Test format & sections
Vocabulary
20-30m (varies by year) · 30-50 questions across 2-3 parts (varies by year)
Years 4-9 sit 30 minutes across three parts (50 questions, including Spelling); Years 10-12 sit 20 minutes across two parts (30 questions, no Spelling). Part 1 matches definitions to words in repeating pools of 5 (labelled A–E); Part 2 gives the answer's first letter.
Reading Comprehension
30m · ~25-29 questions across 2 texts
Two independent texts, not one passage. Years 4-9 use general-interest articles (newsletters, student reports); Years 10-12 are similar at a harder register, occasionally a structured document (e.g. a lab report) instead. MCQ is 3 or 4 options and often includes an "all of the following EXCEPT" question. True/False (strictly binary, no "Not Given") appears from Years 7-9 up; never at Years 4-6.
Listening
20m · ~30 questions across 3 texts (~10 each)
Three recordings, each played ONCE — not twice. Mixes True/False, exact-word completion (including filling in a form, not just a sentence), 3-4 option multiple choice, a multi-select "tick every match" format, and grid/diagram completion. Spelling must be exact — a correct paraphrase still loses the mark.
Writing
30m · 1 task (150+ words Years 4-9, 200+ Years 10-12)
Word count floor is 150 (Years 4-9) or 200 (Years 10-12). Genre varies — personal narrative, opinion essay, letter, or (Years 10-12) magazine article, usually named in the prompt itself (e.g. "Write a letter to..."). Marking criteria are officially named, worded slightly differently by year band, but cover the same ground: content, organisation, vocabulary, grammar.
Speaking
10–15m · 3 sections
Three sections: an unassessed interview, a cue-card monologue, and a picture task. Years 4-9 go Interview → Picture → Monologue (2 min prep, 1 min talk); Years 10-12 go Interview → Monologue → Picture (1 min prep, 2 min talk). Picture Task is one image at Years 4-6/10-12, two images to compare at Years 7-9.
Mathematical Reasoning
30–45m · Multiple choice
A student applying to a HIGHER year than their current one sits that higher year's content — a common source of an unexpectedly low score if this isn't planned for.
Non-Verbal General Ability
~30m · Multiple choice
Tests general cognitive ability independent of English. Format-familiarity (rotations, sequences, matrices, odd-one-out) is the realistic prep target — this section isn't curriculum content that can be crammed the way English or Math can.
How AEAS is scored
English is scored out of 100 total plus 5 component scores. Mathematical Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning each convert a raw score to a stanine (1–9, mean 5, SD 2). There is no universal pass mark — every school sets its own entry threshold from the AEAS Report, which also recommends a number of weeks of English preparation.
Score levels
Typical requirements
AEAS frequently asked questions
Is there a pass or fail score for AEAS?
No. There is no universal AEAS pass mark — each school sets its own entry threshold using the AEAS Report. If you have a specific target school, ask them (or your education agent) what score they look for, rather than treating AEAS itself as pass/fail.
What does the stanine score mean?
Mathematical Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning are reported as a stanine — a normalised scale from 1 to 9 with a mean of 5. Scores of 1–3 are below average, 4–6 are average, and 7–9 are above average, relative to same-age peers.
Which year levels sit the AEAS test?
Mainly students applying for Years 4–6, 7–9, and 10–12 (Australian/US year numbering). Very young applicants (Years 1–3) typically aren't required to sit the formal test — schools usually assess them a different way.
Does Mathematical Reasoning difficulty depend on my current year or my target year?
Your target year level. A student applying to study a year ABOVE their current one sits that higher year's Math content, not an easier version — this catches families off guard if it isn't planned for in advance.
How is Non-Verbal Reasoning different to prepare for?
It's language-free and tests general cognitive ability (patterns, sequences, matrices) rather than curriculum content. The realistic prep goal is format familiarity — practising enough items that no question TYPE is a surprise on the day — rather than "studying" it the way you'd study vocabulary or math content.
Does the Vocabulary test have a Spelling section?
Only for Years 4-6 and 7-9 — confirmed directly from AEAS's own official practice booklets. That band sits 30 minutes across three parts (Word Meanings, Words in Context, and Spelling — 50 questions). Years 10-12 sit only 20 minutes across two parts (Word Meanings and Words in Context, 30 questions) with no Spelling part at all.
Does the Listening recording play twice, like some other English tests?
No — AEAS Listening plays each of its three recordings ONCE ONLY, confirmed directly from AEAS's own official practice booklets. There's a timed silent pause afterward to write your answers, but no second play.