SHSAT Registration 2024

This blog was updated on September 9, 2024

The SHSAT is open to all current eighth grade or first-time ninth grade students who live in New York City. This 3-hour test is the only criterion for gaining entry into one of the nine specialized public schools, which are known for their academic rigor, top teachers, great courses offerings, and exciting extra-curricular opportunities.

SHSAT registration opens up in the Fall of each year. Here’s what you need to know to get the chance to attend one of these amazing public high schools!

Will There Be a SHSAT Next Year?

Yes, the SHSAT is held every year for 8th and 9th graders in the Fall/Winter.

How To Register For the SHSAT Test?

To register for the SHSAT, you need to log into your MySchools account. If you do not already have an account, you can create one.

When you are logged into your account, you will be given the option to rank the specialized high schools in order of preference. Give some thought to this and make sure you are truly listing schools in the order you would want to go to them.

Approximately two weeks after the registration deadline, you will receive a personalized test ticket with information on when and where you will take the test.

You can also register for the SHSAT through your school counsellor.

Important 2024 SHSAT Dates

The 2024 SHSAT test dates, along with other important dates, have just been announced.

Please visit the DOE Website for the most accurate and up to date information on all testing information.

What Should You Do Before Registering?

• Research. Before registering for the SHSAT, you will want to do some research on the specialized high schools and give some thought as to how you are going to rank them. You can learn more about the specialized high schools here and by visiting each of their individual websites. We highly recommend attending any tours or information sessions that are available, either in-person or online.
• Study. Needless to say, you’re going to want to familiarize yourself with what’s on the SHSAT and start creating a study plan. We recommend students start studying for the SHSAT in the second semester of 7th grade if they are taking it as an 8th grader, or the second semester of 8th grade if they are taking it as a 9th grader. The key to mastering the SHSAT lies in ample and consistent practice. The more students familiarize themselves with the material covered on the test and work on skills like time-management and concentration, the better their results will be.
• Start with a diagnostic practice test to provide a better sense of the student’s strengths and weaknesses, and a valuable roadmap for topics to review and testing skills they’ll need to master. We can help administer this test and provide a comprehensive report to help organize the test prep process.
• Take additional proctored practice tests after several months of study, and/or a month before the test date, to gauge the student’ progress, inform their long-term test prep plan, and build their confidence in test taking. Like the diagnostic test, these tests should be timed and proctored (by a parent or tutor), re-creating the actual test conditions so that the student can accurately assess their test taking skills.
• “Perfect practice makes perfect.” Practice is a good thing, but students who don’t first learn the content and strategies related to their test are just “practicing” or reinforcing their mistakes. Students should make sure they understand why they got the problem wrong (yes, all of them!) before moving on to more practice.

Ivy’s brilliant and caring tutors have helped thousands of students learn smart studying and test taking strategies, understand key concepts and build confidence, skills that are vital not just for SHSAT, but for the SAT, ACT and more. Regular SHSAT Tutoring creates the necessary structure and reinforcement that students often need to practice consistently.

We also offer SHSAT Classes, a small group online workshop where students take a diagnostic exam, review content and learn tricks and strategies for excelling on this challenging test.