For NYC 7th–9th graders and their parents

Free SHSAT Practice Test online, with every answer explained

This free SHSAT practice test runs online under the rules of the new computer-adaptive SHSAT, with the same question types and tools. You get a score estimate, every answer explained, and your chances at all 8 specialized high schools, with no sign-up.

  • Same rules and question types as the 2026 test
  • Score estimate and chances at all 8 schools
  • Every answer explained
  • Score history saved, no sign-up

Free test: 21 questions · 40 min · no account. Full-length 100-question tests: coming soon; for now, the official NYC tests →

Try 4 questions · Math and ELA

Try SHSAT practice questions from the test

Four questions from the free practice test, with answers and explanations. Work each one out, then check. No calculator, like the real SHSAT.

  1. 1 · Math · Ratios & percents

    A jacket costs $80. It is on sale for 25% off, and then a 5% sales tax is added to the sale price. What is the final cost of the jacket?

    1. A$60.00
    2. B$63.00
    3. C$64.00
    4. D$66.00
    Check the answer

    B. $63.00 Sale price: 80 × 0.75 = 60. With tax: 60 × 1.05 = 63. Choice C combines the percents first (20% off), which is not equivalent.

  2. 2 · ELA · Revising & editing

    Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

    1. AMy cousin, who lives in Queens visits us every summer.
    2. BMy cousin who lives in Queens, visits us every summer.
    3. CMy cousin, who lives in Queens, visits us every summer.
    4. DMy cousin who, lives in Queens visits us every summer.
    Check the answer

    C. My cousin, who lives in Queens, visits us every summer. C is correct: a nonessential clause (“who lives in Queens”) needs a comma on both sides.

  3. 3 · Math · Geometry

    The angles of a triangle are in the ratio 2 : 3 : 4. What is the measure of the largest angle?

    1. A40°
    2. B60°
    3. C80°
    4. D90°
    Check the answer

    C. 80° 2 + 3 + 4 = 9 parts, so one part is 180 ÷ 9 = 20°. The largest angle is 4 × 20 = 80°.

  4. 4 · ELA · Revising & editing

    Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly?

    1. ANia likes hiking, to swim, and biking.
    2. BNia likes hiking, swimming, and biking.
    3. CNia likes to hike, swimming, and to bike.
    4. DNia likes hiking, swimming, and to bike.
    Check the answer

    B. Nia likes hiking, swimming, and biking. B is correct: all three items use the same -ing form.

What you get

What the free SHSAT practice test gives you

Everything here works today with the free practice exam, no account needed.

  • Is it like the new SHSAT?

    Built like the 2026 test

    After every answer the test re-estimates your level and picks the next question. No skipping, each subject locks when submitted, the technology-enhanced question types on NYC’s sample sheet, and the same tools: answer eliminator, highlighter, notepad, line reader.

    How the 2026 SHSAT works
  • What would my child score?

    A score estimate on the cutoff scale

    A score estimate (±50 points) shown on a scale marked with the 2026 cutoffs for Brooklyn Tech, Bronx Science and Stuyvesant.

    How the estimate works
  • Which schools could they get into?

    Chances at all 8 schools

    Enter the score and your school ranking. The calculator starts from NYC’s 2026 cutoffs, allows for each school’s 2022–2026 swing, and adds up the chance of each offer in your ranking order.

    SHSAT score calculator
  • Why was that answer wrong?

    Every answer explained

    Right after the test, every question shows the correct answer and an explanation, so mistakes turn into the next thing to learn.

    Try the sample questions
  • Are they getting faster and better?

    Score history and timing

    The timer runs at about the real test’s pace (1.8 minutes a question). My Progress keeps every score, the score trend, and how many minutes each test took. Without an account, the history lives in this browser, and browsers can erase it: Safari after about 7 days without a visit, any browser when you clear its site data.

    My progress
  • What should they study next?

    Practice by topic, with a plan

    Practice any topic with explained questions, or build a week-by-week study plan to test day. Weak topics ranked from all your tests come with a free account.

    Study plan builder

No account, email or card for any of this. Coming soon: one full-length 100-question test without an account; weak topics and every full-length test with a free account. Pro adds skill analysis, pacing, AI chat help, challenge mode, a personal predicted score and a weekly parent report. See plans →

01 · The 2026 SHSAT

How this practice test matches the 2026 SHSAT

The fall 2026 SHSAT, for 2027 admissions, is taken on a computer and is adaptive. This practice test follows the same rules: each answer can change the next question, you can’t skip, and once a subject is submitted you can’t go back to it.

Full 2026 format guide → NYC Public Schools SHSAT page ↗

100questions
50 ELA + 50 Math
180minutes
about 1.8 per question
0skips
answer to move on

ELA

English Language Arts: reading passage sets (poems, fiction, science and history articles), revising paragraphs, and grammar questions.

Math

New York State standards through grade 7 (grade 8 for 9th graders): ratios and percents, number system, expressions and equations, geometry, statistics and probability. No calculator.

