three school preferences.
3. Sit the exam in June of Year 8.
4. Receive results and offers in early August.

About 85% of places go on exam rank, up to 10% through equity consideration and up to 5% through principal discretion. Full detail: Victorian Selective Entry High School Exam: Complete Guide.

Year 10 and 11 entry

Later entry is limited and depends on places becoming available. It has more steps than Year 9:

1. Entrance exam, run by EduTest for the four selective schools.
2. Application to Mac.Rob.
3. Shortlist.
4. Interview.

Last cycle (entry in 2027), the Mac.Rob timeline was:

Families who can't afford the full fee can apply for equity consideration, which gave approved applicants a 50% reduction last cycle.

From Jon: These schools are competitive, so even parents of gifted children invest in preparation. They don't want a capable child to miss out. Many families start years earlier, building solid maths and English foundations, so that when proper selective preparation begins, the new layers are much easier to take on.

How to prepare for the Mac.Rob entrance exam

The exam doesn't test anything beyond the Year 8 curriculum, but it is designed to stretch high-ability students. ACER says many candidates answer only about half the questions correctly.

• Reading and Verbal Reasoning reward wide reading and practice with logic and word problems.
• Maths and Quantitative Reasoning reward working without a calculator and spotting patterns quickly.
• Writing gives 40 minutes for two tasks, so planning speed matters. See Victorian Selective Entry Writing Test.

Start with a timed baseline, fix the weakest area untimed, then finish with full timed mocks.

Frequently asked questions

Does Mac.Rob have its own entrance exam? Not for Year 9. Year 9 entry uses the shared selective entry exam run by ACER. Year 10 and 11 entry uses an EduTest exam plus an application, shortlist and interview.

Is Mac.Rob a private school? No. It is a Victorian government school, so there are no private school tuition fees.

When is the Mac.Rob entrance exam? The Year 9 entry exam is held in June of Year 8. Last cycle it was on Saturday 20 June 2026.

Can boys apply to Mac.Rob? No. Mac.Rob is a girls' school. Boys can apply to Melbourne High School, Nossal or Suzanne Cory.

How hard is it to get into Mac.Rob? Places are competitive. About 1,000 Year 9 places are offered across all four selective schools each year, and the exam is designed so that most candidates find it difficult.

Sources

• Mac.Rob: Enrol
• Mac.Rob: Who can enrol
• Mac.Rob: What is Mac.Rob?
• ACER: Prepare
• Selective entry high schools, Victorian Government
• Nossal High School: Year 10 and 11 enrolment

Facts checked against official sources on 31 October 2026.