Free ISEE, SSAT, SHSAT, TACHS & HSPT Practice Tests (2026)

The short answer

ConnectPrep, a test prep and admissions advising firm based in Westport, Connecticut, offers free practice tests for the ISEE, SSAT, SHSAT, TACHS and HSPT. Each test follows the real exam’s sections and time limits, then produces a score report with section estimates, a skill by skill map, the error patterns behind the misses, a pacing analysis and the three fixes worth the most points. The HSPT and the Middle Level ISEE and SSAT are available now. TACHS, SHSAT and the Upper Level tests open in October 2026.

November 6 and 7, 2026

TACHS registration closes October 28

There is no late registration. The TACHS is now taken online at home, so practice on a computer.

November 14 to 21, 2026

The first adaptive SHSAT

Registration runs October 6 to 30. This fall the SHSAT adapts to each answer and does not let students go back, which changes how kids should pace it.

Pick your test

Free practice tests by exam

Each test follows the published 2026 format. Scores are ConnectPrep estimates designed to show where your child stands and what to work on, not official results. All questions are original ConnectPrep items, and ConnectPrep is not affiliated with the exam owners (see notice).

Free TACHS Practice Test

Opens October 2026

Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools

The TACHS is the entrance exam for Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of New York, the Diocese of Brooklyn (Brooklyn and Queens) and the Diocese of Rockville Centre (Long Island). It is taken by 8th graders.

Real test: November 6 (Archdiocese of New York) or November 7 (Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island), online at home. Registration closes October 28.

Taken on a computer, the way the 2026 TACHS is given
No calculator and no penalty for wrong answers, so students learn to answer every question
Report shows which subtest is costing the most and why

Reserve the free TACHS test

Subtests on the practice test

TACHS practice test subtests
Subtest	What it covers
Reading	Reading passages and vocabulary
Written Expression	Grammar, usage and punctuation
Mathematics	Math concepts and problem solving
Ability	Learned reasoning skills, verbal and quantitative

Sample question · Ability

What number comes next in the series? 3, 7, 15, 31, ___

A47
B55
C62
D63

Show answer

D, 63. Each number doubles and adds 1: 31 × 2 + 1 = 63. The report flags whether misses like this come from spotting the pattern or from the arithmetic.

Free SHSAT Practice Test

Opens October 2026

Specialized High Schools Admissions Test

The SHSAT is the only admissions factor for eight of New York City’s nine Specialized High Schools, including Stuyvesant, Bronx Science and Brooklyn Tech. It is taken by NYC 8th graders and first-time 9th graders.

Real test: weekend dates November 14, 15 and 21, school day November 18. Registration runs October 6 to 30.

Adaptive, like the new fall 2026 SHSAT: questions adjust to each answer
No going back after an answer is submitted, exactly as on test day
Multiple choice and type in answers, like the real test
Report compares the estimated score with recent school cutoffs

Reserve the free SHSAT test

Sections on the practice test

SHSAT practice test sections
Section	Questions	What it covers
English Language Arts	50	Revising and editing, reading comprehension
Mathematics	50	Ratios, number system, expressions and equations, statistics and probability, geometry
Total	100	180 minutes; students choose which section comes first

Sample question · Mathematics

A recipe uses flour and sugar in a ratio of 5 to 2. A baker uses 35 cups of flour. How many cups of sugar does the baker use?

A10
B12
C14
D17.5

Show answer

C, 14. 35 cups of flour is 7 groups of 5, so the sugar is 7 groups of 2, or 14 cups. On the adaptive test, a right answer here leads to a harder question next.

Free HSPT Practice Test

Available now

High School Placement Test

The HSPT is the entrance exam for most Catholic high schools outside the TACHS dioceses, including Diocese of Bridgeport schools in Fairfield County, CT and schools in the Newark and Paterson areas of New Jersey. It is taken by 8th graders.

Real test: set by each school or diocese, from fall through January. The test publisher says to take it once, and if it is taken again the lower score counts.

