How to Prepare for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test

This page includes Overviews, Tips, and Sample Questions for both the English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics sections of the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT). A PDF of this information is available in English here and will be in NYCPS' 12 supported languages will be available soon. In the meantime, if you need translated information or are using a read-aloud tool, you may access this information on the webpage below.

English Language Arts: Overview and Tools

The Following Tools Are Available for the ELA Exam

The Highlighter allows you to highlight text you want to note as important.

The Answer Eliminator crosses out options you know are incorrect. 

The Notepad provides a space for you to make notes to reference throughout the ELA section.

You can use your mouse to draw on test items or passages with the digital Pencil. You can also undo, redo, or delete pencil marks.

The Line Reader Mask covers the text surrounding certain lines for focus.

On passage sets only, you can use the Bookmark to flag any question you want to revisit within the passage set so that you can return to it before moving on to the next passage set, as necessary.

Finally, Glossed Words that are underlined with a dotted line have been defined for you. Click on the underlined word to read the Pop-up Definition. 

Reading Comprehension: Overview, Tips, and Samples 

Overview

This section assesses your ability to read and comprehend texts of both literary and informational genres, which may include any of the text types listed below. 

Informational genre may include: Expository or explanatory texts, argumentative texts, or functional texts in the form of:

• personal essays 
• speeches
• opinion pieces
• essays about art or literature
• biographies
• memoirs
• journalism
• historical, scientific, technical, or economic
• accounts written for a broad audience 

Literary genre may include: poetry, adventure stories, historical fiction, mysteries, myths, science fiction, realistic fiction, or creative nonfiction.

Tips for Reading Comprehension 

Read the text carefully while being mindful of time; don’t skim. 

• Read the text carefully to ensure you have an accurate and text-based understanding of both the big ideas and important details.
• Monitor your comprehension while you read; if a sentence or paragraph is confusing, try quickly rereading it. 

Take notes or highlight the text. 

• Jot brief notes to identify important details, summarize ideas, etc., while reading the text in its entirety. You may want to use the digital notepad or the piece of scrap paper and pencil to take notes.

Read the question carefully. 

• Read the question carefully so that you clearly understand what the question is asking. For example, do you need to focus on details in just one paragraph or multiple paragraphs? 
• As needed, reread the relevant part or parts of the text. 

Try to determine the answer before reading the answer options.

• Think of the answer before reading each option. Then read each answer option, eliminating those that definitely seem incorrect, and choose the one that best matches your thinking. You may wish to use the answer eliminator to mark the incorrect answer choices.
• Base your answers only on the content of the text (and associated images or graphics where relevant). Do not depend on your prior knowledge of the topic. 

Plan your tools:

• Practice the tools you will use: highlighter, answer eliminator, notepad, line reader, pencil.
• Glossed words: Words in the text with a definition provided for you will be marked with an underline.
• Bookmark tip: For the Reading Comprehension section and Revising and Editing Part A section, you will be able to return to items within each passage set only. You may wish to use the bookmark to note which items you would like to return to.

Plan your time: 

• Before test day, plan how much time you will spend on each passage set (a text and its related questions). Remember, once you submit each passage set, you will not be able to return to change your answer. 

Sample Passage for Reading Comprehension 

Tool Tip: Use the highlighter tool while reading to mark important details.

Tool Tip: Glossed words in the text are underlined to indicate that a definition is provided for you when you click on that word.

Snoozing While Soaring 

(1) Certain types of birds soar for hundreds of miles, over land, over sea—and never stop to rest. That kind of endurance seems impossible to us, since we as people need time to rest and sleep. Researchers set out to learn how birds could fly for such long distances without restorative rest. They found that for some birds, settling in for a good night’s rest is not always a necessity. 

(2) In 2013 Felix Liechti and his research colleagues at the Swiss Ornithological Institute published results of a study about the flight habits of Alpine swifts, small birds that migrate annually between Europe and Africa. Liechti and his team fitted the birds with small electronic tags that recorded the birds’ acceleration and their pitch, or angle relative to the ground. The data revealed that the birds remained completely airborne during their time in Africa, a period of over 200 days. Since all animals require sleep, the researchers inferred that the birds slept from time to time on their long journey. However, since the electronic tags recorded only movement such as gliding or flying, and not brain waves, the question of whether birds sleep during flight remained unanswered.

