At Benowa State High School we are proud of our programs and encourage our students to pursue excellence in all endeavours. We are pleased to offer six selective entry programs within the categories of Academic, Sport and The Arts. Selection into these programs is based on order of merit. With an extensive choice available, prospective students are assured of developing their knowledge and skills and to strive to achieve their best potential.
Year 7 2026 Excellence Programs
Please view our Enrolments page for Year 7, 2026, Important Dates.
New for 2026 Year 7 Dual Excellence Programs
We are excited to announce that from 2026, students enrolling for Year 7 will have the opportunity to apply for dual excellence programs.
- ·Students wanting to enter more than one program, will have to meet the entry requirements for each program and receive an offer from both programs.
- Students in dual excellence programs will still be able to apply for our Academic Excellence – Benowa Scholar program.
Annual Fee
Excellence program and Benowa Scholar fees are reviewed annually and are subject to change.
Excellence Program Fees
Both Excellence Programs and Scholar attract an annual fee that covers specialised education services purchased to enrich and extend students learning within the programs.
Excellence Program Details
Academic Excellence Program and Benowa Scholar
Students wanting to gain entry into an Academic Excellence program or Benowa Scholar are required to sit the Academic Entrance Exam. This test is used to spread and rank high-performing students. Test results are the primary selection criterion for entry. In addition to the test results, students are required to demonstrate continued excellence in academic, behaviour and effort.
HAST Information for Academic Exam Year 7 2026
The HAST is designed to measure academic ability rather than academic achievement. Reading through the HAST Sample Question Booklet provides an opportunity to reflect on the types of skills required of the candidate but it is not designed to teach candidates these skills. Higher order thinking skills are developed over a long period of time or they are skills that are innate and natural to you.
ACER has written this booklet to help students become familiar with the style and content of the questions at the HAST Junior Secondary level.
Information sourced from https://www.acer.org/au
Sport Excellence Program Entry Students wanting to gain entry into the Sport Excellence program are required to attend performance-based demonstration of merit prior to selection. Information regarding the performance-based demonstration.
The Arts Excellence Programs
The Arts programs include Dance Excellence, Drama Excellence, Music Excellence and Visual Arts Excellence. Students applying for Dance, Drama or Music Excellence are required to attend auditions prior to selection. Students applying for Visual Art Excellence are required to submit an art portfolio.