SHSAT prep: where to start and what to pay for

Where should SHSAT prep start?

1. Read the NYC Guide to the SHSAT for 2027 Admissions, including its sample questions and explanations.
2. Take the Student Readiness Tool tutorial so you know the tools and item types.
3. Do one official practice test under timed conditions, then review it.
4. Decide before test day which section you’ll start with and how you’ll split the 180 minutes.

Those steps follow the advice in NYC’s own guide.

SHSAT prep options compared

Option	Price	Free to use	Links
Official and free
NYC SHSAT Portal practice testsOfficial digital practice testsRun by NYC Public Schools in a web browser, with no login or download. You choose ELA or math first, and English Language Learners can pick a version with translated directions and footnotes. Answers aren’t saved, so print the summary report if you want to keep it.	Free	Four full-length tests (A to D), timed or untimed, plus two Grade 9 mini forms, printable PDFs and explanations	NYC SHSAT Portal: Practice Tests ↗
NYC Guide to the SHSAT for 2027 AdmissionsOfficial guide (PDF)Written for the fall 2026 computer-adaptive test. It covers preparation, each part of the test, the digital tools and test day rules. A read-aloud web version is on NYC’s How to Prepare for the SHSAT page.	Free	The whole guide, in English and 12 other languages, with sample questions and answer explanations	NYC Public Schools: Guide to the SHSAT (PDF) ↗NYC Public Schools: How to Prepare for the SHSAT ↗
Student Readiness Tool (SRT)Official test tutorialNYC Public Schools suggests it before the practice tests, so the highlighter, answer eliminator, notepad and equation editor don’t slow you down on test day.	Free	A walk-through of every item type and tool in the digital SHSAT	NYC Public Schools: Student Readiness Tool ↗
DREAM-SHSINYC Public Schools prep programFor eligible 7th graders at NYC district and charter schools, based on grade 6 state test scores and home or school district. Eligible students hear from their school; the 2026 application opened in MySchools in mid-December 2025.	Not listed	In-person SHSAT prep, admissions help and social-emotional learning across spring, summer and fall	NYC Public Schools: DREAM-SHSI ↗
In person
The Princeton ReviewSHSAT tutoring and classroom courseIts SHSAT Immersion course has 24 hours of classroom instruction and 3 full-length practice tests, with 3 hours of one-to-one tutoring as a $450 add-on. Tutoring packages include 2 full-length practice tests and an SHSAT manual. Immersion class schedules are listed by ZIP code, and the page shows no course price.	Tutoring $167 an hour for 18 hours, or $180 an hour for 10 hours	Free SHSAT practice tests and events listed on its site	The Princeton Review: SHSAT Private Tutoring ↗The Princeton Review: SHSAT Immersion ↗
Apps and websites
Test NinjasOnline SHSAT practiceIts SHSAT pages cover English Language Arts and math for 8th and 9th graders and describe the computer-adaptive format from fall 2026.	Free practice; paid SHSAT course not yet available	A daily practice question with an explanation, and free sample lessons for grade 8 and grade 9	Test Ninjas: SHSAT ↗

Prices and ratings checked October 2026.

Choosing an SHSAT tutor or prep course

• Ask whether the material was written for the computer-adaptive test. Older books and courses describe a different format.
• Check the grade. The 9th grade form tests math through Grade 8 standards, the 8th grade form through Grade 7.
• Look for full-length, timed practice. NYC’s guide encourages at least one timed test.
• Compare the price per hour, and what’s included besides lessons, such as practice tests or books.

NYCPS describes its four online tests as mirroring the actual exam in both form and content. Tests from prep companies are their own versions.