SHSAT
Specialized High Schools Admissions Test
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ExploreAbout this exam
The Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) is the single criterion New York City uses to admit students to eight of its nine Specialized High Schools: Bronx Science, Brooklyn Latin, Brooklyn Tech, the High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College, the High School of American Studies at Lehman College, Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, Staten Island Technical High School, and Stuyvesant. The ninth, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, admits by portfolio and audition instead. Eligibility is narrow: a student must be a New York City resident and either a current eighth grader or a first-time ninth grader who is not repeating the grade. Registration happens in MySchools, opening October 6 and closing October 30, and testing runs across November dates at a student's current school or a central NYCPS location depending on school type and grade. The exam is computerized, and NYCPS publishes an SHSAT Guide for each administration plus a Student Readiness Tool and practice tests on the NYC SHSAT Portal so students can rehearse the digital format. Because offers go out strictly in descending score order combined with the preference order a student lists at registration, preparation has two halves: building accuracy and pacing on the test, and choosing a school list thoughtfully before the deadline.
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About SHSAT preparation
Who is allowed to sit for the SHSAT?
You must be a New York City resident and either a current eighth grade student or a first-time ninth grade student who is not repeating the grade. Both conditions are required, and the same rule governs SHSAT registration and LaGuardia auditions.
How and when do I register?
Registration is done in MySchools. It opens during the day on October 6 and closes October 30. Register by the deadline: test tickets showing your assigned date and location become available for registered students only after the registration deadline passes.
When and where will I actually test?
Eighth graders at a public NYCPS middle school that terminates in eighth grade test at their own school during the school day on Wednesday, November 18. Eighth graders at 6-12, K-12, charter, private, parochial, or independent schools, and homeschooled students, test at a central NYCPS location on Saturday, November 14 or Sunday, November 15. All ninth graders test at a central location on Saturday, November 21.
What if I cannot test on the assigned Saturday?
NYCPS states that students who cannot test on Saturday will be provided an alternate test date. Your test ticket, available after the registration deadline, is the authoritative source for your specific date and location.
How does the SHSAT decide who gets an offer?
Offers are made in descending SHSAT score order combined with the preference order you listed at registration. The highest scorer gets their first choice, and the process continues downward until a school fills. The SHSAT is the only criterion used for the eight testing schools, and there are no waitlists.
Does the SHSAT get me into LaGuardia?
No. LaGuardia is the audition school and does not use the SHSAT. You submit a portfolio and audition for up to six studios: Dance, Drama, Fine & Visual Art, Instrumental Music, Technical Theater, and Vocal Music. You also need a documented final grade of at least 65, or the equivalent, in each core subject from last school year.
What score do I need for a testing school?
There is no fixed cutoff; the lowest qualifying score is simply whatever the last admitted student scored. For 2026 admissions the published lowest qualifying scores included 561 at Stuyvesant, 531 at Queens High School for the Sciences, 525 at Bronx Science, 517 at Staten Island Tech, 506 at Brooklyn Tech, and 495 at Brooklyn Latin.
How should I prepare?
Use the official SHSAT Guide for your administration, found on the NYC SHSAT Portal under Understanding the Test, and work through the Student Readiness Tool and practice tests there so the computerized format feels routine. Practice under time pressure rather than untimed, since pacing, not unfamiliar content, is where most students lose points.
What is the most common avoidable mistake?
A short or careless preference list. Students are not considered for schools that are not listed on their SHSAT registration, so an offer to a lower choice usually means every school you ranked above it filled with higher scorers. Rank genuinely, and rank as many testing schools as you would accept.
When and where do results come out?
Results for students who took the SHSAT in Fall 2025 became available as of March 5. They are posted in MySchools and include the student's SHSAT score and up to one offer to a testing Specialized High School. Without a MySchools account, results come from a school counselor or a Family Welcome Center.