Specialized High School Admissions Test to Undergo Major Changes; Kaplan Test Prep to Hold a Series of Free SHSAT® Practice ...
May 04 2017 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
Students Can Register for the May 13, May
20, and May 21 Events at https://www.kaptest.com/shsat5
The Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT), the only
criterion for admissions to eight of the nine New York City
Specialized High Schools, launches its biggest changes in over 20
years in fall 2017. To help ensure that eighth graders across the
Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island who want to
attend one of these top schools have an opportunity to succeed,
Kaplan Test Prep will hold a series of free SHSAT practice events
across all five boroughs. Held five months before the actual test
administration, this will be one of the first opportunities
students will have to gain exposure to what they’ll encounter on
Test Day. Every student who participates in one of the 60-minute
practice test events will also receive a detailed score report
highlighting strengths and weaknesses, so they know how to
prepare.
Among the biggest changes to the SHSAT:
- Timing: The new SHSAT will be
three hours, 30 minutes longer than the old exam. This will
increasingly make the exam one of endurance.
- Answer Choices: On multiple
choice questions, test takers will now see four possible answers
instead of the old exam’s five.
- Math: The old exam’s math
section was entirely multiple choice; the new exam will include
multiple choice, but also grid-in questions, and have more focus on
word problems.
- ELA (formally Verbal): The new
exam will not include “scrambled paragraphs” questions, which gave
students 5 sentences, and then asked test takers to put them in the
right order to form a cohesive paragraph. The exam is also dropping
logical reasoning questions. The new SHSAT will include nonfiction
reading comprehension and revising/editing passages and stand-alone
questions.
“We know from working with thousands of New York City middle
schoolers every year that scoring well on the SHSAT and getting
into your top school choice relies heavily on practice and
planning,” said Cailin Papszycki, director of college admissions
programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “While the practice events are not
substitutes for comprehensive studying, it will give aspiring
Specialized High School students the opportunity to hone their
skills, build their confidence, and figure out which sections they
need to focus on. With the biggest changes since the 1990s set to
hit the exam this fall and fierce competition to get in, practice
is more important than ever.”
The SHSAT is administered by the New York City Department of
Education and is only available to New York City residents in the
8th grade. 9th grade students may also choose to take the 9th grade
version of the SHSAT for a very limited number of seats that may
become available at the Specialized High Schools.
In 2016, approximately 28,000+ students took the SHSAT; less
than 20% of those students were accepted to a New York City
Specialized High School.
For journalists wanting to arrange an interview with one of
Kaplan Test Prep’s SHSAT experts, please contact Russell Schaffer
at 212.453.7538 or russell.schaffer@kaplan.com. To register for one
of the May events, go to https://www.kaptest.com/shsat5.
SHSAT® (Specialized High Schools Admissions Test) is a
registered trademark of the New York City Department of Education,
which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse,
this product.
About Kaplan Test Prep
Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of
educational and career services for individuals, schools and
businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the
test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings
as well as a complete array of print books and digital products,
Kaplan offers preparation for more than 100 standardized tests,
including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate
school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys,
physicians and nurses. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and
graduate admissions consulting services.
Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings
Company (NYSE: GHC)
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170504005226/en/
Kaplan Test PrepRussell Schaffer,
212-453-7538russell.schaffer@kaplan.comTwitter: @KapTestNews,
@KaplanSATACT
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