SHSAT TEST PREP. DESIGNED FOR YOU.

What Is the SHSAT and Who Needs to Take It?

The SHSAT (Specialized High School Admissions Test) is a standardized test needed to qualify for admission to a Specialized High School in New York City. In an ever-growing city that puts a premium on quality education, admission to these schools is incredibly competitive and students need outstanding SHSAT scores to have good chance of being accepted. More than 28,000 students take the SHSAT each year to qualify for fewer than 6,000 spots in New York City’s most prestigious schools, including: Bronx High School of Science; Brooklyn Technical High School; High School for Math, 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; Stuyvesant High School; and The Brooklyn Latin School.

When Do You Take The SHSAT?

The SHSAT is offered only once per year, in October for 8th graders and November for 9th graders. This means that students have only two chances, once in eighth and once in ninth grade, to qualify for a Specialized High School. With only a short window of opportunity, a personalized SHSAT test prep program with CATES Tutoring can make all the difference in taking you where you want to go.

What Is Tested On The SHSAT & How Is It Scored?

The SHSAT is a 3-hour test that analyzes students’ competence in Reading & Writing and Math. Test-takers can allocate their time between the Reading & Writing and Math portions of the test as they see fit.

The Reading & Writing section of the SHSAT contains 57 multiple-choice questions that test students’ reading comprehension and ability to revise/edit passages for grammar and style. Reading comprehension passages will be drawn from informational and literary sources.

The SHSAT’s Math section also consists of 57 questions, 52 of which are multiple choice and 5 of which are grid-ins. Students can expect to encounter word and computational math problems focusing on addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Some problems require knowledge of fractions, decimals, and statistics.

In each section, students receive one point for every correct answer, and zero points for every skipped or incorrect answer. The New York Department of Education then converts this “raw score” into a “scaled composite score” of up to 700 points.

CATES’s Holistic Formula For SHSAT Prep

Your student won’t receive a one-size-fits-all SHSAT curriculum when partnering with CATES. For each of our students, we design a result-oriented SHSAT test prep plan tailored to that student’s unique learning style, needs, and goals.

One-to-one sessions are targeted specifically to each student’s priorities and adapt to meet evolving preparation needs—whether related to content; test-specific, question-specific, and answer choice strategies; or test-taking skills such as endurance, focus, and emotional regulation. Your child will develop and strengthen their skills, master test prep strategies, and feel motivated to conquer the SHSAT on test day.

Raise Your SHSAT Scores With CATES Tutoring

At CATES Tutoring, we excel at SHSAT prep. With over 120 years of combined professional experience in tutoring at all levels, we know the ins and outs of SHSAT test prep like nobody else. Our tutors combine their deep knowledge of the test with CATES’s holistic methodology, which focuses not only on hard facts and academic concepts but also on the social-emotional factors that drive performance.

We match students with our expert private tutors based on a student’s individual needs and learning style to guarantee a successful and productive relationship. Every CATES tutor brings their own expertise and personality to each lesson, helping students with pacing, goal setting, and test anxiety to ensure mastery of SHSAT subject material. We also proctor free mock tests to help students better understand the test’s format.

We know that our SHSAT test prep students lead busy lives with demanding schoolwork and important extracurricular commitments. That’s why our private tutors work around students’ schedules and meet with students in the location most convenient to them, whether in a student’s home, in a public place, or via videoconference. In all our sessions, we strive to create a fun, positive atmosphere that propels students toward success on the test and beyond.

Come join the ranks of students who are now in some of the most competitive specialized high schools in New York City. Dial (212) 359-4208 or email info@catestutoring.com to connect with one of our SHSAT tutors today.

As well as providing leading results in SHSAT prep, we also offer comprehensive test prep services covering a multitude of topics including SAT, ACT, Advanced Placement (AP) exams, TOEFL, PSAT, ISEE, SSAT, TACHS, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, MPRE, and LSAT. No matter the test, CATES’s team of talented tutors and proven methodology are sure to help you raise your test scores.