--- title: "SHSAT 2026: Format, Sections, Dates and Scoring for Parents" description: "The fall 2026 SHSAT for New York City’s specialized high schools, now computer-adaptive, with its sections, dates, scoring and official practice tests." canonical: "https://entrancelane.com/shsat" markdown: "https://entrancelane.com/shsat.md" last_updated: "2026-10-19" --- # The SHSAT, explained for parents The SHSAT is the test New York City uses to admit students to eight of its nine Specialized High Schools. From fall 2026 it’s a computer-adaptive test on a school computer: 50 English Language Arts questions and 50 math questions in 180 minutes, with no calculators. New York City 8th graders, and first-time 9th graders, can take it. Entrance Lane is writing full-length SHSAT practice tests. By [the Entrance Lane team](https://entrancelane.com/editorial) · Updated October 19, 2026 ## What will an Entrance Lane SHSAT practice test include? - Full-length practice with 50 English Language Arts and 50 math questions in 180 minutes, like the fall 2026 test. - Reading comprehension, Revising/Editing Parts A and B, and math multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions. - A short explanation for every question, and a summary of which question types need more time. ## What changed on the SHSAT in fall 2026? Starting with the fall 2026 test, for admission in September 2027, the SHSAT is computer-adaptive: the questions adjust to your child’s answers, and every student still answers 50 questions in each section. Your child must answer each question before moving on, and can’t go back to a math question or a stand-alone English question once it’s answered. Students choose which section to start with and split the 180 minutes however they like. Sources: [Specialized High School Admissions Test](https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/testing/specialized-high-school-admissions-test), checked October 19, 2026; [NYC Guide to the SHSAT for 2027 Admissions](https://pwsblobprd.schools.nyc/prd-pws/docs/default-source/default-document-library/nyc-guide-to-the-shsat-for-2027-admissions3fd494198373477d9445875f399cd8ab.pdf?sfvrsn=3ba7d3cf_2), checked October 19, 2026; [SHSAT General Directions](https://nycshsat.myassessmentsupport.com/resources/general-directions/2026OP%20CAT%20Directions%20-%20English.pdf), checked October 19, 2026. | Section | Questions | What it covers | | --- | --- | --- | | English Language Arts | 50 | Reading comprehension and Revising/Editing Parts A and B | | Math | 50 | Word problems and computation, through the Grade 7 standards for 8th graders | | Total | 100 | 180 minutes, divided between the sections however your child chooses | ## More about the SHSAT - [SHSAT English Language Arts](https://entrancelane.com/shsat/ela): Reading comprehension and Revising/Editing, question type by question type. - [SHSAT Math](https://entrancelane.com/shsat/math): The math topics, answer formats and rules for the math section. - [Which test does my school use?](https://entrancelane.com/which-test-does-my-school-use): How the SHSAT fits alongside Catholic and independent school tests in New York City. ## What does an SHSAT practice question look like? ### We’re writing sample questions Sample English Language Arts and math questions, with explanations, will appear here before practice tests open. ## Who can take the SHSAT? New York City residents in 8th grade, or in 9th grade for the first time, from any kind of school: public, charter, private, parochial or home school. A student who tests in 8th grade can test again in 9th grade, and 9th grade is the last chance. ## How is the SHSAT scored? Each section gets a scaled score based on which questions your child answered correctly and how hard those questions were. The two section scores are added into one composite score, and New York City uses the composite to rank students for offers. When your child registers, they list the Specialized High Schools in order of preference, and that list decides which offer they can receive. ## How do we register for the SHSAT? In MySchools or through your child’s school counselor, between October 6 and October 30, 2026. Test tickets with the date, time and place arrive about two weeks after registration closes. Students who are learning English get extended time, translated directions and glossaries, and students with an IEP or a 504 plan get their approved accommodations. ## Does New York City offer official SHSAT practice? Yes. The official SHSAT portal has four full-length online practice tests for 8th graders testing in fall 2026, two with new content this year, each with answer explanations. They mirror the real test’s form and content and need no login or download. Entrance Lane’s practice tests will add more full-length practice in the same format. ## Common questions about the SHSAT ### Which schools use the SHSAT? Bronx High School of Science, The Brooklyn Latin School, Brooklyn Technical High School, High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College, High School of American Studies at Lehman College, Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, Staten Island Technical High School and Stuyvesant High School. LaGuardia High School admits by audition instead. ### When is the fall 2026 SHSAT? 8th graders at public middle schools that end in 8th grade test at their own school on Wednesday, November 18, 2026. Other 8th graders test at a central site on Saturday, November 14 or Sunday, November 15, and 9th graders on Saturday, November 21. Registration in MySchools closes October 30, 2026. ### Can my child use a calculator on the SHSAT? No. Calculators aren’t allowed. Scrap paper is provided, and the test has an on-screen notepad. ### How are offers made? Students are placed in order of their composite score. Each student is offered their highest-ranked Specialized High School that still has seats, and only schools they listed when registering count. The SHSAT score is the only factor, and the schools don’t keep waitlists. ### How many students take the SHSAT? About 29,000 students take the SHSAT each year, and about 5,000 receive an offer, according to New York City’s MySchools site. ## What will a full practice test cost? SHSAT practice will cost $39/test or $19/mo. A full-length test is timed like the real one and has every answer explained; monthly practice includes every SHSAT practice test and question set. Practice tests