The SHSAT prep platform built for 
Take a free SHSAT diagnostic and see your child's score and time. Beta access unlocks the full topic breakdown, recommended practice topics, and full adaptive practice — built for NYC 7th & 8th graders.
- Full-length diagnostic test with real SHSAT questions
- Score and time summary included free
- Beta unlocks recommended topics and full adaptive practice
50
ELA Questions
50
Math Questions
30
Skill Areas
8
NYC Schools Tracked
Free
To Start
Built specifically for the SHSAT
50 ELA questions. 50 Math questions. 30 skill areas. One shot at 8 of the most competitive schools in NYC. SHSATlab is built around every part of it.
Free SHSAT Practice Test
Take a free SHSAT diagnostic and see your score and time. Beta access unlocks the full breakdown across 30 skill areas.
Recommended Practice Topics
After your diagnostic, beta access highlights the topics that need the most work and routes your child into targeted practice.
Targeted Topic Practice
Practice units focused on the specific SHSAT topics that need the most work — built to match the test's format, difficulty, and question types, including Technology-Enhanced Items (TEI).
Timed Practice — Built Into Every Session
The SHSAT gives students roughly 90 seconds per question. Every diagnostic, practice test, and topic set is timed — so pacing becomes a trained skill, not a test-day surprise.
Track Progress by SHSAT Topic
See accuracy and solve time improve topic by topic. Know exactly how far you've come — and where time pressure is still costing points.
NYC Specialized High School Cutoff Scores
Compare cutoff scores, programs, and admissions data for all 8 NYC specialized high schools in one place — Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech, Bronx Science, and more.
See it in action
Everything from the diagnostic to your daily study session, on any device.
Diagnostic Dashboard
Recommended Practice Topics
Adaptive Practice Levels
Score & Topic Breakdown
How It Works
Three steps from the diagnostic to targeted practice — built around your results.
Take the Diagnostic
A free, full-length SHSAT practice test across ELA and Math. See score and time summary when you finish.
Start Free Diagnostic →Try Adaptive Practice
Start a short adaptive session and see how SHSATlab adjusts by topic and difficulty. Full practice unlocks with beta access.
Browse Practice Topics →Unlock the Full Prep System
Beta access unlocks recommended topics from your diagnostic, question review, pacing analysis, and full adaptive practice across all 30 topics.
Start Practicing →Built for the digital test
The SHSAT now includes Technology-Enhanced Items — question formats that don't exist in any prep book. SHSATlab practices all of them, so nothing on test day is unfamiliar.
Clickable Text Selection
Select the exact word, phrase, or clause that answers the question — just like the real test.
Drag-and-Drop Categorize
Move items into the correct category. Students who see this first on test day lose time just figuring out the mechanic.
Grid-In Numeric Keypad
Enter a calculated answer with the on-screen keypad. No multiple choice — the answer has to be right.
Inline Dropdown
Choose from a dropdown embedded inside the question text. A format students have never seen in a prep book.
Why SHSATlab Is Different
A complete SHSAT learning system designed to help students focus on the topics that matter most.
Diagnostic-Driven Learning
Every practice path starts with a diagnostic that identifies exactly which of the 30 SHSAT topics need work.
Performance Tracked Across 30 SHSAT Topics
Progress is measured skill by skill — not just as an overall score — so improvements and gaps are always visible.
Recommended Practice Topics
Test results flow straight into prioritized topic recommendations — weak areas surface automatically on the Practice Topics page.
Targeted Practice Units
Practice is focused on the topics that cost the most points — with difficulty that rises as a student improves.
Step-by-step help from Iko
Iko, our AI tutor, helps explain challenging concepts in the context of each student's recommended practice topics and current units.
Meet Iko (pronounced e-koh)
An AI tutor built specifically for SHSAT preparation
SHSATlab combines Iko, our AI tutor, with a structured SHSAT learning framework. With beta access, students get step-by-step help on challenging concepts while staying aligned with recommended practice topics and current units.
