What is the SHSAT?
4 min read · updated 2026-10-13
The SHSAT (Specialized High Schools Admissions Test) is the single exam that admits students to eight of New York City's nine specialized high schools, including Stuyvesant, Bronx Science and Brooklyn Tech. One test, one sitting, high stakes.
What it tests
Two sections in 180 minutes, taken on computer: English Language Arts (50 questions on reading comprehension and revising/editing) and Mathematics (50 multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions). Students choose which section to start with. In maths, each question must be answered before moving on, with no going back; in ELA, you can return to questions within a passage set until you submit it.
How admissions work
Students list the testing schools in order of preference when they register. Offers then go in descending score order: each student gets their highest-ranked school that still has seats. The SHSAT is the only criterion, there are no waitlists, and the lowest score that received an offer (the cutoff) changes every year. For Fall 2026 admissions it was 561 at Stuyvesant, 525 at Bronx Science and 506 at Brooklyn Tech.
How preparation works
Long-game preparation builds strong grades from middle school, then focused SHSAT practice in the months before: timed sections, official-format questions and pacing drills. Because the test is decisive, families typically start structured preparation at least a term ahead.
FAQs
When is the SHSAT taken?＋
In November. For Fall 2027 entry, registration in MySchools runs from 6 to 30 October 2026; 8th graders at NYC public middle schools that end in 8th grade test at school on Wednesday 18 November, other 8th graders on 14 or 15 November, and 9th graders on Saturday 21 November. Results and offers come in March.
Who can take the SHSAT?＋
NYC residents in 8th grade, or in 9th grade for the first time (not repeating the grade).
Is there an interview or essay for specialised high schools?＋
No. The eight testing schools admit on the SHSAT score alone, which makes focused test preparation unusually decisive.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these official sources on 2026-10-13.
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