WHAT THEY SAY
A student who made it.
I cannot put into words how thankful I am towards Bing's Academy.
EXAM PROGRAMS
The ACER Higher Ability Selection Test (HAST) is the exam students sit to transfer into a selective high school after Year 7. It is used by schools to differentiate among high-performing students and usually requires supporting documentation including school reports and records of extra-curricular activities.
If your child did not secure a place in Year 7, or is aiming for a different selective school, the HAST is the path to get there.
WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT
The HAST is designed specifically to differentiate among students who are already high performers. The questions go well beyond what students encounter in a typical school curriculum.
Mathematical reasoning involves multi-step problems that require understanding across several principles at once. English is not tested as vocabulary recall. It is tested as comprehension, inference and the ability to extract meaning from complex texts. Abstract reasoning has no direct equivalent in school at all. Writing is assessed on clarity, structure and argument, not just correctness.
Students who prepare for school exams only and expect HAST to be similar are usually caught off guard. The preparation required is different.
There are no official past papers for the HAST. Most practice materials available online are not based on the actual test format and can give students an inaccurate picture of what to expect. Preparation that does not reflect the real exam is not just unhelpful. It can work against a student who has built habits around the wrong type of question.
INSIDE THE EXAM
Reading Comprehension
Covers fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction and visual materials including diagrams, charts and tables. Students are not tested on content knowledge. They are tested on their ability to handle complex sentences, identify main ideas, draw inferences and evaluate competing interpretations of a text.
Mathematical Reasoning
Covers number, measurement, space, time and problem-solving alongside science topics including astronomy, geography, chemistry, physics and biology. Questions are presented as numbers, text, diagrams, graphs and tables.
Abstract Reasoning
Students identify patterns in sequences of diagrams. Each pattern may involve combinations of size, shape, shading and orientation. There is no language content, which makes it relevant for students from non-English-speaking backgrounds.
Written Expression
Students complete one of two tasks: a discursive piece responding to a verbal prompt, or a creative piece responding to a visual prompt. Assessment covers thought and content, structure and organisation, expression, style and mechanics. It tests generative thinking alongside language ability.
John 'Bing' Huang
Sat the HAST exam. Got into Girraween.
FROM THE FOUNDER
When I was in Year 8 at Penrith Selective High School, I found out you could transfer to a selective school through the HAST exam. There were almost no resources available at the time. I relied on older students who had been through it to understand what to expect.
I sat the exam three times. The first two were unsuccessful. In Year 10, I transferred to Girraween High School for Year 11 entry.
That process taught me more about how to prepare for the HAST than anything else. I know where students lose marks, what the supporting documentation needs to look like, and what separates students who transfer from those who do not. Every student we work with at Bing's Academy gets that directly applied to their preparation.
WHAT THEY SAY
I cannot put into words how thankful I am towards Bing's Academy.
HOW WE PREPARE STUDENTS
All HAST preparation at Bing's Academy is 1-on-1. Sessions are built around where your child is right now, not a fixed program everyone follows at the same pace.
Every student is different. We begin with an assessment to understand where your child is strong and where the gaps are, then build sessions around those specific areas rather than a fixed program everyone follows at the same pace.
Not textbook exercises. Actual HAST-style questions, broken down so students understand the reasoning behind each answer, not just whether they got it right.
Schools assess more than the exam score. We help students and families understand what the supporting documentation needs to include and how to present it well.
Get in touch and we will talk through where your child is, what the exam involves, and whether HAST preparation makes sense for them right now. No commitment required.
Get in touch