Girraween High School: Years 8 to 11 Entry, the HAST and the Portfolio
Girraween High School, a fully selective co-educational school in Western Sydney, runs its own application for entry into Years 8 to 11. Your child sits the HAST (Higher Ability Selection Test), developed by ACER, and you submit a portfolio of school achievements. Selective Success Academy's live online small-group HAST classes on Microsoft Teams prepare students for the test itself.
- Test
- HAST (Higher Ability Selection Test), plus a portfolio of school achievements
- Entry into
- Years 8, 9, 10 and 11, in one application round
- How to apply
- The NSW Department of Education's form, lodged at the school in person or by post, not by email
- Interview
- Yes, at the school's enrolment afternoon, once an offer is accepted
- Last cycle (2027 entry)
- Applications 17 June to 24 July 2026. HAST on Saturday 8 August 2026
- 2028 entry (exams in August 2027)
- Dates not yet published
Last checked 1 October 2026 against Girraween High School's enrolment page and enrolment policy.
The school has no local intake area, so living nearby does not give your child automatic entry. New to Year 8 to 11 entry? Our guide to selective school transfer explains how it works across NSW.
How Years 8 to 11 entry works at Girraween High School
The steps below are last cycle's, for 2027 entry, as the school's enrolment page, its enrolment policy and its Application Checklist 2026 set them out. Details can change between rounds, so check the enrolment page when the next one opens.
- Choose your schools. You can apply to up to three selective high schools. Each school needs its own application form, and your order of preference must be the same on every form.
- Complete the application. The school says the NSW Department of Education's Years 8 to 11 application form is required. Its enrolment policy also makes the school's own online HAST Application form mandatory, so look for both when the round opens.
- Put the portfolio together. Gather the documents listed under "What to attach" below, as photocopies unless an original is asked for. The school does not provide a photocopy service.
- Pay the application fee and attach the receipt. Last cycle the fee was $130 when your child sat the HAST at Girraween as first preference, or $50 when they sat it at a school that shares results with Girraween. The school took cash, EFTPOS, Mastercard or Visa, or payment online through its website.
- Lodge the application at the school office, in person or by post. Applications by email are not accepted. Last cycle's deadline was 3pm on Friday 24 July 2026. The enrolment page says no late applications are accepted, and the policy allows one only in exceptional circumstances, requested by email to the Principal at least seven days before the test.
- Your child sits the HAST. The test is at Girraween High School, 110 Gilba Road, Girraween, or at one of the schools that share HAST results with Girraween, such as Caringbah High School, Hurlstone Agricultural High School and St George Girls High School. If the schools on your list test on the same date, your child sits the HAST at your first-preference school.
- The school selects. For each year group, a panel of school executives reviews every portfolio alongside the HAST result and proposes a rank order. A committee that includes the Principal and a parent representative then confirms it.
- Offers, then an interview. The enrolment policy says offers are made in late September. A student who accepts comes to the enrolment afternoon in early Term 4 with a parent or guardian, brings the originals of every document submitted, and attends an interview. If the documents are in order, the formal offer of enrolment is made at the end of the interview.
- Start on the first day. New students must attend on the first school day of the year, or the offer is withdrawn.
Three more things the school makes clear. It does not accept overseas applicants, because portfolios are assessed against the Australian Curriculum, so your child must already be studying in the Australian education system. A brother or sister at Girraween does not give your child automatic entry. And Year 12 entry is highly unlikely: the school says it is at the discretion of the Principal and the Director Educational Leadership.
What to attach
Last cycle, the school asked for:
- the original of your child's Australian birth certificate or Australian passport, citizenship certificate, permanent residency certificate or visa, for the school to sight
- photocopies of the 2025 half-yearly and yearly school reports and the 2026 half-yearly report
- photocopies of the last two NAPLAN reports
- photocopies of external academic achievements from the past two years, such as the Big Science Competition or the Australian Mathematics Competition
- photocopies of evidence of extracurricular activities from the past two years, such as music, debating, sport or drama
- a copy of the fee receipt
If a NAPLAN report or a half-yearly report is not ready in time, the enrolment page says it can be emailed to the school later.
If something does not go to plan
If your child receives disability provisions at their current school, contact Girraween at least 14 days before the HAST, with evidence from the current school. Some provisions also need ACER's approval. ACER asks for those requests to reach the school when you register, and no later than four weeks before the test, so raise it when you apply.
If illness or something unforeseen affects your child on test day, email the Principal within seven days of the test. A review on the grounds of illness must include a medical certificate dated on or before the day of the test.
To ask for a review of a selection decision, email the Principal by the first Wednesday of Term 4. The policy lists the grounds it will generally consider, so read them first. The school also keeps a reserve list: if another offer can be made, the Principal offers enrolment to the next student on it. Reserve lists generally stay active during Term 1.
Key dates
Last cycle: 2027 entry (exams in August 2026)
These dates are from last cycle, for 2027 entry. Applications for that round closed in July 2026. They show how Girraween's year runs, not when its 2028-entry round will open.
| Last cycle, 2027 entry | When | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Applications opened | Wednesday 17 June 2026 | Enrolment page |
| Applications closed, at 3pm | Friday 24 July 2026 | Enrolment page |
| HAST at Girraween High School, arrival by 8:30am | Saturday 8 August 2026 | Enrolment page and Application Checklist 2026 |
| Outcomes released, Department-wide | September to October 2026 | NSW Department of Education |
| Offers made, under the school's enrolment policy | Late September | Enrolment policy |
| Enrolment afternoon and interview, under the enrolment policy | Early Term 4 | Enrolment policy |
| New students start, Department-wide | Late January 2027 | NSW Department of Education |
As at 1 October 2026, from the sources in the table.
