What is the SHSAT Exam? The Specialized High School Admissions Test, or SHSAT, is an exam administered to 8th and 9th grade students in New York City. It is taken as part of the application process to specialized high schools located in NYC. The specialized high schools in New York include: •
Stuyvesant HS
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Staten Island Technical HS
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Queens HS for the Sciences at York
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High School of American Studies at Lehman College
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High School of Mathematics,
Science and Engineering at City College •
Brooklyn Technical High School
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Brooklyn Latin
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Bronx High School of Science
An admission into any of these elite schools is based entirely on the student’s SHSAT score. This is why SHSAT test prep is such a crucial element. Students who are admitted to the specialized high schools in New York are not only granted a free education, they are more likely to be recognized by college admissions officials. How Scores are Used to Determine Admissions These elite schools use only the SHSAT score to determine eligibility to attend their school. The process begins by ranking all of the composite test scores from highest to lowest. Starting at the top of the list, students are assigned to each school until the available slots are filled. For example, Stuyvesant has 500 places available so the top 500 composite scorers who picked Stuyvesant as their number one choice are assigned to the school. In the event that the 501st student picked Stuyvesant for their first school of choice, they will be assigned to their second school of choice. What does the test cover? The SHSAT is a timed test in which students are allotted a certain amount of time to complete each section of the test. The format is multiple choice questions and it has just
two sections Math and verbal. Participants are given just 2 and a half hours to complete all of the questions. The first section is the verbal section where students are required to demonstrate their reasoning skills along with their level of reading comprehension. They are given several sentences which they have to use to form a paragraph which is logical and makes sense. The verbal section of the test also contains a section of questions which require test takers to use logical reasoning and they will have to analyze and interpret different types of text. The second section focuses on math skills. Students will answer both computational problems and word questions which use a variety of mathematical skills. These include algebra, basic computation skills, probability, geometry, trigonometry and statistics. About the SHSAT Scores are configured and reported as a composite that falls between 200 and 800 points. There are not any penalties for questions that are answered wrong. Each year the test results are released sometime in February. The different elite schools which participate in the program can have a variety of cut-off scores as their specific criteria. How to Prepare for the SHSAT For those who are planning on registering for this high stakes test, are several strategies for preparing the SHSAT exam. There are various materials available which cover the information included on test and can be used to study and taking practice tests. Many students opt for SHSAT tutoring ensure they do well on the test.
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Who is eligible to take the SHSAT? Students have to have residency in New York to register for the SHSAT. They th th must also be in 8 or 9 grade. Registration is completed through the student’s school. Once it is verified that the student meets the criteria, they will be given an admission ticket they can use to get into take the test. Candidates for the test will also need to fill out and submit a special admission packet. Included in the packet is a list of the specific elite schools is provided and students must select their choice of schools. The students will work closely with their school counselor to fill out the paperwork and their admission ticket will be sent to their school counselor. 9th graders typically take the test in about the middle of November each year; and 8th graders take it in late October. The 9th grade test is a second chance for
anyone who took the test as an 8th grader and did not get into the school of their choice. However, it is not recommended to wait until the 9th grade year to take the SHSAT.