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Admissions Test Grades 8–9 (NYC)

Free SHSAT Practice Test

The Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) is the sole admissions criterion for eight of New York City's most selective public high schools — including Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, and Brooklyn Tech. It tests ELA and Math at an advanced level.

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Grades 8–9
Grade Range
2 Sections
ELA + Math
~3 Hours
Test Duration
200–800
Composite Score

All Resources

Everything You Need to Prepare

Practice Questions
50 free questions
Skill Boosters
5 key terms
Study Guide
On this page
Books
2 study guides
Articles
2 guides

Test Structure

What the SHSAT Covers

The SHSAT has two major sections. Understanding the breakdown helps you allocate prep time where it matters most.

ELA — Revising/Editing

Tests grammar, usage, and paragraph organization. Students revise standalone sentences and full passages. This section was redesigned in 2017 when scrambled paragraphs were removed — old prep materials may be outdated.

ELA — Reading Comprehension

Literary and informational passages with questions on main idea, inference, and evidence. The SHSAT uses longer, more complex passages than other standardized tests at this level.

Math

Covers arithmetic, algebra, geometry, statistics, and probability at above-grade-level difficulty. No calculators permitted. Word problems are complex and multi-step — speed and accuracy both matter.

Study Strategy

Prep Tips for Students

1
Start in 7th grade — the earlier the better

Students who begin structured prep in late 6th or 7th grade consistently outperform those who start in the fall of 8th grade. The volume of content requires time, not intensity.

2
Do at least 3 full timed practice tests

The SHSAT is nearly 3 hours long. Stamina is a real factor. Practice full-length timed tests so the actual exam doesn't feel unfamiliar or exhausting.

3
Algebra fluency is non-negotiable

Multi-step equations, systems of equations, and algebraic word problems appear frequently. Students weak in algebra will struggle even if they excel in arithmetic and geometry.

4
Study ELA revising/editing rules systematically

Grammar is testable and learnable. Master subject-verb agreement, pronoun reference, comma usage, and transition words. These rules show up predictably every year.

5
Know the cutoff scores from prior years

NYC DOE publishes cutoff scores after each cycle. Knowing that Stuyvesant typically requires ~550+ and Brooklyn Tech ~490+ helps set realistic score targets during prep.

Study Materials

Recommended Books

Handpicked study guides to complement your online practice. Affiliate links — we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Barron's SHSAT Book

Barron's SHSAT: New York City Specialized High Schools Admissions Test

Full-length practice tests with detailed answer explanations, covering both ELA and Math sections.

Kaplan SHSAT Book

Kaplan SHSAT 2024–2025

Kaplan's updated prep with realistic practice questions, score-raising strategies, and the latest test format changes.

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See How You Do

Sample Question Math

If 3x + 6 = 21, what is the value of x?

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Learn More

SHSAT Articles

NYC Guide

NYC Specialized High Schools: SHSAT Guide for 8th Graders

Everything you need to know about Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, and Brooklyn Tech — and how to get in.

Read article → Study Strategy

SHSAT Math Prep: The 10 Topics That Show Up Most

Focus your prep on the algebra, geometry, and word problem types that appear in every SHSAT.

Read article →

View all articles →

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SHSAT?

The Specialized High Schools Admissions Test is the sole admissions criterion for 8 NYC specialized public high schools. It tests ELA (revising/editing and reading comprehension) and Math, scored on a 200–800 composite scale.

Which schools use the SHSAT?

Stuyvesant High School, Bronx High School of Science, Brooklyn Technical High School, Staten Island Technical High School, High School of American Studies at Lehman College, Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, Brooklyn Latin School, and High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College.

What is a competitive SHSAT score?

Cutoffs vary by school and year. Stuyvesant typically requires the highest score (~550+ composite). Brooklyn Tech and Bronx Science are typically lower (~490–520). Cutoffs are published by NYC DOE after each admissions cycle.

When should students start prepping?

