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Understand selective entry4 min read

Who can apply for Victorian selective entry: year level and citizenship

A child must be in Year 8 (or equivalent), must not have sat the exam before for Year 9 entry, and must meet citizenship or visa rules. ACER publishes no birth-date rule, so year level is what counts.

Last checked against the official sources.

Your child must be in Year 8 (or its equivalent) in the year of the exam, must not have sat the exam before for Year 9 entry, and must be an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen residing in Australia, or a holder of a visa or ImmiCard that exempts them from international student fees.

The requirements

ACER lists these for the 2026 cycle:

  1. Year level. Your child is in their second year of secondary schooling, or its equivalent (Year 8), in 2026.
  2. Not previously sat. Your child has not previously sat the exam for Year 9 entry.
  3. Citizenship or visa. An Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen residing in Australia, or a holder of a visa or ImmiCard that exempts them from international student fees. The criteria must be met by the time the offers process begins. They apply to candidates living in Victoria, interstate or overseas.

Government, non-government and home-schooled students are all eligible. Fee-paying international students enrolled in Victorian schools are not.

No birth-date rule

ACER does not state a birth-date cut-off. Eligibility is based on being in Year 8, so we have not built an eligibility checker. If your child's year level is unusual, for example after an early start or a repeated year, ask ACER before applying.

What you will need when applying

ACER lists a Victorian Student Number if applicable, a debit or credit card for payment and, for equity consideration, a health care or pensioner concession card. The Department adds that the form asks for both Centrelink Customer Reference Numbers (the cardholder's and your child's). Home-schooled students also upload their registration letter. See fee and equity.

Common trap

Do not wait to resolve visa questions until after offers open. ACER says the criteria must be met by the time the offers process commences.

Checked against ACER's apply page and the Department page on 7 October 2026.

© Copyright State Government of Victoria. Summarised and adapted from vic.gov.au, Selective entry high schools (https://www.vic.gov.au/selective-entry-high-schools), accessed 7 October 2026, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Changes were made. The Victorian Government does not endorse ExamExplained.

Frequently asked questions

Which year level can apply for Victorian selective entry?
Children in their second year of secondary schooling, or its equivalent (Year 8), in the year of the exam. Entry is to Year 9 the following year. Entry to Years 10 to 12 does not use this centralised process.
Can home-schooled children apply?
Yes. ACER says students from government, non-government or home-schooled backgrounds are eligible. Home-schooled students need a registration letter from the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority.

Sources