(3) Researcher Niels Rattenborg from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology also delved into this question. In a 2006 article Rattenborg explained that it was theoretically possible that birds could undergo a certain type of sleep while flying. Like mammals, Rattenborg explained, birds experience different types of sleep, including slow-wave sleep (SWS). Rattenborg argued that SWS during flight is plausible because SWS can happen in one hemisphere of the brain at a time, leaving half of the brain essentially awake while the other half sleeps. The eye associated with the “awake” hemisphere can still function, allowing a bird to see where it is going. Rattenborg decided that electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings of birds’ brain waves would ultimately be necessary to determine whether a bird can actually sleep in flight.

(4) Eventually, Rattenborg and his team were able to create an experiment to prove this theory by studying frigatebirds from the Galápagos Islands. These enormous birds are good subjects for avian-sleep research because they fly far out to sea to hunt fish. However, unlike many seabirds, they cannot land on the water to rest because the physical build of their body—long wings, poorly webbed feet, and minimal feather waterproofing—makes them unable to take off again from the surface of the water. Rattenborg concluded that they must remain in flight for up to two months at a time.

(5) In an article from 2016, Rattenborg outlined the team’s research methods and conclusions. The team humanely implanted EEGs on the skulls of several frigatebirds. After analyzing the EEG readings of the birds while in flight, the team determined that the frigatebirds slow-wave slept for about ten seconds at a time at points when the birds were gliding upward via warm air currents, typically the safest part of the flight. While in flight the birds slept for only 45 minutes a day, which is just enough rest for the birds to function during these long flights. They later recovered from the stress of going with very little sleep when they rested for approximately twelve hours each day back on land.

(6) Using EEG recordings, Niels Rattenborg solved the puzzle of when birds sleep while traveling long distances. His evidence proved that his theory was correct, and the birds proved themselves to be the ultimate multitaskers as they manage sleep and flight at the same time.

Sample Questions for Reading Comprehension

Tool tip: Use the answer eliminator when you are certain an answer choice is not the correct one.

1. Read this sentence from paragraph 1. " That kind of endurance seems impossible to us, since we as people need time to rest and sleep." The words “endurance” and “impossible” in the sentence convey

A. amazement about the physical capability of birds to remain in flight for extended periods of time over long distances.

B. uncertainty about the conditions that allow birds to stay in flight for extended periods of time without rest.

C. excitement about the opportunity to share research into how birds fly for extended periods of time.

D. skepticism about discovering how birds can fly for extended periods of time with little or no rest. 

Tool tip: Review any highlighted sections, but remember that the answers may come from non-highlighted sections.

2. Which sentence from the passage best supports the idea that birds seem to be capable of making prolonged flights without sleeping? 

E. “The data revealed that the birds remained completely airborne during their time in Africa, a period of over 200 days.” (paragraph 2)

F. “In a 2006 article Rattenborg explained that it was theoretically possible that birds could undergo a certain type of sleep while flying.” (paragraph 3)

G. “Rattenborg decided that electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings of birds’ brain waves would ultimately be necessary to determine whether a bird can actually sleep in flight.” (paragraph 3)

H. “While in flight the birds slept for only 45 minutes a day, which is just enough rest for the birds to function during these long flights.” (paragraph 5)

3. Which statement best summarizes the conclusions of the studies presented in the passage? 

A. Scientists used monitoring devices to determine that the seconds when migratory birds glide upward in warm air currents are safest for slow-wave sleep.

B. Using monitoring devices, scientists confirmed that migratory birds sleep for an extremely short amount of time while in flight and recuperate by sleeping for an extended period of time after they land.

C. Scientists used monitoring devices to determine that migratory birds require significantly less sleep than many other animals and to show that the birds use only one hemisphere of their brain while flying.

