SHSAT Practice Test 2026 October — NYC Specialized High Schools Prep Guide

What Is the SHSAT?

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.

The eight SHSAT schools are Stuyvesant High School, The Bronx High School of Science, Brooklyn Technical High School, Staten Island Technical High School, The Brooklyn Latin School, High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College (HSMSE), High School of American Studies at Lehman College, and Queens High School for the Sciences at York College. The ninth specialized school, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, admits students by audition, 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 computer-based format with fill-in-the-blank math. Start your preparation on our SHSAT exam hub for a full overview of resources available to you.

SHSAT Exam Format & Structure

The SHSAT is a 3-hour (180-minute), computer-based exam with 114 questions divided into two equal sections of 57, and students may split their time between the sections however they choose. Understanding each section thoroughly is essential — and regularly working through SHSAT practice questions under timed conditions is the best way to internalize the structure.

English Language Arts (ELA) — 57 Questions

• Revising/Editing (Parts A and B): Students must identify and correct grammatical, stylistic, and organizational errors in passages and standalone sentences. This section tests command of standard English conventions, logical flow, and word choice.
• Reading Comprehension Literary (fiction/poetry) and informational — each followed by multiple-choice questions assessing main idea, inference, vocabulary in context, author's purpose, and evidence-based reasoning.

Mathematics — 57 Questions

• Multiple Choice: Standard four-option questions covering arithmetic, algebra, geometry, statistics, and probability. Grade 8 test forms are based on New York State math standards through Grade 7; Grade 9 forms cover material through Grade 8.
• Fill-in-the-Blank Questions: Students calculate a numerical answer and enter it on screen, using the built-in Equation Editor for fractions and other expressions — no answer choices are provided. Because there is no process of elimination, these questions need especially careful practice.

No calculator is permitted on any part of the SHSAT. Students receive scrap paper, and all arithmetic must be performed by hand, making mental math fluency and efficient written calculation critical skills to develop during preparation.

SHSAT vs. ISEE and SSAT

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.

SHSAT Scoring & Cutoff Scores

The SHSAT reports a composite scaled score that combines the ELA and Math sections. 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.

Official SHSAT Cutoff Scores for Fall 2026 Admission

Source: NYC Public Schools, lowest qualifying SHSAT scores for 2026 admissions. Cutoffs shift every year with the number of seats and the applicant pool, and 10th-grade seats (for 9th-grade test-takers) have separate, higher cutoffs.

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.

Registration & Eligibility

The SHSAT is administered free of charge to eligible NYC students. Families register in MySchools — for students entering high school in fall 2027, registration runs October 6–30, 2026, and all registered students test in November 2026.

Eligibility Requirements

• A New York City resident
• A current 8th-grade student, or a first-time (not repeating) 9th-grade student competing for the limited 10th-grade seats
• Students from public, charter, private, parochial and independent schools, and homeschooled students, can all register

Students with IEPs or 504 Plans that include testing accommodations, current English Language Learners, and recently proficient former ELLs receive accommodations based on their existing documented testing accommodations; ELLs get 360 minutes instead of 180. Accommodations requested only for the SHSAT are not allowed.

Preparation Strategies

Top-scoring students share common preparation habits. The earlier you start, the more room you have to close gaps.

Start in 7th Grade If Possible

Grade 8 SHSAT math is based on standards through Grade 7, 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.

Use the Official NYC SHSAT Portal

The NYC Department of Education publishes a free SHSAT Prep Guide each year and posts two full-length digital sample tests with answer explanations, plus a Student Readiness Tool, on the NYC SHSAT Portal. These are the closest simulation of the real computer-based exam and should be the centerpiece of any preparation plan.

Master Fill-in-the-Blank Math

Fill-in-the-blank math questions, answered with the on-screen Equation Editor, are a distinctive SHSAT feature. 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.

Timed Practice Is Non-Negotiable

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.

Free Prep Programs Through NYC

The DREAM program offers free extracurricular SHSAT preparation to eligible NYC public school students, and the Discovery summer program can offer a seat to eligible low-income students who score just below the cutoff. 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.

Sample SHSAT Practice Questions

Try these questions from our free SHSAT practice tests. The correct answer and an explanation follow each question.

1. Several high school students volunteer in their communities, working with peers, younger kids, and elderly people.

   • A. spend their time involving in the community by working with peers, young children and also helping senior citizens.
   • B. spend one’s time involved in the community by working with peers, young children and also helping senior citizens.d.
   • C. spend their time involved in the community by working with peers, young children and senior citizens.
   • D. spend their time involved in the community by working with peers, young children and also helping senior citizens
   • E. spend his time involved in the community by working with peers, young children and also helping senior citizens.

Answer: C. spend their time involved in the community by working with peers, young children and senior citizens.

The correct answer, "spend their time involved in the community by working with peers, young children and senior citizens," is the most concise and grammatically sound option. It uses the correct pronoun "their" to agree with the plural subject "students" and maintains parallelism in the list of groups they work with. It also avoids redundant phrases like "also helping" and uses "involved in" correctly, making the sentence clear and efficient.

Answer: C. 96

We can solve this problem using the concept average. That is, the average of 6 tests is 92. Let "x" be the score of 6th test (88 + 91 + 99 + 86 + 92 + x)/6 = 92 (456 + x)/6 = 92 Multiply by 6 on both sides 456 + x = 92 (6) 456 + x = 552 Subtract by 456 on both sides 456 + x - 456 = 552 - 456 x = 96 Hence option (96) is correct.

Answer: A. EPPS

Each letter is shifted one position forward in the alphabet: D→E, O→P, O→P, R→S = EPPS.

Answer: A. 8

Distribute to get 2x − 6 = 10, add 6 to both sides: 2x = 16, divide by 2: x = 8.

Take the full SHSAT practice test

Official Resources

• NYC Public Schools — Specialized High Schools: the official page for SHSAT eligibility, registration, test dates and each year's lowest qualifying scores.
• NYC SHSAT Portal: the official source for the two free digital sample tests, answer explanations and the Student Readiness Tool.
• NYC Public Schools — Discovery Programs: explains the summer program that can offer specialized high school seats to eligible students who score just below the cutoff.