Which SHSAT tips still work in 2026?
Topic-focused drilling, strong accuracy, Revising/Editing mastery, timed practice, and digital TEI practice still work. Skip-and-return Math strategy, paper-only prep, 57-question test-day pacing, and raw-count scoring assumptions do not.
We published 10 SHSAT tips for 2026 before the DOE published its full 2026 navigation and adaptive details. This post compares that article to the official page — without deleting the original.
Tips that STILL work (keep doing these)
| Tip | Why it still holds |
|---|---|
| Early accuracy matters | Adaptive routing can affect the difficulty path — scoring guide |
| Fix top 3 weak topics first | Biggest score movement per hour |
| Master R/E grammar rules | Fast ELA points |
| Always answer every question | No advantage to leaving a blank; must answer to advance |
| Categorize errors by topic | Better than passive explanation reading |
| Two+ full digital timed tests | Stamina + interface |
| Know target school cutoffs | Scoring post |
Tips that DON'T work anymore (replace these)
| Old tip | 2026 reality | Replace with |
|---|---|---|
| Skip Math, return later | Math forward-only | ~90–100 sec → best guess → advance |
| Circle and revisit whole section | ELA sets only | In-set review only — navigation |
| Pace for 57 ELA + 57 Math | 50 ELA + 50 Math, 180 min total | 100-question digital pacing |
| Only Kaplan/Barron's paper | TEIs + CAT | DOE A/B + digital prep |
| 57 Q = test day | 50 per section operational | 57 vs 50 |
| Practice like paper-and-pencil | DOE-provided computers | SRT + digital question formats |
Tip #6 from our old list — what to do instead
The old post said: *"If stuck 90 seconds, mark and return if time allows."*
2026 version: If you are stuck on Math after about 90–100 seconds, make your best guess and move on — you will not be able to return. On ELA inside a passage set, you may revisit before submitting the set.