The full exam, timed section by section, with one 10 minute break
Scored the moment the student finishes, with every question available for review
Score report sent to the email you register with

Take the free HSPT now

Sections on the practice test

HSPT practice test sections
Section	Questions	Minutes
Verbal Skills	60	16 to 18
Quantitative Skills	52	30
Reading	62	25
Mathematics	64	45
Language	60	25
Total	298	About 2 hr 21 min

Sample question · Quantitative Skills

Examine (a), (b) and (c) and find the best answer. (a) 25% of 80 (b) 1/3 of 60 (c) 0.4 × 50

A(a) is greater than (b)
B(a), (b) and (c) are equal
C(c) is greater than (a)
D(b) is greater than (c)

Show answer

B. All three equal 20. Students who rush often work out one value and guess the rest. The report tracks patterns like that.

Deciding between the SSAT and the ISEE? Our Middle Level diagnostic gives your child both full tests, one part per day, then lines up the results side by side to show which test plays to their strengths. Progress saves automatically, and families who prefer paper can print the booklet and enter the answers online to get the same report.

Free ISEE Practice Test

Middle Level available now

Independent School Entrance Exam

The ISEE is an admission test used by independent day schools. Middle Level is for applicants to grades 7 and 8; Upper Level is for applicants to grades 9 through 12. Both levels use the same structure.

Real test: once per season (Fall: August to November, Winter: December to March, Spring and Summer: April to July), up to three times a year.

Real section timing, about 3 hours with two breaks
Four answer choices and no penalty for wrong answers
Report includes estimated stanines for each section

Take the Middle Level test Reserve Upper Level

Sections on the practice test

ISEE Middle and Upper Level sections
Section	Questions	Minutes
Verbal Reasoning	40	20
Quantitative Reasoning	37	35
Reading Comprehension	36	35
Mathematics Achievement	47	40
Essay (unscored)	1 prompt	30

Sample question · Verbal Reasoning

Although the museum’s new wing was ______ in size, it held more artwork than the entire original building.

Amodest
Benormous
Cidentical
Dexpanding

Show answer

A, modest. “Although” signals a contrast with holding more artwork, so the wing must be small. The report separates vocabulary gaps from missed signal words like this one.

Free SSAT Practice Test

Middle Level available now

Secondary School Admission Test

The SSAT is an admission test used by boarding schools and many independent day schools. Middle Level and Upper Level share the same structure.

Real test: offered on paper, at home and at Prometric test centers. Middle and Upper Level students can take up to six Standard tests and one Flex test on paper.

Real section timing, about 2 hours 50 minutes with breaks (the unscored experimental section is left out)
Five answer choices and a quarter point off for each wrong answer, so students practice when to skip
Report includes estimated percentiles for each section

Take the Middle Level test Reserve Upper Level

Sections on the practice test

SSAT Middle and Upper Level sections
Section	Questions	Minutes
Writing Sample (unscored)	1 prompt	25
Quantitative 1	25	30
Reading	40	40
Verbal	60	30
Quantitative 2	25	30

Sample question · Verbal (synonyms)

METICULOUS

Acareless
Bthorough
Churried
Dgenerous
Equiet

Show answer

B, thorough. Meticulous means showing great care with details. With a quarter point penalty, the report also shows whether guessing helped or hurt your child’s score.

New this year

What changed for 2026 entrance exams, and what it means for practice

Three of these five exams work differently this fall, and the ISEE and SSAT call for opposite guessing strategies. Good practice reflects all of it.

The SHSAT is now computer adaptive

Starting in fall 2026, NYC Public Schools gives the SHSAT as an adaptive test: 50 questions per section, 180 minutes, and each question must be answered before the next one appears. Students cannot return to a question after moving on.

What it means: paper practice books teach students to skip and come back. On the new test that option is gone, so practice on a computer and commit to an answer every time.

The TACHS moved online, at home

The 2026 TACHS is taken at home on a computer with remote proctoring through a webcam and microphone. There are no in-person test sites, and students are assigned an 8:30 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. session.

