What test subjects are covered in the New York SHSAT?
Math and ELA are the two sections, but they are very general. Within ELA is reading comprehension, summarizing texts, identifying main ideas/aspects of texts, etc. Within math is algebra, advanced problem solving, geometry, etc.
Has anyone ever gotten a perfect score on the SHSAT (specialized high school admission test)?
According to recent published score reports, no one has gotten a perfect 800 on the SHSAT. The highest score I have heard is in the low 700s.On the SHSAT, there is a different score curve for the test than regular tests which slightly skews your score. Scoring much higher in one section than another might equate to a higher score than just scoring equally average in both sections. Therefore, it is unheard of for someone to get an 800 on the SHSAT.Due to the score curve and nerves, your 700 on your practice test might not equate the same on actual test. For example, I was scoring high 600s before I took my test but scored slightly below 600 on my actual test. All that matters is getting into the specialized high school that you want. It is getting in that matters, not necessarily your score (it does not give you an advantage in your class).That being said, it is still important for you to work hard and practice on the SHSAT to get the score to be as high as possible.Online SHSAT Prep | Lessons, Practice Problems & TestsThis website has great SHSAT test prep tips and problems that I believe can help you improve your score. Since they are online, they can work around your hectic school schedule and is much cheaper than comparable test prep places that I have personally found. Additionally, through personalized assessments, they help improve your score by focusing on your individual weaknesses and strengths. And on top of that, they have a score increase GUARANTEE which will greatly help you since the SHSAT is such a competitive test.Overall, the way to increase your score would be to practice and work hard on SHSAT test prep. At the same time, try your hardest to score as high as you can but do not worry about getting to a full score; your focus should be on scoring above the cutoff score. Good luck!
Is it the end of the world if I get a low score for the SHSAT?
No, it is not the end of the world.We put so much emphasis on these schools and on this test not because they are the only good schools in the city, or even necessarily the best, but because you need to take the SHSAT to get in, and that requires a lot of work.Most of the other schools look at your grades, attendance, and 7th grade test scores. There’s no simple way to improve all of that; your grades have been what they’ve been in middle school. But the SHSAT is a chance to start fresh, so thousands of 8th graders prep like crazy for it. It’s the only admissions criteria you can easily and directly affect, so we put huge amounts of effort into doing so.Many kids who get in to a Specialized High School don’t even go. There are lots of other great high schools in this city, and probably an easier commute. The Specialized High Schools are high-pressure environments where only certain kids flourish; other smart, capable kids would be better off in a different environment.Every year, NYC sends thousands of bright minds to the top colleges, and not only from the Specialized High Schools. There are countless high-achieving, famous, wealthy, etc. adults who graduated from NYC public schools, and most of them are not from Specialized High Schools.If you didn’t get in, you’re upset, I know. There are 23,000 other kids who are upset right now, too, and a lot of them are insanely smart and talented and will have amazing lives. Let that be your goal; it’s far less arbitrary than a single score on a single test on a single day.Good luck!
SHSAT? help if you passed?
I got into Tech this year, so I can tell you firsthand that you have to put in a lot of work. Generally, you want to aim for a 500 on the SHSAT to be accepted. I recommend Kaplan courses for over the summer, although they are pretty expensive. If you can"t afford them, your best chance is a private tutor. It would be very hard to get in without taking some kind of extra lessons. Barron's test prep books are a good tool to studying, and you can use them to cover the info you need to know for the test. They offer practice tests inside Barrons books, but you never really know what grade on the practice tests will suffice to get you in. The SHSAT is scaled to 800 points total, and it's a big secret how they do it. The told me at Kaplan that you need to be scoring at around a 90 on the practice tests to get in. I was scoring low 90s on mine, but I know people that scored 85s and got accepted too, although nothing lower than that will work. The other person that answered you said 65s, but THAT IS NOT TRUE. The test is divided into math and english, 50 questions each and 75 minutes each, so you'll have a minute and a half for each one. It's all multiple choice. REMEMBER, the score you start with is a 0, and you get points added for each question you get right, so if you get stuck, just guess, it can't hurt. Don't lose your head, stay calm. Good Luck!
