STAT

Overview

The Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT), formerly called the Special Tertiary Admissions Test, is developed and administered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). It is an alternative admissions pathway used by Australian universities and tertiary admissions centres to assess an applicant's reasoning and writing skills when the applicant's Year 12 results are missing, old, incomplete, or from outside Australia. STAT does not test school subject content. It has two separate assessments: STAT Multiple Choice, which measures verbal and quantitative reasoning, and the optional STAT Written English, which measures essay writing. Results are reported to the candidate and, depending on the state, to the relevant tertiary admissions centre, for use alongside other information in a university's own admission decisions.

Who can apply

STAT is aimed at people who do not have a standard, recent Year 12 qualification that universities can use directly for entry. In practice this covers:

• Mature-age applicants who left school some years ago and want to apply to university without resitting Year 12.

• Applicants who completed secondary schooling outside Australia, or whose overseas qualification is not directly comparable to an Australian Year 12 result.

• Applicants who completed Year 12 in Australia but did not achieve the ATAR or result their target course requires.

• Anyone a specific university course accepts STAT from, as an alternative or additional entry pathway, such as a special-entry or mature-age admission scheme.

Some states set their own minimum age or other conditions for STAT to be used for admission (for example, some schemes require the applicant to turn 20 before 1 March of the intended year of study), so applicants should confirm the exact eligibility rule with the admissions centre or university they are applying to, rather than assume a single national rule.

Exam pattern

STAT has two separate online assessments; a candidate can sit either or both, depending on what their target course asks for.

Both assessments are computer-based and sat online under remote proctoring (webcam and microphone), so a candidate can sit from any location that meets ACER's technical requirements, not only at a physical test centre. Western Australian candidates also have the option of an in-person sitting through TISC at scheduled metropolitan and regional sessions.

Marking and results

STAT Multiple Choice is machine-scored. Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning are each reported on a scaled score, and the overall STAT Multiple Choice score is the average of the two. Scores are reported on a scale centred on a mean of around 150, together with a percentile rank showing how the candidate's score compares with other test-takers in the same cycle. STAT Written English essays are read and scored by trained assessors against set criteria for argument, structure and expression.

There is no fixed pass or fail mark for STAT. Each university sets its own minimum score, or uses STAT results alongside other information (such as a personal statement, work experience or an interview) as part of a broader, holistic review. A STAT result is generally valid for up to 3 years from the date it is issued, though an individual university may set a shorter validity period for its own admissions.

Important dates

For 2026, ACER runs STAT Multiple Choice online sittings within an annual test cycle that runs from 15 April one year to 14 April the next, and a candidate may sit STAT Multiple Choice only once within that cycle. Within the cycle, online booking windows open at intervals through the year, and a candidate must book their own preferred date and time at least 72 hours in advance.

Western Australian candidates who prefer an in-person sitting through TISC can choose from scheduled metropolitan sessions; for 2026 these fall on 16 May, 27 June, 19 September and 28 November, with separate regional WA sessions on 8 May and 20 November 2026. Each session has its own booking-window open and close dates.

Because STAT deadlines and available sittings differ by state, admissions centre and university, applicants should check their target course's own STAT deadline, not just the general ACER test calendar, before choosing a sitting.

Fees

For 2026, reported fees are A$240 for STAT Multiple Choice and A$225 for STAT Written English, charged separately if a candidate sits both. ACER has announced a fee increase from 1 January 2027, after which STAT Multiple Choice is reported to rise to A$250 and STAT Written English to A$230. Fees are paid online at the time of registration and are generally non-refundable.

How to apply

Most candidates register for STAT online by creating an account on ACER's STAT site, choosing which assessment(s) to sit, selecting an available date and time within the current booking window, and paying the fee online. A working computer with a webcam, microphone and stable internet connection is required for the remote-proctored sitting, along with valid photo identification. Western Australian candidates who want an in-person sitting instead register through TISC for one of its scheduled session dates.

After the exam

ACER releases results a few days after each test window closes; candidates are notified by email and can view and download their STAT Statement of Results from their ACER account. What happens next depends on the state: some tertiary admissions centres (for example SATAC and QTAC) can retrieve a candidate's STAT result directly from ACER's national STAT database once the candidate's application names them, while in Western Australia, TISC holds STAT results and matches them to the candidate's university application. Candidates applying to a university that is not linked to one of these centres may need to supply their own Statement of Results directly. Applicants should check with each target university or admissions centre on whether anything further needs to be sent.

Preparation tips

• Practise full-length timed sections rather than only individual questions, since pacing across 70 Multiple Choice questions in 2 hours (or two essays in 1 hour for Written English) is part of what the test measures.

• For Verbal Reasoning, practise reading unfamiliar passages quickly and answering questions about the writer's main idea, tone or implied meaning, rather than relying on prior subject knowledge.

• For Quantitative Reasoning, revise basic numeracy, graph and data-interpretation skills; the test does not require advanced mathematics beyond what most adults have covered at school.

• For Written English, practise planning a short, clearly structured essay within a tight time limit, since a well-organised argument matters more than essay length.

• Use ACER's own published STAT preparation materials and sample questions to get used to the on-screen interface and question style before the real test.

FAQs