Gifted and Talented

Find out about the Gifted and Talented program application and enrolment processes for overseas and interstate applicants and applicants on a visa.

Who can apply

Participation in Gifted and Talented programs is limited to children whose usual place of residence is Western Australia (WA) and who are either:

• Australian citizens
• permanent residents
• holders of a temporary visa with the equivalent local school enrolment entitlement.  

If you are living overseas or interstate at the time of application, you should only consider applying for your child if you expect to meet these criteria in time for school enrolment.    

Visas

If you or your child are on a visa and you are already living in WA, you should only consider applying if:

• the visa qualifies you for local enrolment entitlement
• you expect to hold a qualifying visa in time for school enrolment. 

The enrolment entitlement for children who are not Australian citizens depends on their visa subclass. If you are unsure of your enrolment entitlement, call 9264 4307 or email gtsu@education.wa.edu.au. Do this before applying for the Gifted and Talented program.

Secondary exchange students and international students placed in Western Australian schools by TAFE International Western Australia are not eligible for Gifted and Talented programs.

Lodge an application and qualify for testing

Proof of interstate or overseas enrolment

Interstate testing is only available to students with proof that they are currently enrolled outside of Western Australia (WA). Attach your child's most recent school report showing current enrolment in an interstate or overseas school. The report must be in a year level equivalent to the current testing intake (for example, Year 5 in 2026 for entry into Year 7 in 2028).

If you cannot prove your child is enrolled overseas or interstate, we will automatically schedule testing in Perth.

Date of birth

If your child’s date of birth is outside the standard range for the intake they are applying for, we will require evidence of school year equivalency. If you cannot provide appropriate evidence of equivalency, or that your child would be accepted for enrolment in the year level at a WA school, we will use their date of birth to determine the appropriate intake.

To determine your child’s WA school year based on their date of birth, use the School age calculator (find the calculator at the bottom of the linked page).

If your child’s date of birth is outside the range and you cannot provide equivalency, we will cancel the application..

Testing process outside of Western Australia

Once you have provided proof of overseas or interstate enrolment, we will contact you to discuss your assessment options.

Overseas and interstate applicants can choose between the following academic testing options:

• travel to Perth to sit the Academic Selective Entrance Test (ASET) alongside local students
• travel to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne or Adelaide and sit the ASET at an approved centre.

Overseas and interstate applicants can choose between the following arts and languages assessment options:

• travel to Perth to complete arts auditions and workshops
• complete arts auditions and workshops and arts and languages interviews via external processes.

For dates for tests, workshops and interviews, refer to the Key dates.

You must cover all costs associated with overseas and interstate testing, including travel. If you decide your child will complete the ASET in an Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) office in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide, you will be charged a flat fee of $250 AUD. You will pay the fee upfront to ACER when the testing is confirmed. If you do not pay before the deadline set by ACER, your child’s application will be cancelled. 

We will not postpone testing if you can't meet the required costs or complete testing requirements.

Accept an offer of placement as an overseas or interstate applicant 

If you are living overseas or interstate and you want to accept an offer of placement, we will ask you to give us evidence of your intention to return or relocate to Western Australian (WA) for the duration of your child’s secondary schooling. 

As part of the placement process, we will request:

• details of a primary carer who will live with the child and provide appropriate welfare and accommodation in WA for the duration of their secondary schooling 
  • the primary carer must be either a parent or blood relative over the age of 21 living in WA 
• proof of a WA residential address of the primary carer that will be the child’s usual place of residence while at secondary school. 

When you have provided us with this information and we have confirmed it, you can apply for enrolment at the school. 

Enrol at the school 

You will need to have your enrolment accepted by the school, even if your child has received an offer of a placement in the Gifted and Talented program.  

Enrolment processes and conditions for children on a visa are described in the Enrolment Framework for Students with a Visa in Public Schools. You can also read our information about how to enrol at a public school for visa holders. 

Gifted and Talented programs are only accessible to students who have the highest priority enrolment entitlement, either by way of Australian Citizenship, permanent residency or a temporary visa with non-fee-paying local enrolment entitlement.

If you are an applicant on a visa, to have your enrolment accepted by the school, you will provide your visa grant notice, which shows you have a visa with local enrolment entitlement. Deadlines apply.

If your enrolment application is rejected or you do not attempt enrolment, we will cancel your child’s offer and pass it on to the next applicant on the reserve list. 

Note: 

• Residential colleges or boarding houses cannot be substituted for a verified WA home address or primary parent or carer. 
• The offer of a place in the program or an enrolment will be terminated if it is based on false or misleading information.