Free SHSAT Practice Tests!
The SHSAT
What is the SHSAT?
The SHSAT (Specialized High School Admissions Test) is a test administered by the New York City Department of Education. It is the sole criteria for entrance to the city's eight Specialized High Schools:
Bronx High School of Science
Brooklyn Latin School
Brooklyn Technical High School
High School of American Studies at Lehman College
High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College
Queens High School for the Sciences at York College
Staten Island Technical High School
Stuyvesant High School
The test is primarily taken by eighth graders for admissions to 9th grade, however, there is a smaller subset of 9th graders who will take it for entry to 10th grade.
How should I study for the SHSAT?
For every student who is studying for the SHSAT (Specialized High School Admissions Test), it is essential to take regular practice tests to track one's progress. At Honors Prep, we typically recommend that every student begin their journey by taking a full-length practice test to gauge where they currently stand on both the ELA (English Language Arts) and Math sections. This first test serves as an important diagnostic.
Once a student determines the areas where they have their greatest room for improvement, it is our recommendation that they take additional practice test every 4-5 weeks thereon out. This gives each student valuable experience simulating what it will be like to take the actual test as well as in-depth information to track their progress and determine how they should structure subsequent preparation.
Pacing and time-management are critical on the SHSAT and there's no better way to sharpen those skills than by taking full-length practice tests!
We typically recommend that students begin preparing for the SHSAT in 7th grade. For an in-depth look into how to best create a study plan for the SHSAT, please refer to our blog post.
Where can I find SHSAT practice tests?
Fortunately, the DOE (Department of Education) has made several practice tests freely available to students who are studying for the SHSAT.
There are several different practice tests floating around on different sites, but we’ve compiled all of them here for your convenience:
For each practice test, we recommend that students print the entire test out and take it in one three-hour sitting without any distractions, ideally in the morning. This is the best way to simulate the experience of taking the test. Remember, no calculators are allowed on the math portion.
Please note that the DOE reuses questions across the different tests, so if some questions look familiar, that is totally normal! It’s still important to treat each practice test as its own standalone assessment.
How is the test structured?
Each test is comprised of two sections: English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. Each section has 57 questions. The ELA section is entirely multiple choice whereas the math section is comprised of 52 multiple choice questions and 5 "grid-in" questions.
Each student has 180 minutes to complete the test and there are no rules related to the order in which they complete the test. In other words, students can complete the test in-order or out-of-order, however they choose!
Lastly, it's important to note that calculators are not permitted on the math section.
How do I grade my practice tests?
Every student who takes the SHSAT is given a raw score for each section, which are both converted into scaled scores. To calculate your raw score, simply add up the number of correct answers on each section.
Since the SHSAT is graded on a curve, it is notoriously difficult to predict your scaled score on any given practice test. Couple that with the fact that each section will have ten “experimental questions” that won't count towards your score (but you will not know which questions are experimental) and it becomes even more difficult.
All this being said, students should generally be aiming to average at least 48 correct questions per practice test to give themselves the most realistic chance at securing entrance to a Specialized High School. Again, this is just an estimation, but it is a good goal to set for yourself.
Should I hire an SHSAT tutor?
In our completely unbiased opinion, yes! While taking consistent practice tests in the lead-up to the SHSAT is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the format and the material on the test, our dedicated private tutors will show you test-taking strategies, tips and tricks that will not simply reveal themselves through practice. Trust us, the SHSAT is a highly competitive test and you deserve every advantage you can offer yourself when taking it. Furthermore, our tutors will help craft a custom study plan for you and hold you accountable to it.
