The Higher Ability Selection Test (HAST)
Introduction
The Higher Ability Selection Test (HAST) program has been devised by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in response to requests from individual schools throughout Australia for a screening process that would assist them in identifying students for participation in gifted and talented programs.
These tests draw upon ACER's extensive experience in high stakes testing for
schools. Tests such as those for entrance into selective high schools in NSW,
and for the Ignite program in South Australia and the Academic Talent Program
(ATP) in Western Australia.
HAST can be undertaken at a date convenient to the school.
Candidates register with the school not with ACER.
A school simply contacts ACER, indicates when they wish to test and stipulates the likely number of candidates that will be sitting. ACER then provides the appropriate number of Candidate Information Bulletins.
The school lets ACER know its final candidate numbers approximately five to seven (5-7) working days before the test and sufficient test papers and detailed instructions for supervisors are sent out.
Upon completion of the test, the school returns the test papers to ACER, along with an alphabetical listing of the registered candidates who sat the examination.
There is a ten (10) working day turn around between the receipt of the completed tests and the provision of results.