How to study for the SHSAT: your week-by-week plan

Updated October 6, 2026

How do you study for the SHSAT? Start with NYC’s own materials. Learn the directions for each section, try every tool in the Student Readiness Tool, and take at least one official practice test under timed conditions. Then read the explanations, look for a pattern in your child’s mistakes, and spend most of the remaining time on those topics.

That is the approach in the NYC Guide to the SHSAT for 2027 Admissions (pages 3–4). The plan below follows it, week by week.

Why the plan is built this way

• Learn the test before test day. Knowing the directions and tools ahead of time saves minutes on test day. NYC’s Student Readiness Tool shows every tool and question type.
• Diagnose first. A timed practice test shows where points are lost, so study time goes where it pays off.
• Most time on weak topics. The official guide says to check for a pattern in missed questions and practice the areas that caused trouble. The plan alternates math and ELA weeks so neither section is neglected.
• Timed adaptive practice at the end. The 2026 test doesn’t let your child skip or go back, so pacing has to feel automatic by test day. See how the 2026 adaptive SHSAT works.
• Use the official practice tests too. NYC has four full-length online practice tests that mirror the real exam, free at the NYC SHSAT Portal. All of them are listed on our official SHSAT practice tests page.