{"id":23176,"date":"2019-02-08T15:34:13","date_gmt":"2019-02-08T20:34:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=23176"},"modified":"2026-01-09T20:17:48","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T20:17:48","slug":"what-is-the-shsat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/shsat\/what-is-the-shsat\/","title":{"rendered":"What's Tested on the SHSAT?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The SHSAT<\/a> is a standardized test administered by the New York City Department of Education that is required for admission into\u00a0Brooklyn Latin, Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech, City College, Lehman College, Staten Island Tech, or York College. It is, in fact, the only sole criterion for admission.
\nHaving one test be the only factor that determines whether you are accepted at the school of your choice is rough. However, more than 30,000\u201340,000 students apply for admission, and the Department of Education needs a way to pare down that number to roughly 5,500. A multiple-choice test given to all applicants is a very efficient way to make the cut because it subjects all applicants to the exact same standard and is very easy to grade.<\/p>\n

Structure of the SHSAT<\/h3>
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\nThere are two sections on the test: English Language Arts and Math. The English Language Arts section has two question types: Reading and Revising\/Editing. Though the Math section has only one question type, you can expect to see arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and other math topics on the test.
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English Language Arts Section<\/h4>
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\nThe English Language Arts section is the first section on the test. It contains 57 questions and accounts for one-half of your total points on the SHSAT. The suggested time for the section is 90 minutes, or 1 hour and 30 minutes. All 57 questions will be multiple choice.
\nThe breakdown of the English Language Arts section is as follows:
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English Language Arts Sub-Section<\/th>Sub-Section Breakdown<\/th>Total Number of Questions<\/th><\/tr>
Revising\/Editing Stand-Alone Questions<\/td>3\u20135 questions<\/td>11 (combined with Revising\/Editing Passages)<\/td><\/tr>
Revising\/Editing Passages<\/td>1 passage with 6\u20138 questions<\/td>11 (combined with Revising\/Editing Stand-Alone Questions)<\/td><\/tr>
Reading Comprehension<\/td>6 passages with 6\u201310 questions each<\/td>46 questions<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>