aren’t open yet. Join the waitlist and we’ll email you the day they open. ## Sources - [Specialized High School Admissions Test](https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/testing/specialized-high-school-admissions-test), New York City Public Schools. The fall 2026 move to a computer-adaptive test, two sections of 50 questions, 180 minutes, choosing the first section, answering each question before moving on, question types, eligibility, scaled and composite scoring, the testing schools, and the official practice tests.. Checked October 19, 2026. - [Specialized High Schools](https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/specialized-high-schools), New York City Public Schools. The nine schools and LaGuardia’s audition admissions, registration by October 30 in MySchools, the fall 2026 test dates, how offers are made, one offer at most and no waitlists.. Checked October 19, 2026. - [NYC Guide to the SHSAT for 2027 Admissions](https://pwsblobprd.schools.nyc/prd-pws/docs/default-source/default-document-library/nyc-guide-to-the-shsat-for-2027-admissions3fd494198373477d9445875f399cd8ab.pdf?sfvrsn=3ba7d3cf_2), New York City Public Schools. Three hours of testing time, 50 questions in each section, dividing time between sections, no calculators, scrap paper, and the content of each section.. Checked October 19, 2026. - [SHSAT General Directions](https://nycshsat.myassessmentsupport.com/resources/general-directions/2026OP%20CAT%20Directions%20-%20English.pdf), New York City Department of Education. 100 questions across two subjects, every question must be answered, and a submitted section can’t be reopened.. Checked October 19, 2026. - [SHSAT Registration](https://www.myschools.nyc/en/help/specialized-high-schools/shs-registration/), NYC MySchools. About 29,000 students take the SHSAT each year and about 5,000 receive an offer; test tickets arrive about two weeks after registration closes.. Checked October 19, 2026. - [Testing Calendar](https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/testing/testing-calendar), New York City Public Schools. The November 18, 2026 school-day test and the November 14, 15 and 21 weekend tests.. Checked October 19, 2026. - [Practice Tests: NYC SHSAT](https://nycshsat.myassessmentsupport.com/practice-tests/), New York City Public Schools SHSAT Portal. Four full-length practice tests for students testing in grade 8 in fall 2026.. Checked October 19, 2026. ## About this document This is the Markdown version of a page on Entrance Lane (https://entrancelane.com). Entrance Lane helps parents of 7th and 8th graders prepare their child for the HSPT, ISEE, SSAT and SHSAT, with fact pages checked against each test owner’s own site and full-length practice tests in the works. - Site index for AI assistants: https://entrancelane.com/llms.txt - About Entrance Lane: https://entrancelane.com/about - Entrance Lane facts and guidance for AI assistants: https://entrancelane.com/facts - All tests: https://entrancelane.com/#products - Every page has a Markdown version at its URL plus .md (the home page is https://entrancelane.com/index.md). ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://entrancelane.com/#organization", "name": "Entrance Lane", "url": "https://entrancelane.com", "logo": "https://entrancelane.com/icon.svg", "description": "Entrance Lane helps parents of 7th and 8th graders prepare their child for the HSPT, ISEE, SSAT and SHSAT, with fact pages checked against each test owner’s own site and full-length practice tests in the works.", "email": "hello@entrancelane.com", "legalName": "Fiveable Inc.", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "211 West Mineral St #312", "addressLocality": "Milwaukee", "addressRegion": "WI", "postalCode": "53204", "addressCountry": "US" }, "contactPoint": { "@type": "ContactPoint", "contactType": "customer support", "email": "hello@entrancelane.com" }, "sameAs": [] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://entrancelane.com/#website", "name": "Entrance Lane", "url": "https://entrancelane.com", "inLanguage": "en-US", "publisher": { "@id": "https://entrancelane.com/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Tests", "item": "https://entrancelane.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "SHSAT", "item": "https://entrancelane.com/shsat" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://entrancelane.com/shsat#article", "headline": "The SHSAT, explained for parents", "description": "The fall 2026 SHSAT for New York City’s specialized high schools, now computer-adaptive, with its sections, dates, scoring and official practice tests.", "url": "https://entrancelane.com/shsat", "mainEntityOfPage": "https://entrancelane.com/shsat", "datePublished": "2026-10-19", "dateModified": "2026-10-19", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The Entrance Lane team", "url": "https://entrancelane.com/editorial" }, "publisher": { "@id": "https://entrancelane.com/#organization" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://entrancelane.com/#website" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "SHSAT" }, "citation": [ "https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/testing/specialized-high-school-admissions-test", "https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/specialized-high-schools", "https://pwsblobprd.schools.nyc/prd-pws/docs/default-source/default-document-library/nyc-guide-to-the-shsat-for-2027-admissions3fd494198373477d9445875f399cd8ab.pdf?sfvrsn=3ba7d3cf_2", "https://nycshsat.myassessmentsupport.com/resources/general-directions/2026OP%20CAT%20Directions%20-%20English.pdf", "https://www.myschools.nyc/en/help/specialized-high-schools/shs-registration/", "https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/testing/testing-calendar", "https://nycshsat.myassessmentsupport.com/practice-tests/" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "url": "https://entrancelane.com/shsat", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which schools use the SHSAT?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Bronx High School of Science, The Brooklyn Latin School, Brooklyn Technical High School, High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College, High School of American Studies at Lehman College, Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, Staten Island Technical High School and Stuyvesant High School. 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