Can you go back on the SHSAT in 2026?

Partially. In ELA you can revisit questions within a passage set until you submit that set. Math is forward-only — you cannot return to earlier Math questions. Stand-alone ELA items also cannot be revisited after you advance.

Do you have to answer every question on the SHSAT?

Yes. The NYC DOE requires a response before you can move to the next question. You should still guess if unsure — there is no wrong-answer penalty.

Can you change answers on the SHSAT Math section?

No. Once you submit a Math answer and advance, that question is locked. Plan to commit on Math rather than circling back later.

How should students practice SHSAT navigation?

Use full-length digital practice on a platform that mirrors forward-only Math and passage-set review in ELA. SHSATlab's free practice test trains TEI formats and timed pacing under screen-based rules.

SHSAT Navigation Rules Changed in 2026: What You Can and Can't Do on Test Day

Can you go back and change answers on the 2026 SHSAT?

Mostly no — and the rules differ by section. You must answer each question before advancing. In ELA you may revisit items within a passage set until you submit the set. In Math you cannot go back after you move on.

NYC Public Schools updated its public SHSAT page for 2026 to reflect the computer-adaptive digital delivery. That is a major shift from paper-era and older blog advice that told students to skip hard questions and return at the end.

What changed vs. older SHSAT advice?

Old assumption (paper / early digital)	2026 adaptive SHSAT (NYCPS)
Skip hard questions, return later	Math: no return after you advance
Review any question in the section	ELA: review only inside an open passage set
Leave blanks and come back	Must answer to advance
Pencils and bubble sheets	DOE-provided computers; universal on-screen tools

Our older posts like how long is the SHSAT and the 10 SHSAT tips still help on pacing — but skip-and-return across Math is outdated. This article compares old vs. new so you do not have to rewrite every legacy guide.

Within a passage set: You can move among questions tied to that passage and change answers until you submit the set.

After you submit the set: Those questions are locked.

Stand-alone ELA items: Treat like Math — forward-only once you advance.

How should students practice ELA navigation?

Read the full passage once before answering.

Flag uncertain items inside the set while you can still move within it.

Submit the set only when you are ready to lock those answers.

SHSATlab practice test dashboard — digital SHSAT prep with section breakdown and topic analytics

Math is forward-only. NYCPS states that in Math, once you advance to the next question, you cannot return to the previous question.

What this means for pacing

Do not bank on a "second pass" through Math.

The same forward-only rule applies to stand-alone ELA items — old skip-and-return advice does not work there either.

Use a decision rule: if you are stuck after about 90–100 seconds, make your best answer and move on.

Each response can affect later question difficulty — see how 2026 adaptive scoring works.

What should families do before October?

Retire skip-and-return habits for Math and stand-alone ELA items.

Run at least two timed digital full tests — not paper PDFs alone.

Practice TEI formats so navigation is not your first screen surprise: TEI format guide.

For the full adaptive overview, read the SHSAT computer-adaptive test guide.