The CPS HSAT: What You Need to Know

The CPS High School Admissions Test (CPS HSAT) is Chicago Public Schools’ official test for 8th graders applying to Selective Enrollment High Schools, as well as other public schools that feature International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP) and Double Honors programs. With the school year coming to a close, many parents of 7th-graders want to know as much as they can about the exam, so they can determine how to best help their student prepare. Below, find key information about the CPS HSAT!

The exam takes a total of 60 minutes and includes two sections: Reading and Math. The Reading section includes approximately 25 reading questions, which are to be completed in 30 minutes. The Math section includes approximately 39 math questions, which are also to be completed in 30 minutes. While there is no guessing penalty on the exam, it is single take only. Students are not allowed to use a calculator, and the test is administered online (though they are allowed to use scratch paper).

Though this is typically how the test is structured, students with learning disabilities, including ADHD, dyslexia, or processing disorders, can receive testing accommodations such as extended time (i.e. time-and-a-half, or 50% extended time), extra breaks, or small group testing. To get these accommodations, you must indicate on your GoCPS application that your child has an IEP or 504 Plan, which triggers a review by CPS. This will not negatively impact your student’s application process.

In regards to content, CPS does not publicly release official test materials, sample questions, or detailed outlines of what is covered on the exam. At Test Prep Chicago, we stay up-to-date on the material in these exams by conducting exit interviews each year with students right after they take the CPS HSAT. This allows us to adjust our materials and instruction based on the most recent trends, material, subjects, and question types that students encounter.

If your student is looking to begin preparing for the CPS HSAT, Test Prep Chicago can help! Parents can view our 8th Grade HSEE Prep course offerings for the summer here and our one-day workshops for HSEE Prep here. Students can also sign up for individual tutoring for the CPS HSAT here.

When Should Students Begin Preparing for Chicago’s 8th Grade High School Entrance Exams?

With springtime of 2026 moving along quickly, many 7th-grade parents want to know: when should students begin to prepare for the CPS HSAT for Selective Enrollment Schools, HSPT for Catholic High Schools, and ISEE for Independent Schools? All three of these exams are important parts of the high school application process, and many parents begin to get anxious about admissions requirements and testing as the summer approaches. Below, Test Prep Chicago is happy to provide recommendations for when to begin test prep for each of these exams. 

For students in Chicago who plan to apply to Selective Enrollment High Schools, the CPS High School Admissions Test (CPS HSAT) is an important part of the process. It is scheduled each fall; for example, CPS students took the CPS HSAT in early October in 2025 for the 2025-2026 season, with non‑CPS students following on later weekend dates in October. This year, we expect the exam to be taken on Wednesday, October 7th by CPS students, and subsequent weekends in October by non-CPS students. Because the CPS HSAT is offered only once per year and there are no retakes, preparation timing matters. At Test Prep Chicago, we recommend starting during the summer before 8th grade, about three months before the test begins. Beginning prep in July or August gives students a gentle ramp‑up period to build familiarity with the test format and strengthen core math and reading skills before 8th grade gets busy.

For students in Chicago who plan to apply to Catholic High Schools, they will take the High School Placement Test (HSPT). The exam is scheduled the same way each year for all schools, and will take place on the first Saturday of December. For the 2026-2027 application season, this will fall on Saturday, December 5th. As such, we recommend that all students planning to take the HSPT begin prep around 3 months in advance of the exam, around early September to mid-October. For students planning to take both the CPS HSAT and HSPT, we recommend that students begin with foundational Math and Reading prep that will be applicable to both exams over the summer before their 7th grade year, and round out with preparing for the remaining sections once the CPS HSAT has been taken.

Finally, for students across the country planning to apply to Independent or Private High Schools, exam dates for the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) vary. Students can find out about potential 2026-2027 application season testing dates here, and may take the exam once per season (fall, winter, or spring/summer). Most 8th grade students end up taking the exam in early January, and we recommend beginning prep for this around October of a student’s 8th grade year. If a student is also taking the CPS HSAT and/or the HSPT, TPC recommends that students, again, begin with preparation for the Math and Reading sections that appear on all three exams, before branching out into material that is applicable to the additional sections on the HSPT and ISEE.

If you have any questions about our recommendations for 8th Grade High School Entrance Exam (HSEE) prep, please contact our team at info@testprepchicago.com! Come June and July of 2026, parents will be able to see our 8th Grade HSEE Prep course offerings for the summer here, our one-day workshops for HSEE Prep here. Students can also sign up for individual tutoring for any, or all, of the HSEEs here.

Pandemic Has Deleterious Effects on Illinois’ Standardized Test Scores

The Illinois State Board of Education has recently published data that indicates that since the start of the pandemic, standardized test scores have dramatically decreased while chronic absenteeism has increased. This data comes as a result of juxtaposing students’ 2021 standardized test scores with the corresponding scores from 2019.

 Specifically, after taking the Illinois Assessment of Readiness exam (IAR), average CPS test scores decreased in both reading and math. The data describes that 21% of students met the standard for competency in English in 2021 as opposed to 28% of students who took the exam two years prior. Similarly, only 16% of students met the competency requirements for Math as opposed to 24% in 2019. As students did not take the IAR in 2020, some suggest the data is incomplete.

Members of the Chicago Teacher’s Union question the integrity of standardized tests altogether as CTU president argues that students should not have the pressure of performing well on standardized tests when they are already overwhelmed by the health and safety concerns COVID-19 has presented. He stated, “to grade any person, or any school district, under these circumstances is cruel…when everyone’s M.O. for the past year has been maintaining proper health, safety, and sanity.”

Moving forward, the data collected is highly valuable as it provides some insight into how to support student learning throughout the pandemic. As more information becomes available, educators and administrators will gain a better understanding of how to aid students and communities to help achieve their educational goals.

Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator
kayley@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

Source: Chicago Sun Times