HSPT study plan
HSPT · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Verbal Skills & Cognitive Skills
Classify 60 practice words by analogy relationship type (synonym, antonym, part-to-whole, cause-effect, function) and label each one
Build a personal analogy-type reference sheet with 2 original examples per relationship
Time yourself on 25 verbal-reasoning items to establish a baseline pace and accuracy rate
Log every missed item with a one-line reason for the error
Your checkpoint
A dated baseline scorecard: 25 verbal items timed, with accuracy percentage, average seconds per item, and an error-cause tally
Verbal Skills & Language
Drill 80 synonym and antonym pairs, sorted into 'known cold' and 'needs review' lists
Write 10 original sentences that correctly use commonly confused word pairs (affect/effect, lie/lay, its/it's)
Identify and correct subject-verb agreement and pronoun-reference errors in 20 flawed sentences
Review the week-1 error log and re-test every missed analogy type
Your checkpoint
A two-column vocabulary log of 80 pairs with a re-test result showing improvement over the week-1 baseline
Mathematics & Quantitative Skills
Solve 40 arithmetic and pre-algebra problems covering fractions, decimals, percents, and order of operations
Convert fluently between fractions, decimals, and percents across 30 items without a calculator
Set up and solve 15 word problems by writing an equation before computing
Record each arithmetic slip in a running 'careless error' list to spot recurring patterns
Your checkpoint
A 40-item math set completed under a 50-minute timer, scored, with every wrong answer reworked by hand
Quantitative Skills & Cognitive Skills
Solve 30 quantitative-comparison items, deciding each column relationship before calculating
Practice 20 number-series and pattern-recognition items, writing the rule for each sequence
Apply estimation and back-solving strategies to 15 items to cut computation time
Compare week-4 timing against week-1 baseline and target a 20% faster pace
Your checkpoint
A mid-plan diagnostic: 50 mixed quantitative items timed and scored, with a written comparison to the week-1 baseline
Reading & Language
Read 4 short passages and answer main-idea and detail questions, underlining the supporting sentence for each answer
Distinguish fact from opinion and identify author's tone in 15 practice questions
Summarize each passage in one sentence to confirm comprehension before answering
Edit 15 sentences for punctuation, capitalization, and sentence-completeness errors
Your checkpoint
A reading log of 4 passages with one-sentence summaries, question accuracy, and a corrected set of 15 language-editing sentences
Reading & Verbal Skills
Complete 3 timed reading sets and track accuracy by question type (main idea, inference, vocabulary-in-context)
Practice inference questions by citing the exact passage line that justifies each answer
Re-run the week-1 analogy drill and confirm at least 85% accuracy
Build a one-page strategy card for reading and verbal question types
Your checkpoint
A question-type accuracy breakdown across 3 timed reading sets, plus the completed strategy card
Mathematics & Quantitative Skills & Language
Take one full-length timed practice test under exam conditions
Score each section separately and rank domains by percentage of points lost
Rework every missed math and language item until each is solved correctly without notes
Draft a targeted review list of the 10 weakest skills across all domains
Your checkpoint
A full-length practice test score report with per-domain accuracy and a ranked list of the 10 weakest skills
Cognitive Skills & Verbal Skills & Reading
Drill only the 10 weakest skills from week 7 in 3 short focused sessions
Take a second full-length timed practice test and compare section scores to week 7
Rehearse pacing rules: skip-and-return strategy and time checkpoints per section
Review the cumulative error log and confirm each recurring error is resolved
Your checkpoint
A final score comparison showing week-8 versus week-7 results, with a resolved-errors checklist
Milestones
Week 4: Complete a 50-item timed quantitative diagnostic and score at least 10 percentage points above the week-1 verbal baseline pace-adjusted accuracy
Week 6: Demonstrate 85% or higher accuracy on the re-run analogy drill and show a question-type accuracy breakdown for 3 timed reading sets
Week 7: Finish one full-length timed practice test with every section scored and the 10 weakest skills ranked
Week 8: Show a higher overall score on the second full-length practice test than the first, with all logged recurring errors marked resolved