Tips for the SHSAT?
Oh, another person taking the SHSAT :P. I took the 06 SHSAT, and am now an incoming freshmen to Stuyvesant (Score of 610, yea I know big effin nerd :P) . All right, well, the main thing to do for the test is pace yourself. Separate concepts you really know from the things that are all a blur. When you go to the prep course, after class or even during, ask about the things that are a blur. The big thing is to do everything DURING THE SUMMER. As soon as school starts, don't enroll in anything. I did, and I almost screwed up from a panic attack day before the test. During the school year, balancing the SHSAT Prep Work and School work is a very demanding and stressful thing, and can lead to failure. Work on the concepts you don't fully understand, and study hard on them. Also, use the prep books of the SHSAT (from Kaplan, Baarons, Princeton Review), to their fullest advantage. Even though they have diagnostic tests, always read the supplemental curriculum because it can show you how to do a lot of questions with ease. After that, while taking the test, just calm down. Having a clear mind can make the most complex Scrambled Paragraph simple. So enroll in one or two academies for study, hit the books and refresh your memory with all of the concepts, and remember to always measure up how you stand for the test with a Diagnostic Test. Couple these things together, and chill out for the test (hell, chew some gum during the test), and you can ace it. Also, just a GIANT NOTE OF ADVICE during the test. When you go to the bathroom, just STFU. Any words while in the bathroom can be taken as cheating by the guards and you get automatically disqualified. I remember that happened to a whole bunch of girls in their bathroom. So just hit the books, but don't die of nervousness, g'luck.
What math topics will there be on a SHSAT test? I'm in the 9th grade.
Recently, the SHSAT test has changed so there has been many shifts in the topics that are on the test for Verbal and Math. As a someone who has taken the test and has gotten into a specialized high school, practice and long-term studying is your best bet.Online SHSAT Prep | Lessons, Practice Problems & TestsThis website has all the math AND verbal topics that will be on the SHSAT test. There are lessons and practice problems that accompany each problem for the most in-depth knowledge you can receive. I hope this helps and good luck on your testing!
What SHSAT score do you think would be good enough to get into Bronx Science?
The scores vary every year, however the NYCDOE usually stays within the range of between 505–530.Your best bet is to try your best and answer as my questions as you can during the test. You should know that the test has gotten fairly easier over the years, and they have taken off a critical component of the test, which was the scrambled paragraphs. Because of these changes, you should know that the cutoff might rise as it will be easier to do well.So to give you a specific number would be impossible, but the range stays consistent. If you studied and are doing well with practice questions, you shouldn’t have a problem. Good luck on your exam.
What is on the 9th grade SHSAT?
There has been a great shift from the old SHSAT to the new SHSAT. The old test used to contain scrambled paragraphs and logical reasoning, however the new test has a different format.Overall, the format of the test is:Standard testing time•180 minutesELA section (57 items)•20 revising/editing questions: 5-8 stand-alone questions and 2 passages with 6-8questions each (see attached sample questions)•6 reading passages with 5-7 questions each•All questions are multiple choice questionsMath section (57 items)•5 grid-in questions (see attached sample questions)•52 multiple choice word problems and computational questionsOther notes•All multiple choice questions (all ELA questions; all math questions except grid-initems) will have 4 answer choices instead of 5.•All passages in 2017 will be nonfiction passages; starting in 2018 literary passagesand persuasive passages (e.g., editorials) could be included on the test.•Embedded field test passages and items will be interspersed throughout the relevant sections of the test (10 items in each section); students will not be able to determine which questions are the field test questions.Learn About the Format of the SHSAT - Caddell PrepThis link summarizes the whole shift with informative videos and Q&A’s for any extra information you may want.