See what’s new on the Digital SHSAT 2025 and how to prepare - TEIs, ELA/Math structure, timing, accessibility, and official NYC DOE practice resources.
The SHSAT moves to a fully digital format in Fall 2025. Item count, sections (ELA & Math), and 3-hour timing remain the same for standard-time testers.
New Technology-Enhanced Items (TEIs) appear in both sections (examples include drag-and-drop, multi-select, fill-in, plotting).
DOE provides a Student Readiness Tool (SRT) tutorial and two full online practice tests that mirror the exam’s features and flow.
In Fall 2026, the test becomes computer-adaptive (CAT); that’s not in effect for 2025.
The digital SHSAT introduces TEIs that “mirror the Specialized High School Admissions Test” while checking skills beyond simple multiple choice. Expect tasks like selecting more than one correct answer, arranging sentence parts, typing numeric responses, or interacting with graphs and shapes. These appear in both English Language Arts and Math.
Tip: read prompts carefully multi-select items must be fully correct to earn credit.
The DOE’s TestNav-based experience supports common testing actions:
Navigation: move between questions/sections before you submit; flag questions to revisit.
Universal tools for all students: zoom, highlight, note-taking.
Interface practice: the SRT tutorial lets students try tools and TEI interactions in a safe sandbox.
Embedded supports include multilingual glossaries (Arabic, Bengali, Chinese traditional & simplified, French, Haitian-Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Urdu) within ELA & Math.
Students with IEPs or 504 Plans receive approved accommodations—e.g., extended time, read-aloud, larger print delivered within the digital platform. A paper test is reserved only for cases where a student’s plan specifically requires paper to access the exam.
The DOE hosts a central NYC SHSAT Portal with:
SRT Tutorial (walkthrough videos + hands-on practice)
Two fully functional online practice tests that mirror layout, tools, and TEI behavior
How to Prepare guidance and answer explanations
Everything runs in a web browser no special software. Use these resources early to build screen stamina and reduce test-day friction.
1) Learn the interface (30-45 minutes).
The SHSAT is the sole admissions factor for eight NYC Specialized High Schools: Stuyvesant High School, Bronx High School of Science, Staten Island Technical High School, Brooklyn Latin School, High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College, High School of American Studies at Lehman College, and Queens High School for the Sciences at York College (LaGuardia uses auditions).
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