SHSAT Format & Scoring, Explained
What's on the test, how the 180 minutes break down, and how a raw score becomes your child's composite.
The test at a glance
The SHSAT (Specialized High Schools Admissions Test) is a single, timed exam. Your child gets 180 minutes in one sitting to answer 114 questions, split evenly into two sections:
- English Language Arts (ELA): 57 questions
- Math: 57 questions
There is no separate clock for each section. The 180 minutes cover the whole test, so your child decides how to divide time between ELA and Math. That makes pacing a real skill worth practicing, not just the content.
For the exact test date and registration steps, always confirm with the NYC DOE / MySchools — they are the authority. We keep our SHSAT test dates guide current, but the DOE is the source of truth.
What's on the ELA section (57 questions)
Two ELA question types
The 57 ELA questions come in two forms, and neither one asks for an essay:
- Revising/Editing: These test grammar, sentence structure, and clear writing. Your child fixes errors or improves sentences and short passages by choosing the best option.
- Reading Comprehension: Several passages followed by questions about main idea, supporting details, inference, and word meaning.
Every ELA question is multiple choice. There is no writing sample to produce.
What's on the Math section (57 questions)
Multiple choice plus grid-ins
The 57 Math questions cover arithmetic, algebra, geometry, probability, and word problems. They arrive in two formats:
- About 52 multiple-choice questions, where your child picks from answer options.
- About 5 grid-in questions (also called “student-produced responses”). Instead of choosing from a list, your child works out the answer and fills it into a grid. There are no options to lean on here — the answer has to be exactly right.
The grid-ins are worth planning for, because guessing strategies that help on multiple-choice questions don't apply the same way.
How scoring works
From raw score to composite
Scoring starts simply: your child earns 1 point for every correct answer. That total is the raw score.
Two things follow from that:
- There is no penalty for a wrong answer. A blank and a wrong answer both count as zero, so it is always worth putting down an answer rather than leaving a question empty.
- The raw score is not the final number. The DOE runs it through a formula it does not publish to produce a single composite score out of roughly 700. That composite is what schools use.
Because the conversion formula is proprietary, no one can honestly translate “X questions correct” into an exact composite in advance. Anyone who claims a precise formula is guessing.
What counts as a “good” score
The DOE does not set a fixed passing score. Instead, offers go to the highest composite scores citywide each year. Your child ranks schools in order of preference, and seats fill from the top down until they run out. So the score “needed” depends on which schools your child ranks and how the rest of the applicant pool does that year.
The figures below are widely reported reference cutoffs for 2026 — roughly the lowest composite that received an offer at each school. The DOE does not publish official cutoffs, and these numbers shift every year. Treat them as a rough target, never a prediction or a guarantee.
| Specialized high school | 2026 reference cutoff (of ~700) |
|---|---|
| Stuyvesant High School | 561 |
| HS for Math, Science & Engineering (City College) | 539 |
| Queens HS for the Sciences (York College) | 531 |
| Bronx High School of Science | 525 |
| Staten Island Technical High School | 517 |
| HS of American Studies (Lehman College) | 507 |
| Brooklyn Technical High School | 506 |
| The Brooklyn Latin School | 495 |
For more on how to read these numbers, see our SHSAT cutoff scores guide.
One test, one criterion
For eight of the specialized high schools, the SHSAT composite is the only admission criterion — grades, attendance, and interviews do not factor in. The exception is LaGuardia, which admits by audition or portfolio rather than the test.
Because so much rides on one morning, knowing the format cold is half the battle. From here, see how to prepare for the SHSAT and the full list of specialized high schools.
The 8 Schools is an independent practice site. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the NYC DOE, and our questions are original practice written in the style of the SHSAT — not real or past exam questions.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one SHSAT for all the schools, or a different test for each?
There's one SHSAT. A single composite score is used for all eight test-based specialized high schools — you don't take a separate exam for each. LaGuardia is the exception; it admits by audition or portfolio instead of the test.
Should my child guess if they don't know an answer?
Yes. There's no penalty for a wrong answer, so a blank and a wrong answer both score zero. On multiple-choice questions especially, it's always worth putting down a best guess before time runs out.
How many questions does my child need to get right?
There's no fixed number. The raw score (1 point per correct answer) is converted to a composite out of about 700 using a formula the DOE doesn't publish, and offers go to the top scores citywide. Because it depends on each year's applicant pool, no one can give you an exact “questions correct” target in advance.
What's the difference between grid-in and multiple-choice math questions?
Multiple-choice questions give you options to pick from. Grid-in questions — about 5 of the 57 math questions — ask your child to work out the answer and fill it into a grid, with no options provided, so the answer has to be exactly right.
Is there an essay on the SHSAT?
No. The ELA section is all revising/editing and reading comprehension, and every question is answered by choosing an option. There's no essay or written response.
The best way to understand the format is to sit down with realistic SHSAT-style questions. Try our free 10-question diagnostic — no signup required — and see exactly how the ELA and Math sections feel before test day.
Start the free diagnostic →