HAST: The Higher Ability Selection Test, Explained

If your child is applying to an academically selective or independent school, you may have been asked to sit something called HAST. It's less well known than NAPLAN or the NSW selective test, and the details vary by school, which makes it confusing. This guide clears it up.

What is HAST?

HAST — the Higher Ability Selection Test — is an academic assessment developed and run by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). More than 100 selective and independent schools across Australia use it to identify students with higher academic ability, for both entry and scholarship decisions. Unlike the ACER Scholarship Test, which is specifically about scholarships, HAST is used more broadly for general entry selection.

HAST levels

HAST comes in several levels to match different entry points:

Level	Students	Typical entry point
Primary	Years 3–5	Year 5, 6 or 7 entry
Junior	Years 6–7	Year 7 or 8 entry
Middle	Years 8–9	Year 9 or 10 entry
Senior	Years 10–11	Year 11 or 12 entry

The Primary level is the most commonly sat, and it's the one covered here — designed for students in Years 3–5 preparing for entry to selective or independent schools.

Test structure (Primary level)

The Primary HAST has up to four components. Crucially, not every school requires every component — schools pick the sections they want, so always confirm with your target school which parts your child needs to sit.

Section	Questions	Time	Format
Reading Comprehension	25	30 minutes	Multiple-choice
Mathematical Reasoning	25	30 minutes	Multiple-choice
Abstract Reasoning	Varies	30 minutes	Multiple-choice (optional)
Writing	1 prompt	30 minutes	Extended response (optional)

Total testing time is up to about two hours, depending on which components a school requires.

What each section covers

• Reading Comprehension — higher-order reading: main ideas and themes, inference and conclusions, vocabulary in context, analysing structure and language features, and interpreting across multiple texts. The passages are challenging and reward reading beyond the literal.
• Mathematical Reasoning — reasoning ability beyond standard curriculum knowledge: number and algebra, fractions, decimals and percentages, measurement and geometry, data and probability, and multi-step problem-solving.
• Abstract Reasoning — non-verbal, pattern-based questions: rules in visual sequences, completing matrices, spatial transformations, and classifying figures. Designed to be culture-fair and independent of learned content.
• Writing — an extended response (narrative or persuasive) marked on ideas, structure and coherence, vocabulary, and conventions.

How schools use HAST

Each school decides independently how to use the results. Some use HAST as their primary academic assessment for offers of a place; others use it alongside interviews and school reports to award scholarships; some use it to stream students into academic levels. Schools may also weight the components differently. The practical takeaway: check your specific school's requirements before you plan any preparation, because it determines which sections actually matter for you.

HAST vs the ACER Scholarship Test

Parents regularly mix these two up — both are run by ACER, but they serve different purposes.

	HAST	ACER Scholarship Test
Purpose	Entry selection and scholarships	Scholarships primarily
Schools	100+ selective and independent	250+ independent
Components	Up to 4 (schools choose)	3 fixed components
When	Year-round (school-dependent)	February–April typically

Some schools use both, for different purposes. If scholarships are your focus, our guide to the ACER Scholarship Test covers that pathway in detail.

One common misconception worth flagging: Sydney Grammar School does not use HAST — it administers its own entrance examination. Never assume; confirm with the school.

How to prepare

• Read widely and critically. HAST reading rewards inference, not just recall, so varied and demanding reading is the best long-term preparation.
• Focus maths on reasoning. Practise problem-solving strategies over rote calculation.
• Get familiar with abstract reasoning. Matrix puzzles and visual sequences build the pattern-spotting the test relies on.
• Rehearse timed writing — but only if your school requires that component.
• Confirm the components first. There's no point drilling Abstract Reasoning if your school doesn't use it.

Because HAST Primary overlaps with the reasoning and comprehension skills tested by other selective exams, much of the practice transfers. You can try free HAST-style sample questions to gauge where your child is.

How HAST fits with the rest of your application

For most families, HAST is one part of a broader picture. Schools that use it typically read the result alongside an interview, current school reports, and sometimes a portfolio or references — so a single test day rarely decides everything on its own. That's worth remembering both ways: a strong HAST result still needs a solid application around it, and a shaky one isn't necessarily the end of the road if the rest of the picture is good.

It also pays to line up your dates early. Because schools run their own sessions, families often sit HAST at more than one school, and the sittings can clash or fall close together. Map out which schools you're applying to, which components each requires, and when they test, before you commit to a preparation plan — it saves a lot of last-minute scrambling.

When is it held?

HAST dates vary by school — schools arrange their own sessions, typically between March and June. Contact your target school directly for registration deadlines and test dates, and check the official ACER HAST page for general information and practice materials.