SHSAT

What is the SHSAT?

The Specialized High School Admissions Test is produced by Pearson Education for the New York City Department of Education. It is used for admission to eight of the nine NYC Specialized High Schools. (Admission to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts is determined by audition or portfolio rather than by exam.)

Bronx High School of Science.
Brooklyn Latin School.
Brooklyn Technical High School.
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.
High School for Math, Science and Engineering (HSMSE) at City College.
High School of American Studies at Lehman College.
Queens High School for the Sciences at York College.
Staten Island Technical High School.
Stuyvesant High School

What’s on the test?

The SHSAT consists of one English Language Arts section and one Math section, each containing 57 questions.

How long is the test?

The SHSAT takes three hours to administer.

How is the test scored?

Each of the two sections has a scaled score with a maximum of roughly 350. (The scales change slightly from year to year.) These scores are then added to form the composite score, which is the number used for admissions. The SHSAT serves as the only criterion for admission into most of the specialized high schools. Each year, these schools establish specific “cutoff scores” — minimum scores required for admission. These cutoffs change each year slightly because of the number of applicants and their test performance. Stuyvesant High School typically has the highest cutoff score (2025: 556), followed by HSMSE and Bronx Science. Because schools care only about the total score, and not the individual section scores (e.g. verbal or math), this is one test where it makes sense for students to maximize their studying and performance in just one area over the other.

How is the test administered?

The SHSAT is a digital test. Students can choose which section they prefer to start with, and they are permitted to move back and forth between questions and between sections during the allotted time.

When is the test offered?

The SHSAT is offered in the fall of each year. Students currently attending a public school ending in eighth grade take the test at their school. Other eighth-grade students are assigned a testing center (a public school), which is listed on the test ticket.

Where can I get more information on the SHSAT?

For more information on the SHSAT, please visit the SHSAT website.