12 Free SHSAT Tests (And How to Use Them!)

UPDATED to include 2021 handbook.

Although the SHSAT has evolved over the years, it's DNA remains the same. As a result, students preparing for the exam have access to 16 full tests, a superb (and free!) resource for preparation. For the convenience sake, we have compiled all 12 tests here, along with notes about how they should be used. 

At City Smarts, we believe that these released tests represent the highest quality study material available and take pains to use them carefully. When paired with a good SHSAT manual (Tutorverse and Kaplan both publish quality books) students should have more than enough material to take them from here until test day. 

A few more tips...

If your son or daughter is working with a tutor, consult with them about if and when to use this material.

On a similar note, we have had students come in to take mock exams (we use released exams in addition to our own custom tests) only to find that they have already taken part or all of a specific tests. To avoid this, we suggest that parents inform any mock test center about which tests (if any) their children have been using to study. 

Without further adieu: here is a complete list of released SHSAT tests. 

Usage Notes

These 8 early tests include the now obsolete scrambled paragraphs and logical reasoning sections, so test takers should begin with reading comprehension (Q21). 

These tests use a 5 answer multiple choice format (vs 4 on the newer tests). We view this as unproblematic. If students can choose between 5 answers, they can certainly manage 4. 

Older tests are shorter than the current test. Students wishing to use these as mock exams should allot 120 minutes. 

These 2 tests are similar to the current test and are an excellent gauge of SHSAT readiness. We discourage students from using these tests until reaching key milestones. 

This year and last year's guides contain the same math sections, so the 2017 handbook is best used as a verbal assessment. 90 minutes. 

The 2018-2019 handbook introduced significant changes to the test such as the grammar & revision section.

The 2019-2020 tests are similar in design to the current tests and can be used for mock testing.

These 2 tests are an accurate reflection of the SHSAT students will take on test day. As such, they should be reserved for mock tests to be taken (in most cases) in the lead-up to test day. 180 minutes.