Test Information

Students in grades 8 and 9 wishing to enroll in a specialized high school (Bronx High School of Science, Brooklyn Technical High School, High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College, High School for American Studies at Lehman College, Queens High School for Sciences at York College, and Stuyvesant High School) take the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT).

The SHSAT is a timed multiple-choice test. It is a two part 2 -hour tests.

Part 1 is the Verbal section. It contains the following types of questions:
-Scrambled Paragraphs
-Logical Reasoning
-Reading

Part 2 is the Mathematics section. It covers arithmetic, algebra, probability, statistics, geometry, and on the Grade 9 test, trigonometry.

The SHSAT assesses knowledge and skills that students need if they are to succeed in a high school for high achieving students. These skills consist of the ability to understand English text, think through verbal problems in order to reach logical conclusions based on the information given, and solve mathematical problems of varying levels of difficulty.

The results are reported as scale scores. Scale scores are scores that are based on the number of correct answers combined with the difficulty level of the questions. Students receive scale scores for the Verbal and Mathematics sections of the test and a Composite score, which is the sum of the Verbal and Mathematics scores.

Admission to a specialized high school is based on a student’s composite score. Students are assigned in rank order of their scores to their first-choice school until that school’s available seats are filled. The students ranked next are assigned to their second-choice and then third-choice school, until all the seats in the three schools are filled. In March, schools receive information about test results. After scores are released to the schools, students and their parents may review the results of their examination by requesting an appointment with a Department of Education assessment specialist.