What it means: do at least one full timed run on the same computer, in the same room, before November 6 or 7.

More Catholic schools use the HSPT, and one sitting counts

New Jersey’s cooperative Catholic high school program switched to the HSPT. The HSPT publisher advises taking the test only once, and if a student retakes it, the lower score counts.

What it means: there is no practice attempt on the real test. A full-length timed rehearsal is the closest substitute.

ISEE and SSAT reward different guessing strategies

The ISEE has four answer choices and no penalty for wrong answers. The SSAT has five choices and subtracts a quarter point for each wrong answer.

What it means: the same child can need two different strategies. Our Middle Level diagnostic scores both tests so you can see which one fits.

Details: HSPT vs TACHS 2026 to 2027 guide · ISEE, SSAT, SHSAT and TACHS prep at ConnectPrep

The score report

What the free score report shows

A number tells you where your child stands. The report tells you why. Every ConnectPrep question is tagged by skill and by the kind of mistake it catches, so the report explains what is actually costing points.

Score estimate in the exam’s own terms: SHSAT composite, ISEE stanines, SSAT and HSPT percentiles, TACHS subtest strengths.
Skill map showing accuracy by skill inside each section, such as analogies versus synonyms or ratios versus geometry.
Error patterns that separate a knowledge gap from a trap answer, a setup mistake or a careless slip.
Pacing: time per question, where time ran short and how many questions were left blank.
Top three fixes worth the most points before test day.
A free 20 minute score review with ConnectPrep if you want one. Entirely optional.

Try the free HSPT now

HSPT Practice Report

Sample Student · Grade 8

Sample

Accuracy by section

Verbal

78%

Quantitative

64%

Reading

71%

Mathematics

55%

Language

82%

Error pattern: 11 of 29 math misses were setup errors on word problems, not missing skills.

Pacing: the last 8 Reading questions got under 15 seconds each.

Top fix: write the equation before touching the numbers. Worth an estimated 6 to 8 questions.

Illustrative example. Your child’s report is built from their own answers.

How it works

How the free practice tests work

1

Take the test free

Pick the exam and take it timed on a laptop or desktop, with scratch paper and pencils nearby.
2

Get the full report

Add a parent email and the complete breakdown arrives right away, with a PDF to keep.
3

Make a plan

Use the top three fixes on your own, or book a free 20 minute score review with ConnectPrep.

Which test?

Which entrance exam does my child need?

The school, and often the diocese, decides the test. Start here, then confirm on each school’s admission page or in our private school admissions requirements database.

Which entrance exam each type of school uses
If your child is applying to	They usually take
One of the eight NYC Specialized High Schools that admit by exam (all except LaGuardia)	SHSAT
A Catholic high school in the Archdiocese of New York (including Westchester), Brooklyn and Queens, or Long Island	TACHS, though some schools there also ask for the HSPT
A Catholic high school elsewhere, including Fairfield County, CT and the Newark and Paterson areas of NJ	HSPT, but check each school
An independent day school	ISEE or SSAT; many schools accept either
A boarding school	SSAT most often; many also accept the ISEE

Catholic school families: our HSPT vs TACHS guide covers the regional rules and the schools that break the pattern.

2026 to 2027 at a glance

ISEE, SSAT, SHSAT, TACHS and HSPT compared

Format, timing, guessing rules and dates for the real exams, checked against official sources on September 29, 2026. Middle and Upper Level formats are shown for the ISEE and SSAT.

