Catholic High School Admissions

HSPT vs TACHS 2026-27: Test Dates, Format, Scoring, and Which Test Your Schools Require

Catholic high school entrance testing happens this fall, and the rules changed in a few places. TACHS is now taken online at home. New Jersey’s cooperative program switched to the HSPT. And even in TACHS territory, some schools ask for the HSPT. Here is what each test covers, when it is given, and how to tell which one your child needs.

Which test does your child need?

Catholic high schools generally use one of two entrance exams, and the choice is made by the diocese or the school, not the family.

• TACHS (Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools) is used by Catholic high schools in three New York dioceses: the Archdiocese of New York (Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester, and the counties north of the city), the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens, and the Diocese of Rockville Centre on Long Island.
• HSPT (High School Placement Test, from Scholastic Testing Service) is used by Catholic high schools in much of the rest of the country, including the Diocese of Bridgeport in Fairfield County, several Archdiocese of Hartford schools, the Archdiocese of Newark and Diocese of Paterson in New Jersey, and the Archdioceses of Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, and Baltimore.

Families near a diocesan border often apply to schools on both tests. A student in lower Fairfield County looking at Westchester and Connecticut schools, for example, may need to register for the TACHS and sit for the HSPT in the same fall.

2026-27 test dates by region

These dates are for eighth graders applying for ninth grade in fall 2027. Each one comes from the diocese or school’s official admissions page as of September 2026.

Always confirm the date, time, and registration steps with each school before test day. Individual schools sometimes add a make up or late date.

TACHS: format, at home rules, and scoring

The biggest change for New York families is logistical. The TACHS is now a remote online test taken at home. There are no in-person test sites. Students are randomly assigned an 8:30 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. session, and session emails go out by November 4.

What the TACHS covers

The TACHS handbook lists four subtests:

• Reading
• Written Expression
• Mathematics
• Ability, which measures learned reasoning skills

There is no penalty for wrong answers, so students should answer every question. Plan on no calculator: families are told to remove calculators and phones from the testing area.

Tech requirements for testing at home

The test is proctored remotely through Proctorio, which uses the computer’s webcam and microphone. The handbook requires:

• A computer running Windows 11, macOS 11 or later, or a Chromebook
• The Chrome browser with the Proctorio extension installed
• A working webcam and microphone

iPads and other iOS devices are not supported. Set up and test the device several days before the exam, not the morning of.

Registration, fee, and results

• Registration opened August 24, 2026 and closes October 28, 2026 at 11:00 p.m. ET. There is no late registration.
• The $78 fee covers the handbook, test materials, and score reports to three high schools. High school choices can be entered until November 7.
• Scores are reported to schools as local and national percentile ranks.
• Admission notices start arriving January 13, 2027 in Brooklyn, Queens, and Rockville Centre, and January 20, 2027 in the Archdiocese of New York. Families can see TACHS results online on January 22, 2027.

HSPT: sections, timing, and scoring

The HSPT is given in person, usually at a Catholic high school on a date the school or diocese sets. It has five core subtests.

Schools publish slightly different times for Verbal Skills. Regis lists 18 minutes and the Archdiocese of Washington lists 16. With instructions and breaks, the test runs about three hours.

The pace is the challenge. Verbal Skills asks 60 questions in well under 20 minutes, which leaves only about 16 to 18 seconds per question. Calculators are not allowed. Some schools add an optional Science, Catholic Religion, or Mechanical Aptitude test, which is not part of the composite score.

How the HSPT is scored

• Raw scores (the number correct) convert to standard scores from 200 to 800, with 500 as average.
• Reports include national and local percentiles, a composite score, grade equivalents for Reading, Language, and Math, and a Cognitive Skills Quotient (CSQ), read on a scale where 100 is average.
• There is no penalty for wrong answers. Scholastic Testing Service tells students to take their best guess.

You usually get one attempt

Scholastic Testing Service says the HSPT should be taken only once, and that if a student takes it more than once, the lower score counts. The Diocese of Bridgeport cooperative allows one attempt across all of its schools, and Philadelphia and Baltimore say the same. That makes preparation before the first sitting far more important than it is for the SAT or ACT.

Where scores go depends on how the test is given. When a single school gives the HSPT, results go only to that school. In cooperative or diocesan programs, students can send scores to several participating schools.

HSPT vs TACHS side by side

Schools that break the pattern

The diocese sets the default, but individual schools make their own rules. Several well known schools on both sides of the state line do something different.

• Regis High School (NYC) uses the HSPT as its scholarship exam, given at Regis on November 14. Applicants are registered automatically when they apply.
• Fordham Prep (Bronx) expects Catholic school students to take the TACHS and also accepts ISEE and SSAT scores. Its HSPT on November 21 is required for merit scholarship consideration.
• Xavier High School (NYC) accepts the TACHS, HSPT, SSAT, or ISEE.
• Ursuline School (New Rochelle) and School of the Holy Child (Rye) accept the TACHS, ISEE, or SSAT.
• Kennedy Catholic and Stepinac in Westchester use the TACHS only.
• Fairfield Prep requires the HSPT but accepts the SSAT as an alternative.
• In the Archdiocese of Hartford, Northwest Catholic and East Catholic give their own placement tests, and Notre Dame of West Haven does not require an entrance exam.

If your child is applying to independent day or boarding schools as well, those schools typically require the ISEE or SSAT, which adds a third test to the fall calendar.

How to prepare in the weeks before the test

With the TACHS and most HSPT dates falling between late October and mid November, most families have four to eight weeks from late September. That is enough time to make a real difference if the prep is focused.

1. Confirm the test for every school on the list

   Make a simple chart: school, test required, test date, registration deadline, and whether scores are needed for scholarships. Families who apply across Connecticut, Westchester, and New Jersey can end up with conflicts: the Archdiocese of New York TACHS and the New Jersey HSPT are both on Friday, November 6, and the Brooklyn and Queens TACHS falls on the same Saturday as the second Bridgeport HSPT date.

2. Take a timed diagnostic first

   A full, timed practice test shows where the points are. On the HSPT, the fast Verbal Skills and Quantitative Skills sections are often where students lose the most ground, because the question types are unfamiliar and the clock is tight.

3. Drill the question types that are new

   Analogies, number series, and verbal logic questions do not show up in most middle school classrooms. A few weeks of targeted practice on those formats tends to move scores more than general review.

4. Practice math without a calculator

   Neither test allows one. Mental arithmetic, fractions, percents, and estimation should feel automatic by test day.

5. Rehearse test day

   For the TACHS, run a full practice session on the same computer, in the same room, with the webcam on. For the HSPT, practice a three hour sitting with breaks so the last section does not feel longer than the first. On both tests, answer every question, since there is no penalty for guessing.

HSPT and TACHS FAQ

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