D. Using monitoring devices, scientists confirmed that some types of migratory birds rely on slow-wave sleep cycles in order to stay in flight for extended periods of time.

4. The overall organizational structure of the passage allows the author to 

E. contrast the significance of research findings related to small migratory birds with those related to large migratory birds.

F. compare the in-flight sleep patterns of the various types of birds examined in several studies.

G. emphasize the role of technology in studying sleep patterns of birds in flight.

H. illustrate how researchers acquired a better understanding of the sleep patterns of birds in flight.

Sample Explanations for Reading Comprehension 

Sample 1 Explanation 

(A) Option A is the correct response because it explains that the words “endurance” and “impossible” convey amazement at the birds’ ability to remain in flight for so long without resting—as opposed to human beings, who “need time to rest and sleep” (paragraph 1). Specifically, the word “impossible” implies a sense of wonder or disbelief at the birds’ endurance, which allows them to continue flying for hundreds of miles without stopping. The words “endurance” and “impossible” support the idea expressed later in the passage that these birds are the “ultimate multitaskers” (paragraph 6).

Sample 2 Explanation 

(E) Option E best supports the idea that birds seem to be capable of making prolonged flights without sleeping, because it expresses the idea that the birds “remained completely airborne” during “a period of over 200 days” (paragraph 2). This information is significantly more precise than the information in the other answer options. Therefore, option E provides more compelling evidence to support the idea in the question than the other answer options provide.

Sample 3 Explanation 

(D) Option D best summarizes the conclusions of the studies presented in the passage. While all the options include some important details about the study of migratory birds, option D accurately states the key conclusion of these studies, which is that these birds “rely on slow-wave sleep cycles in order to stay in flight for extended periods of time” (paragraph 5). Option D’s emphasis on the key conclusion rather than on key details makes it the correct response.

Sample 4 Explanation 

(H) Option H best explains the effect of the overall structure of the passage. The passage presents an unresolved question in paragraph 2, while paragraph 3 explains one researcher’s attempt at seeking an answer to the question. Paragraph 4 describes the bird the researchers chose due to its physical makeup and feeding habits. Paragraphs 5 and 6 illustrate the details and outcome of the study, revealing the researchers’ conclusion. Therefore, the overall structure of the passage illustrates how researchers improved their understanding of the sleep patterns of birds in flight.

Revising/Editing Part A: Overview, Tips, and Samples

Overview

The text may include errors such as:

• language misuse
• missing or unnecessary supporting details
• missing or inappropriate transitional words, phrases, or sentences
• a missing or an unclear introductory statement or concluding statement
• confusing or illogical organization
• other errors related to language and writing standards

Tips for Revising/Editing Part A

First, read the text carefully while being mindful of time; don’t skim.

• To make the best use of time, read the text first. Read the questions after you have read the text closely.
• You need to understand the author’s purpose, main idea, and supporting details of the text in order to answer questions about how the text could be better developed and organized, which requires careful reading.
• You may notice sentences and paragraphs that seem confusing, illogical, unnecessary, disorganized, or generally difficult to read.

Next, read each question carefully, while being mindful of time.

• Refer back to the text and reread the relevant sentences or paragraphs that are mentioned in the question.
• You will also likely need to skim the sentence before and after the sentence that is referenced in a question.
• Consider each answer option, rereading the text as necessary (and as time permits). Determine whether the option represents the best revision.
• Be sure to note how many selections or responses are needed for the question to be answered completely.

Plan your tools: 

• Decide which tools you will use for this section. Will you use the digital notepad or scrap paper? Will you use the highlighter tool? Practice using different tools before taking the test.

Plan your time:

• Before test day, plan how much time you will spend on Part A. Remember, once you submit each passage set, you will not able to return to change your answers.

Sample Passage for Revising/Editing Part A

Learning to Embrace the Gap Year

Sample Questions for Revisiting/Editing Part A

Sample Explanations for Revising/Editing Part A

Sample 1 Explanation

Sample 2 Explanation

Sample 3 Explanation

(A) Option A is the correct sentence to add before sentence 11. The third paragraph introduces, and then refutes, a counterclaim about gap years in that they may encourage young people to forgo college entirely. This sentence clearly introduces this counterclaim that the paragraph elaborates on and then refutes with evidence.