2028 entry (exams in August 2027)
No date for 2028 entry has been published. As at 1 October 2026, Girraween High School's enrolment page shows only last cycle's round, with applications marked closed. No 2028-entry date appears in the school's enrolment policy or checklist, or on the NSW Department of Education's Years 8 to 11 page. Check the enrolment page regularly. Our guide to selective school transfer covers what other schools have said about 2028 entry.
The test
Girraween High School uses all four HAST tests: Reading Comprehension, Mathematical Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning and Written Expression. Girraween runs the test itself, and ACER, the Australian Council for Educational Research, provides the test material. ACER lists Girraween at its Junior, Middle and Senior secondary levels, so the level your child sits depends on the year they are entering.
Read our full guide to the HAST for what each test covers, how long it takes and which level your child will sit.
How we prepare students for Girraween High School
Because Girraween uses the HAST, your child prepares in our HAST course. It is live small-group tutoring on Microsoft Teams: ten weekly lessons of two hours each term, with lesson recordings, lesson and homework booklets, marking feedback on weekly homework, and a full-length mock exam with a comprehensive review.
Our practice questions are written by Selective Success Academy in the style of the HAST. They are our own material, not ACER material and not past papers.
The portfolio is built from what your child already has: school reports, NAPLAN results and achievements from the past two years. If you are unsure what Girraween asks for, or when, book a short call and we will go through it with you.
Free practice and guides
- Free practice: our HAST practice test, with worked answers.
- The application: what each school asks for, and how to make each part strong.
- The interview: selective school interview questions and how to prepare.
- By entry year: Year 8, Year 9, Year 10 and Year 11 entry, every school compared.
What HAST tutoring costs
| What you get | Price |
|---|---|
| Term course, live: 10 weekly lessons of 2 hours each, on Microsoft Teams | $900 a term, which is $90 a lesson |
| The same live course, booked at the early bird price | $800 a term |
| Term course, recordings only | $600 |
| Two term courses | $1,400 |
Prices as at 1 October 2026.
The live term course is 20 hours of teaching, so $900 works out at $45 an hour. It includes small group classes, lesson recordings, a full-length mock exam with a comprehensive review, marking feedback on weekly homework and the mock, lesson and homework booklets, and online messaging support.
A question bank gives your child practice. It does not contain any teaching hours, and it cannot tell you which school to apply to, what the school report needs to show, or when the application closes.
HAST class times are on the timetable. Courses and prices lists every course we run.
Our students at Girraween High School
Selective Success Academy students have received offers to Girraween High School, as well as to other HAST and EduTest schools.
Who teaches this
Ilia founded Selective Success Academy and is its head tutor. He has been through this himself: he missed out on selective school at first, then entered North Sydney Boys High School by lateral transfer. He became a North Sydney Boys High School Dux, finished school with a 99.90 ATAR and now studies Medicine at UNSW. His story was featured in The Sydney Morning Herald in April 2026.
What families say
Thank you to Selective Success Academy for the quality teaching and support provided throughout the year. We especially appreciate Ilia’s dedication, clear explanations, and positive approach to learning. His guidance has helped our child build both confidence and academic skills.
It was a good engagement with Selective Success Academy since last term. Ilia explains concepts clearly and to the level of difficulty required. The mock exams and feedback were helpful. A well-run program.
Ilia has been a truly supportive mentor at Selective Success Academy. His patient and well‑structured approach has helped make even the most challenging topics feel manageable and clear.
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Questions parents ask about Girraween High School entry
Does Girraween High School use the HAST or the EduTest?
The HAST. Girraween High School's enrolment page says students must sit the Higher Ability Selection Test (HAST) and submit a portfolio of school achievements. The EduTest is used by other selective schools for Year 8 to 11 entry, and our EduTest guide covers those.
How many places are there?
Places at Girraween High School vary by year level. Its enrolment policy says that, in most year levels, a new place arises only when a current student leaves, and the school decides its own intake. Its enrolment page and policy publish no number in advance, and we do not quote a number either. Book a short call and we can talk it through for your child's year level.
When do applications open for 2028 entry?
Girraween High School has not said yet. As at 1 October 2026, its enrolment page shows only the round for 2027 entry, with applications marked closed. In that round, applications opened on Wednesday 17 June 2026 and closed at 3pm on Friday 24 July 2026, and the HAST was on Saturday 8 August 2026. Check the school's enrolment page regularly.
How much does it cost to apply?
For 2027 entry, the application fee was $130 if Girraween High School was your first preference and your child sat the HAST there, and $50 if your child sat the HAST at another school that shares results with Girraween. The school has not published its fee for 2028 entry.
Does Girraween High School interview applicants?
Yes, once an offer has been accepted. The school's enrolment policy says the student and a parent or guardian attend an interview at the enrolment afternoon in early Term 4, bringing the originals of every document submitted. If the documents are in order, the formal offer of enrolment is made at the end of the interview.
Can my child move to Girraween High School from another selective school?
Not automatically. Girraween High School's enrolment page says students cannot automatically transfer between selective high schools. Your child applies like any other applicant, with the same form, portfolio and HAST. Our guide to selective school transfer explains how Year 8 to 11 entry works across NSW.
Sources
Girraween High School's documents and the other sources below were read on 1 October 2026.
- Girraween High School: Enrol
- Girraween High School: Enrolment Policy (PDF)
- Girraween High School: Application Checklist 2026 (PDF)
- NSW Department of Education: Years 8 to 11 application form for 2027 entry (PDF, on Girraween High School's site)
- Girraween High School: home page
- Girraween High School: contact us
- NSW Department of Education: selective high schools, Years 8 to 11 applications
- ACER: HAST participating schools
- ACER: HAST special test accommodations (PDF)
Not sure which test or school suits your child? Book a short call with Ilia, or let your child try a lesson first.