Comparison of the ISEE, SSAT, SHSAT, TACHS and HSPT for 2026 to 2027
Exam	Used for	Sections	Time	Wrong answers	2026 to 2027 dates
SHSATSpecialized High Schools Admissions Test	8 NYC Specialized High Schools	English Language Arts 50, Math 50; computer adaptive	180 minutes	Every question must be answered before moving on	Nov 14, 15, 18 and 21, 2026; register Oct 6 to 30
TACHSTest for Admission into Catholic High Schools	Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of NY, Brooklyn and Queens, Long Island	Reading, Written Expression, Mathematics, Ability	8:30 or 10:00 a.m. session, at home	No penalty	Nov 6 or 7, 2026; register Aug 24 to Oct 28; results online Jan 22, 2027
HSPTHigh School Placement Test	Most other Catholic high schools	Verbal 60, Quantitative 52, Reading 62, Math 64, Language 60	About 2 hr 20 min of testing	No penalty	Set by each school, fall through January; scores 200 to 800, 500 average
ISEEIndependent School Entrance Exam	Independent day schools	Verbal 40, Quantitative 37, Reading 36, Math Achievement 47, essay	2 hr 40 min plus two breaks	No penalty	Once per season, up to 3 times a year: Fall Aug to Nov, Winter Dec to Mar
SSATSecondary School Admission Test	Boarding and independent day schools	Quantitative 25 + 25, Reading 40, Verbal 60, writing sample	About 3 hr 5 min on paper with breaks	Minus 1/4 point	Paper Standard dates, at home or Prometric; up to 6 Standard + 1 Flex

Sources are listed at the bottom of this page. Practice test timing can differ slightly where we leave out unscored sections.

Westport, Fairfield County and nationwide

Entrance exam prep in Westport, Fairfield County and online

ConnectPrep is based in Westport, Connecticut. Families across Fairfield County work with us one on one, in their homes or online, and families anywhere in the country work with us online. The free practice tests run in any browser, so they work the same in Westport as they do in Chicago or Los Angeles.

In Fairfield County, the test usually depends on the type of school. Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport use the HSPT. Independent day and boarding schools ask for the ISEE or the SSAT, and each school sets its own rules.

Westport
Weston
Wilton
Fairfield
Darien
New Canaan
Greenwich
Norwalk
Ridgefield
Trumbull

Book a free consultation See entrance exam prep

Fairfield County, CT: HSPT for Diocese of Bridgeport Catholic high schools; ISEE or SSAT for independent schools.
Westchester, NY: TACHS for Archdiocese of New York Catholic high schools; ISEE or SSAT for independent schools.
New York City: SHSAT for the Specialized High Schools, TACHS for Catholic high schools, ISEE or SSAT for independent schools.
Northern New Jersey: HSPT for Catholic high schools in the Newark and Paterson areas.
Online, nationwide: every test on this page, plus 1:1 prep with a ConnectPrep tutor.

Reserve a free test

Get the test link the day it opens

TACHS, SHSAT and the Upper Level ISEE and SSAT open in October 2026. Reserve a spot and we will email the link and instructions as soon as your test is ready.

Free, with no purchase required
One email with the link, plus your child’s report after the test
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Why ConnectPrep

Why families use ConnectPrep for entrance exams

Since 2013

Founded in Westport, CT by Jeremy M. Fine. We work with students from kindergarten through graduate school, in person across the tri-state area and online nationwide. Meet our instructors.

Admissions, not just scores

ISEE, SSAT, SHSAT and TACHS prep plus private and boarding school advising: school lists, applications and interviews.

Hard on purpose

Built the same way as our JD-Next practice exam: realistic, demanding and tagged to explain every miss. Younger students can build skills first with K to 8 tutoring.

Read what families say in our reviews, or browse more practice tests and resources.

FAQ

Questions parents ask about entrance exam practice tests

Where can my child take a free ISEE or SSAT practice test?

On this page. ConnectPrep’s free Middle Level diagnostic includes a full ISEE and a full SSAT, scored side by side so you can see which test suits your child. Free Upper Level versions open in October 2026.

Is there a free practice test for the new adaptive SHSAT?

Yes. ConnectPrep’s free SHSAT practice test follows the fall 2026 format: computer adaptive, 50 English Language Arts and 50 Math questions, 180 minutes, and no going back after an answer is submitted. It opens in October 2026.

Can students skip questions on the 2026 SHSAT?

No. NYC Public Schools says students must answer each question before they can move to the next one. Within an ELA reading passage set, students can change answers until they submit the set; after that, and for every math question, they cannot go back.