Revising/Editing Part B: Overview, Tips, and Samples

Overview  

The language skills assessed in this section are based on the Language section of the the New York  State Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards for Grade 7, as well as skills or standards that may have been introduced in earlier grades. Each question directs you to read a sentence, a list of sentences, or a paragraph with numbered sentences. Then you are asked to address issues related to conventions of language or punctuation. Examples include:

• selecting the best correction for an error
• identifying a sentence with an error
• improving the writing by coming sentences or revising part of a sentence

Tips for Revising/Editing Part B 

• Are there words, phrases, or sentences that are difficult to read due to an error in language usage or punctuation?
• Is there any part of the text that could be written more clearly, concisely, or precisely?
• Quickly highlight the text when you notice an issue. This may help you to select an answer option.

• Decide which tools you will use for this section. Will you use the digital notepad or scrap paper? Will you use the highlighter tool? Practice using different tools before taking the test.
  

Plan your time.

• Before test day, plan how much time you will spend on this section. Remember, unlike the other parts of the ELA section, once you advance to the next item, you will not be able to return to change an answer to a previous item.

Sample Questions and Explanations for Revising/Editing Part B 

Sample 1: Select the sentence that needs a revision. 

Tip: To determine the best revisions for this paragraph, read Sentence 1 in the paragraph. If a revision does not need to be made, continue reading each sentence and answer option until you find the correct answer.

(1) For 14 years, James and his dad have had a tradition of attending Yankees games together, but James is leaving for college next week, and he is agonizing over the fact that attending school in Pennsylvania and working there over the summer meant no more games with his dad. (2) One night, as James is packing his clothes into boxes, he hears a soft knock on his bedroom door. (3) As soon as he opens the door, James sees what is in his dad’s hands and feels a rush of joy. (4) His dad is holding a bus ticket for a trip home on a weekend in the spring so that father and son can attend a Yankees game together!

A. Sentence 1

B. Sentence 2

C. Sentence 3

D. Sentence 4

Sample 1 Explanation

(A) The sentence is written in the present tense; the verb “meant” shifts incorrectly into past tense. This verb should instead appear in the future tense, “will mean,” since the verb refers to how things will be in the future. The corrected sentence will then read, “For 14 years, James and his dad have had a tradition of attending Yankees games together, but James is leaving for college next week, and he is agonizing over the fact that attending school in Pennsylvania and working there over the summer will mean no more games with his dad.” The present tense, “means,” could also be used, as James appears to be coming to this realization in present time. The use of “means” would make the corrected sentence read as follows: “For 14 years, James and his dad have had a tradition of attending Yankees games together, but James is leaving for college next week, and he is agonizing over the fact that attending school in Pennsylvania and working there over the summer means no more games with his dad.”

Sample 2: Identify a sentence with an error.

Tool tip: Consider using the highlighter to mark the error when you see it. The line reader mask may also help you focus on each line of text.

Tip: To identify the sentence, read carefully while being mindful of time; don't just skim. The error could be anywhere in the paragraph.

Tip: Note that the error is specific to construction, which means it relates to how the words and phrases are placed in a sentence to represent the relationship between ideas.

Which sentence in the paragraph contains an error in its construction and should be revised?

(1) In 2007, visitors to San Francisco, many of whom were attending an international design conference, had booked almost all of the city’s hotel rooms. (2) Looking for a way to earn some extra money, three air mattresses were rented out by roommates Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky. (3) The 27-year-olds put the mattresses in the loft of their apartment and charged $80 a night, for which guests received a bed, breakfast, and internet access. (4) Soon the entrepreneurs realized that they could capitalize on their idea in a much bigger way, and they established Airbnb, a company that offers around 6 million rental listings in more than 100,000 cities worldwide.

Which sentence should be revised to correct an error in the sentence structure?

