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An Overview of the Selective Enrollment High School Entrance Exam
Designed specifically for the high school selective enrollment process in Chicago, the Selective Enrollment High School Entrance Exam is an achievement skills test. The exam, created by Chicago Public School’s Office of Access and Enrollment (OAE), is broken into four sections: math, reading comprehension, language, and vocabulary. The test takes approximately three hours to complete, and the number of questions can range from 40-56 per section. A calculator is not permitted and there is no guessing penalty on the SEHS.
To take the SEHS, Chicago Public School, parochial school, and private school students must sign up for the exam in the fall of their 8th grade year. The test is administered several times in the fall/winter season, with testing dates in October, November, December, and January. Like the NWEA MAP test (refer to our previous blog post), the SEHS counts as 1/3, or 300 of the 900 attainable points, to get into a selective enrollment high school. The final 300 points are taken from a student’s 7th grade grades in math, reading, science, and social studies.
Test Prep Chicago has prepared students for the SEHS the past 8 years through group courses and individual tutoring sessions. We have received very positive feedback from parents and students about our tutoring programs. To learn more about how to set-up private tutoring for the SEHS or to enroll in an SEHS prep course, please visit our website: testprepchicago.com.
Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266
An Overview of the NWEA MAP Exam
Used by the state of Illinois to measure students’ progress throughout each school year, the NWEA MAP test is a common core aligned, computer-adaptive test designed to quantify a student’s knowledge of math and reading. Chicago Public Schools administer the test multiple times each year to measure the growth of their students’ understanding of both math and reading concepts. However, what sets the NWEA MAP test apart from other standardized tests is its computer adaptive quality. This means that it adapts its difficulty level based on whether or not a student selects a correct answer. Accordingly, for 7th and 8th graders, if students continue to answer questions correctly, the test will go out of grade level, asking high school level questions.
For Chicago Public School students, the NWEA MAP is a common part of the school year. However, the NWEA MAP taken in the spring of the 7th grade year is more than just a benchmark test. This test provides 1/3 of the points required to attend a Selective Enrollment High School. Each section of the test is worth 150 points, with a total of 300 points up for grabs based on their NWEA MAP score. An additional 300 points are taken from a student’s 7th grade grades, with a final 300 points available from the Selective Enrollment High School Exam (SEHS). Additionally, for those attending Catholic or private schools, students must take the NWEA MAP test in the fall of their 8th grade year. For more information on how to prepare for the NWEA MAP test, visit our homepage: testprepchicago.com.
Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266
An Overview of the Selective Enrollment High School Admissions Process
If you have a rising 7th grader, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed about the Selective Enrollment High School admissions process. Below is information about the process which should help clarify things!
To get into a selective enrollment high school, students need three things: good grades in 7th grade, a high score on their NWEA MAP exam, and a high score on the Selective Enrollment High School Entrance Exam (SEHS). Each of these three designations is worth 300 points, with a total of 900 points available. CPS looks at a student’s grades in the following four subjects: math, reading, science, and social studies. Each A grade is the equivalent of 75 points, totaling at 300 points, or 1/3 of the 900 points obtainable. Each B grade results in 50 points, each C grade results in 25 points, and no points are awarded for grades of D or F.
The second third of the 900 points comes from a student’s NWEA MAP score (see next week’s blog post for more information about the NWEA MAP Exam). This test is divided into two sections: math and reading. Each section is worth 150 points, totaling at 300. For Chicago Public School students, this test is administered in the spring of 7th grade and this year’s testing window runs from May 13th to June 14th. Each school has discretion on when they test within that window. For private and parochial school students, they will take the NWEA MAP exam in the fall of their 8th grade year. Generally, this occurs in mid-September, but CPS will release the exact date over the summer. (I recommend subscribing to our newsletter as we will email all of our subscribers as soon as CPS makes an announcement).
The final third of the 900 points comes from the Selective Enrollment High School Exam (we will post more information about the SEHS in the coming weeks). This test has four sections: math, reading comprehension, language, and vocabulary. Testing for the SEHS is held on weekends in October, November, December, and January.
In addition to the 900 points, students will also need to fill out a Selective Enrollment application using the CPS website. On the application, parents will have to declare in which neighborhood tier their family lives (to find out in what tier your neighborhood is, visit the CPS website). The final score a student needs out of 900 to be granted admission for each selective enrollment high school will be determined by their socio-economic tier. These applications are usually due in mid-December, but official dates will be released by CPS in the fall.
Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266
CPS Announces Selective Enrollment High School Entrance Exam (SEHS) Test Dates
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has announced the test dates for the Selective Enrollment High School Entrance Exam (SEHS). This year, the SEHS will be offered 5 times. The 5 dates are listed below.
SEHS Test Dates
Saturday, October 20
Saturday, November 17
Saturday, December 1
Saturday, December 15
Saturday, January 19
The SEHS will be offered at five sites: King College Preparatory High School, Lane Tech High School, Lindblom Math and Science Academy, Westinghouse College Preparatory High School, and Whitney Young Magnet High School.
Applicants who apply using the GoCPS online application will schedule their exam after they submit their application. Applicants who apply using a paper application will have their test scheduled by the Office of Access and Enrollment and will be notified of their test date, time, and location via U.S. mail.
The application process for the 2019-2020 school year opens October 1st and ends December 14th.
