SHSAT Tutor

Administered by the NYC Department of Education, The Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) is a standardized test offered to New York City residents seeking admission to NYC’s Specialized High Schools.

The SHSAT is a timed, pencil-and-paper test, which is comprised of 114 multiple choice questions – 57 questions in the ELA section and 57 questions in the math section.

Registration for the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) will open on October 6, 2022 and close on November 4, 2022. All registered students will take the SHSAT on November 17, 19, or 20, 2022.

Most students take it in the beginning of their 8^th grade school year. The 9^th Grade SHSAT is offered for those who want a second chance at applying to a specialized 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 Science at York College
• Staten Island Technical High School
• Stuyvesant High School

In 2021, only about 18% of 8^th graders who took the SHSAT received an offer to a specialized high school. For better or worse, admission to these elite high schools is based solely on your SHSAT score, which means being properly prepared for the exam is crucial. These public high schools have a separate admission process from the general high school admission application and are highly selective.

The cutoffs scores vary for each specialized high schools (2021 Results)

• Stuyvesant 560
• Bronx Science 517
• Brooklyn Latin 481
• Brooklyn Technical 492
• HSMSE @ CCNY 515
• HSAS @ Lehman 488
• Queens Science @ York College 481
• Staten Island Tech 525

Students have to answer a combined 114 questions (57 ELA questions & 57 Math questions) in 3 hours. 

The Math section consists of word problems and computational questions in either a grid-in or multiple-choice format. There are five grid-in questions and 52 multiple-choice questions.

The Math questions involve application of mathematical skills, mathematical terms, and general concepts through Grade 7 from the New York State Learning Standards for Mathematics.

However, as one of the purposes of this test is to identify students who will benefit from an education at a Specialized High School, the SHSAT Math items will require you to apply familiar Math skills to complex, multi-step problems.

The English Language Arts (ELA) section contains 57 multiple-choice questions that assess revising/editing skills and reading comprehension. These questions are aligned to the New York State Grade 7 Learning Standards. The section consists of two parts—Revising/Editing and Reading Comprehension.

There are between 9 and 19 questions on the Revising and Editing Section of the SHSAT. This section tests your ability to recognize and correct language errors.

Part A:  Based on a sentence or paragraph

Each question directs you to read a sentence, a list of sentences, or a paragraph with numbered sentences. Then you are asked to address issues related to conventions of language or punctuation.

Examples include selecting the best correction for an error, identifying a sentence with an error, and improving the writing by combining sentences or revising part of a sentence.

Part B: Multi-paragraph text

Questions in Part B assess your ability to read a text and then make decisions that improve the overall quality of the writing. The subjects presented in these texts will include historical and current events; people, places, and technology; and phenomena in the biological sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences.

Each sentence is numbered so that you can quickly locate and refer to specific parts of the passage. The text may contain errors such as language misuse; missing or unnecessary supporting details; missing or inappropriate transitional words, phrases, or sentences; a missing or an unclear introductory statement or concluding statement; confusing or illogical organization; other errors related to language and writing standards

There are between 38 and 48 multiple choice questions on the Reading Comprehension section of the SHSAT. This section tests your ability to understand, analyze, and interpret texts from a variety of genres. Each reading comprehension section contains 5 to 6 texts, followed by 6 to 10 questions.

Informational texts include topics such as personal essays, speeches, opinion pieces, essays about art or literature, biographies, memoirs, journalism, and historical, scientific, technical, or economic accounts written for a broad audience.

Literary texts include poetry, adventure stories, historical fiction, mysteries, myths, science fiction, realistic fiction, allegories, parodies, or satire.

Contact your school’s guidance office at your middle school to sign up for the SHSAT. Your school’s guidance counselor will issue you an admission ticket to take the test.

1. Take a Practice SHSAT Exam
   • 2022 Sample SHSAT Test A & Explanations
   • 2022 Sample SHSAT Test B & Explanations
2. Start studying for the test early
   • Give yourself a few months to prepare for the SHSAT.
3. Get help from an experienced SHSAT tutor
   • An SHSAT tutor will help you discover your strengths, pinpoint weaknesses, and keep you focused on scoring high on the SHSAT exam.
4. Maximize Study Time
   • Cramming for the test can increase stress and decrease productivity. It’s best to give yourself plenty of time to prepare for the test. Use practice tests and tutoring to improve your areas of weakness.
5. Commit to a study program
   • Schedule 1.5-to-2-hour SHSAT Tutoring sessions per week. Complete homework in between lessons and consistently review your notes.

Start studying for the exam during the end of your 7^th grade school year or in the summer between 7^th and 8^th grades. If you start studying in the beginning of 8^th grade, you would only be left with around seven weeks to prepare for the SHSAT.

It is a good idea to take at least three months to study for the SHSAT, which would mean you start studying in July at the latest. Students usually take the SHSAT around mid-October.