See SHSAT cutoff scores for all 8 specialized high schools (2023–2025), how composite scores scale 200–800, why cutoffs shift, and when results are released.
The SHSAT cutoff scores that determine admission to New York City's specialized high schools are not raw point totals — they are scaled composite scores derived from a 200–800 scale. Each student's ELA and Math raw scores (correct answers only; no penalty for wrong answers) are converted independently through a statistical equating process, then combined into a single composite. That composite is what schools rank students by.
A cutoff score is defined as the composite earned by the lowest-ranked student who received an offer at a given school in a given year. It is set retroactively — the DOE makes all offers first, then the cutoff is simply whatever the last admitted student scored. No target cutoff is published in advance, and it shifts every cycle based on the applicant pool's performance and each school's seat count.
Score spread across the eight schools is dramatic:
Use our SHSAT score calculator to model how your raw ELA and Math correct-answer counts convert to a scaled composite — essential for setting realistic school targets before results are released.
This article covers verified SHSAT cutoff scores from 2023 through 2025, breaks down the scaling math, compares all eight schools side by side, and explains the exact timeline for when families can expect offer letters. Track the SHSAT cutoff scores for your target school alongside your practice results to close the gap before test day.
Stuyvesant admits fewer than 900 students from roughly 28,000 test-takers annually — a sub-3% acceptance rate. A composite of 555 or higher is a realistic floor, but in high-volume years that ceiling rises further. Even a single raw-point advantage can separate hundreds of applicants at this score density.
Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech, Staten Island Tech, QHSS, HSAS, and HSMSE span the 490–530 composite range. Brooklyn Tech's ~760 seats create a lower score floor; HSMSE's ~105 seats push its cutoff closer to Tier 1 territory despite a Tier 2 reputation. Staten Island Tech's 50% borough preference compresses the open competitive pool, effectively raising the bar for non-borough applicants.
Brooklyn Latin carries the lowest cutoff of all eight SHSAT schools — hovering between 355 and 367 across the 2023–2025 window. It remains a legitimate academic challenge: the classical curriculum requires strong verbal reasoning, so verbal section performance matters more here than at any other school. For students scoring in the low-to-mid 300s, Brooklyn Latin is a viable offer — not a fallback.
9th grade applicants must score 10–15 points above the 8th grade cutoff at the same school — far fewer seats are reserved for the upper grade. Build your list with 3 schools spanning all tiers: your top true preference, a solid Tier 2 target, and Brooklyn Latin as a floor. NYCDOE assigns your highest-ranked school that makes you an offer — list schools in genuine preference order, not perceived probability, or you risk being placed at a lower-ranked school when a higher one would have accepted you.
8th graders sit the SHSAT during the October/November window; 9th graders test on a separate assigned date in the same period. All 114 questions must be answered — no penalty for wrong answers, so every bubble counts.
NYCDOE scores all exams, applies the annual score conversion table to produce scaled ELA and Math composites (200–800 combined), then runs the admissions matching algorithm across all applicants and all eight schools simultaneously.
Physical letters are mailed to families in mid-March. The letter contains only one piece of information: a school offer or no offer. Your actual composite score is not included in the letter.
In the same week offer letters are mailed, families log in to MySchools NYC to view their composite score (out of 800), their rank at each school they listed, and the official cutoff score for each of those schools — the only official source for cutoff data.
Families must formally accept or decline their offer through MySchools NYC by the April deadline. There are no waitlists in the SHSAT system — if you decline or miss the deadline, the seat is gone.
Families with documented extenuating circumstances — verified disability, a testing administration error, or similar — may file an appeal with the NYCDOE Office of Enrollment. Appeals are reviewed case-by-case; score thresholds are not waived through this process.
SHSAT scores are typically released in mid-March, approximately 10–12 weeks after the test is administered in October and November. Students receive their results along with their specialized high school offers through the NYC Department of Education's MySchools portal. If you're preparing for the next exam, use our SHSAT practice test to build your score before results day.
SHSAT scores come out in March of the school year in which the test was taken — usually the second or third week of March. The NYC DOE releases scores alongside specialized high school admission offers simultaneously. Check the SHSAT cutoff scores page to compare your result against each school's admission threshold.
SHSAT scores are released each year in March, coinciding with the NYC specialized high school offers round. The exact date varies slightly year to year but falls within the March 15–25 window historically. Students can use our SHSAT score calculator beforehand to estimate their scaled score from raw correct answers.
SHSAT cutoff scores vary by school and year. For 2024–2025, Stuyvesant's cutoff was around 559, Brooklyn Tech around 473, and Bronx Science around 518, while schools like Staten Island Tech and Queens Sci had lower thresholds. Cutoffs shift annually based on applicant pool performance and seat availability. See the full breakdown for all 8 schools on our SHSAT cutoff scores 2025 page.
SHSAT scores are found in the NYC MySchools portal (myschools.nyc) after logging in with your student account — scores appear alongside your specialized high school offer in March. Students also receive notification via the email associated with their DOE account. To understand how your raw score converts to a scaled score, try our SHSAT score calculator.
To check your SHSAT scores, log into the NYC MySchools portal at myschools.nyc using your student ID and password — results are posted there when released in March. Parents can also view scores through their linked MySchools family account. While you wait, strengthen your preparation with our SHSAT math practice and SHSAT English practice resources.