How long is the SHSAT?
Of course, the test is more difficult than the NYS math and ELA tests. It has to be. In order to separate the top students from the rest, there has to be difficult questions. If every student was able to get high scores on the test, there would be no way to identify the strongest students. Check your proficiency level in reading comprehension with questions.
Like with most standardized tests, students can benefit from test prep.
Regardless of what test you are preparing for, we always recommend to start with a practice test.
Taking a practice SHSAT will not only provide the student with a starting point to measure progress from, but it will also introduce the student to the test. This will make understanding strategies and lessons easier when preparing for the test.
How long is the SHSAT? A major problem for many students is timing. The test is three hours long. To most parents, that might seem like a long time, but for students it isn’t. First of all, there are 114 questions that need to be answered in that time period. The other reason it isn’t a long time for most students is that students are used to getting as much time as they need on state tests and aren’t conditioned to work quickly with a time constraint.
Some students who have to prepare for the SHSAT will also have to prepare for the TACHS (Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools). There is some overlap of content on the two tests. Here is a blog post detailing how to prepare for the SHSAT and TACHS at the same time.
We have a few ways of helping students prepare for the SHSAT.
Online SHSAT Prep
Our online SHSAT prep is an affordable, self-paced, personalized prep course. As of writing this, we have 22,807+ practice problems. For more information about our online test prep click here.
SHSAT Tutoring
We provide 1-on-1 tutoring at our office in Staten Island, NY. If you would like to set up a schedule, find out more information, or come in for a free practice test, call (917) 722-0677.
SHSAT Prep Classes
At our office we also offer in-person prep classes that are limited to 8 students per class. To view class schedules and get more information
What’s on the SHSAT?
The SHSAT is a 3-hour long test with an English section and a math section. Students are able to use the 3 hours however they like, so they can start in either sections and spend as much time as they want per section.
The English Section
The English sections tests students on their revising & editing skills and on their reading comprehension skills.
There will be about 20 revising & editing questions on the test. These types of questions present students with a sentence, a paragraph or a passage and ask students for the best revision to parts of the text. Questions could include grammar, punctuation, usage, and relevant information.
Approximately 37 questions will be devoted to reading comprehension. Reading comprehension questions resemble common-core type questions, including questions that ask students to find supporting evidence. A surprising part of reading comprehension is the inclusion of a poem. The 2019 test actually included two poems.
All of the English questions are multiple-choice questions.
The Math Section
The majority of the questions on the Math section are multiple choice. Approximately 5-7 of the questions will be grid-in questions, similar to the SAT. Students are only given credit for correct answers; partial-credit is not given. The entire test is graded automatically by a scanner.
Math on the SHSAT includes: arithmetic, algebra, geometry, data, and probability.
A big part of the 2019 test involved percentage that required a lot of work on paper. Calculators are not permitted on the test.
Is the SHSAT All Multiple Choice?
The test is almost all multiple choice, except for approximately 5-7 math questions that are student response questions. However, the those questions are just marked right or wrong. No partial credit is given. Students’ work will not be reviewed.
Is the SHSAT Hard?
Yes. The test is designed to be difficult. The test must separate top performing students from lower performing students, so the test must be hard enough to do so. If the test was easy and everyone was able to get 100% correct, then there would no way to determine who gets accepted and who doesn’t. Critical Thinking reading comprehension with questions Worksheets.
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