The goal is not simply to answer questions. It is to help students focus on the skills and topics that matter most on the SHSAT.
- Explains concepts in the context of the SHSAT's topics and question styles
- Supports students through their recommended practice topics and current units
- Tracks solve time and flags where pacing is costing points
- Keeps every explanation focused on the 30 tested SHSAT topics
Free SHSAT Practice Test
Start With a Free SHSAT Practice Test
A free SHSAT diagnostic with score and time summary. Beta access unlocks the full topic breakdown, recommended practice topics, question review, and full adaptive practice.
- Full-length, timed SHSAT format (ELA + Math)
- Scaled score estimate and time summary
- Short adaptive practice trial
- Beta unlocks topic breakdown, recommendations, and question review
My Schools
Always know your gap to every school
SHSATlab tracks the exact number of points separating your child from every school on their list — Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech, Bronx Science, Staten Island Tech, and more. Updated after every test.
- Current score vs. each school's cutoff, side by side
- Points needed and priority recommendation for each
- Tracks all 8 NYC specialized high schools
- Refreshes automatically as your score improves
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything NYC parents and students need to know about the SHSAT and SHSATlab.
The SHSAT (Specialized High Schools Admissions Test) is a 3-hour exam used to determine admission to 8 specialized high schools in New York City, including Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech, and Bronx Science. It is open to current 8th graders and first-time 9th graders in NYC public schools.
Yes. SHSATlab offers a free diagnostic. After completing it, you get a scaled score estimate and time summary. Beta access unlocks the full skill-by-skill breakdown, recommended practice topics, question review, and full adaptive practice.
Stuyvesant High School typically requires a scaled SHSAT score of around 550–560, though cutoff scores vary each year. Brooklyn Tech and Bronx Science have lower cutoffs, typically around 468–490. SHSATlab tracks cutoff scores for all 8 specialized high schools so you always prep with a real target.
Most SHSAT coaches recommend starting prep in 7th grade or early 8th grade — ideally 6–12 months before the test. The SHSAT is typically given in October–November of 8th grade, so starting by January of 7th grade gives the most preparation time.
After a diagnostic, SHSATlab analyzes results across SHSAT skill areas. With beta access, parents see recommended topics, question review, and a full practice plan. Free accounts can start with a short adaptive practice session to try the system.
SHSATlab is built around a structured 30-topic SHSAT learning framework. With beta access, diagnostic results flow into recommended practice topics, targeted unit practice, and help from Iko, our AI tutor — so students know what to work on next. A generic AI tool answers questions on demand with no structure behind it. SHSATlab's system is designed specifically for the SHSAT.
From the Blog
Practical guides for NYC parents navigating SHSAT prep.
Practice Test A: 2025 vs. 2026 — Every Change on the Official Digital Test
NYC's SHSAT Practice Test A digital test went from 57 ELA + 57 Math to 50 + 50. Same passages, seven fewer ELA questions, and strict TestNav navigation — you must answer to advance. Full 2025 vs. 2026 comparison for parents.
Read article →
Practice Test C vs. Practice Test A ELA: How the New DOE Test Compares to the Old Official SHSAT Test
Three official ELA forms on the NYC portal: 2025 Practice Test A (57 ELA), 2026 Practice Test A (50 — same passages, seven cuts), and 2026 Practice Test C (50 — all new passages). What NYC removed from the old test and how C compares.
Read article →
Practice Test A Math: 2025 vs. 2026 — Plus How Practice Test C Compares
NYC's SHSAT Practice Test A Math went from 57 to 50 questions. Same 180 minutes, same TestNav formats — but topic weight shifts. Full 2025 vs. 2026 A comparison and 2026 Practice Test C Math vs. A for parents.
Read article →
Ready to ace the SHSAT?
Take a free SHSAT diagnostic and see your child's score and time. Beta access unlocks recommended practice topics and the full breakdown. Built for NYC 7th and 8th graders.