Six high-strength concrete squat shear walls were tested under in-plane axial load and reversed cyclic displacements. The test parameters included longitudinal reinforcement ratio, transverse reinforcement ratio and axial load. Lateral loads and lateral displacements were measured. The test results showed the axially loaded wall specimens exhibited a brittle behaviour regardless of reinforcement ratio whereas the specimen with no axial load had a lower strength but higher ductility. It was also found that an increase in the longitudinal reinforcement ratio gave an increase in the failure load while an increase in the transverse reinforcement ratio had no significant effect on the strength but influenced the failure mode.