CPS Announces Application Process For 2019-2020 School Year
Last month, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) released information regarding the application process for the 2019-2020 school year. This refers to students who will be beginning high school during the 2019-2020 school year. The Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress exam (NWEA MAP) will once again be used for the eligibility and selection to Selective Enrollment Elementary Schools and to public high schools with academic requirements (Selective Enrollment High Schools).
For students who attended a CPS elementary school during the 2017-2018 school year, their 2018 spring NWEA MAP scores will be used for the admissions process.
Students who attended a non-CPS elementary school during the 2017-2018 school year will be required to take the NWEA MAP exam this fall. CPS will be administering the NWEA MAP exam free of charge throughout the city. The test will be offered at four sites: (1) Curie Metropolitan High School, (2) Lane Tech High School, (3) Lindblom Math and Science Academy, and (4) Westinghouse College Preparatory High School. Students will be scheduled for the test location closest to their residence.
CPS will offer the NWEA MAP exam on six dates in September (dates listed below). Parents must submit the registration form to the Office of Access and Enrollment by no later than 5 PM on Friday, September 7, 2018.
Test Dates
- Saturday, September 15, 2018
- Sunday, September 16, 2018
- Saturday, September 22, 2018
- Sunday, September 23, 2018
- Saturday, September 29, 2018
- Sunday, September 30, 2018
For more information about the application process for the 2019-2020 school year, please visit https://go.cps.edu/. Also, feel free to contact Charlie Howard with any questions.
Charlie Howard, Owner Test Prep Chicago
charlie@testprepchicago.com
(872) 221-0175
Three Selective Enrollment High Schools Ranked in the top 10 Nationally
Three Chicago Selective High Schools -- Walter Payton, Northside College Prep and Whitney Young -- have been ranked by Niche.Com as among the top ten public high schools in the nation. Walter Payton was rated the number one public high school, with Northside College Prep ranked number two and Whitney Young ranked number 6.
Niche annually ranks the best public high school in the United States. The company reviews more than 17,000 schools and analyzes them based on an examination of several factors including data from the U.S. Department of Education, SAT and ACT test scores, graduation rates, and reviews from students and parents.
Feel free to contact Charlie Howard with any questions.
Charlie Howard, Owner Test Prep Chicago
charlie@testprepchicago.com
(872) 221-0175
CPS Announces Application Process For 2018-2019 School Year
Yesterday, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) released information regarding the application process for the 2018-2019 school year. The Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress exam (NWEA MAP) will once again be used for the eligibility and selection to Selective Enrollment Elementary Schools and to public high schools with academic requirements (Selective Enrollment High Schools).
For students who attended a CPS elementary school during the 2016-2017 school year, their 2017 spring NWEA MAP scores will be used for the admissions process.
Students who attended a non-CPS elementary school during the 2016-2017 school year will be required to take the NWEA MAP exam this fall/winter. CPS will be administering the NWEA MAP exam free of charge throughout the city. The test will be offered at three sites: (1) Lane Tech High School, (2) Lindblom Math and Science Academy, and (3) Westinghouse College Preparatory High School. Students will be scheduled for the test location closest to their residence.
CPS will offer the NWEA MAP exam on two dates in September , two dates in October, and on two dates in January (dates listed below). CPS recommends that parents register their children to take the test in September or October. Parents must submit the registration form to the Office of Access and Enrollment by Friday, September 1, 2017 if they want their children to sit for the exam in September. For students to test in October, parents must submit the registration form by Monday, October 2, 2017. For students to test in January, parents must submit the registration form by Friday, December 1, 2017.
Test Dates
- Saturday, September 23, 2017
- Sunday, September 24, 2017
- Saturday, October 21, 2017
- Sunday, October 22, 2017
- Saturday, January 13, 2018
- Sunday, January 14, 2018
For more information about the application process for the 2018-2019 school year, please visit www.cpsoae.org. Also, feel free to contact Charlie Howard with any questions.
Charlie Howard, Owner Test Prep Chicago
charlie@testprepchicago.com
(872) 221-0175
CPS Announces Application Process for 2017-2018 School Year
Yesterday, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) released information regarding the application process for the 2017-2018 school year. The Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA MAP) will once again count for 1/3 of the selection process for admissions to Selective Enrollment Elementary Schools (Regional Gifted Centers, Academic Centers, International Gifted Programs) and Selective Enrollment High Schools.
For students who attended a CPS elementary school during the 2015-2016 school year, their 2016 spring NWEA MAP scores will be used for the admissions process.
Students who attended a non-CPS elementary school during the 2015-2016 school year will be required to take the NWEA MAP exam this fall/winter. CPS will be administering the NWEA MAP exam free of charge throughout the city. CPS has not yet made known the different testing locations, however they have announced that they will attempt to assign each student to a location which is most convenient to his/her residence.
CPS will offer the NWEA MAP exam on four dates in October (dates listed below) and on one date in January (date not yet determined). The NWEA MAP registration form must be received by the Office of Access and Enrollment by Friday, September 9 for a student to test in October. If the September 9 registration deadline is missed, a registration form must be submitted before December 9 for a student to test in January.
October NWEA MAP Test Dates
- Saturday, October 8
- Sunday, October 9
- Saturday, October 22
- Sunday, October 23
(There will be two testing times on each of the dates listed above: 9am and 12pm).
For more information about the application process for the 2017-2018 school year, please visit www.cpsoae.org. Also, feel free to contact Charlie Howard with any questions.
Charlie Howard, Owner Test Prep Chicago
charlie@testprepchicago.com
(872) 221-0175