Study on the fly›SHSAT›How the SHSAT is scored
SHSATFree
How the SHSAT is scored
The SHSAT reports performance as a Composite score that ranges from 200 to 800. Questions come from Revising/Editing — Stand-Alone, Revising/Editing — Passage-Based, Reading Comprehension, and Mathematics, and each item presents 4 answer choices. A wrong answer does not cost anything: there is no penalty that lowers the Composite for an incorrect mark, so a missed guess and a blank both add nothing. Because omitting a question cannot help and guessing cannot hurt the Composite, students should choose an answer on every item.
- Composite 200–800
- 4 answer options per question
- Nothing is deducted for a wrong answer
What the paper is made of
| Section | Questions |
|---|---|
| Revising/Editing — Stand-Alone | 6 |
| Revising/Editing — Passage-Based | 5 |
| Reading Comprehension | 46 |
| Mathematics | 57 |
What the app estimates
As you practise, the app keeps an estimate of your ability per section and maps it onto the Composite scale. It is the app's own estimate from your answers, not an official conversion table.
| Ability estimate | Composite |
|---|---|
| 250 | 280 |
| 350 | 360 |
| 450 | 440 |
| 550 | 520 |
| 650 | 600 |
| 750 | 680 |
More SHSAT topics
Revising/Editing — Stand-Alone
- Sentence structure and formation (run-ons, fragments)
- Subject–verb agreement
- Verb tense and shifts
- Pronoun case, agreement, and reference
- Adjectives, adverbs, and modifiers
- Punctuation (commas, semicolons, colons, apostrophes)
- Non-restrictive clauses; that/which
- Combining sentences to clarify relationships
- Precise language and concision
Revising/Editing — Passage-Based
Reading Comprehension
Mathematics
- Number system and operations
- Ratios, unit rates, and proportional relationships
- Percentages (incl. percent change)
- Exponents and scientific notation
- Algebraic expressions
- Linear equations and slope
- Inequalities
- Systems of equations
- Functions
- Angles and lines
- Triangles and the Pythagorean theorem
- Area, perimeter, volume, and surface area
- Coordinate plane and distance
- Scale drawings and transformations
- Statistics (center, spread, plots)
- Probability and counting
Study on the fly is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any testing organization, school, or government body.
SHSAT™ and Specialized High Schools Admissions Test™ are trademarks of the New York City Department of Education.
All practice questions and passages are original works created for Study on the fly and are not reproduced from any official test.