FREE SHSAT Practice Test 2025 Official Study Guide [PDF]

Last Updated on December 3, 2024

FREE SHSAT Practice Test 2025 Official Study Guide [PDF]: Questions and Answer Keys Free Sample PDF. Prepare effectively for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) with our updated practice test and exam guide available online. This free sample PDF includes comprehensive questions and answer keys to enhance your SHSAT test preparation.

The SHSAT is a critical component of the admissions process for New York City’s specialized high schools. Our practice test will help you familiarize yourself with the exam format and the types of questions you will encounter, allowing you to approach your test confidently.

The Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) is an examination administered to eighth—and ninth-grade students in New York City. It determines admission to all but one of the city’s nine Specialized High Schools. The test is given each year in October and November, and students are informed of their results the following March.

All eighth-grade students living in New York City can apply to high school and Specialized High Schools this fall for the 2021–2022 school year. First-time ninth-grade students (students who are not repeating the ninth grade) can also apply to programs with tenth-grade seats.

Table of Contents

SHSAT Practice Test 2025

The actual SHSAT has two sections: English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. The standard administration time is 180 minutes to complete the test. There are 57 questions in each section; of these, 47 are scored questions, and 10 are embedded field-test questions, which are not scored. You will NOT know which questions are scored and which are field test questions. It is to your advantage to answer all questions in each section.

Exam Overview

The SHSAT tests for grammar and ability in both English and mathematics. It is recommended that not more than 90 minutes be spent on each section, but the time can be divided in any way students wish. There is no break between the sections. Electronic calculators and other calculation aids may not be used during the test.

Test Name	Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT)
Administrated By	The New York City Department of Education
No. of sections	Two (English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. )
Total time duration	180 minutes
Total Questions in English Language Arts (ELA)	57
Total Questions in Maths	57
Type of Question	Multiple Choice
SHSAT Handbook 2025	Download PDF

Approximately 29,000 students took the SHSAT for admission in September 2019, and approximately 5,000 students received an offer. Eight of the Specialized High Schools require students to register for and take a Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) test to qualify for admission. These high schools are:

The Bronx High School of Science
The Brooklyn Latin School
Brooklyn Technical High School
High School for Math, Science, and
Engineering 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

SHSAT Exam Content

1. English Language Arts Section (57 Questions)

The English Language Arts (ELA) section consists of two parts—Revising/Editing and Reading Comprehension—as described below.

Revising/Editing
Number of Questions	9–19
Skills Assessed	ability to recognize and correct language errors and improve the overall quality of writing
Format	Part A: each question is based on its own sentence/paragraph Part B: all questions are based on a single, multi-paragraph text

Reading Comprehension
Number of Questions	38-48
Skills Assessed	ability to understand, analyze, and interpret texts from a variety of genres
Format	5-6 texts, including informational and literary, followed by 6–10 questions

Informational texts for ELA may include any of the text types that middle school students should have experienced with, such as exposition, argument, and functional text in the form of 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 for ELA may include any text types that middle school students should have experience with, such as: poetry, adventure stories, historical fiction, mysteries, myths, science fiction, realistic fiction, allegories, parodies, or satire.

2. Math Section (57 Questions)

The Math section consists of word and computational questions in multiple-choice or grid-in format. There are five grid-in Math questions and 52 multiple-choice questions. Math questions on the Grade 8 test forms are based on material included in the New York City curriculum through Grade 7. Math questions on the Grade 9 test forms are based on the material through Grade 8.

SHSAT Result 2025

The results are reported as scale scores. Scale scores are based on the number of questions the student answered correctly. Students receive scale scores for the ELA and mathematics sections of the test, added together to make their composite scores.

After scores are released to the schools in March, students and their parents may review the results of their examinations by requesting an appointment with a Department of Education assessment specialist.

Sliding Scale

Raw score of 60 or higher for a GPA of 3.50 or higher
Raw score of 65 or higher for a GPA lower than 3.50 but at least 3.25
Raw score of 70 or higher for a GPA lower than 3.25 but at least 3.0

Applicants must meet the sliding scale to proceed to the second round. Additionally, applicants must have had a Mathematics score of at least 30 to proceed.

Tips

You have 180 minutes to complete the entire test. How you divide the time between the English Language Arts and Mathematics sections is up to you.
If you begin with the English Language Arts section, you may go on to the Mathematics section as soon as you are ready. Likewise, if you begin with the Mathematics section, you may go on to the English Language Arts section as soon as you are ready.
Be sure to read the directions for each section carefully.
Each question has only one correct answer. Choose the best answer for each question.
When you fi nish a question, go on to the next, until you have completed the last question or run out of time.
Your score is determined by the number of questions you answer correctly. Answer every question, even if you may not be certain which answer is correct.
Don’t spend too much time on a difficult question. Come back to it later if you have time.
If you complete the test before the test time (180 minutes) is over, you may go back to review questions in either section.
Students must stay for the entire test session (180 minutes).