SHSAT Practice Test 2025
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What is the SHSAT?
The Specialized High School Admissions Test or for short SHSAT 2025 is a test conducted by the Department of Education. It is the only requirement for admission to eight of the specialized high schools in New York.Â
What are specialized public high schools in NYC?Â
- Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School
- Bronx High School of Science
- Brooklyn Latin School
- Brooklyn Technical High School
- High School for Math, Science, and Engineering at City College
- High School for American Studies at Lehman College
- Queens High School for Sciences at York College
- Staten Island Technical High School
- Stuyvesant High School
The only specialized high school that doesn’t accept SHSAT scores is the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, which requires auditions instead.
Who takes the SHSAT test?
Students who are eligible for taking the test should be residents of New York and are in the 8th or 9th grade. They must live in the 5 boroughs: Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, and The Bronx.Â
Find out how those successors pass the exam with our FREE on demand SHSAT prep Test!
SHSAT Format
What is the content of the exam?
The SHSAT test is composed of 114 questions. It mostly has a multiple-choice format, and it takes at least 180 minutes to complete.Â
| Subject Areas | Number of Questions | Breakdown of Questions | Time Allowed |
| English Language Arts (ELA) | 57 |
| 180 minutes |
| Mathematics | 57 |
|
English Language Arts
This subject area is mostly composed of Revising or Editing and Reading Comprehension questions.Â
Reading Comprehension
One of the things that students must remember is the Parts of Writing. They must be able to figure out the main idea of the subject matter and its supporting details. The main idea is the point that the writer wants to explain. If you’ll be able to identify it, then it means that you have understood the passage. On the other hand, the supporting details are used by the writer as evidence to back up his statements or claims. Â
Another is to differentiate the various structures of texts. They are Narrative Writing, Expository Writing, Technical Writing, and Persuasive Writing.Â
- Narrative Writing – It is the type of writing that makes use of storytelling. Different elements are present when it comes to this. There are characters and plots. Plots are vital since it is the flow of the story. It also makes use of conflict.Â
- Expository Writing – It is the opposite of the narrative. It is objective and straight to the point. It’s instructional or informational and makes use of the second-person point of view.Â
- Technical Writing – It is the type of writing that’s empirical in nature because it contains graphs, statistics, charts, and other visual information. It also contains jargon which is what makes it different from expository.Â
- Persuasive Writing – Its purpose is to persuade or change the opinion of the reader. It must have credible evidence to back up arguments. Otherwise, it would be filled with fallacies.Â
In addition to that, students must know how to determine literary elements and poetic devices.
- Literary elements consist of a lot of things such as point of view, characters, setting, and tone. All of these are vital for interpretation. Good writing requires that all of these elements are present. Â
- For poetic devices, it includes rhyme, structure, and rhythm. Â
These are just some of the topics to be studied to prepare for Reading Comprehension. The next section would be the Revising or Editing portion. Â
Revising or Editing
For students to know how to revise, they must go back to the basics. They must study nouns, pronouns, antecedents, adjectives, and verbs, among others. All of these are essential when it comes to formulating sentences. Punctuations and Sentence Structures also play vital roles. When it comes to sentences, depending on the punctuation, their meaning will change.Â
Moreover, you must also review about independent and dependent clauses. They are strings of words that contain a subject and a verb. You should also know word usage and context clues. Word usage is about determining how words should be used appropriately in sentences. While context clues are those that will help readers understand unfamiliar words.Â
The types of sentences will always be relevant when it comes to revisions. There are four types:
- Declarative – It is a simple statement, and it ends with a period.
- Imperative – It is a command, request, or instruction, and it ends with a period.
- Interrogative – It is a question, and it ends with a question mark.
- Exclamatory – It is a command or a statement that expresses emotions, and it ends with an exclamation mark.
Mathematics
This subject area focuses on a lot of topics from numbers and operations, geometry, and shapes to probability and statistics. There are a lot of things that students must have knowledge of.
A basic understanding of the mathematical number system is needed. There are real numbers and complex numbers, for that matter. There are also fractions, percentages, rational, and irrational numbers. The SHSAT Math can be more complicated to some because it requires a lot of reviews to remember formulas and equations.Â
Students should also know algebraic expressions, such as monomials and polynomials. There are also algebraic functions such as exponential functions. They should be able to solve equations and systems of equations. Â
 For probability and Statistics, they have to be able to summarize, interpret, and compare data. They should know how to make inferences and analyze tally charts, line plots, and picture graphs, among others.Â
While for geometry and measurements, you must know the properties of triangles, polygons, circles, quadrilaterals, trapezoids, etc. They must be able to calculate perimeters and areas. Surface and volume areas are also part of the topics you should prepare for. These are just a few of the subjects that are covered in the admissions test. Â
SHSAT Practice Test PDF
Online practice tests and study guides will assist you in passing the SHSAT exam. If you’re looking for SHSAT practice test online free PDF, SHSAT reading comprehension PDF, or SHSAT vocabulary PDF, you’ve come to the right place. We suggest that you take the SHSAT practice test.
