Practice Exams

We have practice exams for the current 7th graders (and any 6th or 5th graders who would like to start early) for the TACHS, HSPT, SHSAT, ISEE, and high school admissions exams. All students take a practice test before our first lesson. This initial assessment helps us group similar students with similar goals as well as to compare to all future practice tests.

We design the homework for each group around the types of problems they solved least accurately compared to all of our past students on that exam.

We will have additional practice tests every four to ten weeks until the real tests to evaluate progress and get students as accustomed to the format of the exam as possible.

Difficult Practice Exams that Simulate the Real Exams

Most 7th graders score very poorly on their first practice test as they need to master the material much better and adapt to the speed. Too many students just memorize material for school exams and then forget it. They need to incorporate it into their long-term memory so they can quickly recall it for an exam and build other more complex skills on top of this foundation. One of our goals in lessons is to instill this idea in preparation for these exams. These tests will evaluate how much of the information has been retained from school so that we can create an optimal plan for each student.

The average of over 400 7th graders who have taken our First Test without preparation is in the low 60s. During the height of the pandemic, it dipped to 58.7%. Students’ first HSPT without preparation is typically lower, as are the SHSAT scores. No student has ever come close to scoring 100% on one of our exams. These practice assessments are very difficult and give a large advantage over the rest of the students, who will be relatively unprepared without taking as many practice tests.

For example, as of 2022, 95% of our past students who took our first 5 HSPTs and prepared in a group weekly earned a scholarship to a high school or an interview to Regis, regardless of their practice scores. Some of the students with the highest practice tests scores by the end of high school admissions prep earned hundreds of thousands in scholarships each.

After they take their real exams, we ask students how close they were to the practice exams. Most say they are very similar in difficulty and usually the exact same format. Yearly, we adjust the tests to match any changes.

Exam Comparisons

Comparison of the format and types of questions on the HSPT, SHSAT, and TACHS

Comparison of the format and types of questions on the ISEE and HSPT

Comparison of the format and types of questions on the SSAT and HSPT

Comparing the College Entrance Exams: SAT vs ACT

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HSPT, SHSAT, TACHS, ISEE, SSAT Practice Exam Schedule

SHSAT Practice Test Schedule

• Argon – February 11, 2023
  
• Chlorine – April 15 and April 23, 2023
  
• Sulfur – June 11 and June 17, 2023
  
• Phosphorus – August 6 and August 12, 2023
  
• Silicon – September 10 and 16, 2023
  
• Aluminum – October 20 and October 26, 2023

SSAT Practice Test Schedule

• TBD

The Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) is for Staten Island Tech, Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech, Bronx Science, and other specialized high schools.

The High School Placement Test (HSPT) is for Regis and the scholarship exam for Xavier, Xaverian, St. Peter’s Prep NJ, Loyola, Fordham Prep, and similar to the scholarship exam for other high schools.

The Test for Admission to Catholic High School (TACHS) is the admission and scholarship exam for St. Joseph by the Sea, Monsignor Farrell, St. Peter’s Staten Island, Moore, and many other Catholic high schools. It is also the admissions (not scholarship) exam for Xaverian, Hill, St. Edmund’s and many other high schools.

You can register for all high school admissions practice tests for the year below. We offer every evaluation on a Saturday or Sunday. Our schedule for the year is as follows:

Practice Exams 2023

First Practice Assessment – December 2022 – May 2023 – First practice exams for new students. There will be multiple offerings of this test including the following dates:

• First High School Entrance Practice Test for 6th and 7th graders – December 3, 2022 (all tests December – May are identical and the student does not need to take this more than once)
• First High School Entrance Practice Test for 6th and 7th graders – January 7, 2023
• First High School Entrance Practice Test for 6th and 7th graders – January 22, 2023
• First High School Entrance Practice Test for 6th and 7th graders – February 4, 2023
• SHSAT Argon – February 11, 2023
• First High School Entrance Practice Test for 6th and 7th graders – February 19, 2023
• First High School Entrance Practice Test for 6th and 7th graders – March 4, 2023 (all tests December – May are identical and the student does not need to take this more than once)
• HSPT Exam Krypton – March 12, 2023
  
• HSPT Exam Krypton – March 18, 2023
• First High School Entrance Practice Test for 6th and 7th graders – March 19, 2023 (identical to December – May First Tests)
  
• First High School Entrance Practice Test for 6th and 7th graders – April 1, 2023 (identical to December – May First Tests)
• First High School Entrance Practice Test for 6th and 7th graders – April 16, 2023 (identical to December – May First Tests)
• SHSAT Chlorine – April 15, 2023
  
• SHSAT Chlorine – April 23, 2023
• First High School Entrance Practice Test for 6th and 7th graders  – May 6, 2023 (identical to December – May First Tests)
• HSPT Exam Bromine – May 14, 2023
• HSPT Exam Bromine – May 20, 2023
• TACHS Exam Neon – June 4, 2023
• TACHS Exam Neon – June 10, 2023
• SHSAT Sulfur – June 11, 2023
• SHSAT Sulfur – June 17, 2023
• TACHS Exam Fluorine – July 9, 2023
• TACHS Exam Fluorine – July 15, 2023
• HSPT Exam Selenium – July 16, 2023
• HSPT Exam Selenium – July 22, 2023
• SHSAT Phosphorus – August 6, 2023
  
• SHSAT Phosphorus – August 12, 2023
• HSPT Exam Arsenic – August 27, 2023
  
• HSPT Exam Arsenic – September 2, 2023
• TACHS Exam Oxygen – September 3, 2023
• TACHS Exam Oxygen – September 9, 2023
• SHSAT Silicon – September 10, 2023
• SHSAT Silicon – September 16, 2023
• ISEE Exam Xenon – September 23, 2022
• TACHS Exam Nitrogen – October 7, 2023
• HSPT Exam Germanium – October 8, 2023
• HSPT Exam Germanium – October 14, 2023 – Last practice exams before the real Regis test and Xavier scholarship exam
• TACHS Exam Nitrogen – October 15, 2023 – Last practice exams before the real Test for Admission to Catholic High Schools
• SHSAT Aluminum – October 20, 2023
• SHSAT Aluminum – October 26, 2023 – Last practice exam before the real Specialized High School Admissions Test
• HSPT Exam Gallium or Krypton- November 18, 2023 – Last practice exam before the real Xaverian, Fontbonne, Hill, and most scholarship exams

All practice tests are free with continuous group lesson subscription through credit card, Venmo, PayPal, Cashapp, or Zelle. Students who join In August or prior will be able to take all relevant practice tests they missed.

To start lessons, register your new student for the next relevant exam below.

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