PreACT 9 Topic Breakdown

*The PreACT 9 includes experimental questions in each section which do not count towards a student’s score.

English

The English test measures your understanding of effective writing. The test includes three passages in which certain phrases or sentences are underlined. You will need to choose the multiple-choice answer that best completes each passage based on your knowledge of grammar, punctuation, topic organization, word choice, style, and tone.

Math

The math test measures your ability to solve problems using logical reasoning rather than memorizing complex formulas. You will answer questions related to number and quantity, algebra, functions, geometry, and basic statistics.

Reading

The reading test measures your reading comprehension and logical thinking abilities. The test includes three longer passages and a pair of shorter passages drawn from literary narratives and informational texts, such as those in the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. You will answer questions related to main ideas and details, structure and purpose, and cross-text connections.

Science

The science test measures your ability to interpret and analyze scientific information. The test includes several passages about topics like biology and ecology, chemistry and physics, and Earth and space science. The information is presented using reading passages as well as graphs and figures. Questions will ask you to interpret the data in the passage, understand experimental tools, methods, and design, and draw conclusions and make predictions based on the text.

English Test

• Production of Writing Questions (27-33%)

  • Topic Development

  • Organization, Unity, and Cohesion

• Knowledge of Language Questions (12-18%)

  • Concision and Precision

  • Style and Tone

• Standard English Convention Questions (48-55%)

  • Punctuation

  • Other Grammar and Usage

  • Sentence Structure and Formation

Math Test

• Preparing for Higher Math (77%)

  • Number and Quantity (10-13%)

  • Algebra (17-23%)

  • Functions (17-23%)

  • Geometry (10-13%)

  • Statistics and Probability (10-13%)

• Integrating Essential Skills (23%)

  • Connect ideas from different areas of math,

  • Apply skills in real-world contexts,

  • Solve problems that require multiple steps,

  • Interpret and evaluate mathematical information.

Modeling: At least 20% of the Math Test consists of modeling questions, which require students to interpret, analyze, and apply mathematics to real-world situations, often using tables, graphs, diagrams, or word problems

Reading Test

• Key Ideas and Details (52-60%)

  • Key Ideas

  • Details

  • Inferences

• Craft and Structure (28-36%)

  • Text Structure and Purpose

  • Words in Context

• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas (12-16%)

  • Reasoning and Evidence

  • Cross-Text Connections

Science Test

• Interpretation of Data (23%-50%)

  • Manipulate and analyze data presented in tables, graphs, and diagrams

• Scientific Investigation (15%–35%)

  • Understand experimental design and procedures, identify variables and controls

  • Compare, extend, and modify experiments

• Evaluation of Models, Inferences, and Experimental Results (19%–38%)

  • Judge the validity of information and formulate conclusions

Test Prep Chicago can help your student prepare for the new PreACT 9. Note that Test Prep Chicago is a licensed participant in the NTPA ACT Affiliate Tutor Program. Through our connection, we have been aware that such a change might occur, and our team had already begun creating new PreACT 9 Secure curriculum. As such, students enrolled or looking to enroll in any courses or one-day workshops, or students beginning individual tutoring, can be assured that the content they are being taught will reflect the content seen on the new exam. All of our scheduled courses (sign up here) and one-day Palooza workshops (sign up here) will continue to run as planned, as will our individual tutoring sessions (sign up here), with the new PreACT 9 Secure content instead of the old CPS HSAT curriculum.

If you have more questions about the PreACT 9, its structure, or how it applies to the CPS Selective Enrollment High School Admissions process, visit this page on our website for more information.

Test Prep Chicago Partnership with Pinpoint Learning on August 30: A New Version of TPC's Test Prep Palooza One-Day Workshop for the CPS HSAT with Advanced Post-Exam Report

Test Prep Chicago is excited to announce a new CPS HSAT Palooza Workshop, created in partnership with the learning scientists at Pinpoint Learning. The 1-day workshop will take place this Saturday, August 30, at 10am at Horner Park.

Students will experience the authentic testing environment, exam material, and expert post-exam review that Test Prep Chicago is known for, plus gain exclusive access to Pinpoint, a PhD-designed testing tool that gives each student personalized insights into how they can improve.

Why We're Excited About Pinpoint

Pinpoint helps students understand the why behind every mistake. While traditional tests might stop at showing what answer they got wrong and which answer would be correct, Pinpoint goes further, prompting students to reflect on each error and uncover its root cause, so they can get the most out of every practice test.