What is the difference between the ISEE and the SSAT?

Both are used for independent school admissions. The ISEE has four answer choices and no penalty for wrong answers, and it can be taken once per testing season, up to three times a year. The SSAT has five answer choices and subtracts a quarter point for each wrong answer, and Middle and Upper Level students can take up to six Standard paper tests and one Flex test.

What is the difference between the HSPT and the TACHS?

Location decides most of it. The TACHS is used by Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of New York, Brooklyn and Queens, and Long Island, and in 2026 it is taken online at home on November 6 or 7. The HSPT is used by most other Catholic high schools, is given in person on dates each school sets, and is scored from 200 to 800. See our HSPT vs TACHS guide.

Is there a penalty for guessing?

Only on the SSAT, which subtracts a quarter point for each wrong answer. The ISEE, HSPT and TACHS have no penalty, so students should answer every question. On the 2026 SHSAT every question must be answered before moving on.

Are the practice tests really free?

Yes. There is nothing to buy and no credit card. We ask for a parent email so we can send the score report.

Are these official tests?

No. They are ConnectPrep practice tests built to match each exam’s published sections and timing. Scores are ConnectPrep estimates, not official scores, and ConnectPrep is not affiliated with the organizations that publish these exams.

How long does each practice test take?

The HSPT takes about 2 hours 30 minutes with a break. The SHSAT is 180 minutes. The ISEE runs about 3 hours and the SSAT about 2 hours 50 minutes, including breaks. The Middle Level ISEE and SSAT diagnostic can be taken one part per day.

What does my child need to take a test?

A laptop or desktop computer with Chrome, a quiet room, scratch paper and two pencils.

When do the TACHS and SHSAT practice tests open?

In October 2026, well ahead of the November test dates. Reserve a spot and we will email the link the day your test opens.

Does ConnectPrep offer entrance exam tutoring in Westport and Fairfield County?

Yes. ConnectPrep is based in Westport and works one on one with families across Fairfield County, in Westchester, New York City and Northern New Jersey, and online nationwide. See entrance exam prep or book a free consultation.

Will someone call us after the test?

Only if you ask. The report includes a link to book a free 20 minute score review. Booking it is up to you.

Which test does my child need?

NYC Specialized High Schools use the SHSAT. Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of New York, Brooklyn and Queens, and Long Island use the TACHS, and most other Catholic high schools use the HSPT. Independent schools use the ISEE or the SSAT. See the full guide above.

Free ISEE, SSAT, SHSAT, TACHS and HSPT Practice Tests

Free practice tests by exam

Free TACHS Practice Test

Free SHSAT Practice Test

Free HSPT Practice Test

Free ISEE Practice Test

Free SSAT Practice Test

What changed for 2026 entrance exams, and what it means for practice

The SHSAT is now computer adaptive

The TACHS moved online, at home

More Catholic schools use the HSPT, and one sitting counts

ISEE and SSAT reward different guessing strategies

What the free score report shows

How the free practice tests work

Take the test free

Get the full report

Make a plan

Which entrance exam does my child need?

ISEE, SSAT, SHSAT, TACHS and HSPT compared

Entrance exam prep in Westport, Fairfield County and online

Get the test link the day it opens

Why families use ConnectPrep for entrance exams

Since 2013

Admissions, not just scores

Hard on purpose

Questions parents ask about entrance exam practice tests

Where can my child take a free ISEE or SSAT practice test?

Is there a free practice test for the new adaptive SHSAT?

Can students skip questions on the 2026 SHSAT?

What is the difference between the ISEE and the SSAT?

What is the difference between the HSPT and the TACHS?

Is there a penalty for guessing?

Are the practice tests really free?

Are these official tests?

How long does each practice test take?

What does my child need to take a test?

When do the TACHS and SHSAT practice tests open?

Does ConnectPrep offer entrance exam tutoring in Westport and Fairfield County?

Will someone call us after the test?

Which test does my child need?

Know where your child stands before test day

Sources

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