SHSAT Practice QuestionsFree Sample Questions for All Question Types
The SHSAT tests 7 distinct question types — most of which don't appear in school curricula. Understanding each type before test day is the single biggest competitive advantage.
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Take the free full-length practice test — 114 questions across all 7 types, with instant score and topic breakdown.
SHSAT ELA practice questions
57 questionsRevising & Editing — Standalone
~11 questionsIdentify and fix errors in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and word choice in individual sentences.
What to focus on
- Focus on subject-verb agreement, comma splices, and pronoun case
- Watch for dangling modifiers and misplaced phrases
- Often the fastest ELA questions to answer correctly
Revising & Editing — Passages
~9 questionsRead a short passage and answer questions about how to improve its organization, clarity, and style.
What to focus on
- Questions often ask about transitions between paragraphs
- Look for redundant or off-topic sentences to remove
- Pay attention to the author's stated purpose
Reading Comprehension
~37 questionsRead 6–8 passages (fiction, informational, science) and answer questions about main idea, inference, vocabulary in context, and author's purpose.
What to focus on
- Skim the questions before reading the passage
- Most answers are directly supported by the text — avoid outside knowledge
- Inference questions are the most commonly missed
SHSAT Math practice questions
57 questionsNumber Sense & Operations
~14 questionsIntegers, fractions, decimals, percents, ratios, proportions, absolute value, and order of operations.
What to focus on
- Practice mental math for speed on ratio/percent problems
- Know your prime factorizations up to 100
- Percent change and percent of a percent are common
Algebra & Functions
~17 questionsExpressions, equations, inequalities, linear functions, patterns, sequences, and word problems with variables.
What to focus on
- This is the highest-weight section — prioritize it
- Practice translating word problems into equations quickly
- Know how to work with systems of two equations
Geometry & Measurement
~11 questionsAngles, triangles, quadrilaterals, circles, area, perimeter, volume, and coordinate geometry.
What to focus on
- Know the Pythagorean theorem and when to apply it
- Practice circle area/arc problems — they appear often
- 3D geometry (volume, surface area) is common
Statistics & Probability
~8 questionsMean, median, mode, range, basic probability, and interpreting charts or data sets.
What to focus on
- Mean vs. median distinctions are frequently tested
- Know how adding/removing values changes the mean
- Probability questions are often multi-step
Common questions about SHSAT practice
Where can I find the best SHSAT practice questions?
The NYC DOE releases an official SHSAT Handbook each year with sample questions and a practice test. SHSATlab offers a free, full-length digital practice test with 114 questions calibrated to the 2026 format, including Technology-Enhanced Item (TEI) types that appear in the digital test but aren't available in paper prep books.
How many practice questions should I do before the SHSAT?
Quality matters more than quantity. Most students benefit from 3–5 full-length practice tests with thorough review of wrong answers, rather than hundreds of isolated practice questions. After each practice set, review every wrong answer and identify which specific mistake type caused it.
What are the hardest SHSAT math topics?
Based on student performance data, the hardest Math topics are: complex word problems requiring multiple steps, algebra questions with systems of equations, and geometry questions involving circle arcs or 3D figures. These are also the highest-yield topics to improve — getting 5 more right on these could add 15+ points to your composite.
Are SHSAT Scrambled Paragraphs still on the 2026 test?
Yes, Scrambled Paragraphs (sometimes called 'Logical Sequence' in newer materials) remain on the 2026 SHSAT. Students must put 5–6 sentence excerpts back into the correct logical order. This is one of the most trainable question types — practice significantly improves accuracy.
Practice questions are just the start
The free practice test gives you all 7 question types, a real score, and a study plan that shows which ones to focus on first.