Are you preparing for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) and curious about your potential score? Our SHSAT Score Calculator is here to help you estimate your score based on your practice test results. This tool helps you clearly understand where you stand and how much more preparation you need to secure a spot in one of New York City’s specialized high schools.
How the SHSAT is Scored in 2026
Starting with the fall 2026 test, the SHSAT is computer-adaptive. Every student answers 50 ELA and 50 Math questions in 180 minutes on a DOE computer. The first question is average difficulty; after that, a correct answer tends to lead to a harder question and a miss to an easier one.
Your ELA and Math results are each converted to a scaled score, and the two are added into a composite. Students are ranked by composite, and each specialized high school fills its seats from the top down. The last score admitted becomes that school’s cutoff.
There is no penalty for wrong answers, so students should answer every question. Unlike the paper test, students can’t freely skip ahead and come back, so pacing and committing to an answer matter more than before.
SHSAT Score Calculator — 2026 Adaptive Edition
Enter how many questions you got right. See your estimated scaled score, where it lands against all eight specialized high school cutoffs, and what it takes to reach your target school.
Where you land against the 2026 cutoffs
What it takes to reach your target school
A raw score can’t show how the adaptive test will route you
The 2026 SHSAT changes question difficulty as your child answers. Khan’s Tutorial runs a true computer-adaptive diagnostic, so you see a score built the way the real test builds it — plus the exact topics to work on next.
Estimates only. Khan’s Tutorial is not affiliated with the NYC Department of Education. On the adaptive SHSAT, official scores depend on which questions a student answers correctly and how difficult they were, so two students with the same number right can receive different scores. Cutoffs are the lowest composite scores that received an offer for 2026 admission and change every year.
2026 SHSAT Cutoff Scores
| School | Borrough | 2026 Cutoff |
|---|---|---|
| Stuyvesant High School | Manhattan | 561 |
| High School for Math, Science & Engineering at City College | Manhattan | 539 |
| Queens High School for the Sciences at York College | Queens | 531 |
| Bronx High School of Science | Bronx | 525 |
| Staten Island Technical High School | Staten Island | 517 |
| High School of American Studies at Lehman College | Bronx | 507 |
| Brooklyn Technical High School | Brooklyn | 506 |
| The Brooklyn Latin School | Brooklyn | 495 |
Lowest composite score that received an offer for fall 2026 admission (students who tested in fall 2025). Cutoffs are set by each year’s applicant pool and are released with offers in March. LaGuardia High School admits by audition, not the SHSAT.
Why this Calculator Gives a Range, Not One Number
On the adaptive test, the DOE scores the pattern of right and wrong answers against how difficult each question was. Two students with 42 correct can receive different scores if one of them was routed to harder questions. No raw-to-scaled chart can capture that, so our calculator shows an estimate plus a likely range.
Our estimate uses a curved scale, the way the SHSAT always has: in the middle of the range each question is worth about 3-4 points, but near the top a single question can be worth 10 points or more. Calculators that multiply your raw score by a fixed number overstate low scores and understate high ones.
The DOE’s four portal practice tests are fixed forms that mirror the real test’s content and format, but they don’t adapt to the student. Use them for pacing and content, and use an adaptive diagnostic to see how your child performs when the difficulty responds to them.
Features
- Easy to Use: Simply input your raw scores for the ELA and Mathematics sections, and let our calculator do the rest.
- Accurate Estimates: Our calculator uses the latest scoring guidelines to give you an accurate estimate of your scaled score.
- Instant Results: Get your estimated score in seconds and see where you stand.
- Performance Insights: Understand your strengths and areas for improvement to better focus your study efforts.
Benefits of Using the SHSAT Score Calculator
- Preparation Insight: Knowing your estimated score helps you gauge your readiness for the SHSAT.
- Goal Setting: Set realistic goals based on your estimated scores and track your progress as you prepare.
- Targeted Practice: Identify which sections need more practice and tailor your study plan accordingly.
- Confidence Boost: Gain confidence by seeing your potential score and understanding your capabilities.
Ready To Start Your SHSAT Prep?
Take a FREE Trial Diagnostic & Review on us!
Preparation can take up to 13 months for proficiency, get started as soon as possible and speak to one of our education experts today.
FAQs:
How is the SHSAT scored in 2026?
The 2026 SHSAT is computer-adaptive, with 50 ELA and 50 Math questions. The DOE scores each section based on which questions a student answered correctly and how difficult they were, converts each section to a scaled score, and adds them into a composite score used to rank students for admission. There is no penalty for wrong answers.
What is the highest possible SHSAT score?
The DOE doesn’t set a fixed maximum. Each section usually tops out around 350, so the composite usually tops out around 700, but the exact maximum and minimum can change from year to year.
What is a good SHSAT score?
It depends on the school. For 2026 admission, the cutoffs ranged from 495 at Brooklyn Latin to 561 at Stuyvesant. A composite around 530 was enough for most of the eight schools. Because cutoffs move every year, aim for at least 10–20 points above your target school’s most recent cutoff.
How many questions do I need right to get into Stuyvesant?
On our estimate, reaching Stuyvesant’s 2026 cutoff of 561 takes about 45 out of 50 correct in each section, roughly 90%. A student who is stronger in one subject can make up some of the difference there, since questions near the top of the scale are worth more points. On the adaptive test, the difficulty of the questions answered also affects the official score.
How accurate is this SHSAT score calculator?
It’s an estimate for planning, not an official score. It uses a curved conversion based on how SHSAT scaled scores have historically behaved, and it shows a likely range because the adaptive test can score the same number of correct answers differently. For the most realistic picture, take a full-length adaptive diagnostic.
Can I use this calculator for older 57-question practice tests?
Yes. Choose “Older 57-question tests” at the top of the calculator. Scores from older materials are converted to the 50-question scale, but those tests don’t match the current format, so treat the result as a rough guide.
Are the DOE’s SHSAT practice tests adaptive?
No. The four DOE portal practice tests match the real test’s content, question types and on-screen tools, but every student sees the same fixed set of questions. They’re excellent for practicing pacing and the digital format, but they can’t show how the adaptive test would route a student.
Should my child guess on questions they don’t know?
Yes. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so a blank is always worth zero. On the adaptive test, students also can’t freely skip and return, so they should make their best choice and move on.
When are SHSAT scores and cutoffs released?
Scores and high school offers are released in March after the fall test. Cutoff scores for each school are determined by that year’s results, so they aren’t known in advance.