If you wish to concentrate on math, you might look for SHSAT math PDF and SHSAT math practice PDF. Take SHSAT math questions if you want to improve your arithmetic skills.
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SHSAT Questions and Answers
The Specialized High School Admissions Test or for short SHSAT is a test conducted by the Department of Education. It is the only requirement for admission to eight of the specialized high schools in New York.
The SHSAT is usually given in early October to eighth-graders and in the middle of October to ninth-graders. Any 9th grader who takes this test is likely to have a second chance to apply to a Specialized High School.
The SHSAT test is divided into two sections. English Language Arts is the first section, and Mathematics is the second. There are 57 questions in each section, for a total of 114 questions on the exam.
The SHSAT (Specialized High Schools Admissions Test) is an admissions test for specialized high schools.
Each part has a maximum score of 400 points, with a maximum total score of 800 points.
On Thursday, December 2, eighth-graders attending a public, NYC Department of Education (DOE) middle school will take the SHSAT at their current school throughout the school day.
The amount of correctly answered questions determines a raw score on the SHSAT. For each portion of the test, the raw result is turned into a scaled score. The results of both parts are then combined to create a composite score. A composite score of 800 is the highest possible.
For the SHSAT exam, a calculator is not permitted.
It will take you three hours to complete the test (180 minutes).
There have been no changes or cancellations to the SHSAT. The main difference is that by this summer, 20% of seats will be designated for Discovery Program kids from low-income middle schools, which is a positive step.
The SHSAT is a test that evaluates knowledge and skills. These abilities include the capacity to grasp English prose, demonstrate understanding of the fundamentals of rewriting and editing in English writing, and employ problem-solving skills in mathematics.
In March, high schools receive SHSAT score reports.
More than 25,000 eighth-graders take the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) each year to compete for 5,000 seats at eight of the nine specialized high schools, including Bronx Science, Brooklyn Latin, Brooklyn Tech, City College’s High School for Math, Science, and Engineering, Lehman College’s High School of American Studies, York College’s Queens High School of Science, Staten Island Tech, and Stuyvesant.
The SHSAT is difficult only for students who are unprepared. The SHSAT will be challenging for those who are well-prepared.
Practice, Taking SHSAT practice tests will assist you in comprehending the types of questions that will be asked on the test.
The Discovery program is a summer enrichment program for rising ninth-grade students who score just below the cutoff on the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT). Scores required to be eligible will vary from year to year and will be determined by seat availability.
The SHSAT can only be taken twice by a student: once in eighth grade (when applying for 9th grade SHSAT) and once in ninth grade (when applying for 10th grade). Specialized High Schools can only use the SHSAT as an admissions tool
Students who take the test in eighth grade might choose to take it again in ninth grade if they were unsuccessful the first time.
More than 25,000 students take the SHSAT (Specialized High Schools Admissions Test) each year to compete for 5,000 spaces at eight of the nine specialized high schools.
Preparation is needed when it comes to taking the SHSAT, especially if you want to get admitted to your preferred specialized high school.
Sign in to your account. Next to your enrollment, click Access Resources. Go to the Study Plan, then select the test name from the left-hand menu. Under Review or Enter/Review Your Results, click Start.
Your ticket can be obtained by logging into your MySchools.nyc(Open external link) account, meeting with your school counselor, or calling a Family Welcome Center. Your child’s test date, arrival time, test site, and testing accommodations are all listed on your test ticket (if applicable).
There is no penalty for guessing, so don’t leave any questions blank. Don’t get hung up on a single question. Pay close attention to the math questions. Make sure you write your math in a clear and concise manner. Don’t speed through the easier math problems; take your time and make sure you understand them.
Except for about 5-7 math questions that are student response questions, the test is almost entirely multiple choice.
On any given test or assessment, a cutoff score is a set of numbers used to weed away unqualified candidates. Many organizations choose not to utilize a “hard” cutoff score, which means they will still accept applicants who do not meet the criteria.
The 9th-grade SHSAT includes a wide range of mathematical topics, including advanced algebra and word problems, with a focus on coordinate geometry (graphing functions, slopes, and transformations) and three-dimensional geometry. Basic trigonometry (SOH CAH TOA) is also included in the test, which is not covered in the 8th-grade exam.
The SHSAT prep book from ArgoPrep includes 5 full-length examinations with thorough answer explanations, as well as a grammar and math overview.
The SHSAT does not have a passing score. About 3,000 to 4,000 top-scoring kids are awarded admission to specialized high schools out of about 30,000 students who take the test.
The required score for Stuyvesant is 589.
The required score for Brooklyn Tech is 525.
Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and Probability/Data Interpretation are the four major areas included on the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test.
For 8th grade students, it is offered every year during the month of October. On the other hand, for 9th-grade students, it is offered every year during the month of November.
For 9th graders, at the middle of October.
SHSAT, created in 1904