Sample Tests

English

In Year 8, English becomes more than just reading and writing — it’s about understanding how language works to inform, influence, and inspire.

The ICAS English test challenges students to:

Interpret and respond to a wide range of texts
Analyse sentence structure and syntax
Explore the writer’s craft and purpose
Apply precise and context-appropriate vocabulary

From unpacking modal verbs to identifying tone, tense, and voice, students are encouraged to think critically, read deeply, and engage with language on a whole new level.

"Explore Ideas. Express with Impact."

English is the key to unlocking every subject — it shapes how students think, communicate, and learn. The ICAS English exam offers a clear, curriculum-aligned way to assess literacy and language skills at each year level.

Designed to go beyond basic comprehension, the test evaluates:

Everyday literacy
Critical and creative thinking
Syntax, vocabulary, and writer’s craft
Clear and purposeful communication

Whether interpreting complex texts or analysing tone and voice, students are encouraged to engage deeply with language. The ICAS English exam helps educators identify strengths, target learning needs, and nurture confident, capable communicators across all disciplines.

Skill Area	Learning Objective	Key Student Outcomes
Text Comprehension	Interpret and evaluate complex ideas, perspectives, and arguments	Identify settings in poems Identify counter-arguments Provide supporting evidence Explain character reactions Compare and contrast points of view Identify assumptions Judge suitable alternative titles
Writer’s Craft	Analyse how structure, context, and stylistic choices shape meaning	Identify text-type conventions (e.g., reviews) Explain historical context in texts Relate conclusions to introductions Evaluate use of modality Examine use of voice and tense
Syntax	Recognise and explain how grammar and punctuation convey meaning	Identify modal adjectives, adverbs, or nouns Understand use of hyphenation Analyse grammatical devices for meaning
Vocabulary	Interpret and analyse nuanced word meanings and usage in context	Match words with contextual usage Interpret technical words from base forms Analyse word groups for differences in meaning Extrapolate from base forms to infer meaning

Mathematics

The ICAS Maths competition challenges Year 8 students to apply and extend their mathematical understanding across key areas such as numbers, patterns, space, shape, chance, and data. With tasks that involve using formulas to calculate areas, classifying shapes, and plotting coordinates on graphs, students are encouraged to think critically and solve problems creatively. Some questions go beyond the standard curriculum, offering a valuable opportunity for students to stretch their logic and demonstrate advanced reasoning.

Stretch Logic. Strengthen Skills.

Mathematics is more than equations — it's the foundation for problem solving, logical thinking, and success across all STEM fields. The ICAS Mathematics test provides a reliable, curriculum-aligned assessment that ranks student performance while challenging them to apply their skills in meaningful, real-world contexts. With a focus on logical reasoning, critical thinking, and creative problem solving, the ICAS Maths competition supports not only academic achievement but also the everyday skills students need to analyse, question, and make sense of the world around them.

Skill Area	Learning Objective	Key Student Outcomes
Number & Arithmetic	Apply operations, properties, and comparisons with integers, fractions, and powers	Use index notation Represent numbers as products of primes Find squares and square roots Compare and order integers and unrelated fractions Round decimals
Algebra & Patterns	Create, evaluate, and extend algebraic expressions and patterns	Continue patterns with powers, integers, and fractions Create and evaluate algebraic equations using substitution Solve linear equations Simplify expressions
Measures & Units	Apply geometric formulae and measurement strategies for area and volume	Use formulae for area (triangles, parallelograms) Calculate volumes of rectangular prisms
Space & Geometry	Use coordinates, bearings, and geometric reasoning to solve problems	Use simple bearings Plot coordinates in all four quadrants Classify/use properties of triangles and quadrilaterals Calculate angles between transversals and parallel lines Use angle sum of quadrilaterals
Chance & Data	Interpret, compare, and summarise statistical data	Interpret and compare stem-and-leaf and dot plots Calculate mean, median, mode, and range

Science

From cells to earthquakes, the ICAS Science test challenges students to observe, analyse, predict, and problem-solve across topics like Life & Living, Energy & Change, and Earth & Beyond. Whether identifying cell parts or explaining Earth’s structure, students apply real scientific thinking in a fun, curriculum-based test designed to spark curiosity and stretch minds.

Build Scientific Thinkers.

The ICAS Science exam challenges students to apply core STEM skills through fun, thought-provoking questions that reflect real scientific thinking. Aligned with year-level curricula, the test assesses key areas like experimentation, observation, logical reasoning, and critical analysis — skills that go beyond the classroom and are central to the scientific method.

By exploring how the world works, students develop curiosity, confidence, and the ability to think like scientists. Give your learners the chance to test their knowledge and uncover their potential with ICAS Science.

Skill Area	Learning Objective	Key Student Outcomes
Observing & Measuring	Identify and describe observable scientific structures or processes	Observe differences in rock types (sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic) Observe particle models of matter Identify cell parts and energy transformations
Interpreting	Analyse diagrams, graphs, and visual representations of scientific systems	Interpret hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere diagrams Read graphs on states of matter Interpret body systems and compound structures
Predicting & Concluding	Use observations or data to infer properties, outcomes, or scientific explanations	Compare solar system models Conclude on metal/non-metal properties Draw conclusions on human body system function Conclude speed of sound and velocity
Investigating	Explore scientific questions using evidence and models	Investigate renewable vs non-renewable energy Examine gas production variables Study organism roles in ecosystems
Reasoning & Problem Solving	Apply scientific knowledge and logical thinking to evaluate, analyse, or solve	Understand Earth structure Classify based on structure Determine molecular structure using models Explore marine interactions

Writing

The ICAS Writing test for Year 8 invites students to demonstrate their ability to craft compelling narrative or persuasive texts, with each entry assessed using a consistent rubric and year-appropriate expectations. Students are evaluated on their understanding and use of genre conventions, along with their control of text structure, grammar, syntax, and punctuation — helping them grow as clear, confident, and purposeful communicators.

Write with Purpose, Write with Power

Strong writing isn’t just about putting words on a page — it’s about shaping ideas, building arguments, and engaging readers with purpose. The ICAS Writing exam challenges students to do exactly that through age-appropriate narrative and persuasive tasks.

Each entry is assessed using a consistent national rubric, focusing on genre control, grammar, punctuation, structure, and voice. More than a test of English, ICAS Writing helps students develop essential thinking and communication skills they’ll use across every subject — and well beyond the classroom.

Skill Area	Learning Objective	Student Learning Outcome
1. Genre Control	Apply the structural and stylistic conventions of narrative or persuasive writing	Produces writing that matches the required form (story or argument) with appropriate features and tone
2. Idea Development	Plan and organise ideas logically and cohesively across paragraphs	Demonstrates clear progression of ideas, using topic sentences, transitions, and effective paragraphing
3. Language Use	Select and use precise, varied vocabulary suited to context and purpose	Uses vocabulary that is expressive, persuasive, or descriptive to engage the reader and suit the task
4. Grammar & Syntax	Apply sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, and correct grammar conventions	Constructs well-formed, grammatically correct sentences with appropriate complexity and variation
5. Punctuation & Spelling	Use punctuation and spelling to support clarity and meaning	Spells common and less familiar words correctly and uses a range of punctuation accurately and effectively
6. Persuasive or Narrative Impact	Use rhetorical or creative techniques to enhance the message or storytelling	Enhances writing with persuasive techniques (e.g. repetition, rhetorical questions) or narrative elements (e.g. imagery, dialogue)