Each student attending the workshop on Saturday will receive a Pinpoint Report analyzing their performance in four key areas:

- Reasons for Errors
- Problem Types
- Time Management
- Mindset Barriers

This gives every student a clear, research-backed path to improvement, so their prep time is focused and effective.

Students who have used Pinpoint report feeling less anxious, more motivated, and more confident, thanks to having a personalized plan they can follow with clarity and purpose.

Together, Test Prep Chicago and Pinpoint Learning will give students the tools they need to reach their full potential. With over a decade of experience helping students succeed on the CPS HSAT, and a science-backed system for personal growth, this workshop is designed to deliver real results.

If your student is preparing to take the CPS HSAT, we would love to see them at the workshop! Sign up for the workshop (Click Here) before it fills up!

Dealing with Test Anxiety: Strategies for Staying Calm & Confident

Feeling nervous before a big test like the SAT, ACT, CPS HSAT, HSPT, or ISEE? You're not alone; many students deal with test anxiety at some point. Anxiety isn't something you just feel; it also influences what you think and how you behave. When a stressful thought pops up, it can trigger physical tension, mental fog, or even panic. That feeling can lead to procrastination, rushing, blanking, or zoning out.

Therefore, finding ways to minimize anxiety and negative thinking can help improve your performance on tests of all kinds. Luckily, there are many simple, practical ways to ease anxiety and help you walk into your exam feeling confident!

1. Be Prepared

One of the most effective ways to calm your nerves is to make sure you're truly prepared. This means:

• Taking full-length practice tests to get familiar with timing and structure

• Reviewing what you got wrong and figuring out why

• Creating a realistic study schedule and sticking to it

When you know what to expect, the test feels less like a mystery, and more like something you can handle!

2. Make Studying Less Stressful

Mix in some low-stress activities before and after your study sessions. Take a short walk, listen to music, draw, or even watch a short episode of your favorite show. Enjoying the time before and after your study sessions can help prevent burnout, and makes your study time more productive.

On that note, be sure not to cram the night before you take the exam. Instead, do a quick review, and then focus on relaxing. Make sure you get a good night's sleep, drink lots of water, and have a meal you enjoy the night before, so you can wake up bright and early to be ready for your test the next day!

3. Take Advantage of Breaks

Studying for long hours without a break can leave you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. Working in focused blocks of time (50-60 minutes) and taking a 5 minute break between each block, can help you maintain stamina and retain the information you're learning. Get up, stretch, and reset!

During the actual test, make the most of your scheduled breaks. Move around, hydrate, and reset. Even short mental breaks can help you refocus and avoid mid-exam burnout.

4. Talk Back to Anxiety

Anxious thoughts often show up before and during a test. Challenge them with facts. For example:

• Anxious Thought: "I'm going to fail."

• Your Response: "I've studied, taken practice tests, and I know the material. I'm ready for this."

Positive self-talk can help improve focus and performance. It's not about pretending everything is perfect, but instead reminding yourself of the truth.

5. Breathe

When stress spikes, take a moment to take a few deep breaths. Try this pattern:

• Inhale for 4 seconds

• Hold for 4 seconds

• Exhale for 4 seconds

• Repeat!

This helps calm your body and clear your mind, whether you're studying or sitting in the testing room.

6. Celebrate Your Effort

After you study or finish your test, reward yourself. Whether it's a favorite snack, movie night, or quality time with friends and family, celebrating your effort (not just the outcome) builds positive associations with the process and helps reduce future anxiety.

At Test Prep Chicago, we specialize in helping students feel confident and ready for important exams like the CPS HSAT, ISEE, HSPT, ACT, and SAT. Whether your child is looking for a structured group course (click here), a focused, one-day workshop (click here), or individual tutoring sessions (click here), our programs are designed to build skills, reduce anxiety, and boost performance.

We offer:

• Full length practice tests to build familiarity, confidence, and stamina

• Targeted lessons and homework to strengthen key areas

• Tutoring that teaches effective test-taking strategies, important material, and time management

• Ongoing updates to our materials based on student feedback from recent exams

If you are looking for a supportive path to test success, Test Prep Chicago is the way to go!

How Selective Enrollment Schools Use the CPS HSAT: Why It Matters & What It Tests

For students applying to Chicago's selective enrollment high schools, the CPS High School Admissions Test (CPS HSAT) is a major factor that is worth 50% of the total admission score. CPS uses a 900-point system to evaluate applicants: 450 points from 7th grade grades in core classes (reading, math, science, and social studies), and 450 from the CPS HSAT. That means doing well on the test can significantly impact whether a student receives an offer from a top selective enrollment high school.