Question types

Mostly multiple-choice with one answer, plus technology-enhanced items: select two or more, drag and drop, drop-down menus, typed answers and equations, hot text, graphs and tables.

Test-day tools

Highlighter, answer eliminator, notepad, pencil, line reader, and bookmarks inside a passage set.

02 · Official NYC tests

Also free: NYC’s four official practice tests

NYC Public Schools publishes four free, full-length digital practice tests that run in the real test software. No login or download needed.

Direct links to every form, PDF and answer key: all official SHSAT practice tests and PDFs → Past SHSAT handbooks with paper sample tests (fall 2017–2024): handbook archive →

Checked against NYC Public Schools on October 6, 2026. This site is independent and not affiliated with NYC Public Schools; we link to official files and never re-host them.

StuyvesantBronx SciBklyn TechBklyn LatinSI TechQueens SciHSMSEHSAS

03 · Your score

What your practice test score means

There is no passing score. Each school admits students in rank order until its seats are full. Compare your practice-test estimate with each school’s 2026 cutoff.

Lowest qualifying SHSAT score by school for 2026 admissions (students entering 9th grade)
School2026 cutoff
Stuyvesant561
HSMSE539
Queens Sciences531
Bronx Science525
Staten Island Tech517
American Studies507
Brooklyn Tech506
Brooklyn Latin495

2026 cutoff: the lowest qualifying score published by NYC Public Schools for students entering 9th grade. Five years for every school: SHSAT cutoff scores 2022–2026 → · Chances with your ranking →

How the SHSAT is scored: on past tests, NYC converted each section’s raw score (questions right, with no penalty for wrong answers) to a scaled score and added the two into the composite score used to rank students. NYC does not publish the conversion tables and has not said how the adaptive test is scaled, so any practice-test score, including ours, is an estimate.

  • Stuyvesant27%
  • HSMSE43%
  • Queens Sciences49%
  • Bronx Science54%
  • Staten Island Tech60%
  • American Studies68%
  • Brooklyn Tech68%
  • Brooklyn Latin76%

Chance that a practice score reaches each 2026 cutoff (9th-grade entry) at all 8 schools that admit by SHSAT score. It allows ±50 points for one practice test and each school’s year-to-year swing. An estimate, never a promise.

Under NYC’s offer process, cutoffs change every year with who tests and which schools they rank, so past cutoffs are not a prediction.

04 · Your options

Free vs paid SHSAT practice tests, compared

Free and paid SHSAT practice options compared: official NYC practice tests, prep courses, monthly prep apps and this practice test
FeatureOfficial NYC practice testsPrep coursesMonthly prep appsSHSAT Practice Test
CostFree$1,200–$1,600 courses; tutors $80–$200/hr$20–$130 a monthFree · Pro $79 per season
Start without signing upYesNoUsually trial or sign-upYes
2026 adaptive formatReal softwareVariesVariesYes
Score estimateRight/wrong onlyYesYesYes: an estimate with its ±50 range
Chance at each school, by your rankingNoSometimesSometimesYes
Short timed testNoVariesVariesYes: 21 questions, 40 minutes
Full-length tests (100 questions, 3 hours)4 (Forms A–D)Course-dependentPlan-dependent1 without an account, all with a free account (coming soon)

Course and app prices from public listings, 2026.

05 · Coming with Pro

Coming with Pro: analysis, pacing and AI help

The free practice test shows where your child stands. Pro, coming soon, shows why points are lost and what to do next.

  • Which skills are costing points?

    Skill analysis Coming soon

    Every answer is tied to its New York State standard and error type, so you see the exact skill behind lost points, such as percent change or pronoun reference, not just “math” or “ELA”.

  • Is my child running out of time?

    Pacing and time management Coming soon

    Time on every question, compared with the real test’s 1.8 minutes, shows where the minutes go: slow reading sets, a rushed ending, or one hard question that ate five minutes.

  • Can someone explain it another way?

    AI chat help Coming soon

    Ask about any question: why an answer is wrong, a hint that does not give it away, or the same idea explained differently. The written explanation stays the reference.

  • Will this score get into Stuyvesant?

    Predicted score and chances Coming soon

    A predicted score from all of your child’s tests, with its range, and the chance of an offer at each school on your list, using the 2026 cutoffs and each school’s 2022–2026 swing.

  • Ready for the hardest questions?

    Challenge mode Coming soon

    Harder question sets for students aiming at Stuyvesant-level cutoffs, beyond what an adaptive test usually serves.

  • What should we do this week?

    Study plan and parent report Coming soon

    A plan that adjusts each week to the latest results, with targeted drills, a weekly report for parents, and history on any device.

Pro is not on sale yet. Families on the early-access list below pay $59 instead of $79.

06 · Plans

Free and Pro SHSAT practice plans

Scores, explanations, score history and the chances calculator stay free on every plan. Pro is for families who want analysis, a plan and a prediction.