Most successful students begin structured SHSAT prep in late 6th or 7th grade — one to two years before the test. Starting in the fall of 8th grade is possible but leaves limited time to cover above-grade math content.

Is there a guessing penalty on the SHSAT?

No — the SHSAT does not penalize for wrong answers. Answer every single question, even if you have to guess. Leaving a question blank is always worse than a random guess under this scoring system.

Practice

Sample SHSAT Questions

The SHSAT has two sections: English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. Students have 3 hours total and can move between sections freely after the first section time expires.

ELA – Revising/EditingSentence: "The students was excited about the field trip." What is the error? Show answer ▾

✓ Subject-verb agreement: "was" should be "were"

Revising/Editing is a major SHSAT ELA component — 9 standalone editing questions plus a full passage revision task. Students must identify and correct grammar, mechanics, and style errors. Common errors tested: subject-verb agreement, pronoun reference, comma splices, dangling modifiers, and redundancy. Reading and editing original writing regularly is the most effective preparation.

ELA – Reading ComprehensionA passage about Zora Neale Hurston. Q: "Which statement best describes the author's purpose?" Show answer ▾

✓ Strategy: distinguish what the passage says from what the author is trying to accomplish

SHSAT reading passages include literary fiction, informational text, and paired passages. Literary analysis questions — theme, character motivation, point of view — are as common as factual recall questions. Students preparing for the SHSAT should read short stories and nonfiction articles regularly and practice articulating "what the author is doing" vs. "what the passage says."

Math – Word ProblemA store sells 3 notebooks for $7.50. At this rate, how much do 8 notebooks cost? Show answer ▾

✓ $20.00 (unit price $2.50 × 8)

SHSAT Math covers pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, statistics, and probability. The test is known for multi-step word problems that require setting up equations — not just arithmetic. Calculators are not permitted. The most important math skills to master: setting up proportions, solving linear equations, working with percents and ratios, and interpreting data from tables and graphs.

Math – Grid-InIf 4x − 6 = 18, what is the value of x? Show answer ▾

✓ x = 6

The SHSAT includes grid-in questions — 5 math questions where students write in the answer rather than selecting from choices. There is no partial credit and no wrong-answer penalty on these. Grid-in questions are often easier than multiple choice because there are no traps — the answer is just the answer. However, careless arithmetic errors are unforgiving since there are no plausible choices to prompt a recheck.

Math – GeometryA rectangle has a perimeter of 28. Its length is twice its width. What is its area? Show answer ▾

✓ Area = 40 (width = ~4.67 is wrong; use algebra: 2(2w + w) = 28 → w = 14/3 ≈ 4.67; area ≈ 43.6 — actually: 2(l+w)=28, l=2w: 2(3w)=28, w=14/3... let me recalculate. w=14/3, l=28/3, area=392/9 ≈ 43.6)

Set up: Perimeter = 2(l + w) = 28, so l + w = 14. Since l = 2w: 3w = 14, w = 14/3, l = 28/3. Area = l × w = 392/9 ≈ 43.6. Geometry questions on the SHSAT frequently require combining formulas (perimeter + area) with algebra. Practice setting up equations from word descriptions before reaching for a formula.

See all 50 free SHSAT practice questions →

Score Guide

SHSAT Scores and School Cutoffs

The SHSAT composite score ranges from 200 to 800 (ELA 100–400 + Math 100–400). The NYC DOE publishes official cutoff scores each year after admissions decisions are released.

School Approx. Cutoff (recent years)
Stuyvesant High School~560–580+
Bronx High School of Science~520–540+
Brooklyn Technical High School~490–510+
Staten Island Tech / Others~480–500+
Cutoffs fluctuate annually. Always check the NYC DOE website after each admissions cycle for official figures.

The SHSAT is administered once per year for 8th graders (and 9th graders applying to Stuyvesant via a separate process). There are no retakes and no appeals. Preparation typically spans 6–12 months of consistent daily study — the most competitive applicants to Stuyvesant often begin 7th grade or earlier.