Test Prep

As of now, ReadingTown Test Prep focuses on two exams: Grade 3-8 State Test s and SHSAT.

Grade 3-8 State Tests

Students in grade 3 to 8 in New York State take the State English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics tests each spring. Students will become familiar with the test format through practice at ReadingTown. It will take away the fear of the unknown aspect of the test and build confidence in students. Our ELA Test Prep workbooks, which are CCSS-aligned, consist of two categories: Nonfiction and Open-Ended for thorough coverage of all parts of the exam. Along with our Math Test Prep workbooks, we provide students with CCSS-aligned supplemental materials for a complete preparation.
*Test Prep is only offered at participating ReadingTown campuses, with region-specific exams.

SHSAT

Students in grades 8 or 9 who wish to apply to New York City's Specialized High schools must take the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT). A student can take SHSAT just twice, once for 9th grade admissions (when the student is in 8th grade) and the next for 10th grade admissions (when the student is in 9th grade). The best time to begin SHSAT Prep at ReadingTown is 7th grade January. Students will have adequate time to learn, practice, and feel confident about the exam with ReadingTown resources and devoted teachers. Our well-structured classes motivate and challenge the students and elevate them to a higher level. We provide students with the strategies and content review needed to score their best on the SHSAT. With our personalized score reports detailing strengths and weaknesses, we will guide students to focus on specific areas.

Helpful Info

SHSAT consists of 2 parts - Verbal and Math.
  • Verbal (45 Multiple Choice Questions)
  •    -30 Reading Comprehension (5 Reading passages with
       6 questions each)
  •    -10 Logical Reasoning questions
  •    -5 Scrambled Paragraph (worth 2 points each)
  • Math (50 Multiple Choice Questions)
  •    -various mathematical topics tested
The total score in SHSAT is 800.
Students have 150 minutes for the entire test.
The Specialized high schools that require the SHSAT: Bronx High School of Science; Brooklyn Latin School; Brooklyn Technical High School; High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College; High School for American Studies at Lehman College; Queens High School for Sciences at York College; Staten Island Technical High School; and Stuyvesant High School
Approximate cut-off scores for a few specialized high schools:
Stuyvesant - 560 to 570
Bronx Science - 495 to 500
Brooklyn Tech - 475 to 480
*Students must live in one of the 5 boroughs of New York City to be eligible to take SHSAT.
We also offer test prep courses for common standardized tests such as SAT, TOEFL, and SSAT, etc. For details, please visit 'How to Prepare for Tests' at 'For Parent' of this site.