📝 How the Exam Works
ACER Scholarship Level 1 – Full Exam Structure
ACER Scholarship exams are identical in format across all states. SA schools test in early February; all other states test in late February.
Official Exam Format
| Section |
Format |
Time |
Notes |
| Section 1 – Written Expression 1 |
1 writing task (narrative or imaginative) |
25 min |
Marked on ideas, structure, expression, conventions |
| Section 2 – Humanities |
~40 MC – reading, comprehension, visual texts |
40 min |
5 unit types: prose, visual, document, graph, cross-text |
| Section 3 – Mathematics |
~32-36 MC – number, algebra, geometry, stats |
40 min |
Reasoning-based. No calculator. |
| Section 4 – Written Expression 2 |
1 writing task (persuasive or discursive) |
25 min |
Different style to Task 1 – read the prompt carefully |
| Total |
~72-76 Q + 2 tasks |
~2h 10min |
|
Scoring and Standardisation
📊 Standardised score
Raw scores are converted to a standardised scale to compare students nationally, regardless of sitting date or state.
✅ No negative marking
There is NO penalty for wrong answers. Always answer every question – a guess is better than a blank.
🏆 Percentile ranking
Schools typically look for the top 10-15% nationally for academic scholarships. Partial scholarships may be offered from the top 25-30%.
📝 Writing is heavily weighted
Written Expression often separates students with similar MC scores. A top-band Writing score can lift a student from borderline to scholarship offer.
⭐ ACER Examiner’s Trick: ACER deliberately writes questions that reward different thinking styles. Students who approach problems from unexpected angles often outperform those who apply standard methods. Practice thinking: ‘Is there a simpler or more elegant approach to this?’
