SHSAT Score Calculator 2026 — Free Raw Score to Scaled Score Conversion

How is the SHSAT scored?

The SHSAT has two sections — ELA and Math — each with 57 questions. Important: 10 of those 57 questions per section are experimental field questions that do not count toward your score. Only 47 questions per section are scored. Your raw score (correct answers on the 47 scored questions) is converted by the DOE to a scaled score of 100–350 per section using a non-linear piecewise conversion. The two section scaled scores are added to produce a composite score of 200–700. There is no penalty for wrong answers.

What is the highest possible SHSAT score?

The theoretical maximum SHSAT composite score is 800 (400 per section). However, the NYC DOE explicitly states that the maximum score on each section is 'usually around 350' — meaning a perfect raw score of 57/57 on both sections produces a composite of approximately 700, not 800. Scores above 710 are exceptionally rare. Most top scorers land between 680 and 710.

What is a good SHSAT score?

A good score depends on your target school. Based on the 2026 official DOE cutoffs: Stuyvesant requires 561, HSMSE requires 539, Queens Science and Bronx Science require 525–531, Staten Island Tech requires 517, HSAS requires 507, Brooklyn Tech requires 506, and Brooklyn Latin requires 495. A composite above 520 is competitive for most schools; 560+ puts you in range for all eight.

How many questions do I need to get right for Stuyvesant?

For Stuyvesant (2026 cutoff: 561), you need approximately 44–45 correct answers per section out of 57 total questions shown — about 88–90 out of 114. Because 10 of the 57 questions per section are unscored experimental items, you are effectively getting about 43–44 of the 47 scored questions right per section (roughly 92–94% accuracy on scored questions). For Brooklyn Latin (cutoff: 495), you need approximately 37–38 correct per section (about 65–67% of all questions). The gap between the top and bottom school is only 7–8 correct answers per section.

Is the SHSAT the same every year?

The format is consistent — 57 ELA and 57 Math questions (47 scored per section), 3 hours total. Cutoff scores shift each year based on how many students apply and overall test performance. Cutoffs are announced in March when the DOE releases admissions offers. Starting in Fall 2026, the SHSAT transitions to a fully digital, computer-adaptive test (CAT) format.

How accurate is this SHSAT score calculator?

This calculator uses a piecewise linear model calibrated to real student score data and the DOE's published scoring methodology (source: NYC DOE schools.nyc.gov). It correctly produces scores that match official 2026 cutoffs: Stuyvesant at ~44–45/57 per section, Brooklyn Latin at ~37/57 per section, and a perfect score of 57/57 at approximately 700. Results are estimates within ±5–15 points of actual scores, since the DOE's proprietary equating table adjusts for test difficulty each year.

How can I improve my SHSAT score?

Take a full-length diagnostic practice test first to identify weak skill areas across all 33 tested skills. Then focus study time specifically on those weak areas. Because the SHSAT's scoring curve is steeper at the top (each additional correct answer above 80% accuracy is worth more points), drilling your weakest topics has the highest return — going from 40/57 to 45/57 per section lifts your composite by roughly 30+ points.

Is the SHSAT score calculator out of 800?

Technically yes — the SHSAT composite score scale goes from 200 to 800. But in practice, the NYC DOE states that the maximum scaled score per section is 'usually around 350' (not 400). This means a perfect raw score of 57/57 on both sections produces a composite of approximately 700, not 800. Our SHSAT score calculator uses this DOE-calibrated range, so scores are displayed on the 200–700 practical scale with 800 as the theoretical ceiling.

What are SHSAT score percentiles?

The DOE does not publish official SHSAT score percentiles. What it does publish are the cutoff scores — the lowest composite score that received an admissions offer at each school. Based on historical data, roughly the top 18–20% of test-takers receive any specialized high school offer. A score of 495 (Brooklyn Latin cutoff) puts you in approximately the top 20%. A score of 561 (Stuyvesant cutoff) puts you in approximately the top 3–4% of all SHSAT test-takers.