SHSAT Practice Test

Maintained and Updated as of 2024

136 free practice test questions for the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) given by the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE)

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SHSAT Practice Test - Updated December 2022

 
The New York City Department of Education’s (NYCDOE) Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) is an exam for eighth and ninth graders residing in the New York City area. 
 
 

What does the SHSAT test include?

 

There are two SHSAT sections: English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. Students are allocated three hours (180 minutes) to complete the exam. The highest possible score is 700. Note that we've focused on the ELA section here, as it better matches the PracticeQuiz.com study and test engine setup.

 

Which Specialized High Schools require the SHSAT?

 

Eight of the nine Specialized High Schools in New York City require SHSAT scores for admission. Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School is the onlyl school that does ot require the SHSAT (it requires an audition instead). 

 

 

When do students take the SHSAT?

 

The SHSAT is offered in late October for 8th graders and mid-November for 9th graders. The ninth-grade SHSAT is for first-time test takers and students who want a second chance to apply to a Specialized High School. We do not recommend waiting until 9th grade to take the test as these high schools have a very limited number of 10th-grade seats available. 

 

How is the SHSAT scored?

 

Students earn a “raw score” based on the number of questions they get right. This raw score is converted into a “scaled score” for each section of the test and a “composite score” for the entire test. The highest possible composite score is a 700. 

 

 

How will Specialized High Schools use my SHSAT score?

 

All SHSAT test takers are ranked from highest composite score to lowest composite score. In order, students are assigned to their first-choice Specialized High School until all available seats are filled.

 

 

What else will help?

 

A secret treasure trove of preparation for the ELA section of the SHSAT is our Miller Analogies Test content.  We feel the content is very effective for learning and understanding vocabulary and the relationship between words, as well as deductive test taking.

 

 
Disclaimer: his content is neither affiliated nor endorsed by The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) or any other official agency. These questions were written by a third party test prep company and licensed by PracticeQuiz for use on this site. Please use at your own discretion.

FAQs

There are about 109 questions on the SHSAT exam across two main categories: English Language Arts (57 questions) and Math (52 questions).

The SHSAT exam is three hours long.

A good passing score for the SHSAT exam is 498 or higher.

A competitive SHSAT exam score can help with admission into certain New York City high schools. Different scores are required for different high schools.

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Ted Chan

Ted Chan

Managing Editor

Ted Chan is the Managing Editor of PracticeQuiz.com. Ted has experience as a journalist and a writer, including editorial or content production roles at ESPN, Better Business Bureau, The Boston Globe, and Forbes. Ted holds a BA from Swarthmore College with High Honors, and a MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. Ted also studied at the Harvard Business School, earning a Certificate in Value-based Health Care Delivery.

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