E. Sentence 1 

F. Sentence 2

G. Sentence 3

H. Sentence 4 

Sample 2 Explanation

(F) In sentence 2, the modifier “Looking for a way to earn some extra money” incorrectly modifies “three air mattresses” when it should modify “roommates Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky.” This error in construction can be corrected by making “roommates Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky” the subject of the main clause and using the active voice. The corrected sentence will read “Looking for a way to earn some extra money, roommates Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky rented out three air mattresses.”

Sample 3: Improve the writing by combining sentences or revising part of a sentence. 

Tip:

What is the best way to combine these sentences to clarify the relationship between ideas? 

(1)  In 2019, 15-year-old Cori “Coco” Gauff defeated Venus Williams in the first round of Wimbledon.

(2)  Wimbledon is the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament.

(3)  Gauff made history as the youngest player in almost 30 years to win a women’s singles match at Wimbledon.

Sample 3 Explanation

(A)  This revision clarifies the idea that Gauff made history by becoming the youngest player in decades to win a women’s singles match at Wimbledon and that she did so when she beat Venus Williams. The revision also explains that Wimbledon is the “world’s most prestigious tennis tournament” in a way that is clear and logical.

Mathematics: Overview and Tools

Mathematics: Tips to Improve Your Math Skills

Review Math resources.

• Use your Math textbook, seek out other Math resources at school or at your local library, or ask your teacher to recommend resources for you to use. 

Practice solving Math questions every day. Solve both basic and challenging questions.

• Basic questions reinforce Math skills such as simplifying fractions and applying the concept of statistics.
• More challenging questions require setting up complex equations with multiple steps. They may also require using various types of Math skills. For example, you may use fractions, solve equations, and apply your knowledge of statistics to answer one question.
• If you are unsure of how to answer a question, skip it and return to it after answering the other questions. You may have a better idea of how to solve a problem after completing other questions. 

Review mathematical terms, symbols, and formulas.

• You must know the meanings of mathematical terms that are appropriate for your grade level, such as “parallel” and “perpendicular,” as well as the symbols that represent those terms.
• Study the mathematical terms, symbols, and formulas, such as those for perimeter, area, volume, and surface area of various 2 and 3 dimensional figures. Use materials from your math classes, and refer to the New York State Next Generation Mathematics Learning standards. Formulas and reference materials are also available on the New York State Education department websites.
• Definitions and explanations for terms, symbols, and formulas will NOT be given in the test booklet. Practice using them to solve questions until you have memorized them and can use them with ease. 
• Review the meanings and proper use of mathematical symbols on the Equation Editor palette such as   parentheses, square root, and multiplication dot.

Plan your tools.

• Decide which tools you will use on the Math section. Will you use the digital notepad tool or scrap paper? Will you highlight important parts of the question? Familiarize yourself with the tools and types of items in the Student Readiness Tool.

Plan your time.

• Before test day, plan how much time you will spend on the Math section. Remember, you cannot go back once you advance to the next question.

Read each question carefully.

• Read carefully so that you accurately set up complex problems using all the important information from the question.
• Be sure to note how many answer choices or responses are needed for the question to be answered completely.
• Highlight parts of the question to ensure you include all the information when solving the problem.
• Use the answer eliminator to mark answers you think are incorrect.
• Change words from the question into mathematical symbols (as noted in Sample 1 and Sample 2 below). Decide if you will use scrap paper or the digital notepad. It may be quicker for you to use a scrap paper if that is how you are used to doing math problems. You should select the method that is best for you.

Most questions should be done by working out the answer.

• Solving the problem before looking at the answer options is more effective than looking first at the answer options and then trying to estimate the accuracy of each one to get to the correct answer.

It is best to solve problems on paper (rather than just in your head) and to focus on solving rather than selecting.

• When you get an answer, look at the choices listed. If your answer is included among the choices, and you believe it to be the correct answer, mark it. If it is not, reread the question and solve it again.
• If your answer is not among the answer options, consider other ways to write your answer. For example,  (5/9) (3 + x) is equivalent to all of the following: 5 (3+x)/9, 5/3 + (5/9)x, and 5/3 + 5x/9.
• If your answer is still not among the answer options, make your best guess.