The CPS HSAT is taken in the fall of a student's 8th grade year and includes two main sections: math and reading comprehension. It is a timed, multiple-choice test, 1-hour in length, that is administered digitally at the student's school (if they are a CPS student) or at a CPS-designated test center (if they are a non-CPS student). The math section includes algebra, data analysis, number operations, geometry, and problem-solving, while the reading section focuses on comprehension, vocabulary in context, and inference-based questions. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so students should be prepared to strategically guess if necessary.

Because students come from so many different schools and grading systems, the CPS HSAT serves as a standardized way for selective enrollment high schools to compare applicants across the city. It's not just about content knowledge, but also about how well students manage time and pressure. That's why preparation matters.

At Test Prep Chicago, we prepare students for every topic covered on the CPS HSAT. Our group courses (click here), 1-day workshops (click here) and individual tutoring sessions (click here) include full-length practice tests, targeted homework, and supplemental materials designed to strengthen skills and build confidence over time. Our tutors teach proven test-taking strategies, time-management techniques, and pacing skills to help students stay sharp and focused on test day. By conducting exit interviews with students after they take the real exam, we are able to ensure our practice materials are constantly updated to reflect the latest test trends and content. 

If you're looking for supporting and strategic preparation for the CPS HSAT, TPC Is the place to start.

Questions? Contact zoe@testprepchicago.com.

HSPT Information for Chicago Students

8th grade students looking to apply to Catholic high schools are required to take the High School Parochial Test (HSPT). This year, the exam will take place on Saturday, December 7th at 8:00 AM. Students will take the exam at their 1st choice Catholic high school (Loyola, St. Ignatius, Depaul, or Fenwick). Students can only apply to one of these schools. If a student is not admitted to one of these, they should have a second choice (unmentioned school) prepared. Any student pursuing a scholarship opportunity is required to sit for the exam at the corresponding school.

The HSPT covers both math and verbal topics including verbal analogies, logic, verbal classifications, quantitative skills, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and language. The exam is composed of 298 questions and will be in multiple-choice format. The exam will take approximately two and a half hours to complete. Students should be prepared to solve all problems without the use of a calculator. However, they may use scratch paper for calculations.

Chicago Catholic schools that require HSPT scores include the following: Brother Rice High School, Carmel Catholic High School, Christ the King Jesuit High School Preparatory School, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep, De La Salle Institute, Depaul College Prep, Fenwich High School, St. Francis de Sales High School, Holy Trinity High School, St. Ignatius College Prep, Josephinum Academy, St. Laurence High School, Leo High School, Loyola Academy, Marian Catholic High School, Marist High School, Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School, Mount Carmel High School, Nazareth Academy, Notre Dame College Prep, Our Lady or Tepeyac High School, Saint Patrick High School, Regina Dominican High School, Resurrection College Prep High School, St. Rita of Cascia High School, Trinity High School, Saint Viator High School, and Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart.

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

Changes announced for the ACT

This week, ACT announced some significant changes to their test.

One of the major changes is that the science section will now be optional, giving students the choice to include on their test, similar to the optional writing test. Additionally, the new ACT will be significantly shorter. The core test, consisting of English, reading, and math, will be just 2 hours long and will have 44 fewer questions than the current version. The English and reading sections will feature shorter passages, making the test more streamlined, and students will have more time to answer each question.

Some aspects of the ACT will remain the same. The ACT will continue to be scored on a scale of 1–36, and students will receive a composite score (the average of the English, reading, and math scores) in addition to section scores. The test will still be available in both paper and online formats, and the optional writing section will still be offered.

The new version of the ACT will be introduced in Spring 2025 for students taking the online ACT on standard national test dates. Students taking the ACT during school-day testing will experience the new version in Spring 2026.

TPC will be updating our ACT practice materials to reflect these changes and ensure student's are well-prepared for the new test.

ACT Test Scores at a 30-Year Low

The ACT college admissions test scores for high school students in the United States have declined to their lowest levels in over thirty years, indicating a concerning lack of preparedness for college-level coursework. This decline has been ongoing for six consecutive years, with the trend intensifying during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The nonprofit organization responsible for administering the test, ACT, highlights the urgent need to better equip graduates for postsecondary success in both college and career paths.

