Getting started with AGAT Secondary Transition Edition

This article covers the following topics:

• AGAT Secondary Transition Edition
• About AGAT
• Supporting documents
  • Administration instructions
  • Assessment framework
  • Australian norms
  • Primary sample test
  • Secondary sample test

AGAT Secondary Transition Edition

AGAT Secondary Transition Edition (2025) comprises two pen-and-paper test forms intended to support the assessment of students as they transition into secondary school. These tests may be administered to incoming students by secondary schools in circumstances where online testing is not practical. Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheets allow for results to be uploaded into schools’ existing assessment accounts, providing reporting alongside tests completed online. AGAT Secondary Edition Tests A and B are identical to AGAT 2nd Edition Tests 5 and 6.

About AGAT

Abstract reasoning

Abstract reasoning is the ability to see patterns and logic in pictures and diagrams. Abstract reasoning questions require students to complete visual patterns that follow simple rules, deduce which rules have been applied to change the states of images, and identify the next steps in 2-Dimensional visual sequences. Abstract reasoning is de-contextualised in the sense that the problems addressed cannot be applied to any real-world context – they deal with abstract concepts.

• At lower levels, students are required to spot simple rotational patterns in 2-D images, and identify the next step in that sequence.
• At higher levels, students must identify the rules that have been applied to transform multi-faceted shapes and apply those rules to new scenarios.

Kinetic reasoning

Kinetic reasoning is the ability to anticipate the results from the movement of objects in real-life situations. Kinetic reasoning questions require students to recognise the effects of turning gears, pulling levers and manipulating pulleys. They require students to understand the flow of water and rolling balls in simple networks, and the position of objects on a grid after a series of commands.

• At lower levels, students must identify what happens when a force is applied to a lever in a simple system.
• At higher levels, students are required to apply rules by tracking backwards to establish the starting point of a dynamic situation.

Numerical reasoning 

Numerical reasoning items require students to recognise numerical patterns and sequences, categorise objects to match numerical quotas, link input and output from number machines, and apply rules to arithmetic puzzles.

• At lower levels, students need to apply basic numerical deduction to calculate unknown values in simple word problems.
• At higher levels, students must take into account multiple inter-related variables to find the outcomes of non-standard scenarios.

Spatial reasoning

Spatial reasoning is the ability to visualise the transformations of objects on a page. Spatial reasoning questions require students to identify different viewpoints when looking at 3-D objects, recognise where shapes appear in complex images, identify how shapes have been manipulated through reflection and rotation, and rearrange pieces of an image to form a complete picture.

• At lower levels, students must identify how to rotate two simple objects to make them fit together.
• At higher levels, students need to recognise how a set of objects has been manipulated between photographs taken from different perspectives.

Verbal reasoning

Verbal reasoning is the ability to understand how words connect to each other and how words within a sentence affect meaning. Verbal reasoning questions require students to understand the hierarchy of words, identify relationships between words, rearrange words to form a sentence, and make logic of competing sentences.

• At lower levels, students need to identify specific and general words from a group of similar words.
• At higher levels, students must take into account multiple sentences providing related information to specify the order in which things can be organised.

Supporting documents