Queensland Academies Year 10 entry: the test and how to prepare

The three Queensland Academies take students at Year 10 into the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme: Science, Mathematics and Technology (QASMT) at Toowong, Creative Industries (QACI) at Kelvin Grove, and Health Sciences (QAHS) on the Gold Coast. Applications open in Term 3 of a student's Year 8, and the entrance test is sat in Year 9; for 2028 entry, all three campuses test in 2027. A student can submit only one Year 10 application in a year, across all three campuses, so the campus has to be chosen up front.

Every applicant sits the EduTest entrance test, the same battery the Academies use for Year 7 entry. It has four multiple-choice papers of 30 minutes each — Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension and Mathematics — and a 15-minute Written Expression task with no planning or reading time. EduTest does not publish how many questions each paper has. Calculators, dictionaries, rulers and electronic devices are not allowed.

Each campus runs its own timeline for the same entry year, and closing dates can be months apart, so plan around the campus you are applying to rather than another family's dates. The test is not the whole decision: each campus's published process includes interviews, and QACI and QASMT interview a shortlist. The application fee is non-refundable, so check eligibility before paying.

Because the battery splits into reasoning and achievement papers, prepare for both. Build vocabulary and practise word relationships for Verbal Reasoning; practise number series, matrices and multi-step arithmetic without a calculator for Numerical Reasoning; keep Year 9 mathematics fluent; and read demanding texts regularly. Practise 15-minute writing pieces that start straight away, since there is no planning time. Finally, sit all five papers together under time at least a few times before test day.