SHSAT tips for 2026: 8 old tips that no longer work, and what to do instead
By Trieu Ly · Updated
The fall 2026 Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) is computer-adaptive. Tips written for the paper test (2017 to 2024) or the 2025 fixed computer test can now mislead your child. Three changes matter most:
- No skipping. Students must answer each question to move on. In math and in stand-alone ELA questions, there is no going back. ELA passage sets are the one exception (see the first row of the table below).
- No raw score. The score comes from the pattern of right and wrong answers, weighed against question difficulty. No chart turns “questions right” into points for 2026.
- No “no penalty” line. NYC Public Schools (the NYC Department of Education) removed “no penalty for wrong answers” from its SHSAT page in mid-2026. It has not published a penalty rule for this test.
We last checked NYC’s SHSAT page on November 5, 2026. SHSAT Practice Test is independent and not affiliated with NYC. See where our facts come from.
8 SHSAT tips that are wrong for 2026
| Old tip | What is true in 2026 | Why the old tip existed |
|---|---|---|
| Skip hard questions and come back | An answer is required to move on. There is no return in math or stand-alone ELA questions. Inside an ELA passage set, answers can be changed until the student leaves the set’s last question. A submitted subject is locked. More on how the adaptive test works | On paper and fixed forms, students could move freely between questions |
| “No penalty, just guess” | NYC does not publish a penalty rule for 2026. It asks for a best attempt on each question. Blanks are impossible anyway. More on the wrong-answer question | NYC said “no penalty” for the 2025 test, and on its page until mid-2026 |
| 57 ELA + 57 math, with grid-ins | 50 ELA and 50 math questions in 180 minutes. Item types are multiple choice, fill in the blank and technology-enhanced items. | Paper tests (2017 to 2024) had 57 + 57 with 5 grid-ins. The 2025 computer test was also 57 + 57 |
| Use a raw-to-scaled score chart | There is no raw count to convert. NYC publishes no conversion table and no 2026 maximum or minimum score. | Fixed forms had a raw score, and an older NYC handbook described a conversion |
| Early questions are worth more | NYC does not publish how questions are weighted or chosen. Each subject also has 10 unscored field-test items that NYC does not identify. Treat every question as counting | No NYC source supports it. It may come from talk about other adaptive tests (our guess) |
| Discovery is a lottery | Discovery is by invitation only, for some students who scored below the cutoff. Under the 2026 rules, a score of 495 or above was not eligible. NYC does not publish the range, and the 2027 rules are not out. See who qualifies for Discovery | NYC does not publish the score range, so families guess how students are picked |
| Part A is conventions, Part B is revising | Part A is revising: choosing changes that improve development and organization. Part B is conventions: fixing language and punctuation errors. See the parts of SHSAT ELA | Some study videos and sheets swap the labels |
| The grade 9 test covers Algebra I | The grade 8 form tests math standards through grade 7. The grade 9 form tests through grade 8. No NYC document we checked mentions Algebra I. Read about the grade 9 test | Unclear. The grade 9 form has one item type the grade 8 form lacks, which may have fed the rumor (our guess) |
SHSAT tips that fit the adaptive test
The core habit: choose the best answer you can, then move on.
- Set your subject order and time split before you start. You choose which subject comes first, and a submitted subject cannot be reopened. Decide how many minutes each subject gets, then keep to it. Our suggestion: start with the subject you feel stronger in.
- Budget about 1.8 minutes per question. That is our math: 180 minutes for 100 questions. NYC advises spending no more than a couple of minutes on any one question.
- Use the passage-set exception. In an ELA passage set, answer each question, bookmark the ones you doubt, and revisit them before you leave the set’s last question.
- Do not rapid-guess at the end. NYC says students should not assume that rapidly guessing to finish beats a best attempt on each question. Keep giving each question a real try until time runs out.
- Treat every question as scored. You cannot tell which 10 questions in each subject are the unscored field-test items.
- Hide the timer if it stresses you. The on-screen timer can be hidden or shown.
- Practice math by hand and learn the formulas. Formulas are not given, so perimeter, area, volume and surface area must come from memory. Work on the scrap paper provided, but only answers entered on screen count.
- Re-read what the question asks. A quick check of the question, units included, catches careless mistakes. This is our advice, not NYC’s.
- Rehearse one full 3-hour sitting. NYC’s timed online practice test cannot be paused and submits itself when time is up, so it trains the real time limit. In our check, NYC’s practice tests are fixed forms, not adaptive.
For a study plan over months, see how to prepare for the SHSAT. This page is about taking the test.
Is there a passing score?
No. The SHSAT has no pass mark. NYC ranks test takers by score, from highest to lowest, and fills each school’s seats in that order. Each student gets at most one offer. The 2026 cutoffs for 9th-grade entry, set by the fall 2025 test, ran from 495 at Brooklyn Latin to 561 at Stuyvesant. A “good” score depends on the school and the year. See past SHSAT cutoff scores by school. A practice score does not promise the same score on test day.
Test week reminders
- On weekend tests, the ticket time is an arrival time. The test may start an hour or more later.
- Allowed items include pencils, an eraser, a highlighter, a non-calculator watch, a snack and water. Check the full list of what to bring on test day.
- A student who feels sick should tell the proctor before checking the attestation box.
Practice the new rules in one full sitting
Our free Practice Test 1 has 50 ELA and 50 math questions in 3 hours, with an explanation for every question and no sign-up. It is a fixed form, not adaptive. Use it to build the habits above: answer every question before moving on, and hold your time split.
Take the free SHSAT practice testCommon questions
Can I use a calculator on the SHSAT?
No. Calculators are on NYC’s list of items not permitted at the test. NYC does not say more about calculators for 2026.
How many questions can you get wrong?
There is no fixed number. On the adaptive test, the same number of right answers can give different scores, depending on how hard the questions were.