The average composite score for U.S. students on the ACT in 2023 dropped to 19.5 out of 36, down from 19.8 the previous year. Scores in reading, science, and math all fell below the benchmarks deemed necessary for success in first-year college courses, emphasizing the concerning trend in student preparedness. Despite criticism of standardized testing for favoring wealthier students and disadvantaging low-income ones, ACT CEO Janet Godwin argues that these scores remain crucial for placing students in appropriate college courses and aiding academic advisors in providing adequate support.

While many universities have made standardized testing optional for admissions, with some, like the University of California system, not considering ACT or SAT scores even if submitted, the debate over the relevance and usefulness of such tests continues. Student perspectives vary; however, the decline in ACT participation suggests a significant shift in the landscape of college admissions, with potential long-term implications for assessing student readiness and academic success.

Anna Jordan, Tutoring Coordinator

anna@testprepchicago.com

312-848-1266

Proposed CPS Budget Adds Teaching Positions, Reduces Budget for 20% of Schools

According to a budget recently proposed by the school district, while the overall CPS budget will not substantially change, additional funds will be allocated to providing instructors in high-need schools.Teaching positions will be added especially to support English language learners and special education classrooms.

The proposal, which was released by the CPS administration, comes as the district continues to grapple with declining enrollment and a persistent budget deficit. School budgets will grow per student; however, due to declining enrollment rates, approximately 20% of CPS schools can expect to see a reduction in their budgets this fall.

With the expiration date for federal pandemic relief funding coming up in 2024, the long-term financial trends of CPS schools are unclear, but the new school year’s budget represents a shift away from enrollment-based funding. Although enrollment is still a factor, other needs are being weighted more heavily, such as student demographics and special programming requirements.

Anna Jordan, Tutoring Coordinator
anna@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

Overview of the Digital SAT

In the near future, students will only be able to take the SAT via a digital format. Last November, a select portion of SAT students were offered the chance to test out this format by taking the digital SAT. Among this group, 80% of students found the new test taking process to be less stressful than the paper version which was previously the standard. The College Board began offering the digital SAT to international students in March of 2023 and plans to fully implement it in March of 2024 for class of 2025 juniors (current sophomores).

The digital SAT boasts a number of benefits. Among these, the digital interface allows the test to adapt to each student. With an adaptive test model, each section independently adapts to the student’s level of ability, making the resulting score more reliable. Additional benefits include shortening the test-taking time period from 3 hours to 2 hours and making scores available to students just days after they take the exam. The digital SAT will also offer a range of online tools students may use at their disposal. These tools include an on-screen timer, elimination tools which allow students to cross out incorrect answers, and the ability to flag questions for review so that students can go back to check them.

The content of the test will remain essentially the same with minor format changes. For the math section, students will have 44 questions to complete in 70 minutes. Students will have access to a graphic calculator on the screen during this portion of the test. During the reading and writing section, students will have 64 minutes to answer 54 questions regarding reading comprehension and grammar. The digital SAT will make reading questions shorter and reinstitute sentence completion questions. Each section of the test will still be worth 800 points and students will continue to have access to a reference sheet for formulas. Altogether, the digital SAT looks to streamline the test taking process while adapting to the changing landscape of technology based assessments.

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

Homelessness in the Chicago Public School System

A growing number of students in Chicago are currently struggling with having a permanent and stable home. As of December 2022, 13,000 CPS students identified as homeless, according to CPS’s “Students in Temporary Living Situations” program. However, according to the Chicago Coalition of Homelessness, due to some students not wanting to identify themselves and others being homeless but living in other students’ homes, this number is actually closer to 16,000. Notably, many students in these types of situations don’t qualify for public aid.

There have been many attempts to curtail this rise, to varying degrees of success. Tonti Elementary set up a “Care Closet” to have a place to keep donations from the community and charity organizations for students in need, and provides incoming students with free uniforms and a backpack stuffed with school supplies. 

The American Rescue Plan of 2021 raised the child tax credit to $3600 per child from $2000. Governor Pritzker also made a proposal in February of 2023 to raise the budget for homelessness prevention, increasing the funding that goes into Illinois’s Evidence-Based Funding program that awards funds to schools based on priority of need. The Chicago Teacher’s Union stated that the increases were insufficient, and stated that at least double the proposed amount would be necessary to make the changes necessary. The state budget should be finalized by May of 2023 when the spring legislative session closes.

Nate Hall, Director of Technology & Tutoring Coordinator
nate@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266