Starting with the fall 2025 administration, the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) will move to a digital model. This computer-based assessment will immediately embed supports for English Language Learners (ELLs) and students with disabilities and will include test questions that vary from the current multiple-choice and grid-in question types. In 2026, the exam will transition to a computer-adaptive test (CAT), which will tailor the questions that students receive based on their ongoing performance.
The SHSAT is adapting to align with recent developments across the testing landscape, as exams have increasingly moved from paper- to computer-based formats. For example, starting in 2024, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) began a three-year transition of the New York State Grades 3 – 8 English Language Arts, Mathematics and Science Tests that will end in all subjects and grades being administered and scored on a computer by 2026. In addition, in 2023 the PSAT and in 2024 the SAT moved to digital models. These high-stakes administrations join the numerous digital classroom assessments that students sit for on a regular basis. The transition from paper to computer is motivated by the increased support, security, and convenience that accompany digital-based models.
The timeline for the transition is as follows:
- Fall 2025: The exam will be administered in a digital format and will include tech-enhanced item types, as well as embedded supports, including those for English Language Learners and students with disabilities. The layout of the test and the number of items will remain the same.
- This administration is for students who are applying to Specialized High Schools for the 2026 – 27 school year.
- Fall 2026: The SHSAT will be administered in a computer-adaptive format.
- This administration is for students who are applying to Specialized High Schools for the 2027 – 28 school year.
Content and Item Types
The 2025 exam will largely be the same as previous years: there will be two sections, one for ELA and one for Math, with each part consisting of 57 items. Students who do not have an extended-time testing accommodation will have three hours to complete the exam. Students will be able to choose which section (ELA or Math) they begin with, and they will be able to go back to questions until they submit their responses at the end of the test. The key difference between the 2025 exam and previous versions is that it will be administered on a computer rather than via paper.
While the number of questions across both subjects will remain consistent with previous paper-based administrations, tech-enhanced items (TEI) will begin replacing a select number of multiple-choice or grid-in questions. These test questions will provide alternative ways to assess students’ understanding. Click here for sample TEI that may appear on the 2025 exam. (NOTE: This resource reflects the nature of the item types without reflecting the kind of rigorous content that will appear on the exam.)
This computer-based administration will enable test takers to take advantage of tech-enhanced features. For example, ELLs will be able to utilize embedded glossaries for both the ELA and the Math sections in Arabic, Bengali, French, Haitian-Creole, Korean, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Russian, Spanish, and Urdu. The glossed terms will better enable students who benefit from ELL supports to demonstrate their abilities. In addition, the exam will include universal accessibility features, such as zoom, highlighting, or note-taking features, which all students will be able to utilize. Students who have testing accommodations like tests read, breaks, or large print will also be able to receive these supports via the testing platform.
Paper exams will be available for the extremely limited number of students who have Individual Education Plans (IEPs) or 504 plans with approved testing accommodations that require paper versions in order for the students to access the exam. Otherwise, all exams will be administered on the computer.
In 2025, students will be able to navigate the digital version of the exam in the same way that they respond on the paper-based test. They will be able to choose which subject they prefer to start with, ELA or Mathematics, and they will be able to move back and forth among the questions and between the subjects. They will just respond on a computer rather than on paper. Students who want to experience the functionality of the exam can click on this Student Readiness Tool (SRT) tutorial