Sample Math Items 

Answers to the sample items can be found in the Sample Explanations section below. 

Sample 1 

The sum of two consecutive integers is –15. If 1 is added to the smaller integer and 2 is subtracted from the larger integer, what is the product of the two resulting integers? 

Tip: Mark up the question to prepare for solving the problem. 

For example, in sample 1: 

• "Sum" can be written as a “+” sign. 
• “Two consecutive integers” can be written as “x, x+1”.
• “Is –15” can be written as “= –15.” 

Sample 2 

Tool Tip: Use the answer eliminator to mark answers you think are incorrect.

Tool Tip: You may want to use the pencil tool or digital notepad OR you may prefer to use scrap paper.

Jenny starts a game with twice as many marbles as Keiko. Jenny gives Keiko 5 marbles, but she still has 10 more than Keiko. How many marbles did Jenny have to start with? 

A. 25 

B. 30

C. 35

D. 40 

Tip: Change words from the question into mathematical symbols. 

For example, in sample 2: 

• “Jenny” can be represented as “J.” 
• “Keiko” can be represented as “K.”
• “Twice as many marbles as Keiko” can be written as 2K.
• “Jenny gives Keiko 5 marbles” can be written as J – 5. 

Sample 3

Tip: Draw and label figures or diagrams to help you visualize what the question is describing.

The perimeter of a rectangle is 510 centimeters. The ratio of the length to the width is 3:2. What are the dimensions of this rectangle?

A. 150 cm by 105 cm

B. 153 cm by 102 cm

C. 158 cm by 97 cm

D. 165 cm by 90 cm

Tip: For this problem, draw a rectangle. Label each side. The right and left side (width) can be labeled as 2x, and the top and bottom (length) can be labeled as 3x. 

Sample 4

Tip: Take one step at a time. Some questions ask you to combine a series of steps. Write out one step at a time, like in the example below, to solve multi-step problems.

Malik has 140 lorgs and 16 dalts. If he exchanges the lorgs and dalts for dollars according to the rates below, how many dollars will he receive? 

1 dollar = 7 lorgs 

1 dollar = 0.5 dalt

A. $28

B. $52

C. $182

D. $282 

Step 1: Covert lorgs to dollars. 

Set up the equation as follows: 

• 140/x = 7/1 
• 7x = 140
• X = $20 

Step 2: Convert dalts to dollars. 

Set up the equation as follows: 

• 16/x = 0.5/1 
• 0.5x = 16
• X = $32 

Step 3: Add your conversions of lorgs and dalts together: 20 + 32 = $52.

Sample 1 Explanation

x + (x + 1) = -15

2x + 1 = -15

2x = -16

x = -8

The two consecutive integers are -8 and -7.

One is added to the smaller integer: -8 + 1 = 7.

Two is subtracted from the larger integer: -7 – 2 = -9.

Find the product: -7 x -9 = 63.

Sample 2 Explanation

(D) Set up some equations

Jenny (J) has twice as many marbles as Keiko (K): J = 2K

Jenny gives Keiko 5 marbles, so now they each have J – 5 and K + 5 marbles.

Jenny still has 10 more than Keiko:

J – 5 = (K + 5) + 10

To find how many marbles Jenny had to start with, solve J = 2K for K and substitute that into the second equation:

In equation J = 2K, solve for K: K = J/2

Substitute J/2 in for K.

J – 5 = (K + 5) + 10

J – 5 = (J/2 + 5) + 10

J – 5 + J/2 + 15

J/2 = 20

J = 40 marbles

Sample 3 Explanation

(F) Let 2x = the width and 3x = the length. Draw the rectangle to help visualize.

Since 2w + 2l = P, we get

2(2x) + 2(3x) = 510

4x + 6x = 510

x = 51

2x = 102 cm and 3x = 153 cm

Sample 4 Explanation

(B) Use proportions to make the conversions:

Lorgs to dollars:

140/x = 7/1

7x = 140

x = $20

Dalts to dollars:

16/x = 0.5/1

0.5x = 16

x = $32

Total dollars = 20 + 32 = $52