Tests / HSPT
The HSPT: what it is and how it works
The HSPT (High School Placement Test) is an entrance and placement test published by Scholastic Testing Service and used by Catholic and private high schools across the United States. Each school or diocese orders the test and picks its own date, so there is no national test day. It has five parts and 298 questions.
Facts checked October 11, 2026 against the official pages listed at the bottom. Dates and rules change every year. Prepwick is not affiliated with the test's publisher.
HSPT at a glance
| Published by | Scholastic Testing Service (STS) |
|---|---|
| Who takes it | 8th graders applying to schools that use it for admission, placement or scholarships |
| Parts | Five: Verbal Skills, Quantitative Skills, Reading, Mathematics and Language |
| Questions | 298 |
| Time | 143 minutes of testing by the times Regis publishes, about three hours in the room |
| Test date | Set by each school or diocese. STS runs no national test day |
| Sign-up | Through the school where the student will test |
| Calculator | Not allowed on the Mathematics part |
| Wrong answers | No penalty. The score counts correct answers |
| Attempts | Plan on one. The publisher recommends taking it only once, and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has students sit it one time |
HSPT scores. The 200 to 800 scale, percentiles, how the composite is built, and why there is no single cutoff.
What is on the HSPT?
The HSPT has five parts. The question counts and times below are the ones Regis High School publishes for its own sitting. Seconds per question is our arithmetic from those two numbers.
Verbal Skills
Questions: 60Time: 18 minutes, 18 seconds each
Synonyms, antonyms, verbal analogies, verbal classifications and logical reasoning.
Quantitative Skills
Questions: 52Time: 30 minutes, about 35 seconds each
Number series, number manipulations, and geometric and non-geometric comparisons of quantities.
Reading
Questions: 62Time: 25 minutes, about 24 seconds each
Remembering key ideas and details, finding the central thought or purpose, making logical inferences and understanding vocabulary in context.
Mathematics
Questions: 64Time: 45 minutes, about 42 seconds each
Computation, problem solving, important math concepts and reasoning.
Language
Questions: 60Time: 25 minutes, 25 seconds each
Punctuation, capitalization, spelling, grammar, usage and composition.
Across all five parts that is about 29 seconds a question. The SHSAT, by comparison, gives 100 questions in 180 minutes, about 1 minute 48 seconds each.
How does the HSPT work?
- Schools and dioceses order the test from STS and run it themselves. They choose the date, handle registration and decide how scores are shared.
- Some schools use it to admit students. Others use it for scholarships: Regis calls it its Scholarship Exam, and Fordham Prep considers only HSPT takers for its merit scholarships.
- A sitting at one school can count at another. Xavier, for one, says it will consider an HSPT taken at Regis, Fordham Prep, Loyola School or through the Archdiocese of Newark.
- STS tells students to answer every question, because there is no penalty for a wrong answer.
When is the HSPT?
There is no single date. These are examples from the 2026 to 2027 season, and they run from September to January. Ask each school on your list for its own date and deadline.
| Philadelphia archdiocesan high schools | Sept 21 and Sept 24, 2026 in Catholic elementary schools |
|---|---|
| Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey | Friday, Nov 6, 2026 |
| Regis, New York | Saturday, Nov 14, 2026 |
| Fordham Prep and Xavier, New York | Saturday, Nov 21, 2026 |
| Bishop O'Dowd, Oakland | Jan 9, 2027 |
What the publisher says about test prep
Scholastic Testing Service says it is not affiliated with any prep guide, book or course and does not endorse them. It advises parents to avoid expensive preparation materials. Prepwick is a prep company, so weigh that for yourself.
HSPT questions parents ask
How many questions are on the HSPT?
298 questions in five parts: Verbal Skills 60, Quantitative Skills 52, Reading 62, Mathematics 64 and Language 60.
How long is the HSPT?
About three hours in the room. By the section times Regis publishes, the testing itself is 143 minutes.
When is the HSPT?
It depends on the school. Scholastic Testing Service does not run national test days. Each school or diocese picks its own date, and in the 2026 to 2027 season those ran from September to January.
How do I sign up for the HSPT?
Through the school where your child will take it. Scholastic Testing Service says to contact that school for its registration process.
Can you take the HSPT more than once?
Plan on one attempt. Scholastic Testing Service recommends taking the HSPT only once and leaves any retest to the school. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has students sit it one time.
Can you use a calculator on the HSPT?
No. Scholastic Testing Service says calculators are not permitted on the Mathematics part. Students may use scratch paper.
Is there a penalty for guessing on the HSPT?
No. The score is the number of questions answered correctly, so STS tells students to answer every question.
Which New York City schools use the HSPT?
Six that we have read. Regis uses it as its own entrance and scholarship exam. Loyola School accepts the ISEE, SSAT or HSPT. Fordham Prep and Xavier use it for merit scholarships. Dominican Academy and Notre Dame School of Manhattan prefer the TACHS and will take HSPT results. Most other Catholic high schools in the city use the TACHS.
Do New Jersey Catholic high schools use the HSPT?
Schools in the Archdiocese of Newark do. Its COOP admissions program used the High School Placement Test in 2026, given on Nov 6, 2026.
Is the HSPT the same as the TACHS?
No. The HSPT comes from Scholastic Testing Service and is used around the country. The TACHS comes from Riverside Insights and is used by three New York dioceses.
Sources
- Scholastic Testing Service, HSPT test dates
- Regis High School, entrance exam
- Scholastic Testing Service, HSPT
- Scholastic Testing Service, how schools use HSPT scores
- Fordham Preparatory School, how to apply
- Scholastic Testing Service, preparing for the HSPT
- Scholastic Testing Service, taking the HSPT more than once
- Archdiocese of Philadelphia schools, scholarship testing
- NYC Public Schools, SHSAT
- Xavier High School, how to apply
- Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Newark, COOP process
- Bishop O'Dowd High School, HSPT
- Loyola School, application process
- Dominican Academy, how to apply
- Notre Dame School of Manhattan, apply to Notre Dame
- TACHS (Riverside Insights)
- TACHS 2026 Student Handbook
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