SHSAT practice test for 9th graders: what NYC gives you and how to use it

By Trieu Ly · Updated November 2, 2026

New York City Public Schools has one official practice set for 9th graders. It is two grade 9 math mini forms plus four full grade 8 practice tests, all on NYC’s SHSAT practice portal. NYC says 9th graders should use the mini forms together with the grade 8 tests.

The 9th grade test is Saturday, November 21, 2026. Grade 9 is the last chance: NYC says students get no more chances to take the test after grade 9. For rules, cutoffs and retakes, see the guide to the 9th grade SHSAT.

SHSAT Practice Test is independent and not affiliated with NYC (where our facts come from).

What NYC gives a 9th grader to practice

NYC gives 9th graders two grade 9 math mini forms and four full grade 8 practice tests (Forms A to D) on its SHSAT practice portal.

The grade 8 forms do most of the work. NYC says two of the four have new content this year. The timed version simulates the standard 3 hours and submits itself when time runs out. The untimed version simulates extended time (6 hours). File sizes and the PDF links for forms A to D are in the full official tests table.

We link to NYC’s own files and never re-host them.

The 9th grade SHSAT practice test PDF

NYC lists no separate printable test for grade 9. Each mini form has one PDF of about 1.2 MB, titled “Explanations and Printable Online Practice Test.” It holds the mini form’s 13 math questions, each followed by its explanation. To print it as a practice test, cover the explanation pages.

We checked both files on October 22, 2026. Each has 13 math items with explanations, and the server dates both files October 1, 2026.

• Grade 9 mini form 1 explanations and printable test (PDF)
• Grade 9 mini form 2 explanations and printable test (PDF)

A 5-step order for the weeks before November 21

Learn the on-screen tools, take one timed full grade 8 form, review the misses, work both grade 9 math mini forms, then take a second full form late and redo only the missed questions. This order is our suggestion. It follows the steps in NYC’s How to Prepare page. Adjust it to your schedule.

1. Learn the on-screen tools first. NYC’s Student Readiness Tool shows the testing tools and question types your child will see. Done when your child can find each tool without help.
2. Take one full grade 8 form under timed conditions. The timed version runs the standard 3 hours. Done when your child has finished all 100 questions in the 3-hour timed version.
3. Review the results together. After your child submits, the portal shows a summary report of right and wrong items. Click “Print this page,” then open the explanations for each miss. No name is needed. NYC suggests looking for a pattern, such as missing the central idea in ELA or making miscalculations in math. Done when the misses are sorted by topic.
4. Use both grade 9 mini forms for the math. NYC says the mini form items are aligned to state standards through grade 8. In between, follow NYC’s guide (page 20): practice math every day, with both basic and challenging questions. Done when both mini forms are finished and every miss is explained.
5. Take a second full form late, then redo only missed questions. Save the last full timed test for a week or two before test day. After that, go back only to questions your child missed before. Done when your child can work through the miss list without new mistakes.

NYC also gives one timing rule to repeat to your child: do not spend more than a couple of minutes on any one question (NYC Guide to the SHSAT for 2027 Admissions, PDF, page 4).

What the math covers in 9th grade

The grade 9 math section covers state standards one year further than the grade 8 test does.

In practice, that means working without a calculator and learning the common formulas by heart. Our SHSAT math questions are a way to practice both: no calculator, and no formula sheet. For the full test format and how the adaptive test works, see our guide to the adaptive SHSAT.

ELA practice for 9th graders

NYC’s grade 9 practice items are math only. NYC says to use the mini forms together with the grade 8 tests. The mini forms have no ELA, so the grade 8 forms are the only official ELA practice. NYC has not said whether the grade 9 ELA section differs from grade 8. Use the grade 8 forms as practice, not as proof that the two sections are the same. The timed full forms are also where your child practices ELA pacing. For extra grammar work, try our 10 SHSAT-style grammar questions.

How to read the results

From a full grade 8 form: count the right answers in each section, out of 50. Then enter them in the SHSAT score calculator with its “9th grade (applying for 10th)” option. It gives a rough estimate; do not treat it as a cutoff comparison. That number has two limits. First, the real test adapts to your child’s answers and the grade 8 practice forms do not (see the first question below). Second, NYC publishes no table that turns right answers into a scaled score. Any score from practice is an estimate, not a prediction.

From a mini form: no score at all. The calculator has no mini form option, and 13 items cannot give a score. Use it as a topic check. It shows which grade 8 math ideas are solid and which need work before the next full form.

Common questions