Suzanne Cory and Nossal High School Entry Guide

Suzanne Cory High School in Werribee and Nossal High School in Berwick are Victoria's two co-ed selective entry high schools, for Years 9 to 12. Both take most students at Year 9, through the same entrance exam sat in June of Year 8.

The two schools

They are the only selective entry options open to both boys and girls, and the closest options for many families in the outer west and south-east.

Year 9 entry

Both schools use the same exam as Melbourne High and Mac.Rob.

1. Apply through ACER when applications open (expected March 2027 for entry in 2028).
2. List up to three schools. Boys can list Melbourne High, Nossal and Suzanne Cory. Girls can list Mac.Rob, Nossal and Suzanne Cory.
3. Sit the exam in June of Year 8. Venues are allocated by home address.
4. Receive offers from early August.

Full exam detail: Victorian Selective Entry High School Exam: Complete Guide.

Equity places

Up to 10% of Year 9 places across the four schools go to equity applicants. Your child is eligible if:

• a parent or guardian holds a Commonwealth Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card, or
• your child identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

Equity offers are not limited by the 4% cap on students from one Year 8 school. The $175 application fee is also waived for these families.

Year 10 and 11 entry

Both schools offer a few places at Year 10 and 11 when vacancies come up. This is separate from Year 9 entry.

• One exam for all four schools. Students register with EduTest and sit an exam specific to the selective entry high schools. Results go to every school the student applied to.
• A separate application per school. If a student registers for more than one school, they sit the test at the school whose registration was submitted first. That can't be changed after the cut-off date (1 June last cycle).
• Nossal: after the exam, students go on a waiting list and are invited to interview with the Principal when a place opens.
• Suzanne Cory: interstate or overseas students can request remote sitting during EduTest registration, for a $160 fee.
• Eligibility: current Year 9 and 10 students who are Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens, permanent residents or hold a visa that exempts them from international student fees.

How to prepare

The Year 9 exam doesn't go beyond the Year 8 curriculum, but it is designed to be hard. Many candidates answer only about half the questions correctly.

1. Baseline: one timed attempt at each section.
2. Skills: fix the weakest area without time pressure.
3. Timed mocks: full papers in the real order in the final two months.

Frequently asked questions

Does Suzanne Cory High School have its own entrance exam? Not for Year 9. Year 9 entry uses the shared ACER exam. Year 10 and 11 entry uses a shared EduTest exam.

When is the Nossal High School entrance exam? The Year 9 entry exam is in June of Year 8. Last cycle it was on Saturday 20 June 2026.

Do I need to live near Nossal or Suzanne Cory? No. Neither school is zoned. Students from anywhere in Victoria can apply, and interstate or overseas students can apply too.

Are Nossal and Suzanne Cory easier to get into than Melbourne High or Mac.Rob? Official cut-off scores are not published, so there is no reliable comparison. Choose by fit and travel, not by guesses about difficulty.

Sources

• Selective entry high schools, Victorian Government
• ACER: Apply
• ACER: Exam day
• Nossal High School: Year 10 and 11 enrolment
• Suzanne Cory High School: FAQs

Facts checked against official sources on 31 October 2026.