The AAS scholarship test, explained
Academic Assessment Services (AAS) provides scholarship tests that many schools use to award academic scholarships. The important thing to know up front: unlike a single central testing program, each individual school runs its own scholarship program — and sets its own AAS test date and registration. Here’s what the test covers and how to prepare calmly.
- Years 3–11
- Each school sets which years
- 4 areas
- Reasoning · Reading · Maths · Writing
- Each school
- Sets its own test date
Written and reviewed by the Hootbrook education team · Last reviewed 30 August 2026
What is the AAS scholarship test?
AAS stands for Academic Assessment Services, an independent testing body. Rather than write their own exam, many schools run their own scholarship programs using AAS tests to help decide who is offered an academic scholarship — a place at a reduced fee, or free, for academically capable students.
Because AAS provides the test but the school runs the program, the details you need — which year levels are on offer, the test date, and how to register — come from the individual school, not from one central body. The areas the test covers, below, are consistent; the timetable and exact sections can vary by school.
The four areas
The AAS scholarship test covers four areas. The exact number of questions and the timing can differ by school, so confirm the specifics with the school your child is applying to.
Reasoning
Verbal, numerical and figural (spatial) reasoning — spotting patterns and relationships that don’t depend on what a child has been taught in class.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding and interpreting texts — meaning, inference, tone, and how writers use language to make their point.
Mathematics
Multi-step problems that reward clear reasoning — number, proportion, measurement, patterns and logic applied to real situations.
Written Expression
A writing task marked for ideas, structure, vocabulary and control of language — planned and written within a set time.
Which year levels?
AAS provides scholarship tests across Years 3 to 11. That spans late primary through to the senior years of secondary school.
Within that range, each individual school decides which year levels it tests for its own scholarship rounds. So the year your child would sit — and whether a school offers a scholarship at that year at all — depends on the specific school. Always check the year levels directly with the school.
The key thing to know
Each school sets its own AAS test date
This is where AAS differs from a program like ACER’s. There, one central test date is shared across many schools, and a single registration can be reported to several of them. With AAS, there is no single national scholarship date. Each school runs its own program and sets its own test date and registration.
In practice that means the only reliable way to find out when the AAS test is, how to register, and which year levels are offered is to contact the specific school your child is applying to. Don’t rely on a general date you find online — check the school’s own scholarship page or admissions office.
How to prepare
There are no shortcuts and no secret tricks — but there is a calm, honest way to build real readiness over time.
Check with the school first. Because each school sets its own AAS dates, registration and year levels, the first step is always to contact the specific school and prepare for its shape of the test.
Little and often. Short, steady sessions build more than last-minute cramming — and they keep a child calm rather than anxious about a high-stakes test.
Understanding over tricks. Reasoning and comprehension reward genuine thinking. Practise reasoning your child can explain, not shortcuts to guess an answer.
Practise writing under time. Written Expression is time-limited. Practise planning quickly, then writing a full, structured response before the clock runs out.
Read widely. Wide reading lifts comprehension, vocabulary and writing all at once. Ten real minutes a day beats any single worksheet.
Keep it in proportion. Scholarships are highly competitive and far more children sit than win one. A scholarship is a bonus, not the goal — wellbeing comes first.
An honest note
Scholarships are highly competitive — far more children sit than there are places, and offers go to students who score among the very top. Practice builds familiarity and confidence with the question styles; it can’t promise a place, and no program can. Academic Assessment Services does not release its live papers, so be wary of anyone selling “real” current ones. Hootbrook is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Academic Assessment Services.
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Free guides and practice for every part of scholarship and selective-school preparation.
AAS scholarship test — frequently asked
What is the AAS scholarship test?
AAS stands for Academic Assessment Services, an independent testing body. Individual schools run their own scholarship programs using AAS tests to help award academic scholarships. The test is written by AAS; the school decides how it is used.
What year levels is the AAS test for?
AAS provides scholarship tests across Years 3 to 11. Each individual school sets which year levels it tests for its own scholarship rounds, so the year on offer depends on the specific school.
What is on the AAS scholarship test?
It covers four areas: Reasoning (verbal, numerical and figural or spatial), Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, and Written Expression. The exact sections and timing can vary from school to school.
When is the AAS scholarship test?
There is no single national AAS test date. Each individual school sets its own AAS test date and registration — so, unlike a central testing program, the only reliable answer is to check directly with the specific school your child is applying to.
How do I register for the AAS scholarship test?
Registration is handled through the individual school, not a central body. Contact the specific school to find out its test date, how to register, and which year levels it offers for scholarships.
Are there real AAS past papers?
Academic Assessment Services does not release its live scholarship papers, so be wary of anyone claiming to sell ‘real’ current papers. Every question your child sees on Hootbrook is written by educators in the current format and checked before it is used.
See where your child stands today
Start with the free assessment. It finds your child’s true level across reasoning, reading and maths, so preparation begins from the truth — not a guess.