No account

$0

Nothing to fill in

  • The free practice test (21 questions, 40 minutes), retake anytime
  • One full-length test: 100 questions, 3 hours coming soon
  • Score estimate, explanations and the chances calculator
  • Score history, saved in this browser
  • Weak topics and every full-length test
  • Skill analysis, pacing, AI help, challenge mode
Start now

Available now

Free account

$0

Email only

  • Weak topics, ranked from all your tests
  • Every full-length practice test: 100 questions, 3 hours, like the real SHSAT
  • Everything in No account; history from this browser moves into your account
  • Skill analysis, pacing, AI help, challenge mode
  • Personal predicted score

Coming soon · join the list

For the final months

Pro

$79 / season

Pay once, lasts until test day. No auto-renew.

  • Everything in Free account, with your history on any device
  • Skill analysis: strengths and weaknesses by standard and error type
  • Pacing: time on each question against the real test’s pace
  • AI chat help on any question and its explanation
  • Challenge mode: harder question sets for Stuyvesant-level targets
  • Predicted score & chance at each school, from all your tests
  • Study plan that adjusts weekly + targeted drills
  • Weekly parent report

Coming soon · list members pay $59

Tutors and learning centers: class dashboards and custom tests are planned. Tell us you’re interested.

08 · FAQ

SHSAT questions parents ask

Is 570 a good SHSAT score?

Yes. For 2026 admissions, 570 was above the lowest qualifying score at all 8 SHSAT schools for students entering 9th grade; the highest was Stuyvesant’s 561. A 550 was above the cutoff at 7 of the 8. Fall 2026 is the first adaptive SHSAT, so cutoffs may move. A 570 practice test estimate means roughly 520 to 620.

What SHSAT score is required for Stuyvesant in 2026?

For 2026 admissions, Stuyvesant’s lowest qualifying score was 561 for students entering 9th grade, the highest of the 8 SHSAT schools. From 2022 to 2026 it ranged from 556 to 563. The fall 2026 test is the first adaptive one, so the next cutoff may differ. All SHSAT cutoff scores.

Is the SHSAT test hard?

Yes, mostly because seats are limited: for 2026 admissions, 26,123 students took the SHSAT and 4,023 got an offer. The content is middle-school reading, editing and math (through grade 7 for 8th graders), but it is 100 questions in 180 minutes with no calculator, and questions can get harder as your child answers correctly.

Which is harder, SHSAT or SAT?

The SAT has harder content; the SHSAT is more competitive. The digital SAT has 98 questions in 2 hours 14 minutes, includes advanced math and trigonometry, and allows a calculator throughout math. The SHSAT tests math through grade 7 with no calculator, 100 questions in 180 minutes, and ranks students for a fixed number of seats.

Is the SHSAT just an IQ test?

No. The SHSAT tests what students learn in school, not IQ. ELA covers revising, editing and reading comprehension; math covers ratios, the number system, expressions, equations, inequalities, statistics, probability and geometry, based on New York State standards through grade 7 (grade 8 for 9th graders). NYC publishes free practice tests and a prep guide so students can study.

Is the SHSAT now 100 questions?

Yes. Starting with the fall 2026 test, for September 2027 admission, the SHSAT has 100 questions: 50 ELA and 50 math, in 180 minutes. It is computer-adaptive, so questions can get harder or easier, and your child must answer each one to move on. The fall 2025 test had 114 questions, 57 per section.

How do you apply to the SHSAT test?

The SHSAT is open to NYC residents who are current 8th graders or first-time (not repeating) 9th graders. Registration is part of NYC’s high school admissions. For the fall 2026 test it opened Tuesday, October 6 and closes Friday, October 30. When you register, you list the specialized high schools your child wants, in order of preference; your child is considered only for those schools. Your school counselor can help, and NYC posts updates in MySchools. SHSAT test dates and registration.

What are the specialized high schools in New York City?

NYC has 9 specialized high schools. 8 admit students only by SHSAT score: Stuyvesant, HSMSE, Queens Sciences, Bronx Science, Staten Island Tech, American Studies, Brooklyn Tech, Brooklyn Latin. The ninth, LaGuardia High School, admits by audition, not by the SHSAT (NYC Public Schools).

How accurate is the practice test score?

It is our estimate, not an official score. One 21-question practice test can be off by about 50 points either way, so read 530 as roughly 480 to 580. Averaging two or three tests narrows the range. NYC does not publish a fixed score scale or conversion tables, so no practice score is exact.

What happens to my child’s answers?

They are sent to us without a name, email or account, only to find questions that are too easy, too hard or unclear, and deleted 12 months after they are sent. Your child’s score history is shown from this browser on this device, and browsers can erase it: Safari after about 7 days without a visit, any browser when you clear its site data. If you join a waitlist, we keep the parent email and which list you joined, only to tell you when accounts or Pro open. This site is not affiliated with NYC Public Schools, the NYC DOE, or Pearson.

Can we get a refund on Pro?

Yes. Pro is planned as a one-time $79 season pass with a 7-day refund and no auto-renewal. Pro is not on sale yet, and the full refund terms will be on the checkout page before anyone pays. Families on the early-access list will pay $59 instead of $79.

Start the free SHSAT practice test

21 questions, 40 minutes, no account.