Tests / SHSAT
The SHSAT: what it is and how it works
The SHSAT (Specialized High Schools Admissions Test) is the admissions test for eight of New York City's nine specialized public high schools. Students take it in the fall of 8th grade, or as first-time 9th graders. NYC Public Schools gives it on a computer, and since fall 2026 the test adapts to each student's answers.
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.
SHSAT at a glance
| Run by | NYC Public Schools (the NYC Department of Education) |
|---|---|
| Who takes it | Students in grade 8 or 9 who want a seat at a testing specialized high school |
| Sections | Two: English Language Arts (ELA) and Math |
| Questions | 100 in all, 50 per section |
| Time | 180 minutes for the whole test. Students choose which section to start with |
| Format | On a computer, adaptive since fall 2026 |
| Where | On a computer the school system provides, at the student's own school on a school day or at a test site on a weekend |
| Going back | Only inside an ELA passage set. Everywhere else an answer is final once the student moves on |
| Offers, fall 2026 entry | 4,023 offers from 26,123 test takers, about 15 in every 100 |
SHSAT cutoff scores, 2022 to 2026. The lowest score that got an offer at each of the eight schools, year by year, with the number of offers each school made.
What is on the SHSAT?
The SHSAT has two sections of 50 questions each. Both mix multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blank questions and questions that use on-screen tools. The 180 minutes cover both sections, and NYC Public Schools does not set a separate time for each.
English Language Arts
Questions: 50Time: Shared 180 minutes
Revising and editing questions, and reading comprehension questions built on passages.
Math
Questions: 50Time: Shared 180 minutes
Ratios and proportional relationships, the number system and expressions, equations, inequalities, statistics and probability, and geometry.
How does the adaptive SHSAT work?
- The test starts with a question or passage set of average difficulty. After each answer the system re-estimates the student's score. A right answer can bring a harder question next, and a wrong answer can bring an easier one.
- Every student answers the same number of questions, 50 per section, on the same grade-level content.
- A student must answer each question to move on. NYC Public Schools tells students near the end of their time that guessing quickly to finish is not better than a real attempt at each question.
- Scores come from the pattern of right and wrong answers set against how hard each question was. The two section scores are scaled and added into one composite score, and students are ranked by it.
When is the SHSAT?
These are the fall 2026 dates. Dates for fall 2027 are not published yet. Last year registration ran Oct 7 to Oct 31, 2025, so early to late October is the pattern.
| Registration opens | Tuesday, Oct 6, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Registration closes | Friday, Oct 30, 2026 |
| Weekend test | Nov 14 or 15, 2026 |
| School-day test | Wednesday, Nov 18, 2026 |
| Results and offers | March 3, 2027, per NYC Public Schools |
SHSAT questions parents ask
How many questions are on the SHSAT?
The SHSAT has 100 questions: 50 in English Language Arts and 50 in Math. Every student answers the same number.
How long is the SHSAT?
The standard time is 180 minutes for both sections together. English Language Learners get 360 minutes, with two 15-minute breaks after the first 180 minutes.
Is the SHSAT adaptive?
Yes. Beginning in fall 2026 the SHSAT is a computer-adaptive test. It picks each next question based on the student's answers so far.
Can you go back and change an answer on the SHSAT?
Only inside an ELA passage set, and only until that set is submitted. In the Math section and for stand-alone ELA questions, a student cannot return to a question after moving on.
Which schools use the SHSAT?
Eight schools: Bronx Science, Brooklyn Latin, Brooklyn Tech, the High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College, the High School of American Studies at Lehman College, Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, Staten Island Tech and Stuyvesant. LaGuardia, the ninth specialized high school, admits by audition.
What does the SHSAT math section cover?
Ratios and proportional relationships, the number system and expressions, equations, inequalities, statistics and probability, and geometry.
How is the SHSAT scored?
NYC Public Schools scores each section from the pattern of right and wrong answers and the difficulty of each question, scales the two section scores and adds them into a composite. Because difficulty counts, a number of right answers does not convert to a score.
Can my child take the SHSAT on our own computer?
No. Students test on computers provided by the school system, at their own school or at an assigned test site.
What accommodations does the SHSAT offer?
Students with testing accommodations in an IEP or 504 plan receive them, with some exceptions the school system lists. English Language Learners and eligible former ELLs get extended time, translated directions and bilingual glossaries.
Can we see the test after scores come out?
Students who take the SHSAT in fall 2026 can sign up for a Test View in spring 2027, once their score is released.
Sources
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