The Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) is the sole admissions criterion for eight of New York City's nine specialized high schools. Administered by the NYC Department of Education (DOE), it determines placement at some of the most selective public schools in the country, including Stuyvesant High School, Bronx High School of Science, and Brooklyn Technical High School.
Nine specialized high schools participate in the SHSAT system: Stuyvesant High School, Bronx High School of Science, Brooklyn Technical High School, Staten Island Technical High School, Bronx Academy of Health Careers, Brooklyn Latin School, High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College, High School for Dual Language and Asian Studies, and Queens High School for the Sciences at York College. (LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts uses auditions, not the SHSAT.)
If you are preparing for this high-stakes exam, using an SHSAT practice test is the single most effective way to build familiarity with question types, pacing, and the unique grid-in math format. Start your preparation on our SHSAT exam hub for a full overview of resources available to you.
Current NYC 8th graders applying for a 9th-grade seat — the vast majority of test-takers.
Current NYC 9th graders applying for a 10th-grade seat at Brooklyn Tech only.
Students must be enrolled in a NYC public, charter, or parochial school at the time of testing.
The exam is administered once per year, typically in late October through mid-November, through the student's school.
The SHSAT is a 3-hour exam with 114 questions divided into two equal sections. Understanding each section thoroughly is essential — and regularly working through SHSAT practice questions under timed conditions is the best way to internalize the structure.
No calculator is permitted on any part of the SHSAT. All arithmetic must be performed by hand, making mental math fluency and efficient written calculation critical skills to develop during preparation.
Unlike the ISEE or SSAT — which are used for private school admissions nationwide — the SHSAT is NYC-specific. It is free to take, administered through the NYC DOE, and focuses entirely on the specialized high school admissions process. Students applying to private or independent schools will need to take the ISEE or SSAT separately.
The SHSAT uses a composite scaled score from 200 to 800. Raw scores (number of correct answers) are converted to scaled scores through an equating process that accounts for slight variation in difficulty across test administrations. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so students should answer every question.
Cutoff scores are not fixed — they are set each year based on the number of available seats at each school and the distribution of scores among all test-takers. Higher-demand schools have higher cutoffs. Understanding this dynamic is critical for goal-setting; review the detailed SHSAT cutoff scores guide for a full historical breakdown.
| School | Approximate Cutoff (2026-25) |
|---|---|
| Stuyvesant High School | ~547 |
| Bronx High School of Science | ~518 |
| Brooklyn Technical High School | ~493 |
| Staten Island Technical High School | ~528 |
| High School for Math, Science & Engineering | ~490 |
| Queens High School for the Sciences | ~477 |
| Brooklyn Latin School | ~435 |
| High School for Dual Language & Asian Studies | ~392 |
Cutoff scores shift each year. Always verify with the NYC DOE official results and check the SHSAT cutoff scores 2026 page for the most current data.
Use our free SHSAT score calculator to estimate your scaled score from a practice test and gauge how close you are to your target school's cutoff.
The SHSAT is administered free of charge to eligible NYC students. Registration is handled through the NYC DOE — students receive information and registration forms through their school guidance counselors. The test window runs from approximately late October through mid-November each year.
Students with documented disabilities may be eligible for testing accommodations including extended time, large-print tests, or other supports. Accommodation requests must be submitted in advance through the DOE's process.
Top-scoring students share common preparation habits. The earlier you start, the more room you have to close gaps.
The SHSAT covers material through the 8th-grade curriculum, but students who begin practicing in 7th grade develop stronger test-taking stamina and more flexible problem-solving skills. Even 30 minutes of focused practice per day makes a meaningful difference over time.
The NYC Department of Education publishes a free SHSAT Prep Guide each year, containing official practice questions and full-length practice tests. This is the closest simulation of actual exam content and should be the centerpiece of any preparation plan.
Grid-in questions are the feature most unique to the SHSAT. Because no answer choices are provided, students cannot use process of elimination. Practice computing exact numerical answers — including fractions, decimals, and multi-step problems — without a calculator.
With 114 questions in 180 minutes, students have roughly 95 seconds per question. Untimed practice builds knowledge; timed SHSAT exam prep builds the pacing instincts needed on test day.
The NYC Specialized High School Institute (SHSI) offers free after-school and Saturday prep to eligible students. Many community organizations and libraries also offer low-cost or free SHSAT workshops. Private test-prep programs are widely available but not necessary for a strong score — consistent, disciplined self-study with quality materials is equally effective.