The Hunter College High School Entrance Exam is used exclusively for admission to Hunter College High School (HCHS), a free public school operated by Hunter College.
Who takes the Hunter Test?
The Hunter Test is taken by sixth-grade students for admission to seventh grade. Only students who live in New York City are eligible to take the test. Additionally, to be eligible to take the Hunter Test, students must have achieved qualifying scores on the fifth-grade New York State English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics tests. Students who did not sit for those tests may also submit qualifying scores on one of five other accepted fifth-grade standardized tests (including the ERBs and the ISEE). If students meet the minimum score requirement for any of these tests, parents may apply to take the test here; a letter of invitation to take the test is not required.
View more information on testing eligibility here.
What’s on the test?
The Hunter exam consists of two test booklets, with two sections each. The first booklet (English) consists of Reading Comprehension and the Writing Assignment, while the second booklet (mathematics) consists of Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematics Achievement.
- The Reading Comprehension section includes 5 or 6 passages, followed by 50 multiple-choice questions that assess students’ ability to understand, interpret, and analyze those reading passages. Many of the Reading passages are fiction or poetry.
- The Writing Assignment asks students to write an essay or personal story based on an assigned prompt.
- There are 32 Quantitative Reasoning questions and 42 Math Achievement questions. Starting in 2026, the Quantitative Reasoning and Math Achievement sections are identical to comparable sections of the ISEE.
How long is the test?
The Hunter exam is 3 hours and 5 minutes long. Students are given 110 minutes to complete the first booklet (Reading Comprehension and the Writing Assignment) and 75 minutes to complete the second booklet (Quantitative Reasoning and Math Achievement). Students may move freely within each booklet, though the test booklets offer suggested timings. Students may go to the bathroom at any point throughout the test, but as there are no allotted breaks, doing so will take time away from the exam.
How is the test scored?
The multiple-choice sections of the Hunter Test are scored based on the number of correct answers. The students with the top 500 multiple-choice scores will have their essays read by members of Hunter’s English faculty, and the students who write the top 170 essays will be offered admission.
How is the test administered?
The Hunter Test is a pencil-and-paper test and is offered once per year, usually at the end of January, at Hunter College High School and Hunter College.
Where can I get more information about the Hunter Test?
For more information on the Hunter Test, for official practice materials, and to register online, please visit